The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-16

thing white, outlined against the inky
blackness, was coming around a bend in
the road
=" Fore Gawd." the negro boy whispered,
II spect it's ghostses."
The white figure came nearer and in
answer to second challenge, shrill
voice called out: It's me Don't shoot,'
IT'S the boy Bill said Cit in the
lead there, Johnny, and hurry us up
Johnny" rode q small white mule,
which seemed like beacon light to our
straining eyes. The mule logged along
easily, and the boy told how 81 Quinn had
got the neighbors down on him by letting
his durn dogs kill all the Sleeps. and they
were going to get even We rode three
hours longer through narrow lanes, hedged
in on each side by zig-zag fences; over
rough fields. studded with sharp roots and
corn stalks; through underbrush and over
brush and rock ribbed hills and deep mud
holes. till finally we drew rein at the foot
of great, bare mountain that doomed up
suddenly at our heads. A narrow path
which made white seam in the mountain
side ran up as far as we could see thin
coat of ice covered the rocks and made the
climb rough and dangerous. The boy said
that the still was half mile up. and we
could see a thin line of blue smoke curl
ing up from somewhere above and melting
into the clouds that circled about the sum
nit. The horses were left with the negro
and the raiders began the ascent. 1t was
slow. weary work. One hundred yards
from the top the light seemed to grow
brighter, and the mouth of the cave that
had been dug in the side of the hill was
clearly outlined. The roar of stream that
ran within few feet from where we stood
NJ oh, pnIp
ordered the men to separate. surround the
still. and at given signal to charge the
cave.
breaking Up the still.
There were five minutes of waiting and
holding OF breaths, and then the clear,
shrill whistle from Bell. Then wild
rush and tramping over brush and mud
and four Winchesters and three revolvers
were poking down the mouth of the cave
A bright fire burned under the caldron
which held the copper worm" and the
whole outfit was in place. There were ten
barrels of beer" under the shed and the
still was in full operation. Every piece OF
loose apparatus, even to the ak, had been
removed. and the officers had great diff
Guilty in destroying the still. They turned
the infiammable beer out of the barrels.
poured the mash on tho floor of the she'd
tore off the roof. and made a bonfire which
lighted the woods around. Not a moon
sinner! 1t was evident that they had been
warned.
1t was long after daybreak when the
crestfallen posse reached the foot of the
mountain. The boy and the white mule
had disappeared. When we passed Quinn's
house on the return trip. young woman
was standing on the front steps. She did
not know of any boy in the neighborhood
or any white mule. Neither did Quinn.
They asked pleasantly enough if the Off
GERS had had any luck. Quinn had some
ten-year-old in the house which the Off
GERS could have II they wanted it: there
wasn't any moonshine In that. The on
GERS wanted it. drank IT, and FELT better
But they were beaten and acknowledged
it. The boy had gotten the $50 and the
officers had destroyed $40 worth OF moon
shine" Not bad bargain for the boy.
Three months later Bell and Robertson
and Jenkins found the white mule in
Quinn's stable, and a week later Quinn's
daughter was arraigned In court. The
missing link in the evidence was the pair of
trousers she had worn when she was Toy.
The identity Of the white mule was es;ab-
lished, and all the witnesses swore that, to
the best of their knowledge and b=lief, the
girl had ridden the mule on the night of
the raid. The pants" were never found.
and the girl went back to live in pea-e in
the land of moonshlne and noun tains.-
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