THE BOY FROM HOLLOW HUT [Illustration: "I kin kill rabbits if I can't do nothin' else"] The Boy From Hollow Hut A STORY OF THE KENTUCKY MOUNTAINS By ISLA MAY MULLINS Illustrated New York Chicago Toronto Fleming H. Revell Company London and Edinburgh Copyright, 1911, by FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY New York: 158 Fifth Avenue Chicago: 17 North Wabash Ave. London: 21 Paternoster Square Edinburgh: 75 Princes Street To MRS. J. B. MARVIN Whose unceasing devotion to the cause of education in the mountains of Kentucky inspired this little story CONTENTS I. A STRANGER AND A PROMISE 11 II. A PACKAGE BY MAIL 24 III. IN THE WILDERNESS 36 IV. A HALT ON THE ROAD 44 V. A DOUBLE RESCUE 57 VI. AN UNEXPECTED MEETING 72 VII. A TRIP TO THE CITY 78 VIII. OPPORTUNITY 91 IX. A STARTLING APPEARANCE 98 X. STEVE DEVELOPS A MIND OF HIS OWN 111 XI. EXPERIENCE 129 XII. LOVE'S AWAKENING 149 XIII. OLD TIES RENEWED 160 XIV. "ALL RIGHT, SON" 180 XV. FLICKERING HOPE 190 XVI. IN THE CRUCIBLE 198 XVII. FRUITION 204 ILLUSTRATIONS "I kin kill rabbits if I can't do nothin' else" _Frontispiece_ The Old Greely Mill 70 "Hit's Champ fer his pappy" 142 "Tilda pacing back and forth at her spinning-wheel" 174 THE BOY FROM HOLLOW HUT I A STRANGER AND A PROMISE The rabbit bounded away and was lost in the underbrush. Steve stood looking disgustedly after him, a limp figure, one shoulder dropping until the old knit suspender fell at his side, and a sullen, discouraged look settling in his brown eyes. "I ain' no hunter noways. Peers lack I don't even know 'nough to ketch a rabbit," he said with scorn. "Whar's that lazy Tige anyways?" he added, his scorn merging into wrath. Then jerking the old suspender in place he straightened up on his sturdy, bare feet, and darted through the underbrush in the direction where the rabbit had disappeared. "I'll ketch you yit, yes I will, you same old cottontail," he muttered through clenched teeth.