The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1894-02-09

Anton MOSbY occupation was 10 /
protect large section Of pine timber
owned by an Eastern company from
entertainments by rival firms and ne
cessitated long tramps along the boun-
daries Of the great forest estate. His
home was located in e small clearing
not large enough to escape the shadows
of the trees for more than half the day
The nearest village was n numbering
town about fifteen miles distant. From
this village ran marrow, sCraggy road
out into the forest, past Mosby' house,
and then at the distance of mile or
so divided, one branch turning south
and leading somewhere in the direc-
tion of civilization, the other running
several miles northward and ending in
an old quarry which was dug in the
side of a rocky ledge.
After Mosby's departure Jessie went
on with her work indoors with n heavy
heart. Her fathers suspicion that the
man Hayes, who had been sojourning
with them, was only refugee from
justice, panied her. He had always
been very obliging about the house,
had books in his saddle bags and some
times read aloud to her, which was
matter of real entertainment, and,
while she did not care for him, she
felt extremely sorry for the treatment
he received at her father hands. She
had to confess, however, on thinking
it over, that it was queer place for a
man to come whose only occupation
was pleasure. The hunting was poor,
the woods damp and gloomy, and the
ledge in the distance inhabited mostly
by snakes
Hayes was an ordinary-looking man
of about five feet ten, hair brown,
eyes blue, and rather quick and ner-
vous in his speech. 1t was suspicion
of embarrassment in the latter respect
when questioned as to his business
that first led Mosby to observe his ac-
tions, and his preference for the old
quarry road, which was rough and
swampy and led through tangled
growth of underbrush, seemed evil
) dence enough that he belonged to
those who prefer darkness rather than
light.
These suspicious made Mosby, natu-
RAJ a hospitable man, cold and satir-
zeal, and many an arrow of sarcasm
was p,umed for his victims breast,
sat Hayes usually seemed perfectly
oblivious of their meaning, fact
which only further determined Mosby
in the belief that he was a bad one.
The season had been exceedingly
dry for nearly month not drop Of
rain had fallen. The sand lay in drifts
in the middle of the road and blew
away from the roots of the trees.
During the previous weeks a grea
fire had been raging to the nOrthward
several towns being razed to til,
ground and wide stretch of timber
ruined. The ledge of rocks referred
to ran in crescent and acted as a bar
rier to the flames, so that the country
over which Mosby presided was lef
unframed, but the smoke spread it
mantle of gloom over many miles o
contiguous territory.
This great northern section, how
ever, where the fire had been so de
structive, was inhabited by wolves
which now, goaded by fire and hunger
sought safety to thesouthward. Mosb,
saw them frequently, and their bayin,
could be heard at night while prowl
ING through the woods in search o
food, but they were a cowardly 10
that ran at the sight of a man, and II,
one experienced any uneasiness.
When Mosby went on the tramp h
invariably took his rifle with him
II hoping to obtain enough pelts durin
r the season for a robe.
l. evolves, - he used to say to Hayes
II Care about all the game you will fin
II about these quarters, but if you wan
II to kill any you'd better throw ava
S, your six-shooters and get rifle, TO
[ all the things are good for is to Xxi
|? men, and reckon the people aroun
III here are peaceabie lot.
4. "Of course it might be a good thin
is if one wanted TO escape from cor
is stable, but we are presuming that yo
It want to kill animals" But his argr
n ments as to the relative merits an
at uses of the two weapons had little e
S feet on Hayes, who still continued I
rs carry the pistols and make excursion
Sc not into the woods where Mosby ver
We tured, "there might be a stray deer
lg one happened to see it, but towar
lie the quarry and the hills.
a Whether Mosby wanted to kee
ps watch of his strange boarder's actor
m that day, or whether his business lie
ut in that direction, we cannot say, bU
lie he spent the afternoon exploring I'll
ly timber abutting the highlands. H
to observations were quite minute, an
the sun was beginning to redden tn
+. clouds III the west when he started fc
a home, and by the time he reached tn
4 III lonA,,n ,z,i4n 1orl-