The Afro-American advance. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1899-19??, 1900-01-06

backs, and we had only Jest got to
maxim moonshine when the woods
was full o. revenoo fellers s'archin' fur
the plant. IL was in that ravine over
to the west. with the big dead tree
standin' sentinel, and though they run
us mighty clus they couldn't find It,.
They was so watchful. however, that
we couldn't git any of the stuff out To
make a sale, and there came a time
when had 30 kegs of good con whis-
ky hid away In the bresh and ready
to go over the trail. Then the boss of
the revenoo fellers stops yere at the
cabin one day fur a drink of water
and says:
"'Zeb White. yo've got a still, and
yo've got whisky on hand. We hain't
found the spot yit, but I've sent fur
.wo mo- men. and we ar goin' 10 stay
right yere fur the next ten Vars. 1
amt wishin' yo' any bad luck, but il |
don't hev yo' in Albany in less than
three months, then I'll resign my
place and go to huutin' rabbits
THAT sort O. talk upset the ole
woman and rayther slScered me-" said
Zeb, land made up my mind I'd hev
10 move that still and git the kegs
outer the way as quick as possible. l
sent word around. and one AFTERNOON
about 20 men gathered in the thicket
jest beyaud the creek. We talked
things over and agreed that sunthin'
must be done, but at the same time il
was takin' big chances. When night
come down il was jest SIGH a night as
this, only a white fog riz up and made
everything look quare and strange.
AFTER shutdown, when that fog spread
all over the mounting, yo' jest couldn't
help thinkiu' of speerits and ghosts.
We couldn't say how IL would affect
them reveuoo fellcrs. but we got down
10 the still about eight O'Clock in the
evenin' and every one of us was feel.
In trembly IL wasn't so powerful
dark, hut that white fog lay every
where like a shroud fur the dead. and
IL was So still that the fall of dead
twig gave yo' sort o. shiver. hadn't
said nuthin' to the ole woman, but l
reckon she suspicioned what was up
We went at them kegs fust. Each
man was TO carry one TO miles. and
we knowcd them revenoo men would
be hidin' on the trail il they was
abroad at all"
swell. how did YOU come cute"
asked rs the old man paused
1T was quare, suh-mighty quare.
We was moyin' along the trail like so
many ghosts, when we heard sunthin'
wall out like a woman in distress. The
wall was drawn out. like. aud II ended
up in sort o laugh, Iawd. sub. but
the hull crowd of Us turned as cold as
ice and felt our ha'r standiu' up. Some
was fur runuln' away, and some fur
goin' back. but as We stood thar with
our hearts thumpin' we heard the rev
snoo men erawlin' away through the
bresh and sayin' TO each other thar
ghost was wanderin' about. That
heartened us up a bit aud we went
ahead. About every two minits the
ghost would utter that cry. some
times IL would seem 10 be ahead Of as,
and sometimes behind. and though We
stuck 10 our kegs. every body was
Skeert half TO death. shouldn't be
ashamed 10 say that we throwed away
The whisky aud rua fur our lives, fur l
was never SO badly upset, bur we
stuck Il cat till sill the kegs was safe
Then we had talk and determined 70
move the still"
And you continued 20 hear the
solee -
Right along. sub. II wasn't ike no
human hein', nor ytt like an animal.
and Eeoody could rightly say from