The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-06-29
AMONG MOONSHINERS.

" men, n Few years ago, = United States
marshal was murdered by moonshiners
N the mountains Of North Georgia. p
New York newspaper said that another
Eoech 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 vvhiskey makers. of a rev
enue officer. That fourth notch was cut
Iof me saw 1T done, with death staring
me IN the face Is it possible that the
o-tIiiNS stan believe my bones are bleach
-nE on the damp ground in Smoky Hole?
w hen notch No. was cut there was \
great stir IN North Georgia We laid the
murder OF W Mt the door of the motor
lous Cap Hawkins, the daring leader Of n
fearless band of outlaws in the Cohutta
Mountains, and as soon as possible we
were on his trail with a good mack of
pioocAounds. The scent was cold and
When we had penetrated some eight miles
INTO the range the dogs became dishear--
ened. After cireling round rs time and
again IN search Of the trail they gave it
mp, and We were forced to retreat without
having accomplished anything.
1t was dusk when we got ont of the
deep woods, and we began to look about
for a place 10 stay for the night.
a log cabin Of two rooms was not inyit-
ing, but the old crone who came to the
dogrsalC that she could provide for one
OF the party.
hi!e ate she smoked clay pipe. sit
ting IN the chimney corner with her legs
| crossed and her foot swinging incessartly.
| " men she spoke 20 me, which she did
oitener than liked, could not help feel
| Tx tAaJ SEe was trying To punlD me
When the old woman had shown me To
room aud my eyes grew accustomed tothe
darkness and wandered aizllesslv ever
| the open ceiling, / saw something abc{It
the size OF the bed hanging directly over
| ne. i seemed to swing Slowly hack and
! forth. 1 stood mp and touched It. exam
iued il rs minUtely ~ possible, and again
laia down It was nothing but three or
/ four bed quilts stretched across two
boards supported at the ends by short
ropes. II it grew colder in the night
would reach up to them FOR more cover.
intended 10 stay awake, but must
have been nearly asleep when c-eakina,
noise aroused me. The next moment il
was repeated, and the quilts above me de
scendca RAPIDLY. Il flashed upon me that
l Was in . trap.
Dr.'-ing my weapon, I attempt 10
spring o-t OF bed, determined TO sell my
life dearly, but as / Strengthened ND fh,,
quilts covered me, and before 1 could
throw them of strong hands were ut the
corners
With frantic struggle I cooked NV
pistol and placing the luuzzle close
against the Quilt pulled the TRIGGER.
fired at random, trusting that fa:s might
guide t-e ball into the heart or head II
some one OF my cOwarilv assaiIau,s. The
conclusion was awful in that narrow
space. The smoke filed NV eyes. nose
and cars; the shot rang through INV
brain; | f=iJ that my last hour had come
My God. how / suffered / remember :, !
dersiVc lanSh that seemed 70 come from
s.ruck IGc or the head
When l recovered COusCi0r=r1=s was
-yinE on my hack IN q IolrinLs wagon with
my hands and feet securely bound The
pale DlUe OF the sky above me and the
hazy outlines Of the tree-tops reacIira
Overhead told me that day was breaking.
W ~, hurnel, air We come roun' all
Ilght:" sad a deep voice at my head
.talslIE inyeyes saw over me the grizzly
lace Of the outlaw, Cap Hawkins He
bFoke lnto q Wild laugh at my look of !
astonishment.
.Didn't 'spect ter see me this rnornin'.
tid ye, hurDel ~ he said ta9Intingly |
'Whar air yer dogs ?-ha! ha !-an' yer
horses ?-Ae! he !-an' yer-haw, hawi !
no an yer reputation Aw, Lordv, |
Say, kurDel, wh2r air We a-takin me this |
mornIn' Air ye a-goiu' ter lock cid Can |
IawkInS up aGiu -
| determined TO assume n hold air md !
Affect supreme Indifference TO nv fate
whatever that was TO be-
oh, Cap, dry up / began, winzing |
alylyat him. Don { righten the reyeuue |
men; they'll be after YOU again.
Again he roared as If he would split his /
sides over the joke. He was immensely |
tickled.
''Say your prayers, Cap" I continued.
.'ltll be long time before you see day
light again"
.'Whut air yc drivin' at. Kurnel - he
asked, seriously. casting his eyes about
him. Ny shot had missed, but I kept
firing.
We'll, you sec, Hawkins, now that I've
got yolI IN my power I'm going to put You
away for good. You come along with mo
to the Cove. There a warm hole in tho
side OF the mountain in which YOU can
spend the winter. board and lodging free.
Come, brace up. Cap; when you see how
comfortable IL i in there you'll want TO
lease the place for life
The outlaw made no response to my
random talk, nor did he laugh rs before
Something seemed to worry him. for he
1id.cted about, scratched his uncombed
head and ran his hony fingers through his
grizzled, tangled beard
Look a-hTar, Kurnel, >" said the moon
sinner, leaning close 10 me and boring
into me with his black eyes, "air We ever
been thar
There? Where, CapF'
That thar hole yc aira-Gon' on aboutg"
WHY, of course; don't / know every
hole and craE i'm the Cehuttas p
Then that settles It, kurnel. lowed
ye wal. jokiE'. Waw Patsy, waw Suck,
wawp."
He reined in his horses and stopped the
wagon Taking up AN axe he handed IL
TO some person on theEroUnd, and said
few words which ! did not understand |
At the first sound OF the axe Cap Haw-
kinS put his arm under my back and
forced me to sit upright.
.'Cobe air a-cuttin' ger tombstone, Kur-
iooi.'' hs,i 3" io"e' ye q Ike Ter g'' " last
To the right of the wagon stood a. ciant
poplar lifting its shaggy top 800 feet above
the road In its trunk were three gaming |
wounds and noonshiaer in broad hat |
and biz boots was cutting n fourth Two 1
other ill-lookinG men stood near their
guns in their hunds
''Kurnell.' - continued my c-1Iarrl edo ve
want ter write yer epertaph 20 The men !
laughed at their chief Them other
three Revies didn't cit nary chance ter
write, theirn- Boys, air any o. ye got
Too well 1 knew the meaning of that
notch from which the sappy chips were
flying My heart quiyered rs the axe ate
ITS way into the soft wood. Ny face must |
have reflected my thought, for the outlaw.
giving me n gentle push, sent me On my !
e.,,I lay down; KSurnel an, don't git SO all
fired skeered," he said. That air a
mighty conf table hole Up in the hills
board and lodein' free" And quoting
my own words be fairly made the 1yelkiu
ring with his coarse laughter
Can ;" --'''
That air jes about il, reckon, Kur-
mel Ne air cross tho dead line aud yer
eperlaph air done been writ"
Before could say more his three com
panlCns climbed into the wagon beside
me- Clucking TO his horses he drove on
Al . 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 lone
some spot the sun was beginning TO pour
MS rays. BY > p. Nj. he would disappear
behind the jagged cliff that formed the
western boundary OF tie retreat, and the
ong twilighUwould set in with it, spectral
shadows chasing each other in the dark
(