*Author's Note*

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All This Over A Pig

Novella POV:

Today was the day of the pig trial which was being held in Mate Creek, West Virginia. I hated that town across the tug. It was small, dirty, and filled with some shady people. The roads, no matter if there was rain or shine, always seemed muddy and uneven.

"Moses, you stay with Billy." Uncle Perry instructed my younger brother, givin' him a quick, but stern look. Billy was Tolbert's little brother, he was 'round the same age as Moses. So far the boys were gettin' on just fine, or at least they were at dinner the other night. Mosses just nodded his head as he sat squeezed between me and our uncle. "I want you to sit with Tolbert during the trial. I don't want you at the legal table displayed for Hatfields to leer at." Uncle Perry told me as we were riding on the main road into downtown Mate Creek. Dirt-town's more like it, place's a shithole.

"Okay." I wasn't going to argue. In fact, I was just fine with my uncle's orders.

"I presume that he'll be waiting for you outside of the courthouse." My uncle remarked as we arrived in the tiny town, the dingy buildings around us looking like they'd fall faster then a house of cards they were so old and worn looking. Uncle Perry's eyes shifted to a wagon parked right in front of the building by the courthouse marked Justice Of The Peace with bold black painted letters. "McCoy's wagon's here. They must be inside."

"There's Tolbert." I told my uncle, pointing to where I saw my beau leanin' 'gainst the hitchin' post his horse was tethered to near his family's wagon at the justice building.

My uncle parked the buggy in front of the building. "If anything goes wrong you stay with Billy and one of his older siblings." Uncle Perry instructed Moses before turning to me and continuing his instructions with, "And you stay with Tolbert, he'll protect you if something goes horribly wrong."

"Are you expecting something to go wrong?" I asked as we all got out of the wagon while watchin' Tolbert make his way over to me out of the corner of my eye.

"The judge is a Hatfield, if something can go wrong in this court today it will." I was told by Uncle Perry right as Tolbert reached my side. He turned to my brother and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Let's go inside of the courthouse and find Billy for you to sit with."

Tolbert placed his hand on the small of my back while askin', "So ya ready for this trial?"

"Yea, but my uncle wants me to sit with you. Stay by your side, reallly, cause he's afraid somethin' might happen." I told Tolbert as we walked down the planked walkway that was crowded with townspeople.

Tolbert weaved us around the people clutterin' up the walkways while velvety remarkin', "Perry Cline's a smart man. He knows that Hatfields are lyin', murderin', thievin', cheats."

I just nodded my head as I saw the courthouse come into view. The sooner we get inside and fine a seat the better.

We were sitting in the back, one row from the last one where Roseanna, her sister Trinnie, Billy, and Moses were sittin'. In our row was Tolbert, who was sittin' at the aisle seat, then me, Pharmer, and Bud. The room was split in two. The left side was all of us McCoy kin and friends while the right was the Hatfields and theirs. In the last row on the right side I noticed a shaggy blonde haired man my age with a crudely wrapped bandage over his eye sittin' next to Jim Vance, the man that murder Nancy's pap Harmon McCoy back in '63.

"Guess Doc couldn't save that prick's eye." Tolber sneered, his head motionin' to the shaggy blonde that was across the aisle from him.

"Tolbert, hush. Don't do this, you don't wanna bring attention to us." I chastised him while across the aisle Jim Vance was pesterin' the injured Hatfield, yankin' his bandage up to reveal a milky capped over eye.

"Fine, we'll just sit here and not say nothin' while waitin' on the judge to get his ass here." Tolbert testily conceded to me. His eyes darted between the wall clock in the front of the room and me while scoffin',"Bastard's late."

I nudged Tolbert and discretely pointed to the jury seats on our side of the room while sayin', "Look, both Paris and Squirrel's on the jury."

"Shit, so is Selkirk." He let out in a mix between a sigh and a groan, soundin' a bit pessimistic.

Turnin' my head so I could look at Tolbert I asked, "Don't he work loggin' for Devil Anse?"

"Yea." Tolbert nodded his hat clad head. His velvet tone got low as he grumbled, "But worse is he's married to a Hatfield."

My god I didn't know his wife was a Hatfield. Well now that explains why we didn't go to the weddin' a few years back. Before I could respond tho the door to the judge's chamber opened up and in strolled Judge Wall Hatfield.

"Hi Uncle Wall!" Cotton Top Mounts, the slow minded bastard son of Ellison Hatfield, beamed which caused almost everyone in the buildin' to laugh.

I didn't laugh tho. It wasn't his fault he was weak minded and a bastard. He was the only Hatfield I felt sorry for and didn't hold anythin' 'gainst. Poor man had the sense of a small child.

"Stupid mush-head." Tolbert grumbled under his breath as Ellison patted his son Cotton on the shoulder before havin' them take their seats in the front row of the right side of the courtroom. The same row that Devil Anse and his wife were in.

"Tolbert, be nice." I hissed under my breath, starin' daggers at my ill-tempered and ill-mannered boyfriend.

