The Death of Parcy Reed

Synopsis

Parcy Reed captured the outlaw Whinton Crosier, a man known for reiving. In retaliation, the Crosier family swore to bring down the house and lands of Troughend. Later, Parcy went hunting with three men named Hall, who were neighbors and friends from Girsonfield. What Parcy did not know was that the Halls had secretly joined forces with the Crosiers to betray him.

They hunted all day around Reedwater, then stopped to rest at Batinghope, where Parcy fell into a deep sleep. While he slept, the three false Halls took his powder horn, poured water into his gun barrel, jammed his sword in its sheath, and removed the bridle from his horse. This left Parcy without any way to fight or escape.

When the Crosier clan appeared riding over the hill, the Halls woke Parcy and told him of the danger. Parcy begged them to stand with him, saying that if the Crosiers were five men, they were four. Each of them could take one, and he would handle the remaining two.

The Halls refused, claiming they would be killed. Parcy then offered them his horse, his oxen, half his land, and finally the hand of his daughter if they would help him, but each Hall turned him down. Only then did Parcy realize they had sabotaged his weapons and horse, and he accepted his fate.

Before Parcy could even say a prayer, the Crosiers surrounded him while the Halls watched. Parcy fought bravely, swinging his sword even though it was stuck in its sheath. He knocked one Crosier to the ground, but the others struck him, giving him thirty-three wounds. They cut off his hands and feet, then rode away, leaving him on the ground.

At dusk, a herdsman found the dying Parcy and recognized him. Parcy asked for water, and the herdsman fetched some from a nearby spring using his hat as a cup. Parcy then asked one last favor: to carry his farewells to his wife and family at Troughend, and to tell all his loyal neighbors about what the treacherous Halls had done.