A Pagan of the Hills

by Charles Neville Buck

Between precipices echoed the crash of ice sliding loose and splintering as it fell in ponderous masses. Men sweating in the glare of collossal bonfires toiled at the work of re-inforcing the dam. They had been faithful; they were still faithful, but the stress of exhaustion was beginning to sap their morale; to drive them into irritability so that, under the strain of almost superhuman exertion, they threatened to break. Brent was not of their blood and knew little of how to handle them, and though Parson Acup was indefatigable, his face became more and more apprehensive. "Ef we kin hold 'em at hit till ther crack of day, we've got a right gay chanst ter save them big sticks," he announced bluntly to Brent near midnight. "But hit hain't in reason ter expect men ter plum kill themselves off fer ther profit of somebody else--an' him likely ter be dead by termorrer."

233 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1919

About the author

Kentucky-native Charles Neville Buck (1879 - 1930) grew up in the late 1800s. He obtained a law degree from the University of Louisville but became an editorial cartoonist. and writer before publishing American romantic adventure novels. The Call of the Cumberlands (1913) is his best-known work.

Reviews

[Carole Moran · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author lived and wrote in the late 1800's and early 1900's about the hill people of the U.S. south & midwest. His novels are mainly romances with an interesting moralistic note about the apparent incompatabiity of city and rural people. Having lived in the south myself, I have little difficulty with the code of honor or dialect used in the books. Buck develops excellent characters who are largely true to their upbringing. This particular novel has no plot other than a woman of the back country who comes to maturity and awareness of her sexuality in a rather random series of incidents. His most noted work, "The Call of the Cumberlands" is one of my favorite novels.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised with this book.