Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-03-27

areport that we were spies. Fortu-
nately we got wind of the fact that a
crowd" was coming after us. Three
horses were never saddled more quickly
and three men never made better time
for over forty miles than did we, and
we made it none too soon, as o couple
of bullet-holes through the overcoat Of
the man in the rear as we flew down
the mountain told us that Big Sandy
sharpshooters with Winchesters at 500
yards were dangerous creatures when
riled.
Across the State of Kentucky,
through the northwestern part, is q
long range of mountainous country
filed with forests and lined by dense
growth of underbrush. Through this
dense forest there are passes which are
known like every trail and road to its
citizens. Many of these passes are
narrow defles, where two or three men
with Winchesters can keep back a
regiment, and it is through these
passes that the many escapes from the
officers are made. tits well-known
fact that for many years large band
of horse-thieves has preyed upon the
people of Kentucky, Indiana, Tennes-
see, and even Illinois, and that they
have been trailed to the mountains of
Kentucky and into the neighborhood of
some one or more of these passes
Say Crackers Neck" near the West
Virginia line-but very few of the
thieves were ever captured, or the
stock recovered. After the band sue
',ceeds in getting through into the
mountains, it considers itself safe from
pursuit.
Crackers Neck is fair sample OF
many of these mountain passes. 1t is
narrow detile between the overhang-
ing rocks of a mountain, which by
some CONFUSION of nature must have
split in twain. Great, rough stones,
covered and wreathed with laurel from
the bottom of the pass to the apex,
afford impenetrable hidingplaces from
which the riders can be plainly seen,
while the bushwhacker is as much out
of sight as though he had never ex-
lsted Land spectators at one time
some years ago were as badly hated as
We're the officers of the law, and they
Jared roughly when caught, although
that fact has changed considerably of
late. Some years ago land specula-
tor, whom Twill call Brown, as the story
is still a reminiscence to that gentle
man, and a Baptist preacher started
through the mountains toward Cum
berland Gap. They were riding splen-
did horses, and, of course, carried the
old-time saddle-bags with them. They
hoH nAf b, L s., Il, -,
yards before they were halted by sew
eral armed men, whom they did not see
atall until the guns were stuck almost in
Their faces. They were dismounted in
niiy, and while one of the men went
through their clothing and saddle
Dags the others stood guard over them.
Inc SPECTATORS papers soon BETRAYED
his business, but the documents car
rled by the preacher were n puzzle.
They were sermons. The speculator
was tied to tree and whipped with
wythes most numerically, after which
his hands were tied and he was seated
on a log while the gang tried to olsen
tangle the preachers documents. They
were written in miserable hand nj
best, as the preacher afterward admit
ted. The only thing either of the gang
could make out was the title to one Of
the sermons, "Saved from the Wreck. "
After poring over it for some time
the leader said to the preacher:
Say, mister, was it steamboat OF
tram am you was blowed up on?
Inc preacher then told the men that
ne was II man of God and that he was
merely going through the mountains to
N9fth carolina, where he was going to
take charge OF church. After talking