After the Manner of Men

A city‑born traveler named Tregarvon finds himself far from Philadelphia’s streets, hidden behind an oak in the rugged Tennessee hills. When a sudden burst of gunfire shatters the forest’s quiet, he scrambles to ready a pocket revolver he never expected to need, his nerves a mix of panic and uneasy curiosity. The narrative captures his vivid inner monologue as he watches—more imagined than seen—the unseen marksman pick off the surrounding trees.

Caught in a bitter feud over coal‑rich land, Tregarvon’s modern, “civilized” outlook collides with the stubborn, old‑world mentality of the mountain families he encounters. He jokes about his loved ones back home while weighing the danger of staying put versus confronting the shooter. The opening sets a tense, atmospheric scene that blends humor, historical echo, and the stark contrast between urban sophistication and frontier hostility.