Jason flung himself into his work now with prodigious energy.  He never went to the county-seat, was never seen on the river road on the Honeycutt side of the ancient dead-line, and the tale-bearers on each side proceeded to get busy again.  The Hawns heard that Jason had fled from little Aaron the morning Jason had gone back for his Commencement in the Blue-grass.  The Honeycutts heard that Aaron had been afraid to meet Jason when he returned to the county-seat.  Old Jason and old Aaron were each cautioning his grandson to put an end to the folly, and each was warning his business representative in town with commercial annihilation if he should be discovered trying to bring on the feud again.  On the first county-court day Jason had to go to court, and the meeting came.  The town was full with members of both factions, armed and ready for trouble.  Jason had ridden ahead of his grandfather that morning and little Aaron had ridden ahead of his.  Jason reached town first, and there was a stir in the Honeycutt hotel and store.  Half an hour later there was a stir among the Hawns, for little Aaron rode by.  A few minutes later Aaron came toward the Hawn store, in the middle of the street, swaggering.  Jason happened at that moment to be crossing the same street, and a Hawn shouted warning.

Jason looked up and saw Aaron coming.  He stopped, turned, and waited until Aaron reached for his gun.  Then his own flashed, and the two reports sounded as one.  One black lock was clipped from Jason’s right temple and a little patch flew from the left shoulder of Aaron’s coat.  To Jason’s surprise Aaron lowered his weapon and began working at it savagely with both hands, and while Jason waited, Aaron looked up.

“Shoot ahead,” he said sullenly; “it’s a new gun and it won’t work.”

But no shot came and Aaron looked up again, mystified and glaring, but Jason was smiling and walking toward him.

“Aaron, there are two or three trifling fellows on our side who hate you and are afraid of you.  You know that, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Well, the same thing is true about me of two or three men on your side, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“They’ve been carrying tales from one side to the other.  I’ve never said anything against you.”

Aaron, genuinely disbelieving, stared questioningly for a moment—­ and believed.

“I’ve never said anything against you, either.”

“I believe you.  Well, do you see any reason why we should be shooting each other down to oblige a few cowards?”

“No, by God, I don’t.”

“Well, I don’t want to die and I don’t believe you do.  There are a lot of things I want to do and a lot that you want to do.  We want to help our own people and our own mountains all we can, and the best thing we can do for them and for ourselves is to stop this feud.”

“It’s the God’s truth,” said Aaron solemnly, but looking still a little incredulous.