282 THE CAROLINA MOUNTAINS^ 
leading out towards the railroad, that is to say, it is 
connected with the world. Its name betrays its 
origin, and you hear of old Dutch Bibles in the Cove, 
although you do not succeed in finding any. The 
people of the more secluded Henson Cove consider 
Dutch Cove altogether too thickly settled, one of 
them assuring you, as proof of the degeneracy of the 
rival settlement, that you could stand in her cousin's 
door in Dutch Cove of a morning and hear nine 
coffee-mills going at once. 
You can walk to Henson and Dutch Coves, but 
when you go up either of the Forks of the Pigeon you 
will get up "soon" in the morning, and you will not 
go afoot, for the fords of the forks are not to be trifled 
with. There are not even foot-logs to cause the 
timid to tremble, for the Forks of the Pigeon are 
master-hands at " getting up "and tearing to pieces 
everything they can reach. If one remembers 
rightly there are about twenty-six fords within six 
or seven miles up the East Fork, — which is as far 
as the road goes, — and heaven knows how many up 
the West Fork. 
To explore the West Fork you cross the main river 
just below the Forks, that is to say, you cross it if 
the river is down. If it is up, you stay at home. Hav- 
ing crossed, — how innocent the stream seems! — 
you are surprised to find the valley of the West Fork 
very much like that of Garden Creek. Fertile acres 
lie about you, elderberries bloom in the fence corn- 
ers, blossoming chinkapins hang over the roadside, 
the smell of warm, ripe strawberries lurking some- 
