The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-08-11
ON THE PATH BELOW.
BY M. QUAD.

having, as usual, blundered about the trail. The cabin stood just of the road, and all around it was silent and dark. It has always been a wonder that his dogs did not attack me. He had three, and they were as cross and grabbed as old bears. They came run- ming down the trail to meet me, growing and barking, but as soon as they came up they made friends. They were playing around me when stood in front of the cabin and called
 "Hello! youl Hellol Hello!"
 In about minute voice answered {:
 "Who is yer, an what's wanted?"
 Stranger in search of lodgings"
 He seemed to doubt it, for he made no immediate reply. After a long minute l heard woman arguing:
 "I tell you he must be all right. If he wasn't them dogs would hey de- voured him!"
 "Wall, come imp called the man, and stumbled along to the cabin to find him in the half open door with his rifle in his hands. My explana- tions soon satisfied him that was all right, and he struck light, piled some blankets in corner, and said:
 Stranger, that's the best lop I kin fix ye off-hand. Jist tumble down and doan' worry about nothin'."
 was soon fast asleep, having noth- ing to keep me awake. Right in the heart of the grim old mountain among people whose faces had only glanced at-among men who settle their disputes with knife or bullet entirely at their mercy and in their power if they.wanted to rob or kill and yet there was no cause to be afraid. When you are the guest of a mountaineer you are safe.
 Next morning I found the family to consist of husband, wife and three children. The oldest of the three children was boy of twelve, who had killed his bear and was dead shot. AS soon as I had looked around me 1 knew that distillery could be found near by. After breakfast Bur- ton pumped me for a few minutes, sized me up in his mind as 70. K, and said:
 "Come dp with me and see the boys. And 1 want to tell you that we've bin expecting visitors fur the last two days, an we may hev a scare befo' night"
 What sort of visitorsn'
 "United States chaps arter our still. They've had spy in yere trying to locate it. We saw him twice yester- day"
 There were three other men at the still, which was hidden away in dark and rugged ravine, approached by footpath which could be am- pushed at every rod. All the corn was "toted" on the men's back over this path, and the kegs of whisky were slung to pole and carried be- tween two men. The still was perfect but small, and in the five or six months it had been in operation the men had not made the wages of me- chanics. asked one of them how long since he had had five-dollar bill, and he squinted his eyes, counted his fingers, scratched his head and finally replied:
 Wall, stranger, you may remember the battle of Stone river?"
 "Yes."
 "A right smart ago, wasn't it?"
 "Yes; ;. twenty-five years ago."
 "Wall, jist arter that fight I had a five-dollar bill, and that's the fust and last time."
 What money they made at illicit distilling went for boots and shoee, clothing of the plainest kind, tinware, tobacco and tea. One of them had had three pounds of brown sugar in his house within q year. The others had not had an ounce, one had not tasted tea, coffee, sugar, wheat bread or fresh meat {outside of wild meat) for over two years.
 The still was about 6 mile from the house.
 If any stranger came by the trail one of the dogs was sent up the ravine with . piece of cloth tied to his neck. Half way between the two, as dis covered later on, was another path in- tersecting. This came out of another ravine, and was used by the men only occasionally. The boy was stationed at this intersection to watch both paths and give an alarm if danger threatened. Itwas about eleven o'clock in the morning when he came running in and said:
 1Spy coming, pop!"
 Then an instantaneous and terrible change took place in the bearing of the men, We had been lying about at ease, every man seemingly having . heart full of kindness, but this an- nouncement started | blazing fire inl every eye, set every jaw, and could -s