Show rT A TALE OF CIVIL STRIfE tt I r fr RANDALL T r I E CD RHODES r r 0 I. I t SYNOPSIS 2 2 t. t Confederate Sergeant Wyatt of or the r Staunton artillery Is la sent Bent as ae a spy to his Ma native county on the Green Briar by y General Gen Gen- eral erat Jackson Wyatt meets a mountaineer 0 I named Jem TaYI Taylor J fi CHAPTER II Continued II r Things has changed sum since i then Nobody lives ter hum bum eny more I Its It's sure hell In Green Briar these I flays somebody flays somebody is gettin kilt every t t day er two The cusses cusse travel In I i gangs an an from one i 1 3 end o 0 the county to the other He Ile Ie s spoke in an even drawling voice with with- not the slightest show of emotion as as M though telling an an ordinary bit of ot M n news ws D D d d If it I 1 know wh which ch outfit is the the the us the Yanks or the i 4 Which are you ou with 1 Who me He paused in his bolting bolt bolt- 7 JD Ing of ot food tood and gave vent to an unpleasant unpleasant unpleasant un- un pleasant laugh I rather reckon It Itz It z would puzzle the Lord Almighty t ter r i find that out I dont don't give a a whoop for fey neither of em Im I'm fer ter ol of Jem Taylor an it keeps keeps- me busy tending ter his affairs without bothern both both- erin ern bout no government 2 Then your name is Taylor I 1 j reckon It h has been for bo bout t sixty y years years a slew o 0 Taylors over along Buffalo Duffalo crick an an som of em emT emare 7 T are Yanks an a parcel of ot em are arek k but they dont don't git ol of Jem t ter r take nary side At that Im I'm gittin all the I hanker arter Naturally Im I'm a peaceful critter If It th cusses let me alone Quieted down some over ver there lately lately late late- ly hasn't it 11 Huh a 0 o 0 blue bluecoats bluecoats blue blue- coats at Lewisburg an a few cavalrymen cavalry cavalry- Id- Id men ridin ther titer pikes Dont Don't amount l ter a hill bill o 0 beans a as f fer ter r as the they ther boys f 1 are fe concerned All they tiley got ter do is go b further back fn m the hills an be a ti Obit bit more I reckon young i man man yell find plenty o 0 deviltry going It- It on in Green Briar If It ye ever ver git out that away Wal Wai thet's all that thaI is fer ferr ferus e r 1 us ter eat an Im I'm goin ter take la a snooze i He closed the door fast fastening it ser securely sei se se- se- se i r with a wooden bar and p stretched himself out on the floor The room was dark as as the only window wIndow win wIn- dow dozy was tightly boarded up and using r my bundle for tor a pillow I I lay d down wn also In a short short- time his heavy Y i breathing was evidence enough that r Tayl Taylor r slept Sl Slowly my heavy eyes closed and I lost consciousness t The sun was below the the- mountain T ridge when the heavy heavy band and of the old F i mountaineer shook me Into sudden r wakefulness With nothing left to eat we were not long In preparing for a departure I J endeavoring vainly to get my silent companion to converse bet bet being be be- t t ing rewarded merely by grumbled and evasive answers Finally I desisted yin in the attempt content to follow his hisS hist S 'S t 1 lead Taylor astride his sorrel with gun guu resting grimly across his knees y rode straight through the brush away 4 from the piker pike down the valley of a a aS a'S S small stream In crossing the horses drank their fill How about the valley road I asked as we wa climbed the oPI opposite bank r 1 The leader glanced back at meThis me This yere way Is an an a darn k t t sight Bight mor quiet he answered gruffly r- r Soldiers been marching over the pike all day Mout be all right fer yer if It t got a pass pass but but I aint got none Well We'll hev hey good nough ridin in bout bouta a mile mor You are aiming for the off cut I be yer be-yer yer do kno of this 14 yere I reckon but got more than eny Cowan 1 c ever wever hooked up with afore Yer dont don't I talk none like folks t I drew a quick breath sensing the y return of ot suspicion s true I admitted readily Y You u see I 1 went t to school at Covington Coving Coving- t- t ton ton they were going to make a preacher out of me Taylor stared into my face race his vague suspicion seemingly gone F Well Ill I'll be d d-d-a d d a preacher He rode on into the dusk chuckling and I followed smiling to myself glad that the mans man's good humor had bad been beens f s so easily restored We were fed at a hut but back in the f foothills where an old couple the man lame were glad enough to exchange their poor food tood for the late news from L i F the army in which they had a son SOil l Then we rode steadily to the south fA w When hen dawn came we were to the west 2 of of Waynesboro in broken country and andall all all- through those long night hours i scarcely a word had been exchanged f t between us We camped finally In the 5 1 bend of ot a small stream where high highbanks I t I banks concealed us from observation There was little to eat In our pur haver- haver t. t sacks but we munched what h t we had and land Taylor his eyes on the horses S broke the silence I reckon the critters d dont don't nt need r moren a couple hours' hours rest be ho said r II They aint been rid hard an anIm ant t 1 Im I'm fer ter gittin through the the- gap durin 1 daylight the daylight the road aint overly good Just now r Across