"Even the imbecile Hatfield bastard's dangerous. You 'member that 'fore feelin' bad that he's not all there." Tolbert hissed, defendin' his meanness towards Cotton, as everyone in the court watched the judge take his seat. I just sighed and nodded my head, knowin' that now wasn't the time to get into a row with Tolbert. We were here to support his poppy and my uncle with the pig sue.

Judge Wall banged his gavel on his desk while proclaimin', "Court's in session." Placin' the gavel down he told the room, "Thanks to those of ya on the jury for agreein' to serve. I know ya'll got crops and livestock that needs attendin' so I won't keep you from ya tasks longer then necessary." The judge pointed at my uncle, signalin' for him to start his part of the trial.

Uncle Perry rose from his seat and left the legal table, pacin' the aisle while openin' the McCoy case with the speech of, "Judge Hatfield, jury, it's useful to think of the law as a muscle." He looked over the room as he said, "And like a muscle it can be strengthened with proper use."

"Mr. Cline." Judge Hatfield called out, causin' Uncle Perry to turn his full attention to the man with the white beard and salt an' pepper hair. "The briefer your remarks the better your case's gonna be received."

The spectators on the Hatfield side of the room were laughin'. Tolbert's face was twitchin', makin' me feel a bit uneasy. "Sit down!" Bill Staton loudly half-laughed half-hollered at my uncle, causin' Tolbert to snap his head to the side and give him a very dangerous look.

Oh boy, this trial's not goin' to be simple. Tolbert's gettin' too riled up.

"Is there anyone ya wanna call up as witnesses?" The judge asked as he was relaxin' in his chair.

"Both Ole Rand'l and Sally McCoy saw the McCoy marking on the ear of the hog in question." Uncle Perry answer the judge's question as he walked up to the legal table, wavin' his hand to his clients.

"Well, I don't think we gotta call them up on the stand just to say so." Judge Wall shook his head as he sat up a bit straighter in his chair. While motioning with his hands between the McCoys and the Hatfields he said, "To put it plain the McCoys say it's their pig while Floyd and his wife Jenny say it ain't so."

"This trial's not goin' how it should." I whispered to Tolbert, my voice a bit shaky with distress.

"No shit." Tolbert snapped at me as he watched the trial, his arms crossed over his chest.

While my uncle took his seat next to Ole Rand'l Jusge Wall looked at Floyd and asked, "Is the pig in court today?"

"No it ain't." Was the simple reply the Hatfield made while his wife shook her head.

"Why not?" Really Judge Wall, really? That's a dumb question. Floyd was takin' it to town to get butchered a few weeks back, doubt that pig's still alive.

"Well…" Floyd looked over to his wife, who just shrugged her shoulders. He looked back to the judge and answered, "It's done bein' et."

The right side if the room, filled with Hatfields, chuckled and giggled, while our side, the McCoy side, weren't findin' Floyd's words funny one bit.

Tolbert leaned in close to me, his breath hot on my neck as he smoothly, but gruffly sneered, "A fat hog feeds a family for the whole winter, but them Hatfields already et it all. God damn pricks."

I quickly looked at him, cuttin' my eyes, while sighin' out the order of, "Tolbert, stop it. Pay attention to what's goin' on."

"Floyd, you got any witness 'fore you butchered the swine to say it's your notch?" Wall inquired, causin' both Floyd and his wife Jenny to go stiff in their seats.

"I didn't know I needed one. Give me couple hours and I might come up wit' somebody." Floyd announced, stutterin' on his tongue a few times, as his head shook a bit out of pure shock and guilt.

Suddenly Bill Staton shot up from his seat faster then a bullet shoots out of a gun. He waved his hand grippin' a half empty flask in the air while his other hand held onto the back of the chair in front of him for balance. "I've seen it!" In one quick swoop everyone turned to look at him. "The hog in question that is. I've seen it with Floyd after he notch it." Oh no, this drunks lyin' in court. "Do I need to swear I've seen it on the bible?"

"I advise you not too." Judge Wall chuckled, givin' Bill a side-eyed look.

"That pig had black spots." Bill stuck his thumb up and waved it in the air for all to see. "Floy'd hand slipped when he notch it, nearly cut his thumb off."

"This is bad, very bad." I whispered to Tolbert as Bill conituned on with his drunk nonsense.

Tolber shook his head, his face contorted in anger, while snappin', "Told ya anyone assoc'ated with Hatfield's are liars."

"That's 'nough Bill!" the judge ordered in a loud holler. He looked between both Hatfield and McCoy jurors as he said, "I take it you'll give Bill Staton's testimony the respect it deserves."

"I ain't quite done, ya see-" Bill babbled til Judge Wall banged his gavel and ordered, "You sit down." Quietly Bill sat down next to Lias Hatfield, who smacked him on the shoulder while crackin' up. As soon as Bill was seated Jim Vance chuckled and quickly patted him on the shoulders while the young man with the bandage just grinned, lettin' out a small laugh too.

"Members of the jury, who thinks the hog belongs to Floyd Hatfield?" Judge Wall asked causin' every single jury member on the right side of the room to raise their hands. "A'ight, who believes the hog's Randall McCoy's?" The judge asked, causin' every juror on the left, except for Selkirk, to raise their hand.

