
TO JAMES LANE ALLEN - I
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A rugged, wind‑blown ridge crowns the story, where the peaks roll like a restless sea and the valleys lie cloaked in shadow. Clayton, a lone wanderer, has just slipped down a sheer slope, clinging to birch tops and dodging falling moss, when he stumbles upon a narrow mountain path. There, a young woman rides a massive bull‑used‑as‑a‑plow, her bright hair catching the light, and the scene is as startling as it is comic.
Their brief meeting quickly turns uneasy. The bull, startled by Clayton’s dog, charges, and the girl’s angry shouts echo through the gorge. As the animal barrels past, Clayton scrambles into a gully, the spilled grain marking the chaos. This early clash hints at the harsh customs and stubborn independence of the highland folk, promising a journey that will test both his courage and his curiosity about the lives hidden among the peaks.
Language
en
Duration
~2 hours (132K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
Jan 1, 2002
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1862–1919
A bestselling storyteller of Appalachia, he turned mountain settings and Civil War themes into some of the most widely read American novels of his day. His books helped bring regional life in Kentucky and Virginia to a national audience.
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