A TALE Of CIVIL STRIFE
RANDALL PAPPIStl "'T
miSTPATIONS &-CD P110DE5
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SYNOPSIS,
CHAPTER I—Confederate Serge*? nt
Wyatt of the Staunton artillery is sent .
as a spy to his native county on the Green *
Briar by General Jacason.
CHAPTER II—Wyatt meets a moun
taineer named Jem Taylor, with whom lie
rides to a house beyond Hot Springs.
CHAPTER III—In the house Wyatt and
Taylor meet Major Harwood, father of
Moreen and an old neighbor of Wyatt,
rwho is sent to bed while the two other
men talk. Wyatt becomes suspicious, and
finds that Taylor has murdered Harwood
and escaped.
CHAPTER IV—Wyatt changes to the
L. S. cavalry uniform he lias with him.
and rides away in the night, running into
a detachment of Federal cavalry, to
whom he identifies himself as Lieutenant
Raymond, Third U. H. cavalry, by means
of papers wdth which he has been pro
vided. Captain Fox finds Harwood’s body
and follows Taylor's trail.
CHAPTER V—Fox and Wyatt believe
Taylor to be old Ned Cowan. The de
ta< hment is ambushed. Wyatt escapes to
the Green Briar country and goes to liar
wood's apparently deserted home.
CHAPTER VI—Wyatt finds Noreen
Harwood alone in her home. She does
not recognize him. and he introduces him
self as Lieutenant Raymond.
CHAPTER VII—Parson Nichols come?
to the house and tells Noreen of her fa
ther’s death.
CHAPTER VTIT—Wyatt forces Parson
Nichols to confess that he has been sent
In advance of Anse Cowan, who proposes
to marry Noreen at once, and so quiet
title to the land in dispute between the
Cowans and Noreen's dead father.
CHAPTER IX—Anse Cowan and Ids
gang arrive and find the preacher bound
in a closet. Wyatt and Noreen have con
cealed themselves in the attic.
CHAPTER X—The Cowan gang ran
sacks the house but falls to find the hid
den couple. Wyatt tells Noreen who lie is.
CHAPTER XT Wyatt and Noreen re
turn to the second floor and await the
next move of the gang, forcing the
preacher to silence.
CHAPTER XIT—Unable to escape while
the gang is on the first floor and around
the house. Wyatt proposes to marry
Noreen to protect her from Cowan. She
accepts an<l Wyatt forces the preacher to
marry them.
CHAPTER XTTT—Cowan’s gang Is driv
en off by Federal troops, one of whose
Officer* Is the real Lieutenant Raymond.
Wyatt is trapped, though Noreen attempts
to defend him.
CHAPTER X TV—Wyatt Is taken to
Lewisburg for trial as a spy.
CHAPTER XV-The camp commandant
and Captain Fox visit Wyatt In Ills cell
In the courthouse basement. He refuses
clemency in return for information, and
uses his boyhood’s knowledge of the build
ing to prepare a way of escape.
CHAPTER XVI—Captain Fox again
visits Wyatt, and tells him that Noreen
has interceded for him unsuccessfully, and
that Ravmond Jealous, Is pushing the
cast* against him.
CHAPTER XVII—Wyatt escapes to the
attic and thence to the sheriff’s office by
means of a disused, old-fashioned chim
ney, washes off the soot and changes
clothes in the dwerted washroom, and re
connoiters.
CHAPTER XVIII—Wyatt surprises
Raymond and his camp commandant,
holds them up, and with the aid of Nor
een, gets out of headquarters room in
the courthouse.
CHAPTER XIX Wyatt and Noreen
win clear of the courthouse and Noreen
decides to accompany him in his flight.
CHAPTER XX-Wyatt and Noreen ob
tain horses and escape from Lewisburg.
CHAPTER X X I—They meet old Ned
Cowan in a deserted d&bin. and in a fight
Cowan is killed.
"If they meet, ami there is~ an ex
planation—yes. Cowan doesn't rare
which side he fights on, so he gains
his end, and the cavalry commander
will welcome any re-enforcements.
They might quarrel later over results,
but now they possess a common ob
ject, and will be like two peas In a
pod. Do as you please, Harwood, but
I am not under your command, and, if
you choose to remain here, we will
ride on alone. Will you go with me,
Noreen?”
She had not spoken, and in the fast
increasing gloom I could scarcely dis
tinguish her presence. Hut at my di
rect question she took a step toward
me, and I felt the presence of her
hand on my sleeve.
"Yes,” she. said simply, "whenever
you think best. Cousin,” she added,
glancing across her shoulder at the
perplexed officer, "I would like you to
come too.”
He laughed, wheeling about in sud
den decision.
“I reckon I might as well.” he ad
mitted good-humoredly. “Wharton,
have the pickets drawn In. and the
men mustered. “We’ll start—Great
God! What is that?”
It was the sound of a scattered vol
ley, the pieces not all of the same
caliber, the reports ringing clear. In
the instant of silence which followed
a voice railed down .excitedly from
the tower:
“There is firing to the east, sir.”
Harwood swore as he strode across
to the nearest window on that side.
Except for a faint tinge of light in
the west, and a half moon in the
southern sky, we were enveloped in
darkness, but we all of us heard the
sounds of hoofs and the approaching
rumble of wagon wheels. Harwood
turned and fated inward.
