Ralph Grangers Fortunes | Page 9

obeyed, somewhat puzzled and decidedly alarmed. The
men--there were two of them--drew something over their faces, then
ordered the boy to advance.
He did so, and on drawing near saw that they now wore masks, and had

long sacks swung over their shoulders, with a load of some kind in
either end. When he saw the masks and the bags Ralph understood at
once what their business was.
"Who are you?" demanded one of the men, and the lad could see that
he held a pistol in one hand. "No lyin', now!"
"My name is Granger, and I'm from over on Hiawassee River way.
Want to get down into the low country. Got lost; stayed in a shack
while it rained, and--here I am."
"Be you a son of old Bras Granger?"
"No; grandson."
The two whispered together a moment, then one of them said:
"I reckon you're all right, boy. 'Taint wuth while to ast our names,
'cause d'ye see--we wouldn't tell."
"You'd be fools if you did," returned Ralph, his self confidence now
fully restored. "I ain't a wanting to know who you are. I know already
what you are."
"How's that?" came sharply back, and an ominous click was heard,
which, however, did not seem to alarm Ralph.
"Moonshiners," said the boy briefly. "Haven't I been raised among 'em?
I've got kin folks as stills regular, I'm sorry to say."
"Sorry! Ain't it a good trade?"
"Not when it lands you inside of some dirty jail. Besides, I don't like
the stuff, anyhow."
"No use to offer you a dram then?"
"Not a bit. But I say, if you'll let me go on with you till we get down
where there's some houses, I'll think more of that than if you gave me a

barrel of whisky."
"We're on our way back. We're goin' up the mountain. But you foller
this trail for about a mile, then take the first right hand turn. Follow that
'twel you come to an old field. T'other side of that you'll find the mud
pike as runs to Hendersonville. After that you'll find houses thick
enough. But where are you bound for after you get down there?"
"Oh, anywhere most. I'm after work."
Ralph concluded that he had better not be more explicit with strangers.
The moonshiners soon grew quite friendly and seemed a little hurt over
Ralph's persistence in declining a drink.
"I'm going out among strangers," he said, "and I've got to keep my head.
The best way to do that is to let the stuff entirely alone. Well, so long,
men. I'm mighty glad I met up with you."
He struck out down the trail whistling merrily. Now that he was on the
right road again, and with a clear night before him, he felt far more
cheerful than before.
He found the old field without difficulty, and not far beyond he struck
the Hendersonville pike as the moonshiner had intimated.
Here the country was more open. Large fields, interspersed with
patches of woodland, were on either hand. Now and then he would pass
a cabin, his approach being heralded by the barking of dogs.
Once or twice large buildings came into view. These were the
residences of the more wealthy class of planters. Even in the dim
starlight, Ralph saw that they were larger than the log dwellings he was
accustomed to.
Finally the moon went down. He would have stopped at some house
and asked for shelter, but the hour was so late that he shrank from
disturbing strangers. The night was not uncomfortably cool and he was

getting further on.
Roosters began to crow. A few clouds glided athwart some of the
brightest stars and he found difficulty in traveling.
Just beyond some buildings he stumbled over something hard and
immovable. As he picked himself up, his hand came in contact with
cold steel.
Peering closely he saw two long lines running parallel as far as he
could distinguish on either hand. He found that they were of iron or
steel and rested on wooden supporters, half buried in the earth.
"Dinged if this ain't queer!" he thought. "Let me see. I wonder if this
ain't one of them railroads I've heard folks tell about. They say it'll
carry you as far in one hour as a man'll walk all day."
Pondering over this, to him, puzzling celerity of motion, he groped his
way along the track to where it broadened out into a switch.
"Reckon this one must run somewhere else," thought Ralph, when he
suddenly detected a large dark object ahead. "What's that, I wonder.
Guess I'll look into that. Seeing I'm getting into a strange country it
won't do to be too careless."
Going slowly forward, he walked completely round the unknown affair,
which he