The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-04-02
A Mountain MISSIONARY,
By ALFRED R. CALHOUN.
Copyright, 1896, by American Press Associa.
toni
Concluded.

when my fathers watch told that
daylight was due, the men about the
fire began to eat of the corn bread and
cooked pork they had brought with
them, and Dick Bradley and father
went out to visit the pickets. With the
dawn of day the rain ceased and the
wind died out. Mother and left the
cabin to look about us. We saw the
horses standing with lowered heads and
dropping hips at the chimney end OF
the cabin. We were in the midst of q
forest, seemingly on top of considera.
BILE hill. Down through the trees and in
a direction we took to be the north we
saw the red rutted trail that looked like
a fresh wound.
"While we stood looking about us
we saw father and Bradley coming hur.
riedly back and evidently much excit-
ed Father did not appear to be weary, |
but there was an anxious, panied look |
in his eyes, such as we had not noticed
there since the day the meeting house
was burned, though there was never an
hour since then when there was not an
occasion for worry"
The pickets had reported suspicious
men seen in the distance since daylight.
These men were gathering along the
line of the trail over which the fugitives
must pass on their way to the north.
They were in considerable force, and
that they were not friends was manifest
from their actions.
The cabin might afford some shelter
-. 1.,,N al
useless as place Of defense. On spur
Of the hill to the north and about
quarter of a mile from the cabin Brad
ley had either discovered that morning
or knew in advance of place that of.
fered advantages for defense. Without
any excitement he told the men in and
about the cabin that there were stran.
gers in sight and that fight might be
looked for before they could resume
their journey.
The men seized their rifles, the horses
were resaddled, and as Mrs. Peters and
her daughter preferred to walk the an.
finals were led to the point indicated.
This was bare projection Of the hill,
where mass of irregular rocks afford
ed place of concealment for larger
force than required it now, but as ID
was some distance from wood and wa
ter it was not desirable place in which
to stand protracted siege
The fugitives were not kept long in
doubt as to the character of the people
who had aroused their suspicion. Brad
ley was disposing his men at the points
where their rifles could best check an
approach when Ella Peters, who was
looking down the slope, called out:
."'There is man approaching with
white flag!'
The white flag proved to be a hand
kerchief fastened to the end of a sword.
This was responded to by fastening Ell.
las handkerchief to the end of a rife,
which Dick Bradley carried, as he and
Father Peters walked down to meet the
two men in gray who were approaching.
The fear that these people belonged to
Het Magoone's gang was soon set at
rest. They were dressed in gray uni
| forms, and the network of gold lace on
| the collar and sleeves of one of the men
indicated that he was an officer. AS
Father Peters and Bradley went down
|
the former should do the talking, So
when the Confederate announced him
: self as belonging to General Zollicof-
fer's command and peremptorily de-
manded to know who the people up the
hill were, he was answered.
1--WE are Union men making our way
to the north, but we do not want fight
unless it is forced on us ~
''Why are you going north?" was the
next question.
eve deny your right to ask, replied
Father Peters.
Il am here to prevent recruits going
: through to the enemy, and if you do not
surrender you must take the conse-
quences, said the Confederate.
eve are quite ready for that" said
the old clergyman.
"And if nothing but fight will suit
yo' uns, broke i'll strong Dick Bradley,
'come on, just as quick ez yo' uns dog
gone please. Now, go back and tell yer
ribils that. '"
The Confederate became gentler after
this, but beyond learning the purpose of
each other the truce resulted in no good.
AS soon as Father Peters and Bradley
rejoined the party two young men, who
declared that they could reach Camp
Dick Robinson without food or sleep,
were detailed to make their way to the
north and to inform the first Union
troops they reached of the condition of
the fugitives whom they had left be-
hind. This precaution proved the sal
walton of the mOuntaineers.
The Confederates numbered about 100
men, cavalry or mounted rifles, as could
be seen when the clouds rolled away and
the sun came out. The enemy were
green and undrilled, as were most of the
troops on both sides at that time but
the officer in command evidently under
stood his business. Leaving q guard
with the horses grazing i'll the valley, he
advanced his men in open order and
evidently with orders to protect them
selves as best they could they came with
in rifle reach.
81 recall" said Miss Peters, "that !
saw all this without any increase OF
fear, nor was / at all shocked at seeing
my father on his knees with his rife
protruding through an opening in the
rocks. Indeed it appeared to me like an
act of habitual devotion. WANTED to dc
something, and if there had been an un.
used rifle within reach am sure
should have obeyed the impulse to use it.
) "Inever admired strong Dick Bradley
so much before | expected that ht
would rave and swear, but instead 1t
went softly from man to man. uncarine
for the exposure, and whispering: Low
and stiddy, boys. Low and stiddy, and
not too doggone hight"
TWAS not till dozen men had fallen
that the Confederates began to get true