Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-06-04
Ben. Rays Secret.

town of W, among the Blue
Ridge Mountains in Western North
Carolina. 1t was a small sleepy place,
consisting of two country hotels,
about fifty scattered houses, very
old brick Court House, the jail con-
veniently near, church or two and
the school-house.
Life there would have been dull
under any circumstances to us it
was almost insupportable, accustom-
ed as most of US were to much live
lier places. The game we were seek
ing, too, was small, and beyond an
occasional capture of a few pounds
of tobacco, or a gallon or so of
"moonshine' whiskey, we had for a
long time nothing to do. 1t gave the
boys, however, a good chance to be-
come acquainted with each other, as
most of the evenings were passed in
telling yarns over our pipes or
reading a few papers that came in
our way.
Among the boys was one named
Ben Ray. He was from Delaware,
and was one of the best young fell
/ lows on the force, as brave as lion
and always cool in the hour of dan
ger. He and L, from being accident
ally thrown together in several raids
on illicit whisky stills, struck up a
close friendship; we shared one
room with each other, and had one
tobacco pouch between us. There
was one thing | noticed about him
while the rest of us had letters COM
ing to us now and then, he never re-
ceived one, nor had any of us ever
seen him writing, except IN the way
of making out official work. | asked
him jokingly one day when we had
received our mail, where was his girls
letter. His face turned CHASTITY white,
and without a word he walked off by
himself ; so nothing further was ever
said to him about it as the boys were
too fond of him to joke on what they
saw was a sore subject.
One rainy evening in May man
on a gray mule rode up to our head
quarters and asked for the commits
sioner, saying he had quite an impor-
tant letter and message to deliver.
He was taken into the office and Cap
tain Harrison, our leader, hunted up.
In an hour the Captain came into our
room, looking very much pleased, and
exclaimed:
"Look sharp, boys; get your duds
ready to move out at daylight to-mor-
row. We've got big nest of moon
sinners to break up, and when | tell
you we have to go over into Georgia
you'll understand that we'll probably
have some pill driving,'so take plen-
ty of cartridges"
Immediately all was hustle among
us, and we commenced making prep
arations for out raid.
Sunrise next morning found us rid
ing rapidly along the river road, the
captain and the man on the mule,
whose name was Zeb league, in adj
vance. There we're six of us besides
the captain, as well mounted and
armed, most of us carrying rifles and
each with one or more Smith and
Wesson revolvers.
Our present raid would probably be
no child's play. as we were going to
tackle set of fellows who had made
it their boast that no revenue man
should ever take a prisoner out of
Rabun county, and as one OF two had
been shot, we knew that we would be
more than likely to have lively time.
Towards evening we arrived at the
house where we were to halt and
made the final arrangements for the
attack.
We were now within six miles of
the "still," so, as it was a moonlight
night it was decided that we feed our
horses and rest them until midnight,
when by taking trail we could get
to the still house in an hour, hoping
to be able to surprise the place and
capture all the inmates without
bloodshed.
Accordingly at II o'clock we
mounted and proceeded in single file
over rough trail around the noun
tain sides and through dense laurel
thicket, whose close, green foliage,
shutting out the light of the waning
moon, made travel very difficult for
both men and horses. We kept on
for an hour, when our guide stopped
his mule at little branch, crossing
the road saying:
zap ii, Gne SGllI Is Oh InIS yel |
branch and just behind that thar
ridge. Better take yer hosses a piece
into the woods and tie EN-; we kin
go better afoot from here"
We soon had our horses tied safely |
at the saplings, and led by league
started up the ridge. Crossing this
we took diagonal course down its
steep side. When nearly at the bot
tom we caught glimpse of fire and
heard a mans voice singing a noun
tain ditty.
"Thar's the still,' said league.
''I've done my part, now you'uns do
yourn. l shan't go closter fer don't
want 'em to see me, butt" and here
his face grew black and threatening,
"ef We see a tall man with heavy
black beard hope you'll kill him like (