The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1915-10-09

my silent companion to converse. be- 4
ing rewarded merely by grumbled and
evasive answers Finally 1 deslsted
In the. attempt, content 10 follow bis
lead. Taylor, astride his sorrel. with
gun resting grimly across his knees.
rode straight through the brush. away |
from the pike. down the valley OF n
small stream. In crossing. the horses
drank their I'LL.
"How about the valley road?"
asked as we climbed the opposite
bank.
The leader glanced back at me.
This yere way Ia higher. an q darn
sight NOR quiet" he answered grufiy.
Soldiers been marching over the pike
all day. Mout be all right fer yer. II
yer've got = pass-but amt got none.
Wen hev' good 'noush ridln' In bout
q mile NOR"
you are aiming for the cut-offg"
II be--yer do kno' sumthin' OF this
yere kintry. reckon. but yer've got
more eddication than eny Cowan l
ever hooked UP with afore. Yer don't
talk none like mountin' folks"
/ drew a quick breath, sensing the
return OF suspicion.
That's true" I admitted readily.
"You see I went TO school at Coving-
ton; they were going to make a
| preacher out or me"
Taylor stared into my face, his
vague suspicion seemingly gone.
=
He rode on into the dusk. chuckling,
and followed. smiling to myself. glad
| that the mans good humor had been
so easily restored
We were fed at a hut back In the
foothills, where an old couple. the man
lame. were glad enough TO exchange
their poor food for the late news from
the army, in which they had a son.
Then we rode steadily TO the south
When dawn came we were TO the west
OF Waynesboro. in broken country. and
all through those long night hours
scarcely a word had been exchanged
between us. We camped finally in the
bend OF a small stream. where high
banks concealed us from observation.
There was little to eat in our haver-
sacks. but we munched what we had.
and Taylor, his eyes on the horses.
broke the silence.
II reckon the critters don't need
more'n couple hours rest" he said.
They amt been rid ,noways hard. an
I'm fer gittin' through the gap durin'
daylIght-the road amt overly good
Just now"
Across the mountains? Is there
gap here?"
"Ther road ter Hot Springs Is bout
two miles below yer. l cum over II
ten days ago an reckon / kin find
my way back It's bout forty miles
frum thar ter Lewisburg, mostly hills
but a good trail know folks ct Ho,
Springs who will take good keer o. US
onct we git thar"
We rested. doing. but neither sount
asleep, for nearly three hours What
, ever might be In Taylor's mind, the
lonely night had brought 10 me a new
thought relative to my companion
: The fellow was evasiye, and once hi
had frankly lied In seeking TO erplair
his presence in tho valley. and the rea
son for his secrecy OF movement. b.
T now we we're decidedly Mt cross-pur
! poses. each vigilantly watching thu
} other-Taylor in doubt as to what thu
r bundle contained. which l never per
mitted out OF my grasp. and myself a
deeply interested in gaining posses
sion OF a packet OF papers, glimps
OF which | had caught In an insid
pocket OF the mountaineer's coat HI
mission, whatever II might be. was 50
cret and dangerous. or this his cease
less vigilance was proof
The light OF dying day still clun
TO the western sky when our wearie
horses bore US into the village or Ho
Springs. II was like a deserted han
let. few houses appearing inhabited
and the shop windows boarded vi
Taylor glancing neither TO right O
left. rode straight down the mai
street, and turned onto a pike roaC
leading to the left. A mile beyond,
frame house. painted white. barely VII
ible through the deepening dusl
stood in a grove OF oaks. The moui
taineer turned up the broad driyewa!
and dlsmounted before the close
door Almost at the same momer
| the portal opened slightly and blac
face peered out.