Chapter I: Front Matter

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GRACE HARLOWE'S OVERLAND RIDERS AMONG THE KENTUCKY MOUNTAINEERS

by

JESSIE GRAHAM FLOWER, A. M.

Illustrated

The Saalfield Publishing Company Akron, Ohio New York Made in U. S. A. Copyright MCMXXI by The Saalfield Publishing Company

CONTENTS

PAGE

CHAPTER I--EXCITEMENT IN THE FOOTHILLS 11

Washington Washington's music is rudely interrupted.
The revenge of an outraged mule. "Why dat fool mule
kick me?" Hippy airs his knowledge of woodcraft.
"Laundry" puts the Overland camp in an uproar.

CHAPTER II--THE MYSTERY MAN 25

"Dis am de sebbenth yeah." The Spectacle Man
introduces himself. The voice from the wilderness.
The visitor gives the Overland Riders a word of
advice. Mystified by an appearance and a
disappearance.

CHAPTER III--HIPPY BOUNCES THE "SHEREEF" 32

Overlanders ordered to leave the mountains at once.
Hippy Wingate's smile grows into a frown. A bullet
that missed its mark. Grace Harlowe steps on Washington's
neck and starts an uproar. A mysterious
shot wings the mountaineer.

CHAPTER IV--FOOTPRINTS IN THE MOSS 42

The Mystery Man slips away unobserved. The Overlanders
led to wonder. Tom Gray utters a warning.
Washington gets another scare. The prowler leaves a
trail. Revolver shots stir the Overland Riders to
action. "That's Grace's weapon!" cries Lieutenant
Wingate.

CHAPTER V--THE WAY IS BARRED 52

"Halt! Who comes?" Grace Harlowe slightly
wounded. Hippy, in search of her, loses himself.
Grace tells of her duel in the bush. The Overlanders
are sternly halted and ordered to go back. A shot and
a command. Hippy's hat is shot off.

CHAPTER VI--HIPPY MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARS 61

Overlanders throw up their hands. Nora tweaks a
mountaineer's nose, and boxes his ears. Tables turned
on a mountain ruffian. A night prowler frightened
away by a shot. "Hurry, Grace! Hippy has gone!"
cries Elfreda Briggs in a thrilling voice.

CHAPTER VII--A VOICE FROM THE SHADOWS 74

The search for Hippy Wingate is begun. Significant
trail-signs are discovered. Grace Harlowe makes a find.
"Hippy's hat!" gasps Miss Briggs. A mysterious
message is tossed into the Overland camp at night.
The girls are encouraged by a comforting word.

CHAPTER VIII--A FRIEND IN NEED 87

Hippy, awakening, finds himself a captive. A grilling
ride on horseback. Captors question and threaten their
prisoner. Sight of food makes Hippy sad. "Don't make a
sound, Lieutenant," warns a friendly voice. "There's a
price on your head!"

CHAPTER IX--THE POWER OF MIND 99

"I didn't con-centrate for nothing," declares Emma
Dean. Grace finds and loses the trail. Elfreda fires
at a noise. "Cut the gun!" howls Hippy Wingate. "The
mountaineers are after us!" Lieutenant Wingate's
rescuer advises the party to move at once.

CHAPTER X--"THEY'VE GOT THE BOY!" 107

"Two skips an' er jump" to their destination.
Washington's howls arouse the Overland camp. The
colored boy suddenly disappears. The night vigil of
the Overland Riders is broken by a shock.

CHAPTER XI--"A MARKED MAN" 114

"Hold your fire!" orders Lieutenant Wingate. Washington
Washington flounders into camp. "All this scare for a
black nightmare," groans Emma. The "rural free delivery
man" makes an early call. Another mystery for the Overland
Riders to solve.

CHAPTER XII--A MOUNTAIN MYSTERY 121

A message and a postscript. Miss Briggs says she will
show her companions. Camp is made on the Thompson farm.
Julie calls to look the Overlanders over. Invited to a
mountain dance. Hippy makes a trouble-forecast.

