The National tribune., 1895-10-31

self in the most perilous situations with
out any outward signs Of fear or excite
ment. He was always equal to the
emergency.
When in fight no interposing OBJ
stacle disconnected him at the critical
moment Hence, on another occasion,
when scouting in the southern part of
Taney County with detachment of his
company, he heard Of three or four
Confederate bandits who had Just come
into the neighborhood, or were passing
through the country, and who were
stopping with several families of South
ern sympathizers for the night
The Captain decided not to attack the
bandits until the next morning, and
posted some of his men to watch the
houses unobserved during the night, 50
that the men in them might not escape.
Early the next morning he surrounded
one of the houses in which some of the
bandits were known to have spent the
night, taking himself the most dangerous
pooibioH.
Coming up in front of the house, he
saw three bandits within, and, keeping
his ewes on them and bis hands on his
shotgun in the position of ready,
crossed the fence and started for the
door. In moment after crossing the
fence a big dog came snarling and
growing at him and seized him by the
calf of the LEG. Not in the least discon-
certed by this unexpected attack of the
dog, he stopped, and, keeping his eyes
on the bandits, took with his right hand
his pistol from the scabbard, and, feeling
for the dogs neck,
SHOT THE BEAST DEAD.
He then proceeded as if nothing had
happened, and, entering the door, found
that the bandits had escaped through
the opposite door. His daring conduct
amazed them so that they fed without
firing a single shot at him.
In this affair he shot the man of the
house and severely wounded his son,
who had started to run with the
bandits, holding that those who har-
bored or gave aid and comfort to the
bandits were as deserving Of punishment
as the bandits themselves.
As further illustration of Capt
Kelso's fondness for bold adventure, the
following is related by John Grantham,
Sheriff of Greene County, who was serv-
ing in bis company while scouting in the
rough, hilly regions of Mcdonald
County. After several days had been
consumed in marching and examining
the roads and dim paths for horse
tracks in the section where the bandits
had been reported as having been seen,
| he finally heard of a half dozen or more
who made their headquarters in the al
most-inaccessible breaks of Elk River
He was satisfied from what he knew of
the rugged and precipitous bluffs along
that stream that their position was such
that it could not be approached without
giving them the alarm and time to scat
ter in the thick woods and along the
bluffs of the river.
Kelso therefore determined TO disguise
himself and visit their camp, ascertain
their plans and if possible execute some
desperate, bloody act before leaving
them. He designated a place where he
proposed TO reioin his command in few
days, and then, leaving them, took it
afoot and started for the camp Of the
bandits. 1t is perhaps needless to say
that be was not long in finding il, for
he had been accustomed since the early
days of the war to following dim paths
THROUGH DARK FORESTS,
and over the rough regions Of the Ozark
Mountains
Approaching the camp of the bandits,
he introduced himself as a knight of the
brush, and by bis afable manners appa-
rently soon had their confidence. There
were sig or seven men in the squad, and
he noticed after while whisperings
among them that satisfied him that they
mistrusted him. He pretended not to
notice the signs Of their mistrust, and
acted toward them as if he had the
greatest confidence in them as knights
of the Southern cause.
After staying with them day or SO
be felt that he had somewhat allayed
their suspicious as to his true character
so that, on the second morning, all the
men except two left camp on some busi
ness unknown to him, leaving him with
two Of their comrades. He noticed all
day that the two men with whom hc
was left staid close together, and never
took their hands off their guns for {
moment.
Being satisfied from their conduct
that they had him under surveillance
in the afternoon he pretended to have {
splinter in his finger, and making dis
play for their benefit of trying to get i
out, in few moments went directly Il
) the two men to assist him in getting j
out.
The confidential manner in which h
approached them for this purpose caused
them to slightly relax their vigilance s.
that each let the butt of his gun drop Il
the ground while holding it with on
, hand near the muzzle.