The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-06-07
PART 1.

during the CIVIL war, the mountains
of northern Georgia were the refuge
of men who, to avoid conscription, hid
in caves, CANYONS and dense thickets.
Here also were the hiding-places of
lawless bands of "bushwhackers," who
went about robbing the weak and the
helpless and often committing muir
ders.
Through having lost an eye in boy
hood, and having a slight lameness in
one leg. old Coot Yarborugh had man
aged to secure immunity from mill
tary duty, and, with his wife, lived in a
cabin at the foot of the Cohuttas, near
the main road leading over the noun
tain.
They are a-f1ghtin' like rips over
at Dalton" he said late one summer
afternoon as he stood in the cabin door
and looked eastward. His wife left
the potatoes she was roasting in the
hot ashes at the fireplace, came to his
side, listened to the far-away artillery
and sighed deeply.
IT'S awful" she said. Jest think o
the pore men that's being piled up an
drug off the field dead an dyin', an
half o. 'em starvin' fur some'n' t eat.
The Lord only knows what they are
a-fightin' fur anyway"
Let 'em go it," Marlborough said,
unsympathetically; the balls hain't "a
goin' to reach us over heer."
THE war has hunt my life," she
said, with another sigh. II mought
a-putt up with yore disposition in ordi-
nary times. but thar is too much
temptation amongst all this outlawin'
fur a weak, waverin' man like you.
hoped you was goin to do better when
hNNN Inak nh
heart when / discovered you was adm
Seth Moore's gang o. he devils"
you don't know what yo're a-talkin'
about" he replied, surlily; mind yore
own business"
you can't deny it," the old woman
went on, with the calmness of resigna-
tion in her tone. "T'other night Bill
Long came by akin fur information O
his family, an said he had got this fur
without detection. You talked to i'm
like friend and got i'm to set down to
rest while you went an told Seth
Moore. Do you reckon / was much
surprised when / heerd they'd caught
i'm mile furder on and robbed i'm
O. the last cent he had in the world?"
You don't know what you are "a
talkin' about" he repeated, but he
kept his eyes upon the ground and
NOV ed uneasily.
Before Mandy married and moved
away from us, you was n different sort
" man, kase she always did have
some Influence over you fur good. Yorc
evil ways begun with yore gittin' mad
at her fur marryin the only man. she
ever did lay any store by, and, you
have gone down hill ever since. Mandy
was the only child 7 ever hal, but
you separated me from her, and my
life is jest ruined-thats all. ShA'3 got
grown children by now, an they'd "a
been a comfort to us, eff you'd Jest a
been more forgi9m'."
He was prevented from replying by
the sound of horses hooss down the
road.
Git in the house." sai1 the old wu-
nen, calmly; "thar's ~ tellin' but il
cray be somebody lookin for you"
Pale and excited he diJAppeerei int
the cabin. M:s. Marlborough stood il
the doorway, prepared for any emer.
gency. Out in the dusk down the
road came a. bay horse, ridden by &
pale, slender boy of sixteen or seven
teen yearv of age, wearing a soiled
and worn confederate uniform. His
left arm was bandaged, and he looked
very tired and weak.
I'm a wounded soldier" he said
drawing rein at the cabin. I've got
furlough, an am a-tryin' to gil
through to Pickins county to my folks
/ don't know which side you are on
an you may not want me to stop
but I've lost good deal o. blood, an
can't go any further tonight"
I'VE never turn anybody away, e,
We kin help it," the old woman said
sympathetically; git down, an II
put yore hoss in the stable"
"I'n tend to 'im," said Coot Yarbor
ough, who had been listening at {
crack in the wall of the cabin, and nov
came out fearlessly. The boy followed
him, as he led the horse to the stabl,
behind the cabin, and with his unin
jured hand opened his saddle-bags an,
emptied some shelled corn into the an
imaPs trough
you got mighty fine hoss," re
marked Marlborough, as they were en-
tering the cabin. II hain't seed a
good one in many q day"
AS she placed chair for the guest
Mrs. Marlborough cast a searching
glance at her husband.
He don't belong to me-" said iii
boy. "A feller over thar at Dalton len
i'm to me to git home on. He was
preacher an was a-feerd the soldier
would take i'm anyway. / was offere
two thousand dollars fur him in Con
federate money this mornin'."
Yarporough had caught his wife
eye, and made no reply He sat dow
in the chimney corner. kicked the pin
embers under the logs, and continue
to think of the good points of tn
horse and what might be done with
at q, time when rich men were Offer
ing large amounts for any means :
travel
II know you must be hungry" re