The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1886-05-05


air arter us hotter'n demnition blazes.
They air done 'cross the dead line.
Hyar the moosic, Kurnel?"
81 hope Sthey'H give you all you
deserve, you cold-blooded murderer"
| said, wishing that i could throttle
the william.
"Now, Kurncl, don't git out O. sorts.
1t air mighty comf'tablc in hyer-
board an lodgin' free. Boys, air yc
ready? Them hounds air pickin' us
up. flight the fire, Cobe. Kurnel,
hycr air q knife ter Cut yer loose arter
We leave We. Don't git skeered o. the
ghosts, an member we air mighty
comf'tablc-board an lodgin' free; an
yer epertaph air down on the big pop
lar. GoCd-by Kurncl."
The Outlaws were already placing
the boTlder in position, and when Cap
Hawkins had squeezed his way out
the rock was rolled into the opening.
With q crunchiug sound it settled into
place, and L was a prisoner in Smoky
Hole.
l listened for the baying of the
hounds, hoping that they had tracked
me to the cave, bnt not q sound pcnc-
tratcd tho door of my prison. The
fire burned briSkly, and Smoky Hole
| =" IN Vi hb vi Nv D1IC IN NUS.
1t was the work of a few minutes to
cut my bonds with the knife the out.
law had given me, and then / took an
inventory Of the contents ofthe cavern.
The place had evidently been fitted up
for the Illicit manufacture of "moun-
tain dew" and "tanglcfoot" and "rcd
rye Tor there were the wornout
copper still, the worm, the mash tub,
Jugs II TASKS and other apparatus OF
the moonShincr. The cave was about
the size ola railroad box car, except
that the roof was higher and more
archcd. | iabbcd my knife into every
square foot of the walls. They were
solid rock. In n vain, mad effort to
roll the bowldcr from the entrance, |
drew the blood from my shoulder. 1t
was all of no use. Unless help came
to me from without my doom was
sealed.
a dull, heavy feeling came over me
and | sat down near the fire. The
confined air was getting close. Sud
denly, on looking up, / was appalled,
at thcd% discovery of II new danger. The
root OF the cavern was no longer
visible. The dense, black smoke OF
the pitch pine, unable to escape, was
banked above me like an ominous
cloud, ever growing denscr and black
&c and descending steadily, renlorse-
lcssly, upon me like a vcritable
shadow of Death.
Already the asphyNiating gases
were causing my brain to whirl.
crawlcd TO The fire and stamped upon
the blazing knots until every spark
was cxtinguished, but they continued to
send up their sitting smoke. | could
feel it ascending, hot and pitilcss.
Falling flat upon the ground l satu-
rated my coat sleeve with the water
the outlaws had left me, and placing
it against my mouth secured a full
breath of strained gas. But it gave
me little respite. The high pressure
of the atmosphere made my veins
swell almost TO bursting, my hands
and feet were bcnumbcd, and | was
unable to move q muscle. Then |
longcd for death.
Suddenly there was q lond explo-
sion, followed by 4 falling of loose
earth and rock and a rush of air. a
FAINT ray of light appeared in the cor
ner of the cavern over the still, grow
ing broader and stronger as the smoke
cleared away. With life ana strength
renewed, | made my way to the
opening, where | drank in the fresh
air with - swelling heart and n lighter
conscience than ] had ever hoped to
possess. The explosion had torn
away some rough masonry with which
the moonshincrs had stopped up Il
fissure in tho rock. 1t never occurred
TO me in my investigation of the cave
that there ought TO be somc way of
exit for the smoke of the still. But
everything was plain enough now.
| had found the chimney. and it was my
determination TO use it to advantage.
In a moment, forgctful Of pains and
bruises, | was climbing for freedom.
1t was a tight squeeze now and then,
but ] made rapid progress, and felt
so good oYcr my prospects Of escape
that wanted to shout. But prudence
restrained me.
Soon the rocky sides of the chimney
gave place to wood, and the opening
changed from fat to round. Still |
climbed on, my spirits rising with my
ascent. My progress was compare
lively easy by the imitation Of Brcr
Rabbits method Of climbing n stump
hollow-that is, by bracing my back
against ono side of the chimney and
my feet and hands against the other.
But the opening grew tighter and
tighter, Ike an inverted funnel, and
still the top seemed u long way oil. |
must have climbed some thirty feet in
all when | stopped to rest, propping
my foot against a knot-holc projection,
which suddenly breaking oil left a hole
through which the daylight strcamcd.
Then, for the first time, ii flashed upon
me that | was in a hollow tree. a
glance through the knotholc proved
this to be the case, for there was the
ground ten feet below mc-thc bench
of earth had noticed when the out
laws were making ready for my in
ca~rceration.
Escape now seemed certain. The
wall of my prison was only two inches
! thick, and though the wood was dry |
f"om age and exposure to
and haru -. "~'Ra was soop at
smoke ana neat, my hn... .hie