The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-07-11
AMONG THE MOONsMINERs.
Held Up ana Compelled TO shave n
Dead Mnn.

AMONG THE MOONsHINERs.
Held Up ana Compelled to shave n
Dead Man.
| NO" said tho travelling man in answer
10 a question, Il am not exactly afraid
Of road agents, but suppose 1t would not
be pleasant to be molested by them. !
know 1t is rather startling to ind yourself
looking down the mtzzle OF a pistol, Just
rs II you were tho hero OF u dime novel;
| Yea. but 1t is quite different sort OF
| experience from that OF the average hold
| UP now 30 common IL was in Tennessee II
| happened. on one OF those back country
roads which was travelling ON my way 10
| u town where had fne list OF customers.
| The night was closing In, and ] WAS Won
| dering how long 1t would take me TO reach
u place where I could spend the night |
knew that was among the moonshinefa.
| for the Jug on a stump with the coin under
| II was In evidence along the road. had
no thought OF being molcsted In that coun-
| try. where the only warfare is against the
| revenue officers. and no one would have
suspected me of completely with the gov
| eminent.
| "A slight noise startled my horse. and I
| leaned out of the buggy to look into the
| chamber OF a revolver At the same time
saw two figures. one on each Side Of me,
| and checking my horse I tried to assume
| a bravado | was far from feeling us /
| asked:
"'Wcl, gentlemen. what is your will
| with me?'
| you can imagine my surprise when =
| boyish voice asked:
| " Kin you shave yourselt?'
In answered that ] always shaved my
| self. Without lowering his revolver he
looked across me TO his pal on tho other
side.
"'He-uns win do. Jim. Hop In an I'll
| lead the horse
Having made up my mind not to be
| dragged OF in any such gnominious man
ner, | said;
IN YOU are going to shoot me. sup
pose ] must give up my lie. as | am I'M
| armed lf IL is money YOU want Il
" Tell him, Jim said the one who was
leading my horse.
" Yer won't be killed. nor robbed. nor
nothin', If yer don't try ter give us the
slip. Shot your mouth now, mister. and
! you'll know more right Soop,
I'VE must have gone mile before we
came to turn In the road that brought US
out in front of cabin. much larger than
amy had seen that day In my travel a
woman stood in the door. crying.
50 How yer found somebody. boys" she
asked anNiously.
| " Yep norm, an he'll do the lob up
slick 'thout askin' much pay.
Il wondered IL | WAS to he compelled 10
murder some one. The boys we're beard
less mountain loafcrsl had net their typo
often. but never knew them 10 be dca-
| poradocs.
~ was shown into tho cabin by the wo-
man one o, tho boys following with the
| revolver. while the other waited IN fns;on
the horse TO a scrub oak. ! saw figure
stretched on settee. and the Idea flashed
| into my mind that l was mistaken Tor II
! doctor
az am rot medical man began 10
explain when the woman cut me short.
"You uns 'ud been tew late Of YOU uns
wac doctor. He passed onten afore day
light, an It's mother kind OF Job We wanter
hev done Yer zee, we ups Is go'h Jew
| hev the biggest fun'rel evan was in thtSc
yeah pahts, an we wnnter hey the ole
man shaved fob the fust time. an there
amt mnn nowhere aronn' as fbnVeA ms
self or cnnybody else
Tho revulsion Of feeling which came
over mo was not altogether pltnsnrcable,
for | did not fancy playing barber to
dead man but whom ! looked at the cadnv-
ornua countennncc and tangled gray beard
of the deceused felt a sort OF professional
| pride In making him look more Ike NOR
| tal human being and less like woli' 1
| had always been an abs,takner from strong
drink. but ! filed up on crude spirits that
would have Killed mo on an ordinary oc-
| cnelon and tackled my silent customer
with a fevreh and hystericnl alacrity This
was in part due to the close proximity OF
| the Two boys and their revolyers. But
ms soon as ! had the old mouDtainocr
shaved tho revolvcrs were laid aside and
! I WAS treated with the utmost hospitality.
The work Itself had not been half as grow
some ms | had imagined. and had to fight
| a ludicr0us temptation TO pour barber talk
| into tho deaf ears. iIe wns such an I'M
provemrnt ever himself when alve-ns ]
| Judged by the family lingo-that | wanted
! 10 ask him TO look In mirror. l declined
| tho fee rendered me by tho hoy jim, and
supplied with jug of moonsbino whisky.
was set in tho right road and permitted
to leave.
| 81 found II true that In all that COM
munity not n man had ever been shaved and
| n was only In Differences to a within OF the
old mouniainenr. cxprcfsed on his death
bed that he WIS made such curious ex-
| oeptiun. | did not mention my part In
| the transaction until | was fnr beyond that
county line for was not sure that n pre-
| oedent being set. they might not again de-
mand my serylcee. and another salesman
| bnc Tint roufe'