Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1865-06-22
A MARROW ESCAPE.
BY sfLvANUs COBB, JR

il in shape AMI give il to the world. | hive Just
opened said diary and almost tie first thing that
attracted NV attention the record from which
I | make the following sketch:
Some years ago my physician told me must
leave the counting room and travel for nv health
Let II not be thought from Ibis that WIS weak,
puny man. Far from it. In fact was too stout
and strong for much confinement, the result OF
which was mOrtid state OF the liver, and n weak
ness OF the digestive organs, with accompanying
dyspepsia and constipation. knew the physician
was right, and | at once planned voyage To Eu-
rope; but my partners were anxious to know it a
horseback ride through the Southern States would
not be fully as good for M. The doctor sail it
would be better. 'Tacn," cried out Lattitatt
the head ofour irm "you kill two birds with one
s,One.'' The meaning of which was thlt could
y sit thousand and one correspondents in the
Cotton States. and square u1a thousand and one
accounts. vhe looking after nv lost health. had
no objection to tn ). steamed il bv rail us far as
Cincinnati; the.ce by w,ief to New Orlcins.-
Then took the river blck to Vcksburg. where [
bought horse, AMI Stlrtcd across tie country to
the eastward inen linz to strike the Atlantic coast
at Savannah.
Late one evening I arrived ut a small settle
ment near the JON isbee, in Al una, where |
found quite comfortable inn. After supper ] sat
down in the blr-ro)m, aud s)o1 discovered thlt
among the guests present were the Sheriff of the
district and two of his deputies; Al by listening TO
the convers ttion learned thIt thew were on
important business. Later, when alone with the
landlord, | was informed o. the particulars. That
section of the country had :or lJny time been in
Tested by gang of desperate vilians-rvtr pirates
AMI horse tlieves-who had robbed aud murdered
both travellers and citizens, and who had thus far
succeeded in eiGding the vigilance of the officers
sent after them. There was something wonderful
in this for the most expert detectives had been up
on the track OF the mlrluderS amy times, and vet
not even clue hsd been gained to their hiding
place. That they had a hiding place was very evil
dent; and further, it was ap'ace where both me1
and horses could be efccsuIlly concealed. The
host declared that it very mysterious, it pastlis
comprehension. For m m)re than year plantations
had been robbed; travellers La been robbed; boats
n I'd been boarded: and even large settlements hId
been invaded by these bold outlaws. TIE publ
caa'S idea was, thst they hd a big cave under
grOn IL for if their rcl ezv u hi been all we
ground the officers have foInl it Def re thi
The following Irning W. ate breakfast at an
carly hour and sh prIy aftelwlrd the sheriff an hi
deputies star;e o. to the sJrthw r tow ard bend
IN the river, where the eS ot fl stboat had been
robbed only few days before NV course liy 10
the eastward, as hal busincssa at 'h ,wba.
You'd a m d. it BETTER aid my Lost. "if
you'd crossed the river at Bluifport. In that
case, you'd ID a direct ro I'd TO .ha"ba; bus now
you've got TO IKE nearly Ill the dis: nce In Wild
cat road and mn'c )ath HJwSumever, if you've
got a hoss, yDu II m Ike out | rcckOn-thlt is, if
you don't get picked up BY the pirates"
| had been aware of the character of the road
that lay before me. and hld rather preferred it to
/ the better route to the nJrhwLrd. | hid plenty
of time, and flr,hospi aitv, it WIS all alike. was
at home anywhere. With or two exceptions it
seemed to Be the chief aim Of the planters to mate
my st'y with them ~ agreeable AS possible; an |
found mlre dill cu,ty in getting away from their
doors than did in gaining entrance.
| st out from the settlement at eight o'clock,
and At Il distance of five or six miles met IN IN
who informed me that thc.wIter WAS too high for
comfortable forlins Of LinieE Greek, AMI that |
| would find it peasauter TO turn 10 the Southwark
aud 60 below the Biz Bake, referring to a cane
brake NJ far distant, wiich cJvcted several hun
dted cres of the rich bottom llnl. This WIS Il
route but little travelled; but mi ded not thlt
So long is there plain path; so logged along
upon my way, which found to be dreary ami lone
some enough. had no fears OF robbers, but still
the character OF the road vas calculated to excite
ones ciution. AMI linstnctively drew my revolver
! and examined the charges and the caps, and when
had done this slipped it into the side pocket OF my
suck, where | could reacl, il IN pst handy. After
this, whistled, and :cn sang few verses OF an
old song for the purpose Suppose OF convincing
the birds that | was cheerful and easy.
| BY and by reached point where the p ith eros
scd little stream. and here | was joined by a
horSemIn who had come ont from the timber to
! the eastward As his be ,st hld been drinking,
l lid no. notice him uu.il | wIs close upon him.
lie WAS middle.agcd man; of medium SIZE;
dressed in common hunt ng g 'rb and c'rrying a
rifle before him upon his saddle-bow. Ii this IN IN
was really h inter- til ought he entirely diff
ferent from other huntes h III met in that cou' =
try. His clothes were vastly better; and he lack
Ell the free and e lSy off nan way OF your genuine
forester. He hlilel me rs though he Wis sur
prised to see th,re, AMI coa.d not divest my
self of the i'm preston tint he regarded M As an
i I roper He lcOkel at me sharply, and as he
drew up near nv sile he Asked
''DJ you belong in these parts''
II struck me then thit he mi sht be an officer
look n after the r;vec pirates | tod him that
was Il str anger in that section, travelling partl.
:or nv health and Jlrily on business an3 further
more, told him vas OF nv WY to G ,htwbi.
j Helookcd at me again, taking careful survey OF
my whole fl cure, and then remarked, is We stlrt-
ed away from the brook:
II s'pose the creek is ful?"
"Yes," SAID |.
| And so YOU have conc this way3'
i said yes, again.
"Tnat's partly the case with me- he said
'though amt going exactly your way for any
great distance. Rather lonesome road, isn't tF'
"It is, certainly"
Not very pleasant place To meet robbers be
suggested.
| | admitted that he correct.
"Hive you beard anything about those chapsr'
| .''You mean the robbers?''
| "Yes"
| now telt tn my companion was detective,
and told him what and hearl at the inn
where hld last stopped He was deeply interest
ed-yery deeply intercsted--and | ventnred to sug.
gest that he might b. searching after those very
williams.
"Do you think so.'' he ask ed.
| i told him had thoughC so from the first.
"Zounds." he excl aimed, 81 must be more
careful, or shall expose myself too much"
Thea he acknowledged that he an officer
and ) we rode on told him all | had heard con-
ccrning the outlaws.
In the course Of half an hour we left the timber,
and soon after came in sight of the cane brake.
Ii was curious sight that of canes; stretch
As came nearer | wondered not that even ex-
perienced hunters sometimes lost their way and
starved to death in the trackess depths of such a
labyrinth. For the distance OF two miles we role
close ty he edge Of the brake. and and then we
were 'Jrced to bear to the right account of the
soitness of the soil, and pretty soon we came TO
where a body of water lay between and the
canes. This water seemed to be sort ofbayou,
fed by some stream beyond my sight, and it ceI-
tainly had swampy, dismal look, suggestive OF
snakes and alligators. We had passed point oil
wood that made down to the water, when l fanoied
and upon turning / beheld four lorsemen just
ly endeavord to make sign to them, but they did
not see him. They kept straight Oh the edge ot
the bayou; went intot the water though it was
oc kb., "a L.