Wichita eagle., 1886-08-25
9ail9R eagle
NOTCH NUMBER 4.

Oi norm oSOERla. All account OIL QlS XIII
ing, publ he'd il a New York newspaper
said that another notch was cut in the bi:
poplar that guards the entrance to Sleepy
cove, the retreat of the outlaws, making
five in all, each significant of the death, q
the hands of the illicit whisky makers. of ,
revenue officer, and think can say with
out fear OK contradiction that no one is bet
ter acquainted with Sleepy cove and thai
big poplar than myself / knew well tire.
OF the poor fellows whose epitaphs stand
gaping there, silent but awful warning t.
all who would disturb tte lawleSs men Of
that lonely cove; the fifth notch is for Kel
lett, but for whom the fourth was cut seem
still to be mystery to the surrounding
neighborhood- Moonshiners seldom maze
mistakes in their matters Of murder. but in
this instance think they have lost theil
reckoning. That fourth notch was cut fol
me. saw it done with death staring me
In the face Is it possible that the outlaw:
still believe that my bones are bleaching OF
the damp ground in Smoky hole'
When notch No was cut there was q
great stir in north Georgia Country peo
pie were wild with excitement Revenue
men riding through the mountains had q
sort of itching in the back, and were in
clined often to turn in the saddle. We laid
the murder of W at the door Of the
notorious Cap Hawkins, the daring leader
of fearless band Of outlaws in the Cohutta
mountains, and as soon as possible we were
on his trail with good pack of blood
hounds. The scent was cold, and when we
had penetrated some eight miles into the
range the dogs became disheartened After
circlIng round and round US time and again
in search Of the trail they gave it up, and
we were forced to retreat without having
accomplished anything
1t was dusk when we got out Of the deer
woods, and we began to look about for q
place to stay for the night 4 log cabin OF
two rooms was not inviting, but the CID
crone who came to the door said that she
could provide for one of the party, and
that the others might find accommodations
at another cabin mile down the road. In
some way it was arranged that | should
stay at her house, and Join the party next
morning. She made me as comfortable as
possible For supper had pure corn bread
and molasses, with great tin cup Of some
thing hot called coffee. While l ate she
smoked clay pipe, sitting in the chimney
corner, with her legs crossed and her foot
swinging necessarily. When she spoke to
me, which she did oftener than liked,
could not help feeling that she was trying
to pump me. She wanted to know entirely
toe much about the moonshiners and the
revenue men, and before finished my meal
she made RE look upon her with suspicion.
Once or twice l alluded to her family, for
thought it strange that she should live
alone, and even went so far as to inquire
about her husband, and ask when he would
be at home. But she replied evasively, and
all learned was that her old man and
three grown sons were up on the mountain,
tending crops 1t did not require much ex-
ercise Of my imagination to determine what
kind of crops they were tending. In think
ing Of them my hand went instinctively to
my trusty revolver, and the touch of the
cold steel braced me up. l wondered how
the men were getting on down at the other
cabin, and if they could hear pistolshot
that far off.
When the old woman had shown me to my
room, she returned to her chimney corner
and her pipe and her foot-swinging. Ny
bed was an old fashioned one, with ropes for
springs and bear-skins for mattress and
cover. | didn't undresS, but craWled Just
as / was between the skins, and, lying on
my back. thought / should not do much
sleeping. When my eyes grew accustomed
to the darkness and wandered aimlessly over
the open ceiling, | saw something about the
size of the Led hanging directly over me-
1t seemed TO swing slowly back and forth.
stood up AMI touched 1t, examined it as
infinitely as possible, and again lay down.
1t was nothing but three or four bei-quilts
stretc he'd across two boards supported al the
ends by short ropes. If it grew colder in
the night would reach up to them for moro
cover
| intended to stay awake, but must have
been nearly asleep when a creaking noise
aroused me. The next moment it was re-
peated, AMI the quilts above me descended
rapidly. 1t flashed upon me that | was in
a trap Drawing NV weapon, | attempted
to spring out OF bed, determined to sell my
life dearly, but as L Strengthened up the
quilts covered me. and before l could throw
them of strong hauls 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 brcak Ny breath came short
and fast.
With frantic struggle / cooked my
pistol and placing the muzzle close against
the Guilt. pulled tie trigger. | fired at
random, trusting that fate might guide the
ball into the heart or head of some one of
my cowardiy assailants. The conclusion
was awful in that marrow space. The
smoke filed my eyes, nose, and ears, the
shot rang through my brain; felt that my
last hour had come. Ny God, how | SUI
fsred! / remember q derisive laugh that
seemed to come from another world, then
something heavy struck ne on the head
When recovered consciousness / was "
on my back in a jolting wagon, with my
hands and feet securely bound The pale
blue of the sky above me and the hay out
lines of the tree tops reac hing overhead told
me that cay was breaking.
"Wal, kuruel air ye como Toun' all rightf
said q deep voice at my head Raising my
eyes l saw iea.-ing over me the grizzly iacs
of the outlaw, Cap Hawkins. He broAe
into a wild laugh at my LOOK of astonish-
ment
didn't spect ter see me this mornin', did
We. kurnelf" he said, tauntinsly. "Wbar
AIR yer dogs:-ha. ham yer horsesl-hel
heEan' yer-haw! haw ho3-an' yer
repy tat on, Az. Lordy. Say, kurnel,
whar air ye a takin' me this morning. Air
YER a-soln' ter lock old Cap Hawkins up
agin'a"
His laughter echoed through the woods
and sounded fiendish as it came back from
the mountain side l knew Cap Hawkins
vel Lawless as he was, there was in
hi, composition a certain wild chivalry Pc
culiar to these men Of the mountains Brave
Is q lion, he had an unbounded admiration
for courage IN others; cunning as fox, he
respec. d a man who could Quito him In
craftiness. Knowing this, determined to
assume a bold air, and affect supreme in
difference to my fate, whatever that was
ooba