Piedmont High School - Tris Yearbook (Piedmont, WV)

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Well, Brent, I'm sending you on the same journey. Be careful 'and whatever you do, do your best to get Carrey, who has flaunted his eolors in the face of the State Police. I almost hate to send you, just another good man lost, I guess. But will you go? Just what time do I have, Captain ? Leave to-night, take the best horse we have. Yes, sir, answered Brent. The Sergeant was gone. Two hours later amid the darkness, a lone rider, heavily armed, sat astride a honse reeking with sweat. At the Gap he stopped and gazed u.p at the walls at the entrance to Little Kentucky. High above him were stretchel cliffs studded with pines and having a height of two thousand feet. At the bottom was the river. The Potomac stretched across the ravine and thundered along over boulders that had dropped from the cliff. The man decided to camp for the night and after watering his horse he slept. When he awoke dawn was breaking in the East. Rays of sunlight splashed between the walls, giving one a picture of a miniature Col-orado. After a hasty breakfast, Brent mounted his horse and rode slowly through the Gap and entered Smoke Hoie, the country of lawlessness, murder and treachery. Twenty miles up the river he gazed at a distant mountain. There on a jagged precripice almost impossible to reach, he recognized from descriptions the cabin of Carey, nestling like one sign of civilization in an almost total wilderness. He rode on to the base of the cliff and up the nar- row trail toward the cabin. Well he knew that the trail would be guarded. A hundred yards farther on and roundinlg a .rock he saw three typical moun- taineers, rough, unshaven and with guns packed low like the hardened gun- fighter. At the present time they sat smoking peacefully and were none the less more cool when they found them-selves looking into the barrel of mam automatic controlled by Sergeant Brent, of the State Police. Well, gentlemen, this is sure some surprise, said Brent, becoming absorbed in tying the hands of his captives. It was while he was i'n the act of doing this that he gazed at the faces off the men. He noticed that one of them was young and looked intelligent. He then jumped :back in amaze- ment. Through a month's growth of whiskers he recognized his brotiher officer, Cole. Why was Cole here? Into Brent's min-d there worked a thought. Was Cole a partner? Say, you, he called to Cole, are you a moonshiner ? Cole looked astonished. Then realizing his fate if he were ever cap- tured, his arm moved back. Brent understood and almost to-gether two shots boomed and Cole, trying tio work the mechanism of his gun, sank to the earth with the droop that said in itself that he had betrayed for the last time. The other two men stared :at Brent in open-mouthed wonder. Even in their present none too comfortable situation, they looked pleased et his quick draw. Page ninety

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bulluqup uf the waste Basket I am the waste basket. I have my trials and tribulations during the school year. I live in the corner near the stage in the assembly hall. My only brother lives in the same room but far away from me. I have two sis- ters and two cousins who live in other rooms. Each afternoon we meet in the hfall and gossip while the janitor makes his rounds. I contain 'most everything, from apple cores to broken string, just an old trash basket, that's all. They fill me up with everything they don't want and when they get mrad they just knock and kick me here, there and everywhere. They come to me with all their troubles and I give what lit- tle comfort I can. Herbert Mullan makes a target out of me when he's shooting spit balls. 'Guess he doesn't realize how it hurts and burns my checks. Why sometimes it almost makes me cry. My cousin who lives in Mr. Denny's room says he is just treated outrageously and he says that they have no respect for age whatsoever. They lbang their feet into his sides until he feels like all his ribs are broken. Especially when Adolph Ab- ramsonis number elevens are jammed into him. Oh! it's a hard life we fam- ily of waste 'baskets live. Now, my sister who lives in Miss Burnworth's room hzas a comparative- ly easy time of it. She was always a frail girl so I ann glad she is so for- tuneate. My other sister also has it easy, but then, we men folks can stand lots more than the women folks. Say, I have a cousin who lives in Mr. Rhodes' room who is so stuck up she can hardly walk stnaight. Just because all the English classes are held in this room and her education is a bit higher than ours. My sakes, you should hear her quote Macbeth and Caesar, She can run 'em like I can movie stars. She is so refined and dignified and gee, but she's polished, the only one in the family tho'. I want peace but I dare not ask for it 'cause I'm just an old waste bask- et. The Qiapture uf vial Qiarzp Sergeant Brent came to attention as he entered the oaptain's quarters and looked askanoe as to the reasons assigned for his summons before the higher officer. The captain, busy writing, contfinued until he had finished the report and then turned and gazed at Sergeant Brent. Brent, you remember Cole? The Sergeant assented, well he remem- bered the camp's best horseman and gunman who had been sent into that wild, almost impenetrable portion of West Virginia to bring back with him Cal Carey, noted moonshiner an-d leader of the famous band that had vow- ed that no officer would enter their vicinity and come out again alive. Page eighty-nine I .hllffaa

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.5-,V ...set f- -ar f .:,.ru,fw I Brent was faastonished when behind him a voice drawled, Dovin' right smart mischief, ain't you stranger? Wal, I reckon you ain't the first that has tried it. There's Cole, he liked the looks of moonshine money, some- Uimes blood money. Yo-u're different. You w-ant me? I'm Cal Carey. Both men drew their guns and fired. Carey staggered, fell. Brent reeled, and for a moment things went black. His arm pained him. Somewhere in the bone ia. bullet had lodged. The next morning he buried his brother officer, the traitor. Carey, now pale in death, was laying alcross the saddle, while in front wlailked the two captives. Toward noon the door was opened that led into the captiarin's quarters and a man, weary and tired, entered. The oaptain looked upon Brent as one back from the dead. Then he heard the whole story and the next day the papers contained the headline: Cal Carey, moonshiiner and murderer, slain by Sergeant Brent, of the State Police. Cole was partner of moonshinerf' Brent broke the byword, That they never came out alive. ENID OURS '24 619112 Ulftlseirs Eiarp nf a Qllullie Bug. Mon-day. Got up with the roosters. Had breakflast consisting of a bone and some gravy with potatoes. After scratchling some bothersome fleas I set off for an adventure. Didn't have -any adventures so I returned home. Arrived home to find a big bowl of soup for my supper. Made short work of it as I hadn't any dinner. Went to bed early for I felt sleepy. Had pleasant dreams of eating lollypops and dishes of ice cream. Tuesday. Woke up with rain pattering on the kennel roof. Took the time to eat a breakfast of three dog biscuits and then went back to bed. Waking at supper time I drank a quart of butter milk and then ate a bone. Sky cleared up that night with a beautiful moon. Stayed out late playing poker with some friends. Went to bed busted and disgusted. Dreamed of playing poker wirth the devil to decide whether I should shovel coal or not. Awoke just as he was reaching for me and I swore I would never play pok- er again. Wednesday. Had a breakfast of butter milk. .Must be making a lot of butter at the house. Had made arrangements the night before with some of my friends to go on a hunting trip. Left with the other dogs for the woods. Jumped ia. rabbit and killed it for dinner. Returned home to find a good supper on the door sill. It was a big pan of potatoes. Went to bed early and had pleasant dreams. Page ninety-one