The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-05-28

aimlessly over the open ceiling. I saw
something about the size of the bed
hanging directly over me. 1t seemed
to swing slowly back and forth. I
stood up and touched it, examined it
as infinitely as possible. and again lay
down. Ii was nothing but three or
four bed quilts stretched across two
boards supported at the ends by short
ropes. If it grew colder in tho night l
would reach up to them for more cover.
INTENDED to stay awake, but must
have been nearly asleep when creak-
| ing noise aroused me. Tho noxt mo-
ment It was repeated. and tho quilts
above me descended rapidly. Nflashed
upon me that was in trap. Draw
ing my weapon. l attempted to spring
out of bed. determined to sell my life
dearly, but as 1 Strengthened up the
quilts covered me, and before l could
throw them off strong hands were at
the corners. 1t seemed as If a ton
weight had fallen upon me and doubled
me up. My head was bent SO close
upon my breast that thought my neck
would break. My breath came short
and fast.
With frantic struggle 1 cooked my
pistol and placing the muzzle close
against the quilt l pulled the trigger.
l fired at random, trusting that fate
might guide the ball into the heart or
head of some one of my cOwardly
assailants. The conclusion was awful
in that narrow space. The smoke filled
my eyes, nose and ears; the shot rang
through my brain: felt that my last
hour had come. My God, how l suf-
fered! l remember derisive laugh
that seemed to come from another
world, then something heavy struck
me on the head. When 1 recovered
consciousness was lying on my back
in iolting wagon, with my hands and
feet securely bound. The pale blue
of the sky above me and the hazy out
lines of the treetops reaching overhead
told me that day was breaking.
oval. Kurnel, air We come rOun' all
right?" said deep voice at my head.
Raising my eyes, 1 saw leaning over
me the grizzly face of the outlaw. Cap
Hawkins. He broke into a wild laugh
at my look Of establishment.
''Didn't 'spcct ter see me this morn
in. did We. Kurnel?" he said. taunting-
ly. "Whar air yer dogs?-ha! ha!-an'
yer horseshoe! he!-an' yer-haw!
haw! ho!-an' yer reputation? Aw.
Lordy! Say. Kurnel, whar air We
a-takin' me this mOrnin'? Air We
a-goin' ter lock old Cap Hawkins up
agin?"
His laughter echoed through the
woods and sounded fiendish as it came
back from the mountain side. l knew
Cap Hawkins well. Lawless as he
was, there was in his composition a
certain wild chivalry peculiar to these
men of the mountains. Brave as a
lion, he had an unbounded admiration
for courage in others; cunning as a
fox. he respected a man who could out
do him in craftiness. Knowing this,
determined to assume a bold air and
affect a supreme Indifference to my
fate. whatever that was to be.
90. Cap. dry up" began, winking
slyly at him. Don't frighten the rev.
enuc men; they'll be after you again"
Again he roared as if he would split
his sides over the joke. He was i'm
mensely tickled.
''Say your prayers, Cap" 1 contin-
ued. eth be a long time before you
see daylight again"
''Whut air We adrivin' at, Kurnel?"
he asked, seriously, casting his eyes
about him. My shot had missed. but l
kept firing.
Swell, you see, Hawkins, now that
I've got you in my power I'm going to
put you out of the way for good. You
come along with me to the Cove.
There's warm hole in the side of the
mountain in which you can spend the
winter. board and lodging free. Come,
brace up, Cap; when you see how COM
Portable it is in there you'll want to
lease the place for life"
The outlaw made no response to nv
random talk, nor did he laugh as be-
fore. Something seemed seemed to
| worry him. for he fidgeted about,
scratched his uncombed head and ran
his bony fingers through his grizzled,
tangled beard.
"Look a-hyar, Kurnel," said the
mOonshiner, leaning close to me and
boring into me with his black eyes,
"air We ever been thare'
There? Where, Cap?"
''rhat thar hole ye air a-goin' on
about"
why. of course. don't know every
hole and crag in the Cohuttas?"
''Then that settles it, I lowed ye
war jokin'. Waw Patsy. waw Suck,
wawp."
He refined up his horses and stopped
the wagon. Taking up an axe he
handed it to some person on the
ground. and said few words which !
did not understand. l tried to raise
myself 10 look out, but fell back help
less. full of sharp, shooting pains. My
joints refused to bend, my neck creaked
when tried to turn my head, and the
struggle of the night came back to me
like a horrible apparition. At the first
sound of the axe Cap Hawkins put his
arm under my back and forced me to
sit upright.
"Cobe air a-cuttin' yer tombstone,
Kurnel, an lowed ye'd like ter git a
last look"
To the right of the wagon stood a
giant poplar lifting its shaggy top
three hundred feet above the road. In
its trunk were three gaping wounds,
and moonshiner in broad hat and big
boots was cutting fourth. Two i'll
looking men stood near, their guns in
their hands
''Kurnel." continued my guard. lido
ye want ter write yer epertaph?" The
men laughed at their chief. Them
other three Revies didn't git nary
chance ter write theirn. Boys, air
any o We got pencil?"