000			02081cam a22003133u 4500
001			23557
003			UtSlPG
005			20260610133536.0
006			m
007			cr n
008			260607r2007||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d
040			_aUtSlPG
041		7	_aen _2iso639-1
050		4	_aPS
100	1		_aCraddock, Charles Egbert, _d1850-1922
245	1	4	_aThe Crucial Moment : _b1911
264		1	_aSalt Lake City, UT : _bProject Gutenberg, _c2007
300			_a1 online resource : _bmultiple file formats
336			_atext _btxt _2rdacontent
337			_acomputer _bc _2rdamedia
338			_aonline resource _bcr _2rdacarrier
500			_aRelease date is 2007-11-19
508			_aProduced by David Widger
520			_a"The Crucial Moment" by Charles Egbert Craddock is a dramatic novella written in the early 20th century. The story unfolds in the context of a rural Southern community threatened by rising waters from the Mississippi River, exploring themes of conflict, vengeance, and the weight of a single fateful moment. The narrative follows the character Walter Hoxer, a levee contractor whose life spirals into chaos after an explosive confrontation with a wealthy landowner, Major Jeffrey. The plot centers on Hoxer, who seeks to defend his reputation and integrity after Major Jeffrey publicly accuses him of cutting corners in his levee construction. Tensions escalate into a violent encounter where Hoxer, feeling cornered, is compelled to shoot Jeffrey in self-defense. Following this fateful moment, Hoxer becomes a fugitive, evading the law while grappling with the moral implications of his actions. The story culminates in a desperate escape that ultimately leads to Hoxer's tragic demise in the river, leaving behind his loyal dog, whose devotion symbolically highlights Hoxer's lost humanity in the face of irrevocable choices. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
534			_nOriginal publication data not identified
653			_aShort stories
653			_aMississippi River -- Fiction
856	4	0	_uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/23557
999			_c64609 _d64609