The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-10-19
Reube Daniels Price
Nv Claude Blake.

3 SSOme
tbe mountains near Greenville, Ky,
with Jed Renfrew, who was the Oldest
moonshiner, or maker of illicit whisky
IN the district. One day as we were
walking together into the town we
came upon a man sitting on log by
the highway. Jed called out greet
ing to him, but he did not even raise
his head. When we had passed him by
about twenty rods, Jed stopped, looked
back, and said:
IsThem revenoo fellers hev bin arter
Reube, and he's a-thinkin' it over. -
1.How have they been after him9''
9tOffered him money ter give away
still Mebbe it as much as $50.
"And you think he's wondering
whether to do it or nots"
"Jest so. I've seen 'em befo'. They
allus brood over it fur three or TO-
a pore man $50 all in a. heap, an some
Of 'em can't resist. 1 must tell the
BOYS that Reube Daniels is a-broodin -
EDO you think he'll betray you7"
/ asked, as we passed on.
"Can't skassly say, sub. Reube's
mighty pore off, but he's allus bin
squar'. hope he stands aout agin it. "
"But If he doesn 't-9'
Jed shook his head and sighed, but
quired. I knew that no moonshiner be-
trayed his friends and lived to enjoy
his price.
I knew that Jed had an illicit still
In q big ravine lying at the back of
his house, altho I had not been down
to the site. It is wise not to know
too much about these things when you
are staying among the Kentucky moon
sinners. Before midnight that still had
fo La ~ 4ho
fully hidden away, and word had been
passed round to the owners Of other
stills in the district.
Men were moving about all night
long on the mountain trails. Soon after
daylight, when the United States rev.
enue officers came, they found nothing
to seize. Thickets and caves held the
secrets of the moonshiners, and would
not give them up to strangers.
! asked no more concerning ,Rleube,
but [ knew why there was gathering
Of a dozen seriousfaced mountaineers
at Jed's cabin that afternoon Only
some one familiar with the site Of Rem
frew's big still could have directed the
officers to the place where it had stood
The fact that nothing but brush
shanty and heap Of ashes had been
found made no difference. A moon
sinner had betrayed his friends for
money, and the clue to his identity was
furnished by the old man.
.!t was Reube, Daniels,' he whis-
took their money!
Yes, 1t was Reube,' they agreed
when they heard the story, and the
conference broke up without another
word. Reube,s doom was not pro
nounced verbally, but everybody under
stood.
| could picture how it was with
lReube;: When he yielded to temptation
he did not put the price of his treach:
cry In his pocket and take the train
from the town to some distant place.
On the contrary, he bought whisky,
and "toted'' them to his loo cabin 'u un
the mountain road
His children cried out in astonish-
ment when they saw his purchases. but
when they looked into his face their
voices were hushed. It was so with his
wife. What the children dimly sus-
pected, she knew for certain.
Reube, yo've' had the price!'' she
gasped. as she took her new shoes from
the bundle.
"Reckon so,' he replied, looking
anywhere but into her eyes.
%An' they'll kill yo'-kill yo' fur
ssVon ,, "S SoAo'
That was all. There was money! left
over, and he took it from his pocket
and handed it to her. He sat dowr
for a while, and then took up his az
and cut enough frewood to last for &
The door Of the cabin had hinof
broken. He fixed it. The roo roof Leaked aIug1
He rived out dozen shingles and made
repairs. There was tangle of weeds
around the spring. He got out the ole
billhook and worked for an hour tx
get rid Of them.
That night he went to bed at hi
ever, and got up at the usual time
1t was a bright day, but gloom wa
upon the house. The wife spoke i
whispers and the children hushed thei
voices.
Reube Daniels sat down on the door
step after breakfast and stared acros
at the laurel thicket opposite His wifi
dld not seek to attract his attention
and the children did not go near hin
He sat there for hour after hour
It was high noon when he rose up a
last, glanced over his shoulder int
the cabin, and said:
"Waal, Martha, I reckon I'll b
movin' on.''
She was mixing cornmeal and waite
for hoecake for dinner. She pause
in her work, looked at him, and re
Piled:
% Mebbe yo'l cum back9'
Mebbe," he said, after a Ion
silence; "Mebbe III cum back, but i
''If you don 't9'
HGoodby, children!"
The youngsters stared after him i
amazement. It was the first time h
had ever spoken those words to then
and they could not understand.
The wife turned to her cake, tn
children went to the door, and tn
husband and father slouched away int
the forest without backward lool
He had done with wife, children, HON
and the woodland he knew it.
He was not going to Hickory Co
ners of Johnson's Cross Roadside tn
cabin Of any one Of his former friend
He was going to meet his doom. .
bullet might come while he was ye