The Red Cloud chief., 1878-01-10
THE BLUE RIDGE.

III IN
in about haitian hour of sunset. l drew
rein in front of a large double Lighthouse
on the very summit of the Blue Ridge
Mountains of eastern Kentucky. The
place was evidently kept as q tavern
at least SO a sign proclaimed; and here
/ determined to demand accommOda-
tons for myself and servant, Bose. a
dark-skinned body1guard. Bose and
/ had been playmates in childhood. and
I need hardly say that the faithful fel-
low was attached to me, as l was to
him, and on more than one occasion he
had shown his devotion.
There had been a shooting match at
the Mountain House that day, and as l
dismounted, l saw through the open
window of the bar-room anoisy, drunk
en-, and evidently quarrelsome set of
back woodsmen, each of whom was
swearing by all possible and impossible
oaths that he was 10 only the best shot,
but could Outright, outjump, outwrestle,
run faster, jump higher. dive deeper
and come up drier than any other man
on the mountain.
Il say, Mars Ralph" said Bose, in a
low tone, as l handed him my bride
rein, IL don't like de looks OBJ dem, in
dar. S'pose we 90 IN to de next house,
faint fur"
Nonsense, Bose" 1 replied; 1.-THE
fellows are only on a little spree over
their shooting. We have nothing to do
with them, nor they with us. Take
the horses round to the stable, and see
to them yourself. You know they've
had a hard day of it," And throwing
my ~saddle-bags over my shoulder. l
walked up the narrow path to the
house.
found, as l have intimated, the bar
room filled with a noisy. turbulent set.
who one and all stared at me without
speaking as l went up to the bar and
inquired if I and my servant could have
accommodations for the night. Receiv-
ing an affirmative reply from the land
lord. a little, red-headed, cadaverous-
looking specimen of c~lay-eater, l de-
sired to at once be shown to my room,
whittier I went, but not until l had been
compelled to decline a score of requests
to take a drink much to the disgust
of the stalwart bacchanalians.
The room to which l was shown was
at the far end of a long, twO-stOried
structure, evidently but recently added
on to the main building. which it inter-
sected at right angles. A gallery ex-
tended along the front, by means of
which the rooms were reached. l found
My apartment to be large and COM
paratively well-furnished, there being,
beside the bed, a comfortable cot. half
dozen split-bottomed chairs, a heavy
clothes-press and a bureau with glass.
There we're two windows, one along
the side of the door and the other in
the opposite end of the room. The
first mentioned was heavily barred
with stout oak strips-a protection, l
presumed, against intrusion from the
porch, while across the latter was a
heavy wooden curtain.
In the course of half an hOnr, Bose en-
tered and..announced that the horses had
been attended to, and a few minutes
later, a bright-faced mulatto girl sum
moned us to supper.
Supper over. l returned to my room,
first requesting to be aroused at an ear
Y hour, as I desired to be on the road
by sunrise. Thoroughly wearied by my
days ride, l at once began prepare
tons for retiring, and had drawn off one
boot, when Bose came in rather hastily,
looking furtively over his shoulder.
and then cautiously closing and lock-
ing the door.
'.Mars Ralph, dar's going to be
trouble in dis house afore mornin," he
said.
/ saw in a moment that something
had occurred to upset the faithful fell
lows equilibrium.
why, Bose, what is it? What do
you mean? l asked. barely restraining
a smile.
Il tole you, Mars Ralph, we'd better
trabble furder," was the rather mvs-
terious reply. ''You see dat yaller gal
deere tole me dar would be a muss if we
stayed in dis founded ole house all
night"
By close questioning 1 elected the
act that the girl had really warned
him that four men whom 1 had noticed
talking together were a desperate set of
villains. and probably had designs on
our property, if not our lives. The
girl had seen two of them at the stable |
while I was at supper, and, by cautious
ly creeping into the stall next the one
in which they stood, had heard enough
to convince her that they meant mis-
chief. Subsequently to this, she also
saw the landlord in close confab with
the entire party. and from his actions
judged that he was urging them on to
their nefarious work.
II tell you. Mars Ralph, dem white
trash amt arter no good-now you