Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-28


road" A mom&nt later six men stepped
out from behind the trees before us, all
carrying rifles. AS they walked slowly to-
ward us l recognized among them the three
men We hao seen at the Widow Meeker'S
the night before. They were all tough
looking customers-slouch hats, hair black
and long. faces unshaven, short coats and
trousers tSs d IN their boots As they came near
ieliars, amt you firm round yer pretty
brasn! they made no answer, but looked
steadily at US for moment in silence:
then one of them said: "Whar yer bound?"
ITO Harrison" answered the driver
m drivin' the major over thar" refer
ring to me with a sideways nod of his head.
This amt the road" growled the
is that so? Is it the one there to the
ieft?" asked the driver.
YES"
We'll. I'm plumb glad we found it out
lore We went any further"
The driver thereupon began gathering up
his reins. preparatory to turning and pro-
ceeding on the other road, but 1 felt sure
tne men would not let us go on without
some further parley. 1 had not yet spoken,
ana made up my mind that was the one
whose presence excited their suspicious,
and that they would want to know what /
had to say for myself. / had never been in
a position yet where 1 had not found
truth telling better than lying, and did
not believe that this was an exception.
Perhaps these men knew already that
would search us, and If they did they would
ma papers in my pocket bearing the print
ed heading of the internal revenue office at
Little Rock, as l had stated the deputy's
account on the collectors official paper.
These thoughts passed through my mind.
and when one of the men asked. looking at
me. ARE you revenue MANI" 1 answered,
promptly: Yes" and as / did 50 the driver
but j proceeded: I'm an agent from
Washington, sent to examine the accounts
OF collectors and stamp deputies. I'm go
ing to examine the books Of the stamp
deputy at Harrison to see if he keeps them
right and pays in to the government all
the money he collects"
The driver evidently thought 1 had made
a mistake in acknowledging that / was in
the revenue service, and, in order to re-
assure the men, he said:
The major don't have nothing to do with
hunting stills: he don't even carry re-
vOlver."
NO" said I. IT shouldn't know a still if
l saw one. 1 know good whisky though.
We've got some here"
IS said this l took up the drivers bottle,
wmch lay on the seat between US, and. hold
lrg IL out to the men, l said: Gentlemen,
take a drink"
For an instant no one stirred, then the
one VINO had acted as spokesman came up
ana took the bottle from my hand, and, de-
lberately removing the cork, he took a
long drink and passed the bottle along to
his companions. 1t had been critical mo-
IL,
that the bottle was between us. like the In
ol'tn $ pipe of peace. When the bottle got
back to US / passed it to the driver and
alter he had drank l took a drink myself.
ne dfiEer entered into the spirit of good
fellowship 1 had started and told the men
that when they came to Russellviile they
must come to his brothers saloon, and he
would give them some more of the same
KIND or whisky, which. he said was the best
in the state
The driver now gathered up the reins
again, ana as we turned to leave l asked
me men how far 1t was to Harrison. and
the answer came back: About forty miles
l believed that We had conciliated our late
ioes but confess that did not feel wholly
easy in my mind until we were out of range
of their rifles. The memento of their marx
mahship had already received was en-
tirely sufficient.
That forenoon we descended tie north
side OF the mountains and when we reached
the streams in the valley below we founa
them covered with ice The horses broke
through very willingly at first but the
sharp edges of the ice cutting their legs
they at length refused to enter the streams
SO that before we could ford them we had
to get out and break the ice. with stones
and sticks, when it would float AWAY and
leave a passage. This delayed us so that /
began TO doubt If We should reach our desti-
nation that night but by making as briaf
a stop as possible for dinner-which we OBJ
tam II at more thrifty looking house than
we 10 before 'seen-art by pushing ON as
RAJ idP as possible over the better portions
or IL road, we succeeded in reo ching u,r
rison about S.o'clock in the evening.
The deputy whose accounts / had come
10 examine kept the village tavern and as
l had learned from my driver that he was
thrifty and well-to-io, hoped for comfort
able entertainment. and / was not disap-
pointed When l made myself known and
announced the purpose of my coming. he
gave me cordial welcome, placing me be-
fore a blazing fireplace and directing mat
fpr ata
IT was great surprise to this deputy
living in this out of the way place n hmm
dred miles from the railway, to have a gov
eminent agent from Washington dron in
upon him in midwintor and If he had hean
a dishonest or careless officer who had
Incorporated the government funds he
rad collected, or had neglected his accounts
the reader can readily understand What an
unWeicome visitor | should have been and
moreover how awkward it would have been
Tor me to be in need of hospitality from n
man whose delnquencies it would become
my duty to take notice of. But happily I
was spared this embarrassment for as I
soon found, his accounts were in perfect
condition, and the government funds COL
lected by him were in mis- possession in
tact Being an homes and painstaking off,
Ger he knew that he would be mentioned as
such in the report upon the condition of the
district which l would forward to Washing
ton, and so he was naturally pleased that
/ had come.
1t a rule with all efficient agents.
upon reaching a collectors or deputy's Of
flee, to enter upon the examination with as
little delay as possible, SO that If there
CHANGED to be shortage in his cash he
should not have an opportunity to borrow
the amount and avoid detection. AS
soon, therefore as | had thawed the numb
ness out of my fingers. | asked the deputy
to produce his collections and accounts and
/ proceeded at once to verify them finding
everything. as l have already stated, in ex-
cellent condition.
Business disposed Of y was taken into the
supper which the deputy's wife had mean
while prepared. And such a support There
were hot fried chicken, and fried pork fried
sweet potatoes, hot corn pone done brown
sweet butter and milk and preserves and
hot coffee, and numerous other dishes
which even with my voracious appetite
was unable to attack. L never enjoyed a
supper before or since as did that After
the villairous supper of the night before
and the breakfast OF crackers and the
hasty and Indifferent dinner l had eaten
during the day, and after the cold and
hardships of two days of travel it may
readily be understood that I was prepared
to do fair justice to the feast that was be-
fore me.
place and the deputy and his wife told me
of their history. The deputy was
frcm New England hence his thrift and his
wife was southern woman, hence the gem
erous supper which / had just left He