The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1888-03-22

c3tCn-H DfoKe inSO lStcoesos a. ea0eo
with an unmistakable hiccup.
Dicks blood came back with i rush.
81 hev never hearn tell o. The boobies
gittin' booxyi" he said, switb<a laagh.
"That's whar they hev got tn upper
hand o humans" -
As he gazed again at the th5ckes, be
saw now what he bad been too much ag.
gitated to observe before, . colamn OF
dense smoke that rose from far down the
declivity, and seemed to make haste to
hide itself among the low-hanging boughs
of a clump of fir trees.
It's somebody's house down thar
was Dicks conclusion. 81 kin find out
the way to Birk's Mill from the folkses.
When he neared the smoke he paused
abruptly, staring once more
There was no house! The smoke rose
from among low pine bushes. Above
were the snow-laden branches Of the FIR.
"Ef that was q house hyar / reckon
could see it !" said Dick, doubtfully, in
finitely mysti6ed.
There was a continual drip, drip, all
around. Yet thaw had not set in. Dick
looked up at the gigantic icicles that
hung to the crags, aud giittsrsd in the
sun-not drop trickled from them. But
this fir tree was dripping, dripping, and
the snow had melted away from the pine
bushes that clustered about the smoke.
There was heat below certainly, a strong
heat, and somebody was keeping the fire
up steadily.
can air it folkses ez live underground
l-o IL L.
tonished, as he came upon large, irregu-
larly-shaped rift in the rocks, and heard
the same reeling voice from within, be-
ginning to sing once more. But for this
bacchanalian melody the noise of Dicks
entrance might have given notice of his
approach. AS it was, the inhabitants of
this strange place were even more sur
prised than he, when, after cropping
through dark, low passage, an abrupt
turn brought him into a lofty, vaulted
apartment. There was a great fare of
light, which revealed six or seven muscu-
lar men grouped about large copper
vessel built into rude stone furnace, and
all the air was pervaded by an incompar-
ably strong alcoholic odor. The boy
started back with look of terror. That
pale terror was reflected on each mans
face, as on mirror. At the sight of the
young stranger they all sprang up with
the same gesture-each instinctively laid
his hand upon the pistol that he wore.
Poor Dick understood it all at last
He had stumbled upon a nest of distillers,
only too common among these mountains,
who were hiding from the officers of the
government, and running their still in de-
fance of the law and whiskey tax. He
realized that in discovering their strong
hold he had learned secret that was by
no means a safe one for him to know
And he was in their power, at their
mercy!
"Don't shoot" he faltered. "I jes'
want ter ak the folkses ter tell me the
way ter Birk's Mill"
What would he have given to be on the
bleak mountain outside
One of the men caught him as ii antici-
pating an attempt to run. Two or three,
after a low-toned colloquy, took their
rifles and crept cautiously outside to re-
connoiter the situation. Dick compre-
hended their suspicion with new quak-
ings. They imagined that he was a spy,
and had been sent among them to dis
cover them plying their forbidden voca-
tion. The penalty of finding their still
was imprisonment for them. His heart
sank as he thought of it they would
never let him go.
After time the reconnoitering party
came back.
s.Nothin' stirrin'," said the leader,
tersely.
81 misdoubts," muttered another, cast
ing look of deep suspicion on Dick.
"Thar air men out thar, I'm thinkin',
hid somewhar."
"They air furder n a mile of, emmy
how" returned the first speaker. awe
never lef so much ez bush 'thout sarch-
in it."
"The officers can't find this place, no.
ways. 'thout that thar chap fur guide"
said third, with surly nod of his head
at Dick
"We're safe enough, boys, safe
enough :" cried stout built, red faced, red
bearded man, evidently very drunk, and
with a voice that broke into quivering fall
setto as he spoke. "This chap can't do
nothin'. We hev got him bound hand
an foot. Hyar air the Philistine, boys -
Mighty little Philistine, though !! hi :"
He tried to point ieeringly at Dick, and
forgot what he had intened to do before
the could fairly extend his hand. Then
his rollicking head sank on his breast,
and he began to troll again.
cold Adam he ken loaan' round,
s1od tho peeIin's n the 0rOund ~
One of the more sober of the men had
extinguished the fire, in order that they
might not be betrayed by the smoke out
side, to the officers whom they fancied
were seeking them. The place, chilly
enough at best, was growing bitter cold.
Dick observed that they were making
preparations for fight, and once more the
fear of what they would do with him
clutched at his heart. He was some
thing of problem to them.
"This hyar cub will 60 blab," was the
first suggestion.
"He will keep num-" said the vocalist,
glancing at the boy with jovially tipsy
combination of leer and wink. Hyar ID
the persuader He raped sharply on
his pistol. This'll scotch his Wheel"
aHold yer own jaw-ye drunken pos
sum-" retorted another of the group
"Ef We fire off that pistol in hyar well
hev all these hyar rocks "-he pointed al
the walls and the long collonades-" an
swerin' back an yowin' like . pack o
hounds on a hot scent. Ef thar air folks
outside, the noise would fotch 'em down
on us fur true p
Dick breathed more freely. The rocks