The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-02-14
A MOUNTAIN BRlGAND.
By ALFRED R. CALHOUN.
copyright, 1894. by the Author.l
(COntiuued.)

The next morning the pickets were
relieved but Collins did not wish to
seem eager for duty. He saw that the
old man was watching him, and he was
determined TO win his confidence. From
the very first Molly MCGEE showed her
preference for Collins, but this, instead
of nattoring his vanity, filled him with
alarm, for Owen, who had subdued
leaning that way himself, told him that
two Of the best men in the crowd shot
each other oil TO pieces awhile ago all
on account of that gal, Molly McGee. "
For four days after joining this law
less crowd nothing unusual happened.
Collins. with the others in camp. spent
much of his time target shooting with
rifle and revolver, and his skill with
those weapons tended to give him stand
| inu with the captain and the men. Even
the women carried pistols, and Molly
McGee was as quick and accurate with
the revolver as any man in camp.
II have seen her." said Collins,
"throw the lid of tin box overhead,
then pull the pistol from her hip and
fire when it balanced ON the turn to
come down, and three times out of five
she would shoot a hole through it. "
On the fifth morning following his
arrival the old man-he was under 90,
but was called "Old Kit" to distinguish
him from his son-sent for Collins and
spoke after this fashion:
Il reckon, Jim, ~ how yer bout rest
! I A1.. IL, fapla
all fresh and right Kit'll take you with
q lot of the boys ez is gwine down Pike
Vile way on a little hunt. We uns hez
Just heard that thar's right smart of
scatterin wagons down long the North
Sequatch. and hit mout be that you uns
could pick up suthin handy eff you kept
your eyes peeled and didn't get into no
dainjah Now, my son, wat do you uns
think of goin along?"
SIS it afoot Or critter backY' asked
Collins
"Oh, afoot, to be shuah. If so be you
uns should stand III need of critters,
look around, and you may find right
smart Of 'em to be got fo' untyin. Then,
agin, hits heap sight easier to 60 on
foot when one doesn't rightly know
what lies ahead. At SIGH times a crittel
may be in the way, but comm bach
home, when the roads straight and
cleah is an entirely different thing"
"I'm willin to go with Kit, no mat
tab whar he goes or what he does, re
piled Collins
On hearing this brave speech Molly
McGee, who was standing near, threw
her arms about Collins neck, and afte
giving him IA resounding kiss assured
him that he was 1.-THE man TO he
money"
AS the men were always in state o
preparation, it did not take long to ge
ready. They filed their haversacks witt
bread and meat and replenished thei
cartridge boxes from the ample store
on hand then started off Nor wer
there any tears or fond adieus from tn
women and children who watched then
out of the valley.
As might be expected, these men wer
unsurpassed pedestrians. In a day
march in the hills the best horse woul
be left far i'll the rear. They could kee
Grelessly Oh for As hours at a stretch
and they did so on this occasion. Whe
they reached the borders of Bledsc
county, they learned from some moul
taineers that two "critter comp'nics
of the Seventh Pennsylvania cavalr,
under Captain Brown and his son, WEI
then in the Sequatchie valley and pusl
ing on to Pikeville, and James Collil
IL. Al . e -,
conflict with his own comrades.