Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1888-11-14

wayside. That outfit represented the
combined capital ofhalf dozen noun
taineers. If they lost it they would
lose their all. If Uncle Sam failed to
lay hands on it he would be no worse
of. ! looked the outfit over, making
note Of everything, ate my dinner, and
had only got back to the trail again
when four horsemen rode up. sized
them up for revenue men at once
and it was plain enough that they
were in bad humor. / don't know as
would have given them any infor-
nation had they been pleasant, but
the way they jumped on me for send
off boiled me over.
"See here" said the leader as he
glared down at me, "you are the fell
low we saw yesterday back here in
the elbow ("
"Well, what Of it?"
"A good deal of sir. We are gov
ernment official -
"Yes I've seen 'em before. In
fact | used to own one"
"Look out, sir / can make it very
serious for you. You must know that
still has been brought in this direc-
ton. The chances are that you have
met the men with it,"
"Well"
"Well, we are here to find it."
Am hindering you 7"
Il believe you know all about it,
and l should be justified in arresting
you."
"Very WE'LL I'll consider myself
your prisoner"
They drew apart and conferred to-
gether for few minutes, and then
the leader said:
Perhaps l was little too rash,
and l hope you'll excuse me. If you
would give us pointer it would be
great favor"
"What information do you want ?"
"About the still. We know that it
passed Lapham's, three miles back.
We know that it has not passed Har-
rison's, two miles ahead. 1t is likely
you saw the men,"
"About two hours ago"
eyes,"
"Had it packed on two mules ?"
That's it"
"Four men and two mules r.
Eyes"
"They must have left the main trail
or you would have seen them"
"Yes."
Back here about twenty rods there
is ravine to the right"
That's sol remember"
"If | had been one of the men |
should have lodged in there with the
party"
Certain A thousand thanks to
you"
They were off on the gallop, and
the sound of their horses feet had not
yet died away when two men
dropped out of the rocks and bushes
to my left. They were mountaineers
and moonshiners. Both held out
their hands as l jumped up in alarm,
and one of them said
stranger, that's the whitiest thing
/ ever knew a man to do, and we are
crowd which won't forgit it J"
He uttered shrill whistle, and two
other men, each leading mule, broke
cover from thicket. The outfit was
picked up and packed and strapped
in FIVE minutes, and l was invited to
60 along with the party. We kept
the main trail about half mile and
then turned into ravine road to the
right. One man was sent ahead as a
scout, and as we slowly progressed
the others asked where l was from
and what my errand was, and before
l had fully explained the leader whose
name was Dawson, said {:
"Say, he's the very feller we got
word abouti Put her thar, young
feller; and right glad we ar to see
YOU"
We had progressed about mile
when the scout came back with word
that the revenue gang had taken a
half circle and were coming back to
the main road by this very path. Just
here small ravine ran to our right,
deep aud dark. The men were badly
ratified for the moment, and seemed
about to abandon the mules and take |
flight down the gully, when said:
Cant you all push down in there
and leave it to me again ?"
would you do it. stranger"
"Of course / will"
| saw them hidden and then saun-
tered on for about 200 feet and sat
down on rock. In five minutes the
revenue men came up. asked them
what luck and they replied that they
had missed the party altogether
After you went away" ! said af-
ter bit, II saw two men and two
mules i'm the brush on the left of the |