Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 December 1883 — OUTWITTING A MOONSHINER. [ARTICLE]

OUTWITTING A MOONSHINER.

BY N. C. FARLEY.

For months we had been following up what seemed a hot trail. The Government had got -wind of- an illicit distillery hidden snugly away in the wooded fastnesses of a certain locality in Kansas—that shall nameless at present—and I had been detailed, with several others, to run it down and bring the offenders to justice. But so far they had eluded our grasp. During the last three or four weeks, however, we had hovered pretty close upon its discovery. Several times lately I had received such accurate information as to the locality of the still that each time we had moved upon the works fully expecting to capture the moonshiners actually engaged at their unlawful business. But disappointment only crowned our efforts. In every instance we found where they had been working, but nothing more. It almost seemed as though they were gifted with supernatural powers, for they not only successfully eluded capture, but they showed by various manuevers at different times that a knowledge of the plans made by the Government was familiar to them. ; There was certainly treachery somewhere, though I could not decide where. The long day was fast drawing to a close, and havihg been in the saddle since early morning I was thoroughly tired out, and drawing rein before a cabin hard by, asked for a night’s lodging, with supper and breakfast. To my surprise—the master of the house —if house it could be called, after glancing sharply at myself and horse, gruffly bade me ride on, adding that he had neither room nor fond for a stranger. Being in anything but a good humor in the first phj.ee, his rough dismissal served to completely destroy the little stock of good nature that remained to me at the end of my day’s travel. , . , “This is a specimen of the famous Kansas hospitality, is it?” I asked angrily. “This makes the fourth time in the last three hours that I have been refused food and lodging. And yet you fellows boast that your latch-strings are always out to the traveler. “It must be that there’s a sort of difference in trav’lers," was his laconic reply, as he glanced meditatively at my waistcoat. A sudden suspicion of the truth flashed across my mental vision, and following his eye my suspicions were verified, for there, only partially ■concealed by my top coat, which was unfastened on account of the heat, shone* my badge. Inwardly cursing my stupidity and vowing to make amends in the future, we started on, though the poor beast badly spent to take any gait faster than a walk. Jogging on, tired to death, and still pondering over what was a mystery to me, I saw far on ahead in the fast gathering gloom of the approaching night, a bright light, shining like a star in the distance. The horse, gave a joyful whinny and quickened his pace. It was not long before we drew up before a small stone house. Taking care to hide my badge before going in, I once more applied for food and shelter. A youngish woman answered my knock on the door, but my request was met with the usual demurur. “My horse has given out, and I am exhausted and starving,” I insisted, pushing my way into the room. “You ehall be wi 11 paid for your tiouble.” “But my husband is not at home and won’t be until to-morrow,” she objected. “Forty husbands, for that matter, madam, couldn’t improve my comfort atiy if they were all at home. Just give me a corn-pone and a cup of Kansas coffee, with a blanket to sleep on, and room in your oarn for my horse. I’ll be off bright and early in the morning.” “Better let him stop, ma’am,” spoke up a big hulking fellow by the side of the fire-place. “It’s a good bit to any house, and there’ll be a storm before morni*’ es I don’t miss my guess. ” The woman put her head out of doors and glanced anxiously at the sky. A great black cloud that had been slowly crawling over the hill tops was now hanging lowering overhead. . Knowing how quickly storms gather in that locality, and having had evidence on several occasions of the awful destruction of life and propert.' caused by them, .1 too glanced uneasily at the “Jonasj” cried the woman quickly, as if she had at last made up her mind to accept the inevitable, ‘‘take this

man’s horse to the barn and feed it, and he can sleep with you in the little room off the kitchen.* The hired man, for such he was, led my horse away, find I sat down before the fire. A good supper was soon smoking before me, though ever and anon my hostess peered out through the small window, evidently greatly worried at the approaching storm. Jonas returned from his trip to the barn, and taking up the seat opposite mine, challenged me to a friendly game of checkers. Hi was by no means a poor player, a d we were deeply engaged in what we called the “rubber,” when we were all startled by a strange, roaring noise. “A cyclone,” screamed the hostess frantically, lifting a-trap door and disappearing in the cellar; “come down for your lives!” But there was no time for escape. Even as her head went down out of sight, the roof of the house was lifted up, and we were caught by some terrible power and carried whirling away, with terrific force. Boards, stones and trees, and every conceivable thing went grinding and whirling through the air with us. How long this lasted I never could tell. Gasping and struggling for breath, my first sensation was that of drowning; then in an almost senseless condition my body was suddenly dashed with stunning force to the earth and left there. During all this time there was a frightful roaring noise, and a rushing together of two great bodies, as of two vast armies struggling for a victory. It was an awful moment. Groaning with agony, I realized what had befallen me. To be caught up in a Kansas cyclone was fully as dangerous as to be caught in chasing a Kansas moonshiner to cover.

