Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-10

III ~ cross the stone
>>SN mountain too near
nightfan I was COM
reIled to spend the night on its summit
without fire or company other than my
horse and the festive screech-owls. which
kept up their weird music til daylight.
The Big Bald is on the line between Ten
nessee and North Carolina, and. next to
Mt Mitchell. is the highest noun tain east
OF the Rockies. 1t is too steep and rugged
to be crossed on horseback. and there are
places along the trails where foot travel
is difficult and dangerous. to say nothing
OF its unenviable record of men killed by
wild beasts or bitten by rattlesnakes. 1t
was for tne-e reasons that L acted on the
advice of men living in the Flag Pond dis
trict and asked Red-heaced Bill Higgins
pilot me across the mountain 10 the settle
ment on the North Carolina side.
Red-headed Bill Higgins is we'll known
through these mountains as u hunter and
guide. he is also known to have consdlat-
ed himself lord nigh executioner on q NUM-
Der Of occasions when he conceived il his
painful duty to infict capital punishment
men who had sinned against him
cording to the common construction OF tie
mountain code. Public sentiment generally
justified these executions, and grand juries
were not very inquisitive in those days.
Red-Headed Bill.
From the Flag Ponds I followed Hig
gins creek till 1 came 10 Red-headed BINS
cabin, way up under the shadow of the Big
Bald. When / called at the house woman
came to the door. followed by a flock OF
children. L asked, is MIR. Higgins at
homer
Yes, this is whur he stays" was ner
uncommittal answer.
I 81
"'Spose SO; we've ban Hyia' together fur
upards Nv twenty years"
On further conversation, L found Mrs.
Red-headed Bill Higgins evasive as TO her
husbands wherea bouts, ana having learned
In the valley that Red-headeI Bill WAS shy
OF revenue officers. 4 concluded TO change
my tactics. 1 told her that Cy Blan2en-
ship had told HE that could get ner nus
band to guide HE across the Big said. Sfe
knew Cy Blankenship. and ii ne sent me
1t was all right. she made nuiaber Of
Inquiries 10 who 1 was and as 10 my
business: my answers were evidently sat
tsfactory. tor she IurEed 70 4 boy SIAN I'M,
In the door and said. Arab. giC the horn
an blow II fur yer pap" Tne BOZ got Tie
horn and blew two Iona blasts; THEM Two
enough; yer pap Ii cUIle now purIy soon"
she saId 20 the boy.
WHAT Is yoor son's name 1 asked
AraD, she repned; anu, Gil sev.IS
rainier amused C--.s. .cn - az Il.ce, sh~.
adoed, ! klioE 1t not purty na4.lIe, D.l
Ike ii cause ICs "a DiDir name. L iotu
her OF my SsneraJiOn Tor Io4ole IiAn,as, sti4u
tnoEsEt IheI OIi.UI' .,.re..-, s.ouIu .--.sc
better children Jhey woaId snow InCre
piety IN naming Inenl.
.-OaS Squirrel Hinc.
Abo2s ,.Ihc ReI-neaueI Bill came
sh~-- - VII. d loIs squirrel rIne
On a--- 1000. IN tals r-..e / s..,srweras
lO,----. &c Always re-a.ilr: GIIeG-
uOnate grasp. tse1-aeaded oil II tall anI
thin and angular; his eyes are gray -biGe;
his beard IS a deep straw color aH- vi
struggling and ca els.5-s arov-th, "nIie mis-
head is sGTmounIeL4 with SnOck Iirey
leu mar, @n.SA l,~s>S -. : Il-.s..C l.Ias,e =
g0od SUBSTITUTE Tor a neadnent On i .Oco-
motive.
How'r ye. stranger? purity fine DAY."
was Red-heade1 rllI : greeting. i told MN
my business. u s; L rec-iIn 1 can 50 wIt.l
ye. wusa 4 mad dollar IUr ever ave
crossed that are mount II; won ye lISnt
an come IN an waIt tell 1 en- run some
more bullets Ter my gun: We nO,S scale
Up some Variants On the way" / went
Into the cabin am tOOK an !IventoTs OF is
contents. There were Ions rows CI paws
sticking out Of cracks along the wall, across
tie joIsts lun-s tour strings CT wolf scalps,
ON = Shelf there were pied the rGttlss Of
more than twenty rattlesnakes, and here
and there were scattered the anNCTS Of
deSrs which mad fallen before this MIN
lids trusty rife. OF the paws, ifty-Une
Lad been cut from the right lore leg pf
bears and eight had been appropriated
from the same part o. the anatomy OF as
many DanthSrs. painters IL alIus scace
through these parts, remarked Red-headed
BilL an people Orter be mighty glad NV
*. cause they have SIGH a wceliid way Nv
-umpin' down On people from Oute1 trees.
an they scratch an bite rosperous." OF
the rattlasaake trophies he said. "Them's
all got as many Itteen r2ttieS an a
h4.rsrn I .r,ke she rat les Gf.en
snake that haint that many ON the
strings were seventy three w0if scalps. The
deer ere nearly I'll l-iir1 out Of mis-
mountain. :, ReI-headed Bill stated and
III ought to know.
Oil John Ai!eE.
81 rec,:in ~, killed much bis game
as any nan IL these LiSE!ns. onl1zs is OF
John Allen IN t'other siie o the mOuat'l.
e know OF john is y hermit. an has
lived these many years purity much by
the came he Kills en- the taters he raises.
Oh John WIS a powerful KNOWN man at
one time. an lots o people in North
CALM seq he can make a. good speech
as Zsb Vance can now" Red-headed Bill
said he ..reckinei' could 90 by where
the hermit lived. though it was about three
miles out Of our way, and that "OI Johl
was Ons0ciable-like at times. Old Joan
Allen as he is called. has lived hermits
life for about thlrty-tOur years MS history
Is
uated with distinction at one of the best
colleges in the south, he had fallen in love
with a girl who for some reason Jhted MINI
after which he became misanthrope, and
went as far as possible from the haunts
of men and particularly from the haunts
of women. Sometimes women going INTO the
mountains to PICK berries get near MS
cabin and cross his fences; wherever ne
sees a women cross his fence he burns
all the rails in that panel. These were the
stories I heard of this hermit of the Zig
Bald before met Red-headed Bill Higgins,
end / was glad OF the chance to see him,
even if it took me three miles out OF MY
way
The bullets were soon run and my horse
was taken in charge by Arab. and Red
headed Bill and I set out on cur hfteen-mile
walk. with three miles extra thrown In.
We followed a narrow path right up the
face OF cliffs and along the Drinks of dan
gerous precipices. The nomenclature was
Interesting. This Is Hogskin creek. said
my guide. of a bubbling brook; land
thar's the Devil Nose mountain: an thars
the Devils LOokin' Glass" pointing away to
waterfall directly facing the mountain. on
whose sides jutted out some sharp and
rl-1r 49, -, yo.l