Contact Mike Lough JOHN FOX, JR. `Hell fer Sartain' and Other Stories
TO MY BROTHER JAMES
AUTHOR'S NOTE
CONTENTS
ON HELL-FER-SARTAIN CREEK THROUGH THE GAP A TRICK O' TRADE GRAYSON'S BABY COURTIN' ON CUTSHIN THE MESSAGE IN THE SAND THE SENATOR'S LAST TRADE PREACHIN' ON KINGDOM-COME THE PASSING OF ABRAHAM SHIVERS A PURPLE RHODODENDRON
ON HELL-FER-SARTAIN CREEK
Thar was a dancin'-party Christmas night on ``Hell fer Sartain.'' Jes tu'n up the fust crick beyond the bend thar, an' climb onto a stump, an' holler about ONCE, an' you'll see how the name come. Stranger, hit's HELL fer sartain! Well, Rich Harp was thar from the head- waters, an' Harve Hall toted Nance Osborn clean across the Cumberlan'. Fust one ud swing Nance, an' then t'other. Then they'd take a pull out'n the same bottle o' moonshine, an'--fust one an' then t'other--they'd swing her agin. An' Abe Shivers a-settin' thar by the fire a-bitin' his thumbs! Well, things was sorter whoopin', when somebody ups an' tells Harve that Rich had said somep'n' agin Nance an' him, an' somebody ups an' tells Rich that Harve had said somep'n' agin Nance an' HIM.