St. Landry democrat., 1890-09-20
DESPERATE OUTLAWS.
How They Were Disposed of by Two
Scouts.

UESPkKATk OUTLAWS.
How They Were Disposed of by Tw
Scouts.
I'm September, 1865, word came int
Helena that an outlaw named Bill Trave
had taken up his retreat in the woods
few miles below and on the Mississippi
shore of the river. Indeed, the word cam
to US direct from him, and was brought b.
colored man. Not being able to write
he had to send a verbal message. and i
was to the effect that he hated the govern
ment, had killed fifty Yankees during tn,
war, and now defed the military force t.
capture him. William Bastrop and my.
self. both being on duty as scouts, were
detailed to investigate. The order detail
ing us meant this:
"You are hereby granted ten days leave
OF absence to kill Bill Traver, outlaw, OF
to be killed yourselves.
The negro disappeared after delivering
his message, and we waited two days be-
fore making move. We were then set
across the river in skiff at night and left
to pursue our plans. Traver would be ex-
pecting us to approach his retreat in front
and by boat, while we proposed to go in
by the back door, if at all He might be
in the woods and he might not, although
the negro was honest in telling his story,
We doubted If any human being could live
In the woods at that season on account of
the torment of the insects. We had in
mind an old cabin in clearing two miles
back OF the river. A squad Of fifteen of
Us had once captured five outlaws in this
cabin, and in the fight two more had been
killed. For this reason no one would &C.
q I'm mot
Whether Traver would be affected bv
like superstition we did not know, but
proposed to find out. We each had a Win.
chester and revolver with pack of pro
visions, and an hour before daylight we
were in hiding close to the cabin. When
day broke we saw that the door-there
was but one-was shut, and that an old
coffee sack had been nailed over the only
window. These were evidences that the
house was occupied by some one, and from
our ambush behind log and only pistol
shot away we kept close watch
1t was about eight o'clock in the morn
Ing when a colored man came out of the
cabin and built fire on the ground and
began to cook breakfast. We could smell |
the frying bacon and catch the odor of the |
coffee, and we felt sure that Traver or |
some osher white man was inside. It took |
the man about half an hour to prepare the |
meal, and during this interval we made ND
our minds that we had never seen him be-
fore. When he had everything ready he !
went to the door and called and five min
utes later Traver appeared. There was
no installing him, as he tailed, point for
point, with the description given us. He
was q ragged, dirty, desperate looking
fellow and he was evidently in bad humor.
He kicked the negro aside and sat down
70 his breakfast, and for ten minutes he
Kept up continual growing and cursing.
The negro retired to log ten feet away,
md while he made no reply to the abuse
1eaped upon him, he did not seem much
disturbed by it.
There was no doubt that Traver was
veil armed. Had he not considered him
elf perfectly safe he would not have
tirred out doors without weapon. While
10 had been outlawed, and while we knew
him to be robber and murderer, we could
lot kill him off hand. Either of us could
AVE sent bullet into his head from our
mbush, and we knew that he would shoot
ls down like dogs If he had the chance.
Ne finally decided to flank him right and
cit, and hope to get so near the cabin as
0 cut OH his retreat to 1t when we called
pom him to surrender. passed to the
ight and Bastrop to the left. He had the ,
est cover When I had accomplished
alf the distance the negro suddenly '
ose up, alarmed by the breaking of a
Wig, saw me and uttered whoop. Bas-
Fop rose up and demanded surrender /
'hile l fred on the outlaw. In an instant t
9th men were In the cabin with the door
hut, and our game was blocked. We
ropped to the ground, and five minutes
ter one passing by could not have told q
lat there was human being within Il
venty miles of the spot.
After quarter of an hour Of the deep .
4 silence we moved back until we came a
'gether. We had Gagged our man, and 4
10 negro was evidently bad one as well.
'e had the advantage of being able to d
'mfnand the only exit from the house, q
At there was no telling what sort Of a
,dge Traver would be up to as an offset | 8,
10 decided to guard the door and window
II the day at least, feeling certain that a
. outlaws had no supply of water in the d
bin. That day seemed long enough to G,
AXE full week. We were tormented
mosquitoes, had only bareback to sat- te
~ our hunger. and our thirst was te
lenched with water unfit for an OK to 81
Q the men open the door and spring for a.
yer, only q few feet away, andthe situa. ST
u was constant tax ON the nerves.
bon came, mid-afternoon came. the sun v
snt down, and not the slightest move bs
d been made by our enemies. Had we m
t seen them rush into the cabin and shut h,
0 door we should have said that the W
ace was untenated. Traver, though a hs
sperate man, had too much sense to ex- ia
SO himself to our fire by daylight He ht
CIV that there were at least two of us.
d perhaps he feared that we numbered at
Q or six. He had only to wait until ! an
yht came to 4 ct more even show. WI
AZ the sun went down and darkness SET to-
d upon the wood we crept nearer the W.
use, and when finally we got settled it
8 ct the roots of tree not over twenty to
. from the door and direstly opposite stt
lille the night was fairly dark one, the as
,r could not be opened without our hear 90,
and seeing. TWAS our idea that along tn
mt midnight 1t would be suddenly flung
IN and the men would leap out to the of
bit and left, and therefore neither of us | fo1
sleep, with the myriads of wa
sQuitoes swarming around us, would
70 been impossible. There were times Sa
en- 1t seemed rs If we would be eaten All
re and when we had to lay down our wi
Is and make fight for it. AT about to
o'clock there was pounding on the lar
z of the cabin, and the thick voice of
negro called out: wa
hey. you white men out dar !" fal
We qua not answer until he had called hel
erl times, and he then announced: hel
Marse Traver ar dead, an want to He
render" rie
When did he def" asked. ane
ses Dout an nouf ago. One o. you shot bee
OILS maWn1n' an, he's been bleedin' all wo