Red Belts

Publisher Marketing: This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1920 Excerpt: ...takes advantage of chaos to walk close to saints. But the over-mountain country was closed ground to the king of horse-thieves; there was no doubting that fact. A bullet on sight was what he would receive did he venture forth where he sent his men. Thus it had happened that Sevier, while having had the pleasure of hanging several of Bed Hajason's tools, had never looked on his face. The Jumper increased his vigilance and cunningly took Sevier's horse by the nose to prevent a whinney. "We must go deeper into the woods," he urged. "Listen, Little Brother, I must see this Eed Hajason," whispered Sevier, dismounting. "Take the horse back. I will stay here." "This path is white," frantically protested the Indian, anticipating from Sevier's frowning visage a bloody settlement with the outlaw. "My eyes can not shed blood," soothed Sevier. "He shall pass unharmed--this time. But I must see him." The Jumper reluctantly led the horse deeper into the cover, and Sevier hid himself and waited. The Cherokees owned many horses, excellent animals. A brisk trade was carried on between the friendly Indians and the settlers. And there was much trading between Cherokee and Creek, only it was the white man's horse that sometimes went to the Southern nation. And Hajason traded stolen nags for honest ones and through unsuspected agents sold the latter to the whites. Hajason was not dubbed "Eed" because of rufescent hair or complexion. He was Bed because of his deeds, his readiness to spill the blood of the weaker. Only affairs of great importance had restrained Sevier from taking a posse of his swift-riding riflemen and running down the scourge long before this. The cavalcade now drew near, and he could easily ...