The storm, however, did not stop for any comments of mine, but went on over the hills, shrieking and whirling and crashing through the forests, leaving havoc and desolation in its track. I was wedged into a tree top, and here, shivering in the cold and wet, I waited for morning. The sun came up at last, warm and bright, riding the heavens as serenely as though nothing unusual had happened. Picking my way along as best I could, I went to a barn not far away, which, having been located outside the tract of the cyclone, was standing in good order. Here was my horse, and here, too, was Jonas, who, with a broken leg, had managed to crawl inside upon the hay. “Mornin’ pardner,” said he feebly, as I stood before him scratched apd bruised and wet to the skin, though otherwise all right. “An’ yer actually alive yet, aint ye, b’ gosh!” “Where’s the woman, Jonas,” said I, wrapping a horse blanket round my shivering body. “O, I guess she’s blowed clean away. Leastways, I’ve seen nor heard nothin’ of her.” “Well, I’ll go and hunt over the fields, and see if she can be found,” said I, preparing to go. Before I started, however, Jonas, who noticed me shivering in my wet clothes, whispered slyly in my ear: “Wouldn’t suthin’ hot taste pooty good this mornin’, pardner?” “It would indeed, ” replied I, instantly on the alert, “but where’s it to be had?” “I’ll tell ye, pardner,” he went on cautiously. “Ye see as we’ve been blowed up together in this here storm, and as we’ve come out’n together, I’m blest if I let ye start out this mornin’ a huntin’ up the missis without yer wettin’ yer whistle a little afore ye go. But don’t ye tell a livin’ soul —here ’tis.” "With that he pawed away the hay in one of the mangers, and there lay a good sized demijohn. Well, I took a pull at the contents, of course. “It’s the clear quill,” said I coolly. “Do you know where it’s made ?” Jonas laughed a queer 1 ttle laugh. “Now, look here,” said he, earnestly, “In course I know where that stuff is made. An’ since we’ve been pardners in misfortin,’ I don’t mind takin’ ye in pardner in prosperity. ” And he pulled away more of the hay —disclosing what looked like a plank wall at the back of the manger. “Ye open this here little door here,” suiting the ac-ion to the word. “An’ here’s the entrance to a cave. Right in here we make all the ‘budge’ them pesky revenue officers are a huntin’ for, but they’ll never catch on to this trap; never.” And he smiled a satisfied smile and pulled the hay back again into its place. For a moment I was staggered, but had sense enough left Ito conceal my exultation at the opportune discovery. “The boss’ll be back to-day,” continued Jonas, going on with his revelations. “He’s been off a puttin’ old Foxy on an old scent. Old Foxy, you know, is the fellow the Government has sent down here to run us under. The boss is hand and glove with him, and makes him think the moon’s made of green cheese, and all the time we’uns are laughing in our sleeves to see old FoXy fooled.” IS ow, “Foxy” meani< me. Instantly I saw through the duplicity that had been practiced upon me, and there and then vowed a speedy and sweet retribution . Under pretense of looking for the woman, I left Jonas and reconnoitered. The stable was built on a hill-side, and every detail had been so cleverly arranged that, but for Jonas’confession, the place would have passed the closest scrutiny without exciting the least suspicion. Luckily, I found my hostess still in the cellar, though more dead than alive, with fright, and getting her out of the debris that surrounded her, for the house had been completely demolished, I got on my horse and rode away to summon help. It is not to be supposed that grass grew to any very great height between my departure and my return. Luckily my men were stationed at no great distance off, and, rallying them together, we visited the scene of the storm. When I got back the owner of the place had just returned to what was left of Lis home. With his wife, he was surveying the ruins as I rode up and |ccosted him. It didn’t take me two seconds to recognize my quondam friend'and informant, and the recognition. was mutual, though he had no idea of what was in store for him.

: 5 •*$ 5 “You haven’t got those fellows yet?* said he. as I drew rein beside him. “No,” said I calmly, “but thanks to your hired man, I soon will have them,” and quicker than lightning my men gathered round him, and before he fairly realized what had happened we had the handcuffs on his wrists. Before going into the barn where the hired man still lay on the hay, I purposely put on my badge in a conspicuous place in order te watch the effect it would have upon him. His face was a sight to behold when his eyes first lighted on that tell-tale star. He gasped a little, then he raised partlv up on his elbow, and shaking his fist at me, growled out: “So ye was a blamed officer all the time, was ye? Durn yer picter, I’d hev torn yer livers out’h yer carcass es I’d suspected such .a thing last night when ye was playin’ checkers with me. Missis was right; she wanted to send you off on yer business, an’ now I wish I’d a let her done it; I do; b’ gosh !* We seized ten barrels of whisky and all the various accouterments with which they made it, and not only sent the two offenders to prison, but captured more of the gang shortly after, effectually putting a stop to illicitdistilling in that section of the country. — Chicago Ledger.