the mountains Is there therea theres a a s gap here Ther road ter Hot Springs Spring Is bout two miles below yer yen I 1 cum over it r t ten days ago an an I 1 reckon I kin find my way back its it's bout forty miles frum trum than ter Lewisburg mostly hills hille but a good trail I 1 know folks et Hot Springs who will take good keer keen o 0 us ond we git than We rested neither sound asleep for tOI nearly three hours Whatever Whatever What What- ever might be in r Taylors Taylor's mind the lonely night had brought to me a new thought relative to my companion The fellow tellow was evasive and once he had frankly lied in seeking to explain his presence presen e- e ein in the valley and the reason reason rea rea- rea son for his secrecy of movement By Dy Dynow now we were d decidedly at cross pun poses each vigilantly watching the theother other Taylor other Taylor In doubt as to what the bundle co contained t which I 1 never ever permitted permitted per per- er mUted out of my grasp grasp and myself a as de deeply ply J interested in gaining possession possession posses posses- sion slon of ot a packet Q of or papers a a. glimpse of which I 1 had caught t in an Inside pocket of the mountaineers mountaineer's coat His mission whatever it might be was secret secret secret se- se cret and dangerous Of this his cea ceaseless ceaseless cease cease- e. e less vigilance was proof The light of a a dying day day still clung to the sky when our wearied horses bore us into the village of Hot Springs It was like a deserted hamlet hamlet hamlet ham ham- let- let f few feu w houses appearing Inhabited d and anil the tho shop windows boarded up Taylor glancing neither to right or left rode straight down the m main ln street and turned onto a pike road leading to the left A mile beyond aframe a aframe aframe frame house painted white white barely barely visible visible vis vis- vis- vis l ible le through the deepening dusk stood In a grove of oaks The mountaineer moun r turn turned d up the broad driveway and dismounted before the closed door Almost at th the same saine moment the portal opened slightly and and a black face peered out r. r CHAPTER III r r- r The Body on the Floor Taylor stood at the foot ot of the steps p pausing in uncertainty Is Is that you Sam Is Mister Harwood Harwood Har- Har wood yere 1 1 I insensibly straightened in my sad sad- dle dIe Harwood What Harwood I wondered wondered surely surely not Major Harwood of Lewisburg my fathers father's old friend What hat was was it I I had heard about him hima a few months ago Wasn't it a rumor that he was on General Ramsays Ramsay's staff And the daughter Noreen daughter Noreen whatever had b become of of her There was was an instants instant's vision before me of laughing eyes and wind-blown wind hair a galloping horse and the and the wave of a challenging hand She had thus swept by me on the road as I 1 took my mother moth moth- er southward I dont don't peer fer to recollect no such name sah sab replied the negro scratching scratchIng scratch scratch- Ing his wool thoughtfully I 1 done reckon as how you got the wrong house No o I reckon not not said the other Git long in an tell him Jem Taylor Is yere yore yere The door opened wider I 1 know you now sah Just step right long In the both of yer Ill I'll look after them horses You'll fin Massa Harwood in the dinin room sah sab I followed the mountaineer up the steps and into the hall utterly Y 1 r I t I 4 F Ft t I Followed the Mountaineer Up the I Steps and Into the Hall ferent as to whether my company was desired or not It was not yet yel dark but a lamp burned on a nearby table and a cheerful fire glowed at the farther far ther then end But a a brighter glow of or light streamed from a room beyond and determined to miss nothing I was so close behind Taylor that my quick eyes caught what I 1 believed to be a swift signal of or warn warning ng to the man within This however was an Im born from my own suspicion rather than any real movement for Taylor Talor took but a single step across the threshold and stopped leaning on his gun The single occupant sat nt up upright upright up- up right before him the remnants of or a alight alight alight light repast his hand toying with a and his bis eyes shifting from Tay I lors lor's face to my own He lie was heavily built and broad of shoulder The face tace would have been hard but buttor for tor a gleam of ot good humor in the eyes and the softening effect of gray grayhair grayhair grayhair hair and a gray mustache The man had aged greatly yet et I 1 recognized him instantly my heart throbbing with the possibility that I 1 also might be re re- re- re Yet surely there was no gleam of ot recollection In the eyes that thai surveyed me and me-and and why should there be 1 1 h had d been an uninteresting lad ladof ladof of ot fifteen when we last met This knowledge gave me courage to meet that s searching arching glance and to lift my hand in Inthe the salute due due to an officer of ot rank Ah Ahi said Harwood in In deep voice a soldier from the valley Yes sir respectfully the Sixty Sixty- fifth Virginia How does it happen you wear artillery artillery artillery ar ar- tillery uniform Expecting the question I answered unhesitatingly lost so many gunners some of ot us were detailed to help Recruits are