The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-12-13

whole gang had to get out O Blount or get into the ground one or tother.
 ''EIs sent word to some O. the boys that had stayed by hiup at Petersburg, Malvern Hiu and other places. where 1t was so hot that hell would 6 been froze had it been In ten mile, and told dem that he wanted 'em to help him in riddin' Blount of the varmints. Ever one of the boys was glad to promise, for there wasn't a one but that had sore in his heart about how some of his women folks had been treated Some of the boys that fought on the Yankee side heard of the talk that the Major had given the fellows, and they went straight to him and told him that they wanted to help. But the scoundrels we was after heard of the goin's on, and sneaked of to the holes in the mountain | sides that they had occupied while the conscription officers was around, and their women would slip away at night and | carry 'em somethin' to eat
 For long time we din't bother 'em, | and then they got bo1der. and pretty soon the people in tae valleys begun to | miss chickens an sh6ats an yearlin's, and all of us knowed that it was the same ole gang. Then one day Bob Price was out plowin' in his field about ten in the mornin', and five of the crowd went | to his cabin and cursin' his wife, made her cook up a passel of chickens and corn bread. Sally Price knowed 'em all, and what she told to Bob was told to all the rest and you bet 1t made us all | mighty mad.
 About two weekP after this was goln' | through the narrers tween Rockville and Clopton, when saw the form of little Mary Bidwell lyin' by the roadside. It was the most pitiful sight I ever looked at, and I'd seed men piled in front of the Yankee breastworks at Cemetery Hill at | Gettyburg till you couldn't a reached ground with a crowbar. Blood was all over her little dress, and her face was the color of an ash-cake. I first thought that the pore child was dead, but bent CT her heard a little gasp, and after I'd washed her face with some water from the branch. she opened her eyes and then drew back just as if shed seen old Satan himself Then she saw who 1t was and in half whisper and a half gur- gle. said. Sam Harris did 1t; wished l was jead.'
 l 'I took her into eny arms and climbed into my wagon, and though I made the ole mare lope. she was dead before could go the quarter to the Bidwell place. I carried the little body Into the house and put it on the bed. and then set out for field to find Mark Bidwell, her daddy. Her ma had died of the fever about
 
 ''I thought Bidwelrd go crazy. He cuss- ed me and God and the gang of varmint one after another Seein' that I couldn't do nothAn' with him. went to send some women folks to the house and then to tell Major Runkle what had happened. I knowed that the time had come to take | the field agin. and I wanted to get some powder and few bullets from the Major. | too.
 Now. George said the Major. when had told him of Mary Bidwelrs death and who was the cause of 1t, there ain't no use of goin' after them devils tonight know where the vermin has made their nest, They re all hangin' out In Horn abys cave, on the far side of Red. You go to all the boys tonight and tell 'em to be at my house in the mornin' at sum up. and for each to bring his gun and somethin' to load 1t with. Mo- he says.
 don't tell all the boys. Tell about hf- teen that you know and tell them not to tell anybody else. There's about a dozen of the devils. and though they'll have the advantage of beln' entrenched we'll have the advantage of their not knowin' that we're comin.''
 Before I went home told six men that had sided with Abe and eight that had followed Jeffs advice about what the Major had told me. The next mornin' at half past there was nine men at Ma for Runkle's. by o'clock there was thir- ty-four and just before day begun to | break. hfty-slx men was marching toward | Hornaby's cave. The fourteen that had swore that they wouldn't tell nobody had each thought of some other fellow whose family hadn't been done right while he was away to the front and who had a right to help in clearin out the helIians. and so the company growed.
 '"Old Reds sides are steep around Hornaby's cave, but the gang got close to them scOundrels before they was aware em all without gettin' hurt, but just as Major Runkle was hxin' 'em so they | could shoot into the varmints without gettin' hurt, there was a crashin' of un- derbrush. and Mark Bidwell rushed into the open cursin' like he was in the army. Major Runkle run towards him to shove l him back into the bushes or behind a rock. when there was a pun of smoke and a squirrel rife spoke from the mouth | of Hornaby's cave. Major Ruukle fell dead In his tracks. and a minute later | Mark Bldwell reeled and fell as we heard another sound. He was shot through the heart. Pore ole Mark had got onto what we was up to and had to talEA a hand.