The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-04-06
HHB PATH BELOW,

ways Deen u WOuutI tuAt hlh uOk9 wv
not attack mo. He had three, and the!
were Us cross and grabbed as old bears
They came running down the trail II
meet me, growing and barking, but Al
soon as they came up they made friends
They were playing around me when
stood in front Of the cabin and called;
"Hello! you'll Hello! Hello!"
In about a minute a voice answered:
"Who is yer, an'what's wanted?"
"strangerin search OF lodging"
He seemed to doubt 1t, for hc nader no
immediate reply, After long minute !
heard a woman arguing:
~ tell you no must be all right. II
he wasn't them dogs would hey him"
"Well, come I'M" called the man, and
l stumbled along 10 the cabin to find
him in the half.Open door with his rifle
in his hands. My explanation soon sat
isled him that | was all right, and he
struck light, piled some blankets in a
corner and said:
stranger, that's the best lop I kin fx
so of hand. Jist tumble down and
doan' worry about nothin'."
l was soon fast asleep, having nothing
to keep me awake. Right in the heart
OF tho grim old mountains-among PEG.
pic whose iaces l had only glanced at
among men who settle their disputes
with knife or bullet-entirely at their
mercy and In their power II they wanted
to rob or kill-and yet there was no
cause to be afraid. When you are the
guest Of u mountaineer you are safe.
Next morning l found the family 10
consist OF husband, wife and three
children. The Oldest OF the three child
rem was a boy OF IL, who had killed his
bear aud was u dead shot. AS 500 Us |
had looked around me | knew that u dis.
tillery could be found near by, After
breakfast Burton pumped me for a few
minutes, sized me up in his mind as 30.
K" and said:
"Come up with me and see tho boys.
And | want TO tell you that we've bin
expecting visitors fur the last two days,
an we may have n scarce befo' night"
"Wha sort OF visitors2"
Omitted States chaps artcr our still.
They've had a spy In yere to locate 1t.
Saw him twice yesterday"
There were three other men at the
still, which was hidden away in a dark
and rugged raYlue, approached by n
iooLpath which could be ambushed at
every rod, All the corn was 'tOted" on
the mems backs over this path, and the
kegs OF whiskey were slung to q pole
and carried between two men. This
still was perfect, but small, and in the
five or six months II had been in opera.
ton the men had not made the wages Of
mechanics. asked one OF them how
long since le had had u five dollar bill,
and no squinted his eyes, counted his
fingers, scratched his head, and finally
repliedt
avail, YOU may remember the battle
OF Stone River2"
"Yes."
"A right smart ago, wasn't it?"
Eyes; twenty-five years ago"
"Wall, jist 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 and tobacco
and tea. One Of them had had three
pounds OF brown sugar In his house
within a year. The others had not bad
an ounce; one had not tasted tea, coffee.
sugar, wheat bread or butchered meat
for over two years.
The still was about q mile from the
house.
II any stranger came by the trail ont
Of the dogs was sent up the ravine will
a piece OF cloth tied to his neck. Hal
way between the two, az discovered
later on, was another path interseCting
This came out OF another raVine, ant
was used by the men only occasionally
The boy was stationed at this intersec
ton To- watch both paths and give al
alarm II danger threatened. 1t was abou
II o'clock in the morning when lie CAM
running In and said
"Spy coming, popl" ,.
Then an instantaneous and terrible
change took place in the bearing Of tn,
men. We had been lying about at ease
every man seemingly having a heart full
OF Kindness, but this announcement
starting a blazing fire in every eye, Sc
every Jaw, and | could see desperation
In every face. II needed no handwrit
ing on the wall to tell me that the sp!
would DO wiped of the iace OF the cart
without conjunction II discovery threat
ened, Rurton lecEoned TO me, made
signal 10 the Others which they under
stood, and be climbed up the rugget
face Of rock; ran for aquarter OF a mil
over broken ground which was wei
wooded, and then suddenly halted at
spot overlooking the second path AM
HIGH above II, RuTtnu mkde me a Gig
as he Crouohed down beRide o large rock
and cautiously approaching l locke,
down Into tho raylne and saw q solltnr.
man-the spy. He was coming up tn
path. II he passed tho spot where ",
were stationed his scent alone woulI
locate the still.
nuliCkl Click
1Good heavensl but you are not 90
;c' 10 shoot him2n | whispered 10 But
ton % he cooked lie rife,
Hp hall turned. Ills face was as har,
oct ~ iron,
dFor the sake Of earning q iow dollar
he would sec us starvoin he replied
"Ho knows his danger. Lot him pas
this rock and I will shoot himl"
/ dared say no more. Burton was dc
termlned.
We looked doVn AZ an angle Of fort!
Ave degrees on tho spy. You could hay
told that ho was q spy by his actlonI
He had the gait Of an Indian bent on
surprise. He looked about him like on
who expected tho whistle Of q bullet
any moment He came slowly on.
Gould | signal hin2
mol. tIe was not looking up bt
around him,
Omlng-Coming-co
at ast6Ady pace towards death, Woul
burton VhootH lie already hadthe ma
covered, q.
Thumpl thumpl lhumpl
Il was my heart pounding away like
pile driver, II would DO murder.
40 ~ L.