The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1912-10-03
HUNTING
A STILL
Bv KATHLEEN !. M'CURDY

road i'm the eastern part of that stale.
reaching a snug farmhouse. drew rem
I'm looking for d farm to buy. ne
said. "Do you happen to know "f an!
good bit of land about here with some
buildings OH it?'
NO; don't" said the woman. VINO
was both young and comey.
There ought to he good farming
about here
stranger" said the woman. you
hain't looking for farms. You're rev.
enue man after stills.
The man was astonished, he nao
supposed he was playing very sue
cessful game.
eff you'd root out the stills the peo-
ple about here would go to farmlng.
instead of making whisky.
81 cant root out the stills" replied
the man "unless you people help me.
.'What kind o. help do you want?
Information"
.sWeIl. come in and have a snack
Perhaps nv husbandll be coming
along soon, and he may do something
for you"
The revenue man dsmounted. led his
horse to the stable in the rear and en-
tered the house He chatted with the
woman freely about the illicit dlstlll-
ing. said that it helped the few ana
wronged the many. A district Where
If was notorious never prOspered. IL
was under a ban; no credit: no pro-
duction of crops: no comfort for any
one. She appeared to agree with him
and when he had finished said:
did you ever hear of Joe Com
stocks still?"
mo. I'm a new man; just put on TO
this district"
That's the only one we could get
you on to here. II my husband don
come home purity soon I'll tell you all
about it..
Her husband didn't come home. She
said she supposed he had been de
layed. So after supper she said she
would tell him where the Comstock
still was. and if he liked he could 90
and clean it out. 1t was the only one
left in that immediate vicinity and
most of the people thereabout would
be glad to see it shut up. The WON
an after she had cleaned away the
supper dishes sat down beside the
stranger and Oh a piece of paper drew
| a diagram of the route to COmstock S.
1t was rather a zigzag course. extend
| ing over several miles. The stranger
asked If there was no more. direct
route. and she told him that there was
none that could be made plain to one
who was not familiar with the coun-
try. When it was dark he got out
his horse, mounted and. thanking the
woman for her hospitality. was about
to ride away when she asked:
"You going to take Joe Comstock
alone?"
That's just what I'm going to do"
you're a plucky one"
The man rode away. following the
route exactly as it had been laid down
by the woman. He was most of the
time climbing a mountain side. and.
! though the distance was but few
miles. he was two hours getting to a
point just beyond which he had been
told he would find the Comstock still.
| He was to recognize it by the crossing
of two mountain roads. a peculiarly
shaped oak tree on the point of one OF
the angles. From the crossroads he
was to pass through an opening be,
tween the trees. go over stone wall.
follow a tunnel a short distance down
the mountain and he would come upon
the still. Leaving the crossroads. he
moved on as directed.
He was moving very quietly down
the stream when he dislodged stone
that betrayed his approach. He paused.
but. hearing nothing. moved forward
again. Suddenly he heard the words
come out of the darkness, Hands up!'
He knew that he was on an elevation
that showed the sky line beyond him
and that doubtless his enemy could see
him. while he could not see his enemy
He held his revolver in his hand cock
ed and. hoping to at least discOncert
his opponent, fired into the darkness
The only response was a bitter laugh
1t sounded like that Of a woman Graz
ed. Then came voice which sounded
distinctly feminine:
Drop your weapon. can kill you
IL liker'
The revenue man hesitated mo-
ment. then thought it best to do as he
had been hidden. Suddenly a bullseye
lantern was flashed in his face.
You're not the coward the other one
was to come here and surround the
place and kill my Joe You're brave
one If you are revenue. I'm Miss Joe
Comstock. the woman who sent you
here. knew you were a revenue
right off. and since I've been wishing
for chance to get even with you gov
eminent men gave you q roundabout
way. coming myself straight up the
mountains | intended to kill you, bu
/ couldn't. You're too plucky"
well, then. since there is to be NJ
killing. suppose we shake hands anC
say no more about it,
You go your way and I go mine