Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1888-10-04
ABDUCTED BY THE BUSH
WHACKERS.
A Story Of the War in
the Southwest.
BY ARN0E 0. BALDWIN.
CHAPTER y-rCosr1nurp


CHAPTER V.-TCoNr1NuEp
This news was startling. Then thew haf
already been planning to rob him. III
could almost have shot the scoundrel tina
stood before him for his impudence. bu
his better Judgment prevailed and Id
answered him quietly but primly: "PIl tr,
and be there when YOU come"
well, WE'LL" thought our Young friend
the fellow is pretty well mixed. He seemi
to think am an old man-Ipples or some.
thing else. They want INV proner.v ani
money. do thew? Perhaps thew will oct IL
perhaps not We will see.
IF YOU are going to the river Won bad
better 20 with me. I'll show Won the vav.
And he turned his horses up the road AGAIN
in the direction from whence he came.
aAint yer Qwine ter take yer boss hum?'
asked the stranger suspiciously.
IF Woodsley isn't there it is hardly worth
while to take his horse there to-day. When
he wants n he can come for tn
"Wbar does yer live. stranoer?s
"On the Wire Road. a few miles north
whats yer name?n
INQUIRE for Tom Jones'" said John
evasively. Then. seeing thew had reached
Cross Hollows. he told the stranger to take
the right hand road leading directlv down
the hollow and he would. IN a reasonable
time. reach the river.
The prospective bushwhacker took the
road designated, and without a partine
word. or q look behind. went on ont Of
sight, down the valley.
: John Eddles thought the gang would
hardly welcome such a specimen az This IN
their ranks. 1t was true he was a back
woodsman, and no doubr would do any
deviltry they might REQUIRE of him. and he
might be OF some use about camp: but his
mind was dull and not capable Of planning
the schemes that would bring success. nor
had he secretiveness enough to keep silence
when it seemed necessary. After the
stranger had left his company and before
he had travelled mile. he was startled bv
the sharp report of gun and the whistle
of bullet past his head in too close nroY-
imitv to be pleasant or desirable.
A small puff of smoke rose SLOWLY from
clump Of brush about hundred Yards to
the left.
The distance was too great for him to use
his weapons with any degree of accuracy
even if be could have seen the would be
assassin who fred the shot. which he couId
not, SO he continued on more rapidly. Per-
haps another hundred Yards was gone
over when again the crack Of q rife was
heard, and the animal he was riding lunoed
wildly forward.
The frightened animals did not mead fnr.
Their urging, but instantly broke into a mad
run, which they kept up until the Eddles
plantation was reached.
The painting, foam covered animals were
taken to the stables. and then. for the first
time, John saw that his animal had been
struck by the hast shot.
Blood was trickline down his leg from
two holes in the flank-the entrance and
exit Of the deadly missile. The wound was
but deep flesh one, but il was painful
nevertheless, for the suffering animal was
yet restless and trembling from its effect.
When evening came the horses were
driven into the corrnl, and the more valu-
able ones taken from there to the large
barn, which was we'll secured.
The negroes were assigned quarters. Some
were gloomy and morose over the mystery
that surrounded them, while others were
enjoying themselves with their almost un-
limited freedom:
warm reception Of the bushwhaOkers It was
late. The lights were extinguished and
silence stole over the huge mansion, and
everything seemed at peace and rest. II
was the calm that precedes the storm.
The night wore away, and whom morning
came the inmates were thankful that they
had been unmolested. The watchman re-
ported that nothing unusual had occurred
during his watch. Some Of the household
doomed to disappointment.
Fairly ", tho dnv anofhor v3aikor c<ovvo1