The National tribune., 1897-11-25
laRS XAhere 7hG
VI,s;:alllllrIel blooms
70 ......hrd Men and Women
Live Near Natures Heart.
=. And Men and Women
Live Near Natures H
Bv JOHN McELROy

be that. like the seed of Iereboam. the dogs
shall cat him in the city, or the fowls of the
air in the field he may rot with lcprosy
rs King Uzziah did, or he may he snitten
i with blindness. as were those who prosecuted
/ Elijah"
While they talked they had gathered under
! the thick branches OF a clump OF hornbcams,
which gave them protection from tie ram.
The day will soon break, Elder, " SAID
/ Rohc:t Inrule looking steadily toward the
, eastern mountain-tops; what shall we do
neXt?"
have some thoughts replied the Elder,
bat my mind is not vet clear rs to what the
! Lord desires of as. My first impulse Is 10
/ take advantage of the fright and confusion IN
/ the camp, and lead you iorWari to attack 1t,
and capture Col. Rlea and his minions. But
I fear that your powder is too damp to be re-
/ lied on.
"They'unss is lest ez wet 81 orr'n said
/ Robert InTule, tentatively. He was one of
/ those quiet men whom it is sometimes diff
cult to start. bat once started it is much more
difficult to stop.
NO. " answered the Elder, meditatively;
they have percussion locks while most of
ours are tint-loc5s."
- But they'un is wrong an weuns is
right" urged Inrule The Lord is clearly
on our side this night. He wants theyuns
punished; He's brought us clean down here
this night for s0methin' more than t meet
yo', Elder, much Ell that wuz. He didn't
meea we'uns t. help yo'-Ifcd give 70 all
! the help yo' nee cd but He brought yo' t.
wc'uus an we unS t yo' for sum object. an
! bclicYe that object wuz { take His vengeance
! on these scalawaTs."
-; :,
said the Elder g need further light
/ Meanwhile, Won get the men IN shape, and
find ont as much rs Won can about the con-
dition of their guns and powder. 1t may he
that the Lord presents rs with great OPP
! portunity, which we shall sin if we waste"
/ Don't worry bout eur guns. father, :"
said Reuben Me an Bi!,lad's KEEP onr
locks an orr powder-hom keerfuIly kiyyered
with coonskin. an not mite O. waters got
nigh 'em. They'll 60 off every time
Presently the Elder came back
- feel that the Lord has made ii clear TO
ne that we ought to attack said he. 1T
Is a daring thing but many CT our people are
in confinement in the camp and if we sue
ceed we can free them"
Ills words we greeted with a murmnr Of
satisfaction
/ He hastily delivered to each squad the in
struction5 for particular part of the work.
/ A portion gathered around Robert Inrule and
( sons lie would lead in person directly upon
! Col. Rheas quarters, and make every effort
to secure him. He strictly enjoined that he
4 should not be killed, if it could be avoided,
! for it would be better to carry him off to the
mountains as a hostage for loyal men who
( were under sentence of death at various
! places.
Another squad was especially directed to
/ force its way directly 10 double loghouse,
! filled with loyal prisoners. and release them
! The other squads he sent TO the right and
! left, TO join In the simultaneous rush on the
! camp. at the sound of Robert Inrule's gun
! in the center Of the line.
! The storm had died down to fitful showers,
and the day was just breaking, when the
! Elder came around a cump of sumach
/ bowed down with its watery weight and
directly upon the picket-post Only one man
/ was awake, and he, with his back toward the
! road, WAS stopping over the drowned-out fire.
/ trying 10 find some life in the Goals His
COMPANIONS. wearied out with their struggle
with the storm. were lying asleep under a
/ rude shelter Of rails covered with corn-fodder
! la the dim gray light a few figures could be
seen moving about the camp. trying TO start
: fires. or lind some shelter IN place OF that
/ which the wind had swept away.
The picket heard the splash Of footsteps
raised up and turned around. only TO receive
/ the barrel OF Biidad's rifle upon his head
/ Reuben sprang for the guns of the other
/ p;ckets, and began swapping them at the
! figures he saw IN camp. Two were discharged,
| bat the others merely snapped.
At the sound of the guns the mount
aineers TO the right and left. who had rapidly
/ pushed forward, raised a yell, began firing
and rushed for the camp. The rebels vino
were awake ran before them. Those who
were awakened we're knocked down by gun
/ barrels as they emerged from their shelters
1 Those who escaped ran with all haste In a
! les minutes tie log prison was reached, the
| guards knocked or shot down or run off, and
! the prisoners released. These latter at once
picked up Tic abandoned guns and Joined
their friends in the assault upon whomsoever
/ in the camp matte any show of resistance
| Then word was pa ssed 20 set fire TO every
thing that would burn. and soon such Of the
cabins as the storm had spared were in
blaze.
While this was going on. the Elder, fol-
lowed closely by Robert Iurnle his two sons
and 10 or ID others, pushed directly for Col
Rhea's Headquarters. They fired to the right
and left as they saw squads of rebels, but did
not pursue these as they broke.
The tired-out Colonel had thrown himself
on the bed without removing his clothes, and
was sleeping so heavily that the uproar failed
| 10 awaken him.
Blu: few Of the Captains and Lieutenants
] happened to be IN camp. These had too much
! Of personal nature 10 attend to, 10 think of
waking the Colonel. Sam Griggs particularly,
| had had too much TO shake his nerves during
that eventfnl night 10 have much care for any,
thing but his personal safety. He was rally
ing his company far beyond the camp. This
WIS lot Il little 10 the regret of many of the
| mountaineeIs, who made active search for
him
The Elder icaped at Col Rhea and dragged
him from the cot
Tie his hands y he commanded
Robert Inrule whipped "a . whangn out of
his pocket, and instantly had the Colonel's
| hands secured.
What does this mean ?" calculated the
Colonel. as his eyes opened. "a mutiny. you
| scoundrels?"
1T means, son of perdition" said the
Elder sternly, that your day Of evil-doing
is ended and that of judgment is at hand.
| But ! will discuss this with you later, when
keS z. ~ e
8O HATS 1