Askov American., 1915-10-14
CHAPTER v.
The Night Attack.

CHAPTER v.
The Night Attack.
the incidents OF that ride do not re-
main with mo In any special clearness
oI detail. We rode steadily. keeping
well together, conscious that In all
probability We were watched BY hos.
Gle eyes. peering out from behind rock
nnd thickst. We foraged through de.
serted shacks. finding poor reward,
Pct managed to subsist, although with
munger unsatisiied. Tho men grum.
pIed and Fox swore. as. long before
might came, he comprehended the fact
that wo were on FOOLS errand: that
lnls little squad was being lured deeper
IND deeper into q hostile country. but
p0 opportunity to turn aside present.
ed Itself. The night overlook us IN
- midst Of . mountain solitude. The
couts had discovered spring at the
oottom OF rocky hollow, and there
1ox reluctantly ordered camp to be
made. the horses finding scant pas.
turage beyond. The grumbling and
lcursing soon ceased, however. and
tnose not on duty slept fitfully. I
made the round OF the sentries with
tox. slippinx and stumbling over the
rough way. through the darkness.
This weird place gets on the
nerves" he said. rs II half ashamed Of
tne confession. do you know, Ray.
lmond. have felt for the last hour az
tii we we're riding into some trap" He
|Gianced neryously behind him. II
ldon't believe there has ever been
Federal detachment down as far az
Itnis before. We're In old Ned Cowan's
country"
"Confsderate7" asked. interested
IAt once by the name.
Heaven knowsl To the best OF my
belief tha fellow doesn't give whoop
FOR either side. He's Just natural
horn devil and this war gave him
lchance 70 set the hell out Of his sys.
TEN. Still. guess. he calls himself
h Reb."
I 4 And HIS tollowersf"
"Mountair men mostly. together
with = hunch OF desertera and con.
Acripts frOtn both sides. Nobody
GnoYg how big q band he has. but II
would take an army to run them out
" these mountains. We had orders
10 do it--but pifile, Ramsay came
down - far as Fayette Court House
with regiment Of infantry, and 4
!cavalry guard. and sent out dag OF
truce asking the old devil to come In
mud talk with him. He actually did
come; rode right UP to headquarters.
with dozen Of his ragged followers.
heard what Ramsay had to say. and
khen simply told the general to 60 to
hell. and rode on again"
| "Wers you there! Did you see the
0sn9"
| "No. but the sergeant did; he was
detailed ut that time N Headquarters
orderly"
"Yes," | said. determined on my
oourse. Il was talking with Hayden
NuriRg the noon halt. Ie described
Cowan to me. and believe he 10 the
same man encountered at Ho,
Springs, Captain Fox--the fellow Tay
aor we are In pursuit or
The captain stared into the black
night, silent for several minutes.
"I've been suspecting the same thins
Tor the last three hours" he admitted
At last slowly. .and that he hoped w
would follow him, The fellow hasn
ridden fast. and has purposcly left {
plain trail. More than that he wa.
expected along this road and ther,
we're relays OF horses waiting II,
only changed once. but he was met b,
another party near that ruined mill
Ever since then have felt that v,
were being watched by unseen eyes
Did you observe tho curl OF smoke /,
our right Just before dark--how |
rose and tell In ringsf"
n saw the smoke. yes--a thin spiral
but supposed It to be from the chin
hey or some mountain shack"
well. II was not That was m oui
hida fire. aud the smoke was smoth
bred and then thrown up BY blankets
THAT ID their way of signaling tel
Nou. lieutenant. this murder OF Hal
wood u more than an army matter.
Mas oesher the elimination OF feu
1one for pcrs0aal rosense--or Ole
khe major had papers In his possel
aiOn bearing on the situation here ths
could only DO gained over his dea
body. The man who killed him wa
old Ned C0wan."
.'But Harwood uaust have know
him.. protested
.(of course he did: they we're nesEl
bcfs before the war and met there 3
appointment For all know the nj
Ss 5or may have had some coniidenti'
standardization from the war depar
sAent. God knows what u vas. All
IN ssrs about u that J would Eivs