New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-23
THE STORY OF MAG.


,s a niace known as Lost Creek Water Fall.
The name Is not a specially romantic one. but II
has AT least the merit OF describing the place
which II designates Lost Creek is typical
mountain stream that comes roaring. Drawing
down the mountain until II reaches a certain
high cliff over which il plunges In graceful
ouivering column II throws UP shower Oh
silvery spray from the rocks below, but lns'eau
Of flowing down the surface of the mountain
II plunges into a dark. small-mouthed suo'ei
ranean cavern. and is in all verify iost u
human sight as the name implies OCCASION
ally a wayfarer will throw a rock inside anu
listen 10 the hollow thud! thud. as IT seems 70
bound from ledge TO ledge into the awful DARK
ness Of the earth's interior. Almost half m'ie
further down the mountain the stream energies
from It's underground course as abruptly
as II disappeared There are vague rumors that
soldiers hard pressed by their foes, traVersed
this awful passageway during the dark days or
the war; but these are only runners, and no one
now cares by actual test TO prove or dsprove
their possibility.
ONLY one person is really known to have
passed through this journey. and that one
brought no news as to its mysteries. The lips
were sealed forever and the eyes unwavering'
stared I'D at the sun above them. The memory
of the awful exit gives the subterranean pas
saseway a horror deeper than Its own; but the
embarrassing heroism of the entrance gives
the waterfall a grandeur greater than that OF
IT'S rocks purer than the snowy whiteness OF us
foam and more sOul-refreshing than the cool
ness of Its spray.
Tom Houston was Of the pleasantest. most
industrious young farmers on that slope or
Cumberland Mountain. and Mag Lassiter was
one of the widest most worthless Of the mour-
tain bellies The neighbors all said great DEAF
Of good about Tom and very little of bad. be-
vond the fact that he was rather easily IN
nuenced. The best that could be said about Mag
was that she pretty and full OF lie, ana
that she generally stuck to her friends through
thick and thin-as long she cared 10.
As 10 the evil said about her there was al
most no end Of II. The whisperings that con-
nected her name with certain moonshning
operations could hardly be included under this
head for public opinion on the mountains In
those days was far from unanimous In declar-
ing such things evil Far more serious were the
runoors that she had used the power of her
beauty to lure numerous young men on to de.
struction Many rather serious misdeeds were
supposed to have their origin with her influence
but nothing definite was ever known about
them When she first began TO make lrlehus
with Tom Houston every body said that no good
could come Of il. Several of the older men ana
women took II on themselves to warn Tom. bu,
he refused to be warned AS usual, the voice
Of youth and life and beauty had more influence
than the voice of old age and experience ana
ugliness.
The crash came sooner than any one expected
One night at a dance Tom called out the two
Dickens boys and. seemingly in cold blood shot
them dead The Dickens boys were members OF
+bo families
mountain and the excitement which followed
the killing was intense Everybody remembered
that Mag had formerly had a fierce quarrel with
the elder Of the brothers. ard that he was SAID
10 be the only young man on the mountain VINO
had successfully resisted her wiles Everybod
suspected that the murder was instigated 10y
Mag but nobody knew IT. Only Tom houston
could know il. and II was recognized by all that
Tom would never tell Besides, after the killing
Tom had fed and now somewhere IN hidns
There was reason to believe that he had not
gone far away, but 1t was hard TO find him.
The mountain was thoroughly aroused Inc
prominence Of the murdered men and the cold
bloodedness of the deed made every one feel an
interest in bringing the slayer to justice Pick
cts were scattered in a line that surrounded the
whole slope of the mountain where Tom was
supposed 10 be hiding: but still the task was no
easv one The mountain side at that place
so full of deep ravnes and holes in the rocks
that a dozen men might easily eude anything
but the mos, careful search. Still. 1t was only
question Of time
One evening several days after the killing
Mag walked into the Sheriff's Office at Jasper
Without even glancing at the group OF lounsers
hanging about usual, she looked dehantly al
the Sheriff and addressed him in harsh strident
tones very unlike those in which she generally
spoke.
"Ive come TO tell you 'uns that your men has
got Tom Houston penned in safe and sound
she said Thar amt no possible way out for
him ] guess you already knowed that. though
81 sorter guessed IT," replied the Sheriff, as he
chuckled and looked aro"nd in some uncer-
tainty.
"Ef YOU think you'll have an easy job to take
him you're mistaken, though continued Mag.
That mounting is full Of little oil sues an
holes as an old kitchen is Of rat holes.
and / don't reckon any man In Tennessee
knows EN- any better than Tom does. 1t may
be month before you ketch him. Besides,
Toms got shootin' irons, an he knows how to
use ern. too. There'l be the devil to pay before
you take him-unless YOU get help
Help" repeated the Sheriff rather vaguely.
Amt got half the men on the mounting 20
help me now? What kind of help do you mean?'
Gimme fifty dollars. an I'll take you right
where he is tomorrow morning. an I'll gyar-
artee he don't fire nary shot neither"
The Sheriff uttered low. long drawn whistle
Of surprise, and the loungers about the office
changed remarks In undertone. They had
always known that gal was good but darned
II they'd ever have believed she low down
enough 10 get a fellow into trouble and then
sell his life 20 the officers for fifty dollars
darned If they would.
There's some conditions about It," continued
Mag haughtily, and without needing these com
ments Them fifty dollars must be in my hand
li,dor