The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-02-23

Jed shook his head and sighed and
made no answer. but I need not have
inquired I knew that no moon
sinner betrayed his friends and lived
co enjoy the blOOd-mOney- On our
way back we met Reube walking into
town. He was walking at a slow gait
with his eyes cast down, and again Jed
saluted him and got no answer. We
halted and looked after him, and my
companion whispered:
''Reube's dun made up his mind and
He is going to take the bribe
money!"
yes. Gawd help him. Yes, he'll
take the money and gable, and them
revenoO fellers viii be swOOpin' down
on somebody befo' two days. Reube
kin give at least three stills away.
Reckon wed better hurry a Bit
I knew that led Slathers had an IL
licft still in a big raVfne back of the
house. though I had not been down to
the site. Before midnight it was taken
apart and the pieces hidden away, and
word had been sent to others Men were
moving about all night long on the
mountain trails, and at daylight, when
the revenue officers came, they found
nothing to seize. Tickets and caves
held the secrets of the moOnshiners and
would not give them up to strangers.
asked no more concerning Reube, but I
knew why there was a gathering of a
dozen seriOus-faced mountaineers at
Jed's cabin that afternoon. Only some
one familiar with the site of Slather's
big still could have directed the officers.
That the latter had found nothing but
a brush shanty and a heap of ashes
made no difference. He had betrayed
his friends for money, and the clue to
his identity was furnished by the old
man.
1T was Reube Daniels" he whispered.
"Reube brooded, and Reube took their
money"
they heard the story. and the confer
ence broke I'D almost without another
word.
I could picture how it was with Reube.
When he yielded to tempta ton he did
not put the price of his treachery in
his pocket and take the train for some
distant place On the contrary, he
bought whisky, tobacco. tea, sugar. cal
leo and shoes and "toted" them to his
pole-cabin M the mountain road. His
children cried out in establishment as
they saw his purchases. but when they
looked into his face their voices were
hushed. 1t was so with his wife What
: the children dimly suspected she knew
for certain.
"Reube, yo've-yo've took the price, .
she gasped as she took her new shoes
from the bundle
Reckon so" he replied as he looked
anywhere but into her eyes,
And they'll kill yo'-kin yo fur
suah."
YEP"
70 won't gwan away?"
No"
~Yon stay yere?"
Yep"
That was all There was money left
over and he took it from his pocket
and handed it over to her He sat
around for a spell, and then took UP
the ak and cut enough frewood to
last for a week When the children
came about he did not box their ears
or "drat their hide" as was his wont,
though at the same time he had no
kind words. The door of the cabin had
a hinge broken, and he fixed it. The
roof leaked. and he rived out a dozen
shingles and made repairs. There was
tangle Of weeds around the spring,
and he got out the old billhook and
worked for an hour That night he
went to bed at the same h0ur-he slept
as soundly as ever-he got up at the
usual time It was a bright day. but
a gloom fell upon the house. The wife
spoke in whispers, and the children
hushed their voices.
Reube Daniels sat down on the door
/ step after breakfast and stared across
at the laurel thicket opposite. His wife
did not seek to attract his attention,
and the children did not go near him.