coming in now What was your battery battery Staunton Horse orse artillery sir Stationed At Front Royal that Royal that was as our winter win ter camp He nodded tapping his spoon against the table favorably impressed I by my prompt replies His keen eyes j s sought the face ot of the silent moun You know this roan man man Taylor Wal Wai I cant can't exactly say thet 1 I dew major he said shift shifting ing his feet uneasily He says hes he's a Cowan frum over on Buffalo crick A Cowan you Cowan-you you mean mean mean- No he dont don't claim ter be none o 0 ool ol of Neds Ned's brood his brood his mars mar's a woman They aint no kin I 1 reckon Whatever thoughts might have been In Major Harwoods Harwood's mind were concealed concealed concealed con con- by an impassive face as he sat there for a moment in silence gazing at the two of usNo usNo usNo us No doubt you did what you believed believed be be- to be best Taylor he said at last quietly We will wUl talk it over later You are both hungry enough to eat I 1 suppose Draw up some soma chairs and Sam will wUl find something No objection to remaining here overnight overnight over overnight night Cowan Id be glad to get on sir but my horse horle is about used up The roads The roads have been hard and we have traveled rap rapidly Well there is plenty of bf room and you are welcome This house he ex ex- explained explained explained belongs to a friend of mine who had to leave the country too country too Yankee for his neighbors I 1 find It rather convenient at times Ah Sam that rasher of bacon looks prime prime Ill Ill I'll try some myself The three of us us' us talked upon many subjects although Taylor said little except when directly addressed and andI I noted that few references were made mad to the war That Harwood was in the Federal service I lad had no doubt although he was not in uniform and if ft this was true then it must be also a fact that Taylor was a Union spy The meeting here had not been by chance although a mystery involved tho hidden reason why I a known Confederate soldier had been encouraged encouraged encouraged aged to accompany the mountaineer to this secret rendezvous At last the meal ended and the major pushed back his chair and motioned Sam to clear the table You two men are tired out he said genially and you had better turn in inand inand i and get a good nights night's sleep Well We'll I all all- of ot us ride on into Green Briar to to- morrow Ill I'll talk with you a minute Taylor In the parlor before you go but Cowan does not need to wait walt Help yourselves s to the tobacco Oh Sam show this soldier up to the back bedroom bedroom bed bed- room and see he has everything he needs It was clearly apparent that Har liar wood desired a private word with Taylor Taylor Tay Tay- lor for and so after deliberately fi filling lIng my pipe 1 I rose to my feet stretching sleepily The black returned with a small lamp in his hand and led the way up the broad stairs A moment later I 1 was left alone In small a-small room at the end of or the upper hall ball with one window so heavily curtained as probably probably ably to render the light invisible from without The door was securely latched but there thue was no lock Then I was not being held a prisoner After some minutes I 1 extinguished the light and looked out of the window window win win- dow It was quite a drop though not necessarily a dangerous one to the ground Those dim outlines of buildIngs build build- buildings Ings were probably the stables where I would find my horse With no guards the trick of or getting away unobserved would be easy enough and I knew the oad sufficiently well to follow it safe sate I But I desired to learn first what hese two men were actually up to Such information might prove more Important than my investigations in Green Briar I stole across to the door and opened it noiselessly There was no one visible in the upper hall and leaned over the stair rail raU gazing down and listening A light still sUIl burned within the dining room but here was ho no sound of or voices or of or The silence continued and I beg began n io m cautiously steal passage down the carpeted stairs crouching well back against the side wall Little by little I was able to peer In through the open door door Hie chairs were vacant there was no one there The gleam of or the lamp revealed a deserted room tho the table still Uttered littered with dishes Wh What t thad had become then of Harwood and Taylor Were yere they sitting beyond In Inthe Inthe n the darkened parlor I crept to the half closed half door The room was black and silent although I could perceive dimly the outlines of or furniture Something Something some some vague sense of ot mystery of danger gripped me I felt a strange choking in the throat and reached for the revolver at my belt It was not there the l leather ather holder was empty My Iy first sensation was fear tear a belief bellet I was the victim of ot treachery Then it occurred to my mind that the weapon might have fallen tallen from the open holster as I rested rested rested rest rest- ed on the bed bed bed-a a mere ac accident At least I would learn the truth of that dark room I 1 stepped within circled the overturned chair and a groping foot encountered something lying on the floor I bent down and touched it |