Wichita eagle., 1886-08-25

ne with his black eyes, ~air ye ever been
tharl7
There! Where, Cap!'
THAT thar hole ye air agoin' on about .
why, of course. don't know every hole
and crag in the Cohuttass'
Then that settles it, kurnel | lowed
ye war JOHN Waw, Patsy, waw Suck,
wawp"
He refined in his horses and stopped the
wagon. Taxing up an ak he hanied it to
some person on the ground, and said few
words which did not understand. l tried
TO raise myself to look out, but fell back
helpless, full of sharp, shooting pains Ny
joints refused to bend, my neck creaked
when | tried to turn my head, and the
struggle of the night come back to me ike
horrible repetition. At the first sound Of
the ak Cap Hawkins put his arm under my
back and forced me to sit upright
"Cobe air a-custin yer tombstone. kurnel
an l lowed ye'd like to git last look"
To the right Of the wagon stood giant
poplar lifting its shaggy top 200 feet above
the road In its trunk were three gaping
wounds, and moonshiner in broad hat and
big boots was cutting fourth. Two other
Unlocking men stood near, their guns in
their hands
"kurnel" continued my guard, do ye
want ter write yer epertaphs" The men
laughed at their chief Them other three
revies didn't git nary chance ter write
theirn Boys air any O. yet got pencils"
Too well l knew the meaning Of that
notch fromwhich the sappy chips were fly
ing. My heart quivered as the az ate its
way into the soft wood Ny face must have
reflected my thought, for the outlaw, giving
me gentle push, sent me on my back
LAY down, kurnel, and don't git so all
fred skeered," he said That air mighty
comf'table hole up in the hills-board an
lodgin' free And quoting my own words,
he fairly made tie welAin ring with his
coarse laughter.
Surely you don't intend to murder me,
capn
That air jes about it, l reckon kurnel
y 9 air cross the dead-line, an yer epertaph
Air done writ.
! Before / could say more his three COM
panionS climbed into the wagon beside me.
Clucking to his horses he drove on at trot
through the pass, and as the sun rose over
the mountain we entered the precincts of
Sleepy cove. 1t must have been after 10
o'clock, yet into that lonesome spot the sun
was just beginning to pour his rays By ?
p. ~. he would disappear behind the jagged
cliff that formed the western boundary of
the retreat, and the long twilight would set
in, with its spectral shadows chasing each
other Ill the dark wood. Often had heard
the country folk talk with bated breath of
the horrors of Sleepy cove. COLLINS, they
said, dwelt in the mountain caves, coming
forth at dusk to frolic with the fearless
moonshiners, and dancing at midnight upon
the slippery crags Ghouls, armed with
the bones of murdered men. kept nightly
vigil at the narrow pass, and if any human
being approached from the outside they
gathered around the giant poplar and beat
upon the bark till the frightened man dis
appeared in the direction whence he came
No man but the moenshiners had ever been
known to come from Sleepy cove alive, con-
sequently none ever voluntarily entered
that wild, uncanny place.
These thoughts were passing through my
mind when suddenly the wagon stopped,
and the four men threw themselves into at
titudes of attention, grasping their guns and
casting furtive glances at each other.
Straining my ear l thought l heard the
faint yelp Of hound. Cap Hawkins
dashed his horses into gallop, and we sped
on through the eOcdS for half mile, stop
ping again IN the shadow of cliff. At
their leaders order two Of the men lifted
me out OF the wagon, and half dragged me
to spo- where the earth formed a kind OF
bench against tue rock wall Placing me
on the ground they began prying at
bowlder, which, gradually yielding TO their
hand sticks, rolled over on its side, expos
ing hole in the cliff. Into this they drag
ged me for some twenty feet and tossed me
on ted OF leaves. Then one of tie men
brought in some fooi, and another water
and another wood
turned to the outlaw leader and asked
how .ong he intended to keep me prisoner.
He laughed at tie question, but made no re-
ply. Going to the caves mouth he peered
stealthily out, listened awhile, and came
lack to me. There was an omlnous glitter
in his eyes. 1t looked like murder Ny
God. Was he going to bury ME alive. |
begged him to shoot me, cut my throat
any thing but leave me there to starve. But
be paid no attention to MY appeals.
"Ef ye air live when l git back, kurnel
EFF git back, ne said, why me an the
boys inought put leetle lead in yer carcass
Ne may new comp'ny fore night, eny hows
The revies air arter US hotter'n demnition
blazes They air done cross the dead line.
Hyar the moosic, kurne!"
Il hope they'll give you all you deserve.
you L SeiU lSQlnts
that could throttle the villain.
Now. kurnel, don't git out o. sorts 1t
air mighty conf table in hyer-board an
lodgin' free. Boys, air We ready. Them
hounds air picAin Us up Light the Ere
Cobe kurnel, hyer air knife ter cut yer
loose AFTER we leave ye Don't SIT sAeersd
O the ghosts and member ye air mighty
CONT tahle-board an lodgin' free; an yer
down on be
by, kurnel"
The outlaws were already placing the
DO lder in position, and when Cap Hawkins
had squeezed his way out the rock was
rolled INTO the opening. With crunching
prisoner in Smoky hole
listened tor the oayins of the hounds.
hoping that they had tracked NE to the
cave. but not q sound penetrated the door Of
my prison. The ire burs,eI briskiy, and
Su.oAy hole glowei n the light OF IL. blaz-
ing pine-kuots l. W., the Work Of a few
minutes to cut NY zen IS With the knit. the
outlaw had given me, ana then / took an
Inventory of tie contents OF toe cavern
The place had evidently been fitted up for
the Illicit manufacture OF mountain dew
and "tansle-foot' anu -redeye, for there
were the wornout copper still, the worm,
the mash tub. Jugs, and hasAs, and other
apparatus OF the nloonshiner. The cave
was about the size Of railroad box car
except that the roof was higher and more
arched | ia5bed my knife into every
SQUARE foot of the walls They were OF
solid rock In vain, mad effort TO roll
the powder from the entrance l drew ths
blood from nv shoulder 1t was al of 10
rise Unless help came to ne from without