The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1916-01-21
CHAPTER v.
The Niuht Attack,

The Night Attack.
The incidents of that ride do not re
main with me in any special clearnes
OF detail. We rode steadily, keepin
well together. conscious that in al
PROBABILITY we were watched by hos
tile eyes, peering out from behind rocl
and thIcket. We foraged through de
serted shacks. finding poor reward
yet managed to subsist, although will
munger unsatisfied. The men grum
pied and Fox swore, as. long befor,
night came. he comprehended the fac
tffat we were on a FOOLS errand; thai
hls little squad was being lured deeper
ana deeper into a hostile country, but
no opportunity to turn aside present
Cd itself. The night overlook us il
Tie midst of mountain solitude. The
scouts had discovered 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
curslng soon ceased, however, and
those not on duty slept fitfully
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, have felt for the last hour as
II we were riding into some trap" He
glanced nprun1clry boL
don't believe there las ever been a
Federal detachment down as far as
this before. We're in old Ned Cowan's
country"
"Confederate?" l asked. interested
at once by the name.
Heaven knowsi 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
chance to get the hell out of his sys-
tenn. Still. guess. he calls himself
q Reb"
And his followers?"
Mountain men mostly, together
with bunch of deserters and con-
scripts from both sides. Nobody
knows how big band he has, but 1T
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 a regiment of infantry, and
cavalry guard, and sent out a flag OF
truce asking the old devil to come in
and 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
then simply told the general to go to
hell, and rode off again"
Were you there? Did you see ths
mem"
mo. but the sergeant did; he was
detailed at that time as headquarters
orderly"
YES" l said, determined on my
course Il was talking with Hayden
during the noon halt. He described !
Cowan to me. and | believe he is the
same man i 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.
1--WE been suspecting the same thing
lor the last three hours" he admitted
It last slowly, land that he hoped we
would follow him The fellow hasn't
hidden fast. and has purposely left q
plain trail More than that he was
along this road and there
we're relays of horses. waiting He
,nly changed once, but he was met by
mother party near that ruined mill
Ever since then | have felt that we
we're being watched by unseen eyes.
I'D you observe the curl OF smoke to
'ur right just before dark-how it
ose and fell in rings"
Il saw the smoke, yes-a thin spiral.
mt supposed it to be from the chin
Iey Of some mountain shack"
well, 1t WAS not. That was an out
jde fire, and the smoke was smoth-
red and then thrown up by blankets.
hat IL their way Of signaling ] tell
on, lieutenant. this murder OF Har'
nod IL more than an army matter. II
rs either the elimination OF afeud 9
done for personal revenxe-or else
le major had papers in his posses 9
lon bearing on the situation here that E
puId only be gained over his deao
Ddy. The man who killed him was Q
ID Ned Cowan."
But Harwood must have known =
lm." ! protested
rot course he did; they we're neigh \
Drs before the war and met there oy 0
For all know the ma y
y may have had some confidenuai Q
from the war depart
ent. God kpews what It was All II
! ss,s 80 nj y that would g1vs =