The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-06-22
NOTCH NUMBER 4.

dered by the moonshiners in the mountains
OF north Georgia An account of his kill
ing, published in New York newspaper,
said that another notch was cut in the big
poplar that guards the entrance to Sleepy
cove, the retreat of the outlaws, making
five in all, each significant of the death, at
the hands of the Illicit whisky makers of a
revenue officer, and think ! can say with
out fear of contradiction that no one is bet
ter acquainted with Sleepy cove and that
big poplar than myself l knew well three
OF the poor fellows whose epitaphs stand
gaping there, silent but awful warning to
all who would disturb the lawless men of
that lonely cove; the fifth notch is for Kel-
lett, but for whom the fourth was cut seems
still to he mystery to the surrounding
neighborhood Moonshiners seldom make
mistakes in their matters of MURDER. but in
this instance think they have lost their
reckoning. That fourth notch was cut for
me saw it done with death staring me
in the face Is it possible that the outlaws
still believe that my bones are bleaching on
the damp ground in Smoky hole.
When notch No was cut there was a
great stir in north Georgia. Country peo-
pie were wild with excitement Revenue
men riding through the mountains had a
sort of itching III 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 a 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 il up, and
we were forced to retreat without having
accomplished any thing
1t was dusk when We got out of the deep
woods, and we tegau TO look about fer a
place to stay for the night A log cabin Of
two rooms was not inviting, but the old
crone who came TO the door said that she
could provide for one of the party, and
that the Others might lind accommodations
1T another cain nile down the road In
some way II was arranged that | should
stay at her house, and loln the party next
morning. She made me as comfortable as
possible For supper bad pure corn bread
and molasses, with great tin cup of some
| thing hot called coffee While | ate she
smoked a clay pipe, sitting i'll the chimney
| corner, with her legs crossed and her foot
swinging incessantly. 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
| too much about the moonshiners and the
revenue men, and before finished my meal
she made me look upon her with suspicion
! Once or twice | alluded TO her family, for
| thought 1t strange that she Should live
alone, and even went so far as to inquire
| about her husband, and ask when he would
| be at homo 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 te
my trusty revolver, and the touch of the
cold steel braced me up wondered how
| the men Were getting on down at the othel
| cabin, and if they could hear a pistol shot
| that far oil.
| When the old woman had shown me to nv
| room, she returned to her chimney corner
| and her pipe and her foot swinging. NV
bed was an old fashioned one, with ropes fol
| oliiuSs -SklllS LOT tlldllTtSS anu
cover. | didn't undress but crawled lust
as I was between the skins, and. lying or
my back, thought should not do muct
sleeping. When my eyes grew accustomed
1 to the darkness and wandered aimlessly over
the open ceiling, | saw something about The
size of the bed hanging directly over me
1t seemed to swing slowly back and forth
/ stood up and touched it, examined it as
| infinitely as possible, and again lay down
1t was nothing but three or four hed-Quilt:
stretched across two boards supported at th,
| ends by short ropes If it grew colder il
| the night / would reach up to them for NOR,
1 cover
l intended to stay awake, but must hav;
been nearly asleep when a creaking noiss
| aroused me The next moment it was re
| peated, and the quilts above me descended
| rapidly. 1t flashed upon me that | was il
a trap Drawing INV weapon, | attempted
| to spring out of bed, determined to sell my
| life dearly, bat as l Strengthened up tn,
| quilts covered me. and before ] could throw
them off strong hanGs were at the corners
/ 1t seemed as if a ton weight had fallen upor
me and doubled me up My head was ben
SO close upon my breast that / thought my
neck would break. My breath came shor
and fast
| with n frantic str,,cc,o co,lsd m,
nis,oI and nl,ciro tb, ,nn,zta closa ar.o;r:,
the milf nnlled the trigger tred .
random. trusting that fate might Guide ths
hall into the heart ar head Of soma on. :.
nv cov,rd,v ossaiiar+s Tha oo,,,.,,g.,,,,
| WINS awful !, flat r,-r,.v, s,aca ~.
smoke filled INV ewes nose and ears IN,
| shot rang through INV brain. I felt that m,
| last hour had come Nv God bo,y 7 s,,f
| fered, rememher aarisive laugb tho
seemed to come from another world tho,
somethin,, heavy struck me- n, the head
When / recovered CONSCIOUSNESS | was IL
n, INV hack in n ioIti,- WAGON with m,
hands and feet securely bound The nal
| blue of the sky above me and the ba5y ont
lines of the tree tops reaching overhead toll,
me that day was breaking.
| oval knrpel air va come rom, all r;rbts
| said deem voice at nv head Raising m,
ewes saw leaning over me the grizzly fac
| of the outlaw, Cap Hawkins. He broS
| into a wild laugh at my look of astonish
ment