The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-10-30

,
an marked old Ben Grinnell, no.
iorioussy the most trouble
some and elusive moonsh!aer
- in all the Cohuttah region
and I've made up my mind to
lead different life l had one tsrrih,e
speerunce that was 'nough 10 last a man
a lifetime.
You know me an joe Nixon Was pard-
ners IN moonShiTins and We succeeded n
dodg.n' the revynues bout as often as any
TWO men in all these diggins, / reckin.
I've been mixed up with moonshiae for
more'n twenty year. and L never got
kstched up with rale bad but that one
time You see. me and iced located US a
hitle gun bar'l still on top OF Fort Noun
tam. hidden sorter under the edge OF the
Cliff sos one standin' On the level above
could watch the Whole valley and no one
couldn't come nigh the mountr 'shous our
seein him, or leastwise. 'thout the man on
gyard seem him.
One mornin We went up on the noun
tn fore daylight 10 make run. Joe had
been UP TO a frolic purity nigh all night.
but ne seemed so wide-awake that / lowed
him 10 stand gyard while / went TO work
al the still. l soon had yerythag in fine
shape, ana by dinner time she was runnin'
little spring nigh the still and eat our
Iun~n. ai.o la nay PIPE and went back 10
the sti-i, .eavin' Joe al his post. bout
quarter OF mile from The still, in a place
where be could see ana not BE seen Tor
miles around.
The sun was bout two hours high.
reckia, when l heard rife rack and IN
meut.y aterard / hedrn Joe yell, Look
out, Ben. they're onto US. and ne went
teArin' across the level towards a patch OF
WOODS and disappeared afore | knowed
what had happened. rarnt alter ards
that Joe had gone TO sleep and was only
reused up ;ime nough TO see The debbi-
ties all round him. and, jumping 70 his
the bushes, hotly followed by the debhi-
lies. When he yelled to me that put EN-
on their gyard and they spread out and
segan to s'areh fer me. for they knowed
that wherever l was. there was IA still.
They were so cioste onto me that / jest
had time to jump over a log and roll a
little way down to'ards the edge OF the
cliff. where chestnut tree sprung out OF
the bank and growea straight out over the
edge Of the cliff. II was covered with
leaves and l crept gut on the tree and
leaves hid me- There was a lot of trash
and litter scattered around about the root
Of the tree. so that didn't leave no sign
OF where Ia gone 10. The debbt.es come
thirty minutes they'd broke up the whole
thing and had emptied out the beer and
kicked the fire in every direction.
There was a thunder shower coming
up and that made EN- hurry up some
what as the wind vas already beginnin to
bow purity. uncomfo:tahly agin that tree
on which 1 Sot. schrooch6d up expectin
every mint to be discovered. and I wasn't
sorry when they gethered up their guns
and struck out for the valley.
The trash and stun ketched afre but
| was 80 intent watchn' the do.ns OF
them revynue fellers and cussin' EN- below
my breath for wastin' SO much good stuff
what il had cost me 50 much trouble to
git in shape. that [ never paid no 'tention
10 the fire til alter. they had eft. The
wind had riz 10 a gale by that time. and
big black cloud was movin across the val
ley and the thunder and lightnn' was
rag n and as soon as ! thought the aebbi-
ties had got fur enough away. ! ventured
To slip slowly along the body Of the tree
towards the edge Of the cliff. The wind