Selkirk was sittin', holdin' his hat in a knuckled grip by his chin, while he pondered over the court case. Everyone was starin' at him in disbelief. He didn't vote.

"Selkirk McCoy." Judge Wall addressed my distant cousin, causin' him to remove his hand from his chin and look to the Judge's bench. "You didn't vote one way or 'nother."

"He votes Uncle Rand'l." Paris said while Squirrel reached over his brother and smacked Silkirk hard in the chest.

Judge Wall narrowed his eyes at my cousin while bellowin', "He has to be the one to say so Paris."

"Well, I'm tryin' to do the right thing here." Selkirk scratched his chin. Oh not good! So not good! Selkirk just say Ole Rand'l's name, please. While shruggin' he said, "I am of the McCoy blood." He pointed to the right side of the room and shocked us all as he announced, "But truth is deep down I do believe that pig was one of Floyd's razorbacks."

I was shocked and so was Tolbert. We were both speechless as we watched Paris turn to Selkirk and grumble, "How can ya vote 'gainst Uncle Rand'l McCoy?"

"Bill Staton swore on his oath he saw Floyd." Selkirk pointed to the lyin' drunk, defendin' his bad vote with bad word.

Angrily Ole Rand'l rose from his seat, followed by my uncle. The entire room was silently watchin' as Ole Rand'l shouted at Selkirk, "You're the lyin' spawn of hell who voted on his Hatfield wife's apron strings!"

"Ole Rand'l." Devil Anse spoke up, causin' both Uncle Perry and the man addressed to turn around. "Keep her outta this." Hatfield advised, takin' his pipe out of his mouth. "Gonna give yourself apoplexy over a damn pig."

"This is 'bout lyin', and stealin', and murderin'." Ole Rand'l proclaimed as he got closer to Devil Anse.

Judge Wall banged on his desk. "That's not pertinent to the case!"

"It's against sin, Devil Anse. What's Christian right and damnation wrong!" Ole Rand'l shouted, holdin' his head up high, as he stared down the devil himself smokin' on his pipe.

Suddenly everyone, includin' me and Tolbert, rose out of our chairs. The tension was so thick in the room it could be cut with a knife. I could see up front Ole Rand'l standin' close to Floyd and Levicy, the devil's wife, while Devil Anse stood close to Uncle Perry, who hand a hand on Ole Rand'ls shoulder. Sally stood slightly behind my uncle with Calvin next to her. I felt nervous, so without much thought I reached my hand out and grabbed Tolbert's. He gave it a gentle squeeze while watchin' the front of the room.

"Case is dismissed, everyone get the hell outta here!" Judge Wall ordered in a yell, standin' up while bangin' on the bench.

Instead of leavin' everyone started arguein' and fightin'. Before Tolbert could get us out his little brother Billy was jumped and smacked to the ground by a Hatfield boy. Billy was hittin' the boy who was sittin' on top of him, tryin' to choke him. Before Tolbert could move a muscle to help Billy my brother Moses run up to the fight, joining in. My brother smacked the Hatfield hard, causin' the boy to fall off of Tolbert's brother.

"Get 'em Robert E. Don't let two beat ya." The man with the eye injury chuckled to the boy that my brother and cousin were fightin'.

"Tolbert, do somethin'." I hissed, pointin' to the fight between our brothers and the Robert E. boy.

"Why? They're bashin' his head in." So he's just goin' to let thee 3 boys kill each other. Great, just great. All of them were gonna need steaks on there black, swollen eyes t'night. That's for sure.

Suddenly Levicy Hatfield ran over, scoopin' up her boy and protectin' him. Whenever Devil Anse appeared by his wife's side Jim Vance and a lot of the other Hatfields drew guns, causin' the McCoys to do the same. Whenever the one-eyed Hatfield drew his gun, aimin' it towards us, Tolbert quickly swung me behind him while drawin' his pistol.

Suddenly a shot went off at the front of the room, causin' everyone to freeze and turn their heads. Standin' angrily with a smokin' gun in his hand was the judge. "Next agitator that disrespects my courtroom gets gutshot. McCoy or Hatfield."

"I guess this is what I'd expect from a Hatfield courtroom." Ole Rand'l let out, lookin' between Devil Anse and Judge Wall Hatfield.

"One more word out of you, McCoy, and I'll hold you in contempt." The judge threatened loudly thru clenched teeth.

"Better watch your hide, Preacher McCoy." Was the snide remark Hatfield made as he took his pipe from his mouth, pointin' it at Ole Rand'l and Uncle Perry.

"I got a scripture for you. Blood thouches blood." Ole Rand'l told Devil Anse boldly before walkin' out of the courtroom.

Uncle Perry followed with Aunt Sally. Behind them were Moses, Billy, and Roseanna who was holdin' Trinnie's hand. Tolbert, holdin' my hand tightly, quickly rushed us down the aisle towards the door. LEanin' 'gainst the back wall by the door was the shaggy haired young man with the cloth bandage wrapped 'round his head, hidin' his eye. I could feel his good ice blue eye on me, followin' my every step, as me and Tolbert exited the courthouse.

AN:

So there was the pig trial. Some aftermath of the pig trial coming up next.