The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-05-18
e SAREY."
BY CHARLES SLOAN REID.

~ &C ~ q hhb ~ 800
over the mountains OF upper South
Carolina. The sky was heavy with
black clouds, and the low mutterings
Of thunder which seemed to Issue from
the ~ravines and gorges, and the zigzag
flashes Of lightning which darted away
from tho hill tops, all foretold tho COM
ing storm.
Down over the rocks and among the
shrubs u young mountaineer was max
ing his way. He seemed to know his
ground, and moved onward with un-
hesitating step until he reached a
loint overlooking q deep, wild gorge,
where far down through the darkness,
snone the faint glow Of a light. The
young woOdsman stopped q moment,
then muttercd:
Hes thar already. Pears to me
that tire makes too much light, though.
Wonder what Bob's Il gwine to say
when | tell him This is about the
safest pocket in the hull ridge, and now
l guess we'll have to move"
He turned away and passed around
to the side Of the gorge, where he
made his way down by u steep, cir
cuitous path to the bed of the ravine
below. When he came within the
glow of the light, he entered the door
way Of u small log house built up from
tho ground. In one end of the place
was Il rock furnace, and on 1T was a
large copper kettle with a cap and
stem. A fire was burning under the
kettle, and near the furnace, seated
upon u rough bench, was q young man
with light reddish hair, sandy mus
tache, and blue eyes. His trousers
were stuffed down into his boot legs,
and by his side on the bench lay u large,
wide brimmed white hat, the brim
turned up in front and pinned to the
crown with u large thorn. In Ii belt
about his waist were two shining re-
v0lvers. The young man who entered
the place was dressed and accOutered
very much like the young man On the
bench, and in his face was u blood re-
semblapco, for they were cousins-Bob
and ALI Rankin.
ALT entered though the doorway Of
the cabin and crossed the earthen Door
to the furnace, where he stirred and
replenished the fire. The place was a
blockade distillery owned by the two
cousins and operated by them, with
the assistance Of Tom Drake, who
worked On Il profit sharing basis.
Along one side of the shanty was a
high platform on which rested two
large watts. These we're the mash tubs,
and entering through the end Of the
house vas u little trough which sup
piled the cool water barrel, in which
the "worm" was coiled, with the
waters Of a bright little stream near
by.
When ALI had "chunked" the fire,
he sat down by the other man on tue
bench. After Il little pause, Bob
asked:
"Where is Tom ~
"What dye reckon ?" answered ALI.
About Tom? Dunno"
Well you m%oughtn't think it. Bob;
but he's jined the r~evenuers."
"You don't mean to tell :"
Yes, but | do, though. He went
down to Walhalla today to take the
oath and he's promised to gin us all
away"
After a long pause, during which
Bob sat with his chin in his hands, he
spoke.
"Alf, l never 'spected it, I never
did,"
"No more did /; but hits a fact for
Sarey told me no more'n a hour ago.
"Sarey told you herself ~
=" Yes, Cand she's powerful cut up
about it,"
We've worked together right here,
Tom and me, for nigh on to seven
year, and never had airy shootin' or
-cuttin scrape atween uS-not airy one.
ALI, don't hardly believe it,"
Bob shsdk, bis head slowly and
dropped his chin into his hands again.
Well" said All. 81 guess you'll
have to rrter while. | seed S rey
~jeoJubout a hour ago, and she told me
all about it; and, Bob, she actually
shed tears, she was so cut up, she
was.n
What did she say, Alf?"
"She said as how Tom had jined the
revenuers, and turned agin us and as
how we'd all better keep u sharp look
out, b'case Tom knows every smoke on
the ridge"
Poor Sarey," said Bob, half to him
self. she sot SIGH a powerful sight
by Tom, and she was a gwire to marry
him this fall. And 1 loved her enough
more'n Tom did; but | seed she loved
him, so | didn't try to come atween
'or.-dldn'tc ever try to. And now he's
gone and disgraced hissclf, and maybe
broke Sarey's heart. Alf, we'll meet,
him and me, and faint u gwine to be
long off. And when we do, ALI well,
it's him or me, him or me. that's all -
and the young b%lockader tapped one of
the revolvers in his belt significantly.
II loved Sarey and Tom well, I'd
hate to DO it, ALI but it's him or me {;
thar amt no other way, as [ can see"
Bob arose and "chunked" the fire
under the kettle, then walked around
to the side of the furnace, where q
little white stream Of spirits was pour
ing from the end Of the p%rotruding
worm" into a long keg.
"How is it p asked All.
Good enough that mash wilt turn
out all right" said Bob, returning and
seating himself on the bench, where
he again dropped his chin into his
hands, and lapscd into silence.
The rain began to pour down with a
sudden fury, the low board roof giving
back a melancholy sound to the patten
OF the big drops. The thunder and
lightning'had ceased, and the blacklist
darkness reigned without. But the
weird shadows which danced around
the walls in the freight were old
acquaintance OF the two men inside,
who took no notice of their grotesque
pantomime.
Finally the rain ceased, but the utter
blackness still reigned without, for the
clouds hung low down over the cliffs
and the tree tops. For more thar half
an hour neither Of the men had spoken.
ALI had mado u discovery, and had
boon thinking about it. OBJ was in
love with Sarey Mauldin, ALI loved
her himself. 1t seemed all three
of the partners loved tho ..me girl.
But ALT and Bob had seen that Sarey
preferred Tom Drake, and both had
secretly resolved not to come between
them, each one ignorant of the fact