Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-04-24
ON THE PATH BELOW.

ing, as usual, Numbered 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 lie had three, and
they were as cross and grabbed as old
bears They came running 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! you! Hellol Hellor'
In about minute voice answered.
"Who is yer, an what's wantedP
"Stranger in search of lodgings"
He seemed to doubt it, for he made no
immediate reply. After long minute
heard woman arguing:
81 tell you he must be all right. If he
wasn't them dogs would hev devoured
him'
"Wall, come inl" 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 sat
isfied bin that was all right, and he
struck a light, piled some blankets in a
corner and said:
Stranger, that's the best lop kin fix
ye 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 the grim old mountain-among peo-
pie whose 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 vet there was no
cause to be afraid. When you are the
guest OF mountaineer you are safe.
Next morning | found the family to
consist of husband, wife and three chill
dren. The oldest of the three children
was a boy of IL, who had killed his bear
and was a dead shot. AS soon as | had
looked around me knew that distil-
lery could be found near by. After
breakfast Burton pumped me for a few
minutes, sized me up in his mind as
so. X and said:
Come up with me and see the boys.
And ! want to tell you that we've bin ex-
pecting visitors fur the last two days,
an we may hev scare befo' night"
"What sort of visitors?'
United States chaps arter our still.
They've had a spy in yere trying to To-
cate it. We saw him twice yesterday"
There were three other men ut the still,
which was hidden away in n dark and
rugged rayinc, approached by footpath
which could bc ambushCd at every rod.
All the corn was "toted" ON the mems
back over this path, and the kegs OF
whisky We're slung to pole and carried
between two men. The still was perfect
4 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 d
five dollar bill, and lac squinted his eyes
counted his fingers, scratched his head
and finally replied;
Wall, stranger, you may remember
/ the battle of Stone Riyerf'
YES"
q" A right smart ago, wasn't it,"
YES; twenty-five years ago"
"Wall, jist arter that fight | had @
/ five-dollar bill, and that's the fust ano
/ 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 haC
an ounce; one had not tasted tea, coffee
sugar wheat bread or fresh meat (out
side of wild meat for over two years.
The still was about a mile from the
house.
II any stranger came by the trail one
of the dogs was sent up the ravine witt
a piece of cloth tied TO his neck. Hall
way between the two, as | discovered
later on, was another path iutersecting
/ This came out of another ravine, and
was used by tine men only occasionally
The boy was stationed at this intersec
ton TO watch both paths and give an
alarm if danger threatened. 1t was
about 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
mon. We had been lying about at ease
every man seemingly having a heart full
! of kindness, but this announcement
started blazing fire in every eve, sci
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 otl the face of the earth with.
out Compunction if discovery threatened.
Burton beCkoncd to me, made signal
to the others which they understood. and
/ we climbed up the rugged face of n roca,
ran tor quarter of mile over broken
! ground winch was we'll wooded, and
then suddenly halted at Il spot overlook
ing the second path and high above it.
Burton made me a sign as he crouchcd
down beside large rock, and cautiously
/ approaching | looked down into the ra-
vine and saw Il solitary mantle spy.
He was coming up the path. If he
( passed the spot where we were stationed
his scent alone would locate the still.
Click Click"
Good heavens! but you are not going
to shoot himl' whispered to Burton rs
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 starve." lie replied. HE
knows his danger. Let him pass this
rock and | will shoot him"
dared say no more. Burton was DIES.
perate and determined.
We looked down at an angle of forty.
five degrees on the spy, You could have
told that he was spy by his actions.
lie had the gait of an Indian bent on a
surprise. He looked about him like one
who expected the whistle of a bullet al
any moment He came slowly ON.
Gould | signal himf
MOI lie was not looking up, but
around him.
Coming - coming - coming - advanc'
ing at steady pace towards death
Would Burton shoot; He already had
the man covered.
Thulup! thump! thump!
II WIS my heart pounding away like q
pile driver, II would he murder
would be accessory. Ii | dared TO shout
TO
Thank God! Was 1t the fall Of frag