I DO NOT OWN HATFIELDS AND MCCOYS. THIS CHAPTER WAS INSPIRED BY THE FARMER'S DAUGHTER BY RODNEY ATKINS.

The next day, Jed showed up bright and early for work as the McCoy men all headed out to the fields to begin planting.

"A'ight." Randall said as they all got off the wagon and he began handing out duties. "Tolbert, ya mind the hay."

"Yes poppy." Tolbert said as he went for his pitchfork.

"Pharmer, ya can start plowing them fields."

"Yes poppy." Pharmer said as he got the hoe attached to one of the horses.

"Jed, ya goin' help me feed the swine."

"Yes Mr. McCoy." Jed replied as he and Randall walked over to the Sty where the hogs were kept. It was about a five minute walk. Once they arrived, Randall pulled out some freshly made slop and the men poured it into the trough. As the pigs were fed, Jed noticed that there were odd notches laid upon their ears.

"Hey Mr. McCoy!" Jed called out. "What's with the odd marks on these pigs ears?"

"Sometimes hogs wander off and git taken, Ya gotta keep a sharp eye out fer pig thieves." Randall explained. "I notch all my swine particular like dat so that I do not get mistook." Jed agreed that it was a wise way to go about it. Once the pigs had eaten their fill, Randall and Jed rejoined the other McCoys and began plowing the field. Plowing the fields with hoes and troughs pulled by horses was log and hard work. The boys talked and made jokes in an attempt to keep morale up.

"Damn Pharmer." Selkirk McCoy said as he made tracks with his hoe. "Ya smell as bad as a Hatfield."

"Yeah, you need to bathe more lil' brother." Tolbert remarked. "Don't need yer scent attracting any Hatfields."

"Aw Hell!" Pharmer shout back. "The two o' ya can blow it out yer asses!"

"What's a Hatfield?" Jed asked as the McCoy brothers turned to him.

"A Hatfield be the lowliest piece of cow dung ta ever lay upon da field." Pharmer remarked.

"A Hatfield is the ugliest, yellowest creature ever ta move upon God's green Earth." Selkirk added with laughter.

"A'ight." Tolbert said, calming his brothers down. "The Hatfields live on da other side of da Tug River in West Virginia. We got us a feud goin on."

"A feud?" Jed asked in surprise. He had heard of feuds before, but he had never been this close to one.

"Yep."

"How in the Hell did it start?"

"Devil Anse Hatfield and our poppy was in the war together." Tolbert explained. "Bout a year for da war ended, Devil Anse deserted like a yella bellied coward. He went back to West Virginia and made slathers if money in the timber business."

"Meanwhile poppy spent the remainder o' the war in a Yankee prison camp." Pharmer added.

"Dat's right." Selkirk said. "Then right after the war, one a dose Hatfield scum buckets named Jim Vance killed our uncle Harmon. Done him down like a dog."

"They sound like real bastards." Jed said in disgust.

"They is." Randall McCoy said as he came up on the boys. "I'm only gonna say it once Jed Graham, if you working fer me, I spect ya ta stay away from them Hatfields."

"Yes sir Mr. McCoy." Jed nodded. He wasn't gonna lose a job to a group of cowards and killers.

"The rest of ya back ta work!" Randall ordered. "There's farming ta be done."

Many hours later as the sun was going down, Jed and the McCoys returned home. It had been a long hard day and Jed was dog tired. As they arrived, Sally called to them that dinner was ready. Before Jed stepped in the house, Randall turned to him.

"Ya done good out there Jed." He said. "Ya got work here as long as ya want it." Jed was happy that he'd gotten the job, it was going to be hard, but he needed the money.

"Thanks a lot Mr. McCoy." Jed replied as Randall clapped him on the back.

"Let's eat." He said as the men ent in the house. As Jed walked in the house, he saw the McCoy daughters. Roseanna and Nancy were both beautiful, but the younger one took Jed's breath away. She had long brown hair and small brown eyes. As their eyes met, they both blushed.

"Alifair, git the bread." Sally said to the vision of beauty. As Alifair did as she was asked. A single thought ran through Jed Graham's head. I love my job.

JUST WHEN JED THOUGHT IT COULDN'T GET NO HOTTER, HE CAUGHT A GLIMPSE OF OL' RANDALL'S DAUGHTER. REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.

FACE CLAIM

ROSEANNA MCCOY- LINDSAY PULSIPHER

NANCY MCCOY- JENA MALONE

ALIFAIR MCCOY- KATIE GRIFFITHS

SELKIRK MCCOY- JOE ABSOLOM