The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-04-11
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AHuT ON THE MOUNTAIN
BY BELLA FRENCH.


late is one of my mothers adventures.
I will try. and give it in her own
words
"When you were babe your faith
er's business was such that he was OBJ
liged to travel the greater part Of his
time, and as the family was small, he
usually took us with him for company
on his journeys.
ftRailroads were not then as numer-
ous as now, and we travelled in q COW
cred carriage, drawn by span of no.
bic black horses.
"We had been in Georgia some weeks,
and were now passing to Northwest
Tennessee. OF course we were OBJ
liged to cross the Cumberland noun
tains, which lay between US and our
destination.
"The mountain passes were peril
GUS, running oftimes by the edges of
precipices, where there was barely
room for q double team to pass in
safety. We were in such a place
when some Of our fastenings were
broken, end We were obliged to delay
our journey until they could be mend
ed. There, was an inn about mile
farther on, which we hoped to reach
before dark, but as the sun was already
setting, and it was impossible to get
ready for another start without some
assistance and considerable loss Of
time, we looked about to see if we
could discover any signs Of a human
habitation, and We saw, about half
way down the mountain side, small,
Ldirty-looking hut.
kssA rather posr prospect for
nights lodging, said your father,
but better than none at all. A
rather perilous descent, too, but we
must get down there some way. !
think, Hattie, you had better stay here
while I prospect a little. "
Very we'll / returned and of he
went.
issHe was gone some time indeed,
he was gone until thesummer twilight
had stolen like a gray mantle over the
mountain side, shutting out from my
lyiew Inc little hut 40 far. below me.
am not naturally coWardly, but 1 must
confess that Ifelt an underlined feal
creeping over me as I stood there
alone, save for my babe, with the
precipice at my feet, and the stars
coming out one by one in the canopy
above my head.
cat last / heard the sound Of com.
ing footsteps, and they, served in 9
manner to dispel my fears. Isaw two
men were approaching me, one Of
whom / soon discovered to be your
father; the other [ instinctiyely
guessed was the owner of the hut.
tsstItis all right, Hattie, said my
husband, in a eheery tone. 'Thit
gentleman il che owner OF the house
down the mountain side, little
farther on is q path which is perfectly
safe, and still farther on the road
w.idens SO that our carriage will not be
i in the way Of any chance travellers
| You will have to carry the babe while
this gentleman and / lead the horses.
ssIn q few moments they were or
their way, Z following in the rear.
Twenty minutes more and we were
at the door OF the hut, whose attrac
tions did not increase upon nearer
view.
u ga dirty-looking woman with o tall
i Wiry form and q salluw complexion
met us at the door, and bade US enter
j scanning us meanwhile from head Il
foot.
s. sThe glitter Of her snaky black eye
sent a cold ishudder through my frame
i and again feeling Of underlined feal
i crept over me. Ny husband, I saw
i though he tried TO conceal the fact
| shared my apprehensions, for b,
i glanced ever and anon from the occu
j pants Of the house to the brace Of pis
i tolls in his belt,
ssI tried to be calm, and sat ,dowl
.lby the door, while your father and on
j host went up the mountain side agail
| to see to the carriage, and our hostess
| attended to preparing the evening
j meal; but I could not converse
4 though / tried to do 30. The words
tried to say seemed to die away in m!
throat before I could give them inter
ance. a strange fear had taken pos
session OF me, and it was only increas
/ ed when three rough men entered th,
/ hut, looking askance at me, and de
manding their supper of the hostess
1 In short time the host and m,
Husband returned,
eve were then bade to come to sup
i per, and We took our seats around tn
dirty pine table, where hot corn brea,
| and fried bacon were smoking. NJ!
! companion ate little, but I could no
eat, for the eyes Of the rough mel
were fixed upon US.
AFTER supper was done we wer
| shown up to the loft, where We fount
| a dirty, narrow bed and 6ne Of tw'
broken chairs,
"sWe manage to sleep down stairs,
| said our host, in a gruff voice. 'Thi
lis all the accommodations we have fo
strangers. It's poor ehuugh, but bet
| ter than none.
With these words he left rs.
"We then closed the trap-door, ant
| commenced to examine our new quar-
ters. There was only one window
and that was very small, not larg'
Eenough to admit the body of man
and there seemed to be no danger from
that source.
'.The only way OF entering was b.
the trap-door. Upon this we place.
the bed, and my husband, who wa
| very nush fatigued, threw hiMsel
upon it, and sank into a slumber.
"But I could not even think O
sleep, 50 nervous had I become.
took you in my arms and crept silentl!
to the window, grouching on tn
floor beside It looked out upon tn
night.
IT could not see waterfall, though
| / knew there. was one near, by tn
music of its waters, but I could SCI
the forms Of FIVE pets5ns In earnes
controversy short distance from tht
hut.
s'By and by they came and stoot
directly beneath the window. heart
one say
"tIt is no use talking, Jim, we nee;