The Bossier banner., 1893-11-09
"'What is your name?


many years, with nobody to look after
me but myself; but thank the Lord,
I've managed to keep soul and body to-
gether.'
"All this time she was talking in
such meek and innocent way that my
suspicious were half disarmed; but
still l was unsatisfed, as that Whit OF
savory steam, that thick-backed chin.
ney, and the name of the woman,
coupled with the history of old ReuE
Davis, had aroused my suspicious
81 suppose traveller couldn't get
little dram hereabouts?' remarked.
God bless you, not as | knows of.
I never tech it, fur I'm strick church
member, and eff did wouldn't know
whar to start to git drap of licker'
Much obliged. Good morning.
'Good-by, sir. Wish could accom-
modate ye, but l can't
Descending the path met a gawls.
| ish-loolling lad driving an OK team
| loaded with wood, up crooked road
toward the cabin He eyed me askant
| but continued his toilsome journey
without stopping to speak.
Mcdonald said l, you may think
what you please, but we're right close
to the den, if we only knew how to
| locate it.
Then I related all the cireum-
stances, all the time casting about for
some solution of the mystery which
| became more and more convinced by
some vague intuition existed near by.
A few steps from the road that led from
thicket that obstructed the rude track,
just below where it intersected with
the road we were travelling.
Mack, wait here minute; there is
no harm in little investigation, and
made my way down to the thicket, in
| which / noticed an old door shutter w.
ing negligently, half concealed by the
brambles. Making my way to it, i
cal efully lifted it up and to my sur
prise found the mouth of cavern,
which, though narrow, showed signs of
recent use. Calling to Mcdonald to
fasten the horses and join me, we were
soon exploring the cave. A descent of
a dozen steps brought us to turn in
the cave and a rough door. / gave it a
kick, but there was no response except
a hollow reyer beration which indicated
a considerable apartment beyond.
Get me rock and I'll break it in,
/ called to Mcdonald, but just then ]
was startled by a shrek in the rear.
"'Don't kill him! Please don't kill
himp and down came the old woman l
had seen at the cabin. If you won't
kill him, I'll let you in
"'We don't want to kill anybody l
replied. SO go ahead
'She produced rusty key, and un-
locked the door which grated roughly
against the rock as it turned on its rude
wooden hinges.
"'Come up, Reuben; they've found it
out she cried. But no Reuben an
swered. oh, you've scarf him clean to
DEATH fur he weren't well nohow,' and
she dived into the cave and we at her
heels. A slight glimpse of smolder-
ing blaze guided US and we were soon
blundering among tubs and kegs, from
among which we dragged the body of a
man.
"'Wake up, old man, and kindle a
light, said l.
Mister, I'll go, if you'll promise
not to hurt me-. 81.
"'No danger of that Come on
''Well, Sir, he was the most forlorn
and abject specimen of moonshiner ]
ever saw. He looked as if he had not
seen the light in ten years, and / think
he hardly had. He had spent his days
in the cave, since he pretended to leave
for Texas, venturing forth only at
night, and then with every possible pre-
caution.
''The cave, partly natural and partly
artificial, extended as far as the cen.
ter of the main highway. which ran
along the side of the bluff at that
point, and our men had ridden over il
unsuspectingly hundreds of times. He
brought the water through covered
pipe from spring above the house.
and by cunningly contrived counter.
pipe conveyed the smoke and steam tc
and up the rear of that double chin
ney, thus concealing every trace above
Below he led the slops down a subter
ranean ditch to point where the little
brook descended into q wild and wood
ed glen broken by many cascades, sc
that no trace of it could be discovered
in that direction. The mouth of the
cave was so carefully concealed that il
hauling wood a few stacks could be
thrown off, as if by accident, and car
ried down after dark, as were the raw
materials for the distillery, and in the
same manner the liquor could be taker
out in small kegs and carted away.
'1t looked almost like shame to de
stroy such piece of ingenuity, but O.
course we did our duty, although the
old man fairly blubbered as he saw hi:
still broken up, his kegs removed, hi.
tubs of mash overturned, and all hi.
ingenious safeguards exposed TO the
gaze of the world. He was sent up fol
five years, but he did not serve out hi.
time. The discovery and exposure, to
gether with the enforced habits O
prison life, proved the death of him."
"A map does not exhibit more dis
| - 81 i