The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1916-01-14
CHAPTER v



A detail We rode steadily, keepinG
sail together conscious that in al
suitability SIC were watched BIZ hos
de eyes. peering on, from behind rock
md thCket We foraged through de
wrsd shaCks, finding poor reward
wi managed to subsIst, although with
hunger unsatisfed The men grum
Nd and Fox sTore, as, long before
fgbt cane be comprehended the fact
ha We we're on fools errand; that
Ma little squad was being lured deeper
nd deeper into a hostile country, but
Do opportunity to turn aside present.
n ITSELF The night overlook us in
be midst Of mountain solitude. The
muts bad discovered a spring at the
bottom Of rocky hollow, and there
FrI reluctantly ordered camp to be
naie, the horses finding sCant pas.
image beyond The grumbling and
anIng soon ceased, however. and
bose not on duty slept ftfully (
nlde The round Of the sentries with
Fox slipping and stumbling over the
rough way, through the darkness.
This weird place gets on the
serves be said, as II half ashamed Of
he confession. DO you know. Ray.
nOld have felt for the last hour as
1--we we're riding into some trap" He
glanced nervously behind him. 81
hnt believe there has ever been a
FEDERAL detachment down az far as
dis before We're in old Ned Cowan's
country
Confederate" / asked, interested
v once by the name,
Heaven knows! To the best Of nv
sif the fellow doesn't give a whoop
'r either side He's Just natural
Srn devil and this war gave him a
aanc' TO get the he'll out Of his sys.
in still, guess. he calls himself
Imb'
And bis followers"
Mountain men mostly, together
Eih a bunch Of deserters and con.
s11s from both sides. Nobody
naV' bow big a band he has, but It
'ad AXE an army to run them out
ae'e mountains We had orders
% lt-but pifle! Ramsay came
0a as Tar as Fayette Court House !
"a : regiment Of infantry, and a
a'aiI guard, and sent out a flag OF
ua' l'hlng the old devil to come in .
l' aIG with him He actually did
9a'i rode right up to headquarters,
Ha : dozen Of his ragged followers.
a' what Ramsay had to say, and
"a "a simply told the general to 20 to
y. md rode of again"
naY ''N BEG 'ue
" out the sergeant did; he was
Giay' O'' vi
YES ! said, determined on nv
1l" ! was talking with Hayden
llls The noon halt. He described
~. ~''u % me- and ! believe he is the
!, sls man ! encountered at Hot
~lnS'. Captain Fox-the fellow Tay.
= V are In pursuit off,"
4. ~ captain stared into the black
'@ y Silent for several minutes.
Y. Y oeen suspeCting the same thing
~, y Iast three hours" he admitted
NJ. ~ !, slowly and that he hoped we
W.. l'lloT him The FELLOW hasn't
NJ NJ Iasl and has purposeIy left a
~ ualL More than that he was
=, Ivy along this road and there
\, NJ Gays Of horses waiting He
n,, 'u'uSea once, but be was met by
" .'a party near that ruined mill
-, aace then ! have felt that we '
~Ins watched by unseen eyes.
I, y, so,e observe the curl Of smoke to
~ ,sa' Just before dark-how It }
y ad fell IN rings?" :
=, ~ :" The smoke, yes-a thin spiral. t
!, opposed It to be from the chin
wv Ome mountain shack" /
n, y U was not, That was an out. $
~ y. ~ and the smoke was smoth. c
M NJ J !, then thrown up by blankets t
d o,u %el' way Of signaling | tell v
INA d,'a'snant, this murder OF Har. b
4, -, more than an army matter. II +
,doD a'l !, the elimination Of a 'eud o
\ n,, y personal revense-or else II
d 49, o' had papers in his posses a
aus o.,l s on the situation here that G
3, V ~ be gained over bis dead n
N The man who Linoa e. 80 y
!. 4 yea cOvan." ''''so n'm was b
y Y. protested D'o'' nave known t.
~ Ss curse ), Dc did; they we're neigh, /,
,Doh,~ .S The war and met there BY o
! n, ',at For all | know the ma. v
,anDs,. ave had some confidential q
ut a. auOn from the war depart. b
: ma ~ LaOV' what 1t was An Il
aVOat ls that | would v,va a -