Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-12-24

The Greenbrier tea " sIf some
scross the tracks OF three ~ vsrs
thirty-fiye or forty years ssUH 49, "a Il d
followed to the head OF re- W - tbis yast
P n;ISsrness. or aid up TO within NV
oe m h.v. had many hard knock yisa . .ns
nsSes 80 n thess Wcods," said Cosnet
~. . S After having related numo0t
of
~. .n,ls,.d buck and shaggy ofuin
..h,,. I tall Won the closest call eve! ~.
Du. kI hnyrsn ysrmints" Ny curiosity
w. nn.sS 10 fnoV what human Dein6s
- s;".rrh.d nj. peace In this ooscurs
uis.. ~ + snust confer that - no re,nse1
b;s s,ngular adventure feit snrin "
horror PASS over me. y ~ thA
,gIsWef1. L reckon you've ncs
Swamp Dragopsr and he knock -.
from his pipe and mused iof mo. .to,v,
fore he started on with ms sIsn ~
Informing him that had 9i!en I1 Ham.
these wild psrtizaus who nso lV'SSS n.d.
selves TO the Union cause, ana n.o m 49,
tbemseiyes 4 terror to the Southern 20,
nIs living on the South Branch, Pf0ss0u
him 10 proceed with his story. ,..
swelt thew raised their company Juys
ove, IN the Dry Fork of Cheat TINS Val
lev had been their hunting ground, ana
when thew found out / was coming IN ne.o
10 live, they didn't like 1t, ana tney Ie.e
mined to let no settlement Dc maoe nsH
You must remember that was cApsa
in the Union army myself, but that VA IN NJ
protection from them. Inc hiss
came over here built my caoin sno 70
a ceTfain man came to me and said, Cosuer'
IL Won leave your cabin il will be burnt up
The Svamps are going to clean you OUT
arranged to leave man in charge OF
the cabin while went after my family.
When / returned with my folks this man
came 10 me again and told me that the plan
bad been laid TO burn me out IN my AZ
sence hut that he dissauded them. He TOLD
me In keen A lookout for they intended
me harm, rs II was understood among them
that this Canaan country should not Dc set,
fled. You see It was just after the war ana
the people still had bad blood In tneiF
veins, and
The swamp Dragons :
were no respecters Of persons. One day.
along about the first Of January, there
csme tremendous snow storm. Inesnow
fen at ieast a foot deep. That evening 1uss
At dark I was at the wood pile getnns wood
for the night, when here CONES
9TH vuns on their shoulders, They march
ed in Indian file, with their heads down IN
the binding snow. They passed right along
by me, not one turned his head or even 80
much as grunted at me. They marched rigns
on mn TO the cabin door, lifted the latch
and walked in. gathered up my back log
an6 followed them in. There they were,
had crowded my wife and children back,
and were standing around the fire scraping
IL hi mob
snow off their clothes with their Dig hunt'
ing knives. stood for few minutes Win
the log of wood on my back, but they seem
ed to pay no attention to me. AZ iss.
around and let me in I'll make . fire for
YOU 10 warm yourselves" At this they
parted space for me to get in and hK the
ire, but still didn't speak. After ! had
fixed the fire they gathered up all the
stools and benches had In the house,
and gathered around ii. l sat there Tor
sS n;,e watching them. At last / says,
gentlemen win you have supper" Y
don't know YETI jerked out the leader aud
relapsed into silence. I waited awhile
longer, and then l says. gentlemen which
way are you travelling" The leader looked
ut me Q little grim, and then said they
were out hunting. "Welr' says |, you
don't look like men who were liked lot
hunting" "What do you know about IT."
asked the leader in savage sort OF Q way:
81 know all about It" replied, Tor l
An Old Hsnter.
and know that IL was coming out into
this wilderness TO hunt l would have my
provisions along, and would be fxed for
camping out l see that you men hatnt
none of these fxments, and ! reckon you
are after other game" / spoke pretty
brusque by this time, for my dandsr was
up, as hadn't been used TO being treated
this way in my own house. And knew II
they were after devilment the sooner
things come to focus the better 1t would
be. The way spoke to them seemed to
sorter startle them. They throwed their
heads together and whispered for . few
minutes. and then they all got up, went
out, and there they stood for q full hour,
at the wood.pile, caucusing among them
selves While they were out / got ready
for what was afraid might come. / got
down my old rifle, examined that 1t was
all right. got my two army six shooters and
saw that every chamter was loaded, took
my old bowie out, then laid them all to-
gether down in q far corner OF the room,
and sat down by them to await develop
ments.
NY wife and children were huddled up
in another corner like SO many scared par
trdges.
At last the door opened, and the leader
stepping in, said In very pleasant voice:
"Mr. Cosner, you may get US supper"
You ought to have seen the old woman
fly around, getting them supper. She put
out everything she had TO eat. We haven't
set another such table since we have been
living here. She was doing her best to
keep them in good humor When supper
w." HAD No Bedsi
So fixed them place to lie by the fire,
giving them all the bed clothes had.
They stretched themselves out around the
fire and soon the last one Of them
was fast asleep. >, ! had laid down
part Of the house, close TO
my artillery. / got to thinking over the
way these fellows acted. and the more /
thought the madden got At last Il 90
CURED to NE that ought to kill the whole
pile Of them, and soon came to the con-
cluson it was my duty to do It. got up
and slipped around to where they were
lying. There they were, an even dozen Of
il had my axe could kill at least four
before the others awoke, and then with my
gun, two revolyers and old knife could
be a match for the others. ! opened the
door, there set my axe, where had placed
it on the outside Of the door as followed
them in. drew it in and slipped back to
them. There they lay, and 1t seemed q II
Providence had placed them IN my power.
The one that lay closest to nae was
the impudent leader. ] raised the axe
with the full intent to sever his head from
the body, when there seemed to speak
voice to me as distinct as ever heard any
thing in my life, "Cosner, don't you do Il
don't you do It," was unnerved; the AZ
was let down and I slipped back 10 my
corner and lay down again. got 70 think
ing again, and again ! got mad. Thinks !
TO myself. now Sol Cosner, you are not
doing justice by your family. These men
have come here to kill you, and before
daylight they will have
Murdered Yes
and your family and have burned your
corpses in the fire of your cabin. Again I
was convinced that Providence required
me as . matter Of selfdefense to slay these
murderers. Again slipped around
TO the fire. There they lay sound
asleep, all unconscious Of impending
doom. I even went % Ear - TO put the