The National tribune., 1897-11-11


die The day have set"
- defy you to do your worst God vii
save me from you.
Son Of Satan, High Priest of Moloch
slave of Beelzebub!" said the Elder, in tone
as deliberate and emphatic as that of the
| Colonel but burning with intensity; = vile
creature of that power whose breath is bias
! phemy and whose mandates are murders, YOU
! may Stay me, but You do it more at your peril
than my own. My poor life is but little
offering for a holy cause, but it will be enough
I to curse you and yours IN this world and
damn you through all eternity.
Z" 1ou are laying up wrath against the day
of.wrath. God gives me light to see the
| quick on-coming of the time when the whole
| foul brood OF rebels and Secessionists will he
weeping and wailing and crashing their
teeth and praying for these eternal rocks OF
! the FOUNTAINS hereabouts to fall on them and
! hide them from the vengeance of God. "
take him away to guardhouse COM
manded the Colonel, and the Elder was led
away between his two guards.
| The meeting at Blue Racer Cove the next
evening was Characteristic of the many held
/ by the prosecuted and hunted Unionists OF
East Tennessee during the reign OF terror in
auguIated in the Summer of 1861, which
continued until Gen. Burnside led his army
of deiiyerance across the mountains in the
early Fail Of 1863.
Before the sun had fairly started to sink
behind the tall mountains, the men and boys
began to arrive from all directions Some
rode boldly down the main roads to within a
mile or more of the cove and then cut across
to it through the woods, but the greater part
came by winding paths and dim trails known
only to themselves All that came were boys
under 18 or married men of 80 and upwards.
The younger and unmarried had all been
either forced into the rebel army or had es-
capped across the mountains to the Union
lines.
The habitual sadness of the mountaineers'
faces had taken a much deeper tone. In
many of the eyes was the rising fever Of
desperation. They had been goaded to the
limit where they were ready to throw away
their lives if in doing so they could infiict
some injury upon their prosecutors.
The place where they met was n rocky
glen, at the upper end of which dubbed a
cool spring OF limpid water The rugged
J rocks rose high all around and screened from
outside sight blazing fire OF pitch pine logs
which h d been rolled down by the Inrule
and Westcott boys. The flarng, leapino
yellow flames iliumned with a weird, un-
earthly light the forms and faces of the
gauut, bearded men who stood around, lean
ing on their rifles, or who sat on the rocks
with their guns across their legs But little
was said after the first neighborly greetings
Scant Of speech ut all times rs earnest men
usually are, they felt little disposed to words
that were not full of the meaning that
swelled i'll their hearts They wanted only
enough words TO indicate the course of action
The central figure was Robert Inrule, who
with his heavy rifle across his lap, sat on Il
moss covered rock and gaZed steadily into
the fire.
On the smooth, perpendicular surface of a
rock on which the fullest rays of light fell
Bildad and Reuben had spread an American
Flag, which the skilled fingers of Miriam had
constructed as best she could out Of linen
which she had spun, woven and dyed. 1t was
a rude effort, but it represented more resolute
loyalty than thousand more skillfu!ly-
wrought banners For long while no one
spoke, but all eyes were fixed on Robert In
rule. Presently he seemed to notice this.
and rising to his feet he let his gun slip
through his left hand until its breech rested
on the ground, and he grasped it near the
muzzle
- Friends and neighbOrs," he began in his
soft drawI, you seem T. be waitin' fur me T.
say something. Thars no need O. sayih
much. The time fur words is past. We
only want enough now t. agree upon what we
shall do Esau Warner brings us news that
the Elders t be hung next Friday. Will we
allow hit?'
No, indeed" came from every mouth
So say. I'd heap rather die than see
him hung. III die foutin' t. prevent hit"
So will we ns all, said they.
. had expected ez much, said Robert IN
rule. quietly. " Bnt whether you ns jined
with me or not me an my boys wuz deter
mined T. do whatever lay in our power T.
prevent the han.in' IF we could do no
more we could die ioutin' his enemies, an eff
We had t 20 t heaven with the Elder we'd
at least send Ell many t the other place T.
keep the balance even"
. want { call Brother Inrule to order. y
said Abner Westc0tt He's no right T.
lay the shadde. Of an impatation on the rest
o we'uns, by assumin' that we'uns could
possibly let him an his'un font fur the Elder
alone. '1aint kind u we'uns. and there's
nothin' L testify hit"
. beg Brother Westcott's pardng, an
the parding of all youuns said Inrule
hastily. " Sich a thing WIZ furtherest from
my thoughts. Ne'uns we all stood together
in the past, an know no man under the
shining sun that's quicker { start an more
determined Z stay fur what is right than
Brother Westcott I've done seed him tried
! often, an he never wuZ found wantin' But
| | could only resolve fur me an my sons.
We'uns air ready fur anything except any
| more knucklin' down t. the rebels Sich q
| life Ell we'uns we bin made t. lead fur the
last few months can't be ended some way too
soon. 60 many or go few with we'uns. we
'uns air gwne down T. Camp Isham Harris
Wednesday night attack the rebels thar, an
| try T. git the Elder out. Eff we'uns succeed
in runnin' the guards back, an rescuin the
Elder, we'uns we done Gods own work. Ef
we'uns fail an air killed, ez we'uns shall be
| ef we'uns don't succeed, why, we'uns We
died ez men should die, tryin t. do right -
Everyone o. we'uns III go with yo, y said
the rest very quietly, but with an salnestness
that left no doubt Of them.