The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-11-21

] uniform and backed by comrades IL is
doubtful if any of the enemy in the
mountains then under the lead OF his
infamous namesake, Tinker Dave Beat
ty, would have taken him prisoner, or, If
they did so, it would only be to hang
him after they had submitted him to
insult. But going within the lines IN
citizens dress meant that he was spy
and would be treated as such if he fell
into the hands Of even those regular
Confederate organizations who acknowl-
edged what is called "civilized war
fare !"
In this Captain Beatty may have been
rash. but he was not blind to the dan
ger Of his position. 'tI felt right smart
safer, % he said when telling Of the adj
venture, ethan eff I'd had crowd along.
I could always keer fo' one man better n
two, more particular whin that one
mans myself.
Gwen befo' the wah, y he explained,
''the mountains was never crowded with
people, but I could always tell whar a
| light and welcome could be found on
the darkest night. But tnow even the
sparse settlements were abandoned and
many of the little log houses, clinging
like odd eyries to the mountain side,
were deserted
The rutted trails told Of more fre-
quent travel, but except in odd places
no corn had been planted, and tie pota-
to fields of past days were breast high
with weeds.
An awful dread for the fate of his
loved ones-he gave no thought to him
self-flled the old mans heart as he
neaed Beatty's creek He travelled at
night, hiding himself by day among the
higher rocky peaks, from which his
coming frightened the wolf. He saw in
the distance men dressed in butternut,
but he did not dare to make himself
known, fearing that they might be
friendly to the south.
About 8 o'clock the third morning
after leaving the army at Cumberland
| GAP the old man reached the site Of the
st1llhouse on the creek, about q half
| mile below the settlement. The build
ing was gone. He struck light and
looked about him. Charred timbers were
all he saw. He grasped his rifle, set
hard his teeth and started up the creek.
The barking of dog in the distance
gave him little comfort, for it told
there were people left in the old home.
The half moon came over the noun
tains, revealing the line of log cabins
above the bedo the creek, but the store
and the mill were gone They, too, had
been given to the torch
With his heart leaping till it swayed
him, the old man turned to his own
house He heard the whining Of dog.
Then, with bark of JOY, the animal
leaped up and began to lick his hands,
and this assured him that his worst
fears were groundless.
He hurried on, and he heard the voice
Of woman coming from the darkness,
where heretofore light had ever guided
his night approach.
sHugh! My ole man, II knowed
yer step!''
Weaker than himself, but as brave,
she came out in her thin calico dress,
and her thin arms were about his neck,
and the gray strands Of her hair fell on
his face with her kisses and her tears
'sThey're been raisin hi h'ar sence
you uns left, was what she said when
she could get her feelings under control
He did not need to be told who 'sthey''
were. He had seen war. He knew what
to expect as to the destruction or appro-
priation Of property by the enemy, but
he could not have anticipated the worst
The old woman led him into the
house, but she refused to make light,
fearing that it would attract the atten-
ton of thinker Dave men, who were
then swarming in the mountains
She gave him some cornbread to eat,
explaining that the enemy had plum
dered the store and left them only a lit
tie meal. And rs he munched the hard
bread by the freless hearth the old wife,
with no emotion in her voice, for she
had her feelings under control again,
told him the worst.
Diphtheria, though that was not the
name she gave it, appeared on the creek
early in the spring, and nearly all the
rs: sS% II