The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-16

the latter ana the guards disappeared
I'm the night. leaving us to proceed on
our We finally came 10 a place
where the underground was 80 thick
that IL looked fmpenetrable. The young
fellow found an opening,
couldn't find II myself IL ! was led up to
IL In broad dayiight-and we went along
a narrow path that led down the noun
tain about a sixteenth of a mile. We
came upon the still 30 suddenly that I
started back in amazement. A little
turn in the path brought up into an
opening In the brush and there around
the smouldering embers OF a nre were
fully a dozen men. most OF them I'M
der 90.
IT have heard tales of moonshiners. in
which they were described as being 1T
tie more han savages, and had expect
ed to see a gang of bearded desperadoes.
! must have shown my amazement on
my face. for one OF the men laughed
and said:
"'Came on us rather sudden. chr
Hes a friend OF mine and all right.
boys said my friend. the storekeeper.
lis he now?' said a man. who had
not spoken before. We'll. then. zed.
course he won't object TO stirring up
the fire a Bit N the man came over.
and. handing me a long stick, pointed
at the fire.
IT took the stick and CAV the embers
n good stirring up. As the light hared
up there was a roar of laughter from
all sides. and the merriest OF all was
Zed. the storekeeper. He just screamed.
and when i turned around. a look or
Amusement on my face. there was a
fresh outburst Of laughter, which so
ratified me that / threw the stick In the
fire. and stood there wondering what
was going to happen next Finally one
of the men stopped laughing and look
ing at me aid Now tell. young TEL
ler.'
IT looked Il him in surprise. where
ing over to my side slapped me on the
back and said: He means just what
he says. Tell! Tell what you've seen
or how you got here. You're one Of
US now
"'How the deuce-what do you
mean / stammered, very much con-
fused
"'well. you poked up the fire, didn't
your
Yes
"'well. the fire amt there for light,
nor to keep the boys warm. You didn't
notice the pipe over the fire?
"'Of course / did,
"'Well. when you stir up h a fire
you keep 1t agoin'. and as long as 1t
goes IL = HldhlE NnlSkty vi OtnCi Slut
of hat hill. You're a regular moon
sinner now. you are. You're In the
business
Seeing my embarrassment contin-
ued he patted me on the shoulder and
said: It's only a way the boys have
of lookin' out for themselves. Course,
IL you was a revenu officer II wouldn't
do no good. but we know you amt.
Still. the best man might prattle. and
the boys believe in protecting them
selves
well, I spent the night with that
gang Of moonshiners and l had one of
the bulliest times of my life. They
warmed up to me, showed me all
around the still. cooked me a mid
night meal, and made me tell them all
the latest news of the outside world.
They were an illiterate crowd, but
very intelligent. and were as interest
ed as a lot OF school children over
what / told them. In return they told
me stories of their lives in these wild
mountains. They carefully avoided
the subject of violence, which was a
disappointment to me-, for l knew they
could tell of tragedies in these mount
aims that would excel anything l had
ever read in fiction. Once or twice 1
tried to lead the conversation around
to revenue officers and the dangers of
their business. but they were too much
for me, and succeeded in avoiding the
subject every time.
Just as daylight began to break
several more men came in, m two
of them I recognized as men 1 had
seer in my friends store on my arri-
val at the place. They shook hands
with me. and then Zed said that II
was time to go. as most of the boys
were due to go to bed. Where they
were going to bed | do not know. and
Il - e.. A~r
hadn't told me convinced me that they
didn't mean / should know. / suppose
they had a cave or a hut nearby. al
though, as I say. I don't kno any
thing about IL. The moonshiners gave
me a cheerful goodbye. and, two hours
later, I was back in my room behind
Zed's store.
That's all there was to it. except
ing that Zed told me afterward that /
had seen the biggest still in that sec
ton of the country. and one which the
government had spent a great deal of
money trying to locate. He told me
that two spies had been killed In try
ing to find the place, n that only the
year before a revenue officer had been
badly wounded that his right arm
had TO be taken off. IL the place was |
anywhere near a railroad or within 100
miles Of civilization, he said. the gov
eminent would have broken IL up years
but the fact that ii was so Isolated
made ii impossible to work against 1t
with an armed force.
"wha little l know about the loca-
ton Of the still could not be dragged
from me. for II ever I met a good lot
of fellows II was those moonshiners,
and their secrets are safe with me.
The outside world looks on them as
murderers when they Kill a revenue
spy: they look on il the same as you
would look on II IL you killed a bur-
glar who was robbing you house. IL
you could talk with them you would
soon be convinced that there Is much
justice in the position they take"
Too pretty to be overlooked-this
grand art exhibit at schatzlein Paint