The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-10-22

sleep and darted toward the ro hing
flames, only to he consumed. OtNrs,
thoroughly alarmed, twittered nd kily
in the trees. The fire increased in uiry
and was famed by its own ARTIFICIAL
breeze. 1 watched it with 4 fedaing
almost akin to remorse. The flames
devoured the property of a man who
was true to his convictions. While he
was criminal in the eyes of Ndlaw,
he certainly was rot such at heart He
planted his corn and plowed hisj field,
as any honest man would. When the
time of harvest drew nigh he gathered
in his crop. He was far from market
and he made it into whisky. Il saw
no crime in that, and suffered ndscon-
science sting for what he did / pjtied
him. His eyes were upon the GRAND
[ did not know what his thoughts. We're
His expression was one of utter hope
lessness. He was a prisoner and in a
few hours the bars of the Atlanta Jail
would deprive him of his home and
liberty.
Standing in the door of her mountain
home, a woman steadfastly scanned the
ravine. Her eyes sparkled with nerri-
ment and she laughingly toyed Nthe
was held tightly to her bosom. The
night wind famed her brow and her
wavy brown hair played hide and seek
with the breeze. She kissed the fair
charge that lay laughingly- on > boz
som and turned to close the door for the
night. Upon the floor she saw a ray of
yellow light that streaked through the
open shutters. The little child laughed
at the queer antics of the stream of
light as it hung suspended like golden
thread.
The mothers trained eye watched the
reflection that threw a faint light in the
cabin. With throbbing heart she
stepped to the window. Her suspicious
were correcI-the light came from the
ravine below. What could it mean ?
And then like flash the truth dawned
upon her. The still was being de-
stroyed and she distinctly heard now
the stroke of the ak as the vat was cut
to pieces.
Like tigress at bay she leaped to the
door and through the dark of the night;
the bright yellow glare assembled from
the depths below. With one bound she
reached for the rife. and resting upon
the casing of the door, she pulled the
trigger. deafening report rang out
across the mountains and reverbera.ed
through the hollows. She paused. Tar
away came back the answer to her sig.
nal, and another, and still another, until
the hillsides multiplied the echoes, when
it sounded as if legion of guns were
firing. The signal of death was sound
cd until the twinkling of stars seemed to
Join in the general fusillade. The noun
taineers were awake. But we were rap
idly nearing the station. We had heard
the first shot and at once made a hasty
fight with our prisoners, knowing full
well what the alarm would result in. 1t
meant death, and leaving the still in the
power of the flame, we made a rapid
journey to The station. Far to our re ar
we heard the signal answered and then
the general alarm sounded out upon the
still night. We hurried on and reached
the station just as the midnight .Erain
came by. With the three prisoners we
hurried on board.
AS | left the train I extended the
moonshiners my hand and wished them
a speedy trial and short sentence.
They family smiled, but said nothing.
l. 7
of the still looked wistfully out of the
car window. His eyes were wet with
tears and his throbbing heart-it was
in the mountain cabin of Cherokee
county.-AtIanta Constitution.