Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-10-13
EDGE OF THE GRAVE.
4 WHISKY SPY'S PERIL II THE
MOUNTAINS.
Slowly Toiling Up the Path With a
Rifle Leveled at His Heart-A
Whisper OF Danger.

yond Bristol, late in the evening, having
as usual, blundered about the trail The
cabin stood Just off the road, and all around
it was silent and dark. 1t has always been
a wonder that his dogs did not attack me.
He had three, and they were as cross and
as 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 Hello Hello!"
In about minute voice answered:
"Who is yer, an what's wanted ?D
stranger in search of lodgings"
He seemed to doubt it, for he made no
immediate reply. After long minute |
heard woman arguing:
Il tell you he must be all right. If he
wasn't them dogs would hev devoured
him."
"Wall, come in ~ called the man, and |
stumbled along to the cabin to find him in
the half-open door with his rifle in his
hands. My explanations soon satisfied
him that | was all right, and he struck a
light, piled some blankets in corner, and
said
Stranger, that's the best lop kin fix
We off-hand. Jist tumble down and doan'
worry about nothin'."
was soon fast asleep, having nothing to
keep me awake. Right in the heart of
h.. IL L
who 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 mountaineer
you are safe.
Next morning | found the family to con-
sist of husband, wife and three children.
The oldest of the three children was boy
of y, who had killed his bear and was a
dead shot. As soon as | had looked around
me knew that a distillery could be found
near by. After breakfast Burton pumped
me for few minutes, sized me up in his
mind as 20. K" and said:
"Come up with me and see the boys.
And | want to tell you that we've been
expecting visitors for the last two days, an
we may have a scare befo night"
"What sort of visitors w
Omitted States chaps arter our still.
They've had spy in yere trying to locate
it. We saw him twice yesterday"
There were three other men at the still,
which was hidden away in dark and
rugged ravine approached by foot-path
which could be ambushed at every rod.
All the corn was ''toted' on the mems
backs over this path, and the kegs of
whisky were slung to pole and carried
between 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 mechanics. / asked
one of them how long since he had had
fve-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 lt|
"Yes; twenty-five years ago."
"Well, Just arter that fight | had five
dollar bill, and that's the fust and last
time"
What money they made by illicit dis
tilling went for boots and shoes, clothing
of the plainest kind, tinware, tobacco and
tea One of them had had three pounds
of brown sugar in his house within 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 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 | discovered later on,
was another path intersecting. 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 threat
ened. 1t was about II o'clock in the
morning when he came running in and
said
"Spy 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 a heart full
of kindness, bat this announcement started
& blazing fire in every eye, set every jaw,
and | could see desperation in each face.
1t needed no handwriting on the wall to
tell me that the spy would be wiped off
the face of the earth without compunction
if discovery threatened. Burton beckoned
to me, made a signal to others, which they
understood, and we climbed up the rugged
face of rock, ran for quarter of a mile
over broken ground which was well
wooded, and then suddenly halted at a
spot overlooking the second path and high
above it. Burton made me a sign as he
crouched down beside large rock, and
cautiously approaching, / looked down into
the ravine and saw solitary man-the
spy. He was coming up the path. If he
passed the spot where we were stationed
his scent alone would locate the still.
"Clickl Click p
"Good heavens but you are not going
to shoot himp' whispered to Burton as
he cooked his rifle
He half turned to look at me. His face
was as hard set as iron.
For the sake of earning few dollars
he would see us starvep' he replied. "He
knows his danger. Let him pass this rock
and | will shoot him p
uafeu say no more. burton was ueS-
perate and determined.
We looked down at an angle of forty
five degrees on the spy. You could have
told that he was a spy by his actions. He
had the gait of an Indian bent on sur
prise. He looked about him like one who
expected the whistle of bullet at any
moment. He came slowly on.
Could | signal him?
No. He was not looking up, but around
him.
Coming coming -coming-advancing
at steady pace toward death. Would
Burton shoot? He already had the man
covered.
Thump. thump thump.
1t was my heart pounding away like a
pile-driver. 1t would be murder.
would be accessory If dared to shout
TO-
Thank God, Was it the fall of frag-
ment of rock up ON the mountain side, OF
the hoarse call of the great buzzard poised
above us which made the spy halt in hi.
track Ten feet more and a finger viii
press the trigger. lie peers this way and
that-he looks up and around-he start:
to advance, but halts again. Is some one
praying for him ?-has he guardian
angel who whispers warning?
| 1t is two minutes-two minutes which
I