The state herald., 1916-06-02
CHAPTER v.
The Nioht Attack,

The Night Attack.
The incidents Of that ride do not re-
main with me In any special clearness
OF detail We rode steadily, keeping
well together. conscious that In all
probability we were watched by hos
Tile eyea, peerins OUT from behind rock
and thtcket We foraged through dc.
serted shacks. finding poor reward.
yd managed to subsist. although with
hunger unsatisfied The men Srum.
Died and Fox swore. as. long before
night came. he comprehended the fact
mat we we're on q fools errand: that
his little squad was being iured deeper
and deeper into 4 hostile country. but
10 opportunity to turn aside present.
"a itself. The night overlook us in
the midst Of 4 mountain solitude, The
scouts had discovered q spring At the
bottom Of q rocky hollow. and there
Fox reluctantly ordered camp to be
made. the horses finding scant pas.
turase beyond. The grumblins and
curssng soon ceased. however. and
those not on duty slept fitfuily 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." be said. as II half ashamed of
the confession. DO you know. Ray.
mond. ! have felt for the last hour a.
II We we're riding into some trap" He
glanced nervously behind him. 81
cont believe there has ever been Q
Federal detachment down a. far -
this before. We're In old Ned Cowan's
country"
'Cossederatef'' I asked. interested
u once By the name.
~Heavea knows! To the best Of my
belief the fellow doesn't give q whoop
FOR either side He's Just q natural
born Devil and this war gave him .
chance to get the hell out Of his sys-
TEN. Still. ] guess. he calls himself
. ReN.
And bis foliowersI"
Mountain men mostly. together
With . bunch Of deserters and con
scripts from both sides. Nobody
knows how big q band he has. but II
would take an army to run them out
ef these mountains We had orders
TO do tt-but pine! Ramsay came
down a. far As Fayette Court House
With . regiment Of infantry. and 4
cavalry guard. and sent out q nag 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 70 to
he'll. and rode OF again"
Were you therei Did you see the
mens'
mo. bot the sergeant did: he was
dctaiied At that time as headquarters
orderly
-Yes." said. determined on my
course II was talking with Hayden
during the noon halt lie described
Cowan to me. and believe he Is the
saine man encountered at Hot
Springs. Captain Fox--the fellow Tay.
lor we are In pursuit Of"
The captain stared into the black
night. silent for several minutes.
1--WE been suspccting the sume thing
fo' the last three hours" be admitted
ai last slowly. "and TINT he hoped We
would follow him The fellow hasn't
hidden fast. and has purposely left a
plain trail More than that he was
expected alons 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 I have felt that We
were being watched BY unseen eyes
DID you observe the curl Of smoke to
our right Just before dark-how !,
rose and fell In ringsf"
= saw the smoke. yes-a thin spiral
but supposed II to bo from the chin
ney Of some mountain shack"
swell. II was not That was an out
side fire. and the smoke was smoth
cred and then thrown up by blankets
That h their way Of signaling ! tell
you lieutenant. this murder Of Har
wood 10 more than an army matter II
was either the elimination Of . feud
--done for personal revenxe-or else
the major had papers In hts posses
siou bearing on the situation here that
could only be gained over his dead
body The man who killed him wal
old Ned Cowan."
But Harwood must have known
him." protested
~Of course be did: they we're neigh
bors before the war and met there b.
appointment For Oh ! know the wa
3oF msy have had some confidential
Communication from the var depart
oeut 0oe known what Il waa All
- ssrs abous v that ! would give