Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1915-11-12
CHAPTER v.
The Night Attack.

Inc incidents of that ride do not re-
main with me in any special clearness
OF detail We rode steadily, keeping
Wen together. conscious that in all
probability we were watched by hos
tile eyes. peering out from behind rock
and thicket. We foraged through de-
serted shacks. finding poor reward,
yet managed to subsist, although with
munger unsatisfied The men grum-
Died and Fox swore. as, long before
night came. he comprehended the fact
Inat we were on FOOLS errand; that
MS little squad was being lured deeper
and deeper into hostile country, but
no opportunity to turn aside present
ed itself. The night overlook us in
the midst of mountain solitude. The
scouts had discovered a spring at the
bottom of rocky hollow, and there
Fox reluctantly ordered camp to be
made. the horses finding scant pas
turage beyond. The grumbling and
cursing soon ceased, however. and
those not on duty slept ftfully. I
made the round of the sentries with
Fox, slipping and stumbling over the
rough way, through the darkness.
This weird place gets on the
nerves." he said. as if half ashamed of
the confession. do you know, Ray
mond, l have felt for the last hour as
II we were riding into some trap" He
glanced nervously behind him. al
don't believe there has ever been a
Federal detachment down as far as
this before. We're in old Ned Cowan's
country"
:. "Confederate?". asked. interested
oncf by the name. 8
Heaven knows! To the best of my
belief the fellow doesn't give a whoop
for either side. He's Just a natural
born devil and this war gave him a
chance to get the hell out of his sys-
tenn. Still, / guess, he calls himself
a Reb."
And his followers?"
Mountain men mostly, together
with a bunch of deserters and con-
scripts from both sides. Nobody
knows how big band he has, but it
would take an army to run them out
of these mountains. We had orders
TO do it-but piffle! Ramsay came
down as far as Fayette Court House
with regiment of infantry, and a
cavalry guard. and sent out flag of
truce asking the old devil to come in
and talk with him. He actually did
come; rode right up to headquarters,
with a dozen of his ragged followers,
heard what Ramsay had to say, and
then simply told the general to go to
hell, and rode off again"
Were you there? Did you see the
menu"
mo. but the sergeant did; he was
detailed at that time as headquarters
orderly"
YES" 1 said. determined on my
course. Il was talking with Hayden
during the noon halt. He described
Cowan to me, and l believe he is the
same man / encountered at Hot
Springs. Captain Fox-the fellow Tay.
Tor we are in pursuit Of"
The captain stared into the black
night, silent for several minutes.
I've been suspecting the same thing
for the last three hours" he admitted
at last slowly, land that he hoped we
would follow him. The fellow hasn't
ridden fast. and has purposely left
plain trail. More than that he was
expected along this road and there
were relays OF horses waiting. He
only changed once, but he was met by
another party near that ruined mill
Ever since then ! have felt that we
Nv
Did you observe the curl of smoke to
our right just before dark-how it
rose and fell in rings?"
II saw the smoke, yes-a thin spiral,
but supposed 1t to be from the chin.
ney of some mountain shack"
We'll. 1t was not. That was an out
side fire. and the smoke was smoth-
cred and then thrown up by blankets.
That IL their way of signaling I tell
you. lieutenant, this murder OF Har-
wood is more than an army matter. It
was either the elimination of feud
done for personal revenge-or else
the major had papers in his posses
sion bearing on the situation here that
could only be gained over his dead
body. The man who killed him was
old Ned Cowan."
But HARDWOOD must have known
him." / protested.
~Of course he did; they were neigh
bors before the war and met there by
appointment For all ] know the ma
5or may have had some confidential
communication from the war depart
ment. God knows what 1t was All !
an sure about Is that ! would give