CHAPTER XIII--THREE MEN IN THE CORNFIELD 132

Washington says he "sawed" a man. Jeremiah makes a
call on the Overland camp. How the Spectacle Man
"fits" glasses. The "benefactor of all mankind"
suddenly changes his mind. "Two dollars, please."

CHAPTER XIV--ELFREDA DISTINGUISHES HERSELF 140

The Mystery Man makes a pun. Jeremiah "rolls" out of
camp. Elfreda discovers a bear. "He is eating up our
food." With the bear's assistance Miss Briggs succeeds
in lassoing him. The Overland camp turned into turmoil.

CHAPTER XV--WHEN EMMA SAID TOO MUCH 148

Young Bruin upsets the entire Overland party. "Quick!
Get her loose!" Hippy kills and dresses the bear.
Footprints in the cornfield. A stranger comes to call
and fills up on bear meat. "I'm the game constable!
Where's the bear?" he demands sternly.

CHAPTER XVI--A JOKE ON THE OVERLANDERS 162

"No one ain't allowed to have bear meat till December."
Overland Riders are told that they are under arrest.
Hippy knocks out the "constable" and brings him to with
a pail of water. "I'll give you ten seconds to get out
of camp!"

CHAPTER XVII--THE DANCE AT COON HOLLOW 168

Hippy declares he is not getting sufficient nourishment.
Gay mountain folk gather at the schoolhouse. Washington's
music not appreciated. Emma Dean lays the foundation for
a "riot." Hippy makes a disheartening discovery.

CHAPTER XVIII--AN INTERRUPTED PARTY 180

Julie introduces her "feller" to the Overlanders. Lum
Bangs threatens Lieutenant Wingate. Weapons drawn in
the schoolroom. A mysterious shot cripples the
"constable." Knocked out by a blow. Washington has a
bad fright.

CHAPTER XIX--A CALL FOR HELP 189

Emma "con-centrates" on Hippy and "saves his life."
The Overland camp found destroyed. "Dey done got de
mule!" wailed the colored boy. Julie's warning is
recalled. Grace and Elfreda summoned to the Thompson
home to care for sick children.

CHAPTER XX--HIPPY AS A ROUGHRIDER 199

Lieutenant Wingate goes for a doctor. The Overland
girls sleep in a barn. Julie refuses to tell tales. The
doctor arrives alone. "We were attacked from ambush!"
Jed Thompson orders the Overland nurses from his cabin.

CHAPTER XXI--AN APOLOGY AND A THREAT 209

"The lieutenant is down there yet and may be dead!"
The doctor reads Jed Thompson a severe lecture.
Thompson goes to Hippy's rescue. Hippy accused of
being Jim Townsend. "If he looks like me, he's a
lucky man."

CHAPTER XXII--JULIE BRINGS DISTURBING NEWS 216

Lieutenant Wingate informs Jed that the Spurgeons are
coming to "shoot him up." On the trail again. Julie
overtakes the Overland Riders, bearing a warning. "Bat
Spurgeon an' his gang is waitin' fer you-uns on the
White River Ridge," she tells them.

CHAPTER XXIII--THE GATHERING OF THE CLANS 228

Grace learns that Tom Gray is in the feudist country.
Tom's tent found, but he is missing. Nora's missile
hits the wrong man. The Overland Riders seek refuge
in a cave. Fresh disasters befall them. Fighting out
a mountain feud.

CHAPTER XXIV--TRAIL'S END 245

The Mystery Man found a captive in a cave. He "fits"
Grace Harlowe with "magic glasses." Through her new
specs she sees Tom Gray. Jeremiah Long says his
farewell. What Tom found on Hippy's claim.

GRACE HARLOWE'S OVERLAND RIDERS AMONG THE KENTUCKY MOUNTAINEERS