“it's the forage train, boys,” he said
sharply, “with a bunch of cavalry rid
ing ahead. Get to the windows, but
be quiet about it—you know the or
ders. Wharton, have the men load;
come with me, Wyatt, where we can
see out in front.”
Noreen clung to me as I groped my
way through the narrow door into the
vestibule. _„
CHAPTER XXIV.
The Trap Closes.
The lieutenant's fingers gripped my
shoulder.
"By the Lord Harry, the fellows
make noise enough for an army,” he
whispered. ”1 reckon they are all
there.”
“No doubt of it—how is your am
munition?”
“Sixty rounds to a man,” he
chuckled. "It will cost them some
thing to get through these log walls
Still, we haven’t much chance in the
end,” he added thoughtfully, "for
they’re bound to get us. Generally
l pray for a fight, but now I hope
those Yanks will be kind enough to
ride by.”
“And so do I,” I answered soberly,
feeling the quick pressure of Noreen’s*
fingers. "There they come, Harwood—
see! two horsemen ahead.”
They were merely black shadows
outlined against the white road, but
as they drew somewhat closer the
moonlight gave them substance. One
was slender, sitting straight in the
saddle, but the other slouched awk
wardly over his pommel, a larger,
more shapeless figure. In the distance,
down the sharp slope of the hill, ap
peared the deeper shadow of an ad
vancing column of mounted men. The
only sound was the impntieni pawing
of a horse's hoof and Moreen's wins
per in my ear:
“The—the bigger one is Anse
Cowan.”
“And the other Raymond,” I re
turned in the same low tone. "The
two have apparently got together.”
“It looks mighty odd to me,” said
a voice suddenly, clearly audible
through the night, “that fellow being
in lteb uniform. What could he be
doing here?”
“A scout, I reckon,” grumbled a
reply, barely distinguishable. “Just a
stray we run into, but it mout be
best ter take a look along this yere
ridge afore we ride on.”
“All right,” asserted the other. “I’ll
wait here until Fox and Moran come
up. Let some of your men ride back
as far as those woods over yonder;
“He Has Told You the Truth,” She An
swered Quietly.
and say. it wouldn't do any harm to
take a look inside the church. You
didn't stop corning out?”
"Naw; we didn’t stop for nothin’.
We thought the way you fellers was
a-ridin’ yer hed a hot trail, an’ so
we rode like hell ter git in at the
death. ’Tain’t likely thar's enyone in
side the meetin’ house, but 1 reckon
we may as well be sure as long as
we're here. No damn fool would hide
this close ter the pike. That you,
Kelly?”
There was a meaningless growl
from an advancing group of horsemen,
and Anse swore, spurring his horse
forward to meet them.
“By Clod, Kelly? I’ve had enough of
your damned grouch. Either you’ll do
as I say, or I'll cave the side of your
head in, and have done with it. I’ve
had enough, do you hear? 1 reckon
I’m just as interested in overhaulin’
that cuss as you are. Now you obey
my orders, an’ be quick about it:
give me another line of back talk, you
Irish bastard, an’ I’ll blow the whole
top of your head off! You're what?
Joking! Well, let up on that kind,
will you? I'm in no humor for it.
Take three or four men, and ride over
the ridge, back as far as the rock.
The sojers are goin' ter halt yere a
minute.”
Kelly and his little squad trotted
past us, circling the end of the
building, the remainder of the group
of horsemen, evidently composed of
Cowan's gang of cutthroats, scattering
along the roadside, with no semblance
of military discipline. Raymond
touched spur to his horse’s flanks, and
went trotting hack cio-vu the. road, as
though intending to intercept the ad
vancing column, which was not yet
visible. Cowan looked after him with
a sneer.
“The d-d dandy,” he growled to a
man jus* behind, gesturing with one
hand. “i don’t take orders from
nothin’ iike that. Wahid you, Jein?’’
“I should say not.” responded the
other, spitting into the road. “What
ever got us tied up yere with these
Yankees, Anse, enyhow? I done
thought as how we wus fightln’ against
I the blue-bellies a bit ago; an’ now
we’re as thick as two fleas. Did yer
git yer price?”
Cowan laughed grimly.
“Thar ain't no occasion fer yer ter
worry, Jem,” he confided, evidently
willing the others close about should
hear. “We ain’t tied up with no
Yanks, ’cept for maybe a few hours
Hell! tbar wasn’t nothin’ else ter do,
but be friendly. Thar wus thirty o’ us
runnin’ kerbump inter thet bunch o’ !
I cavalrymen, with ther wagon train
a-comin’ a hundred yards away.
“We weren’t in no shape fer ter
fight about a hundred an’ fiity sojers.
I reckon, tho’, we’d a bad to if that
i young popinjay lied been in com
| .tiand. He ain’t got the sense of a
| tlried louse. Eut Cap Fox, he rode
out, an’ we sorter talked it over. He
don’t feel very blame kind toward me
j since our fracas totlier night, but he’s
a sojer, an’ he knows what Ramsay
wants. Thets what I banked on, fer
I knew the gineral had give his orders
j te» use every means possible ter git
| us ter h»lp out the Yanks. So I just
J up i n’ told ther cap thet we wus out
i huntin’ fer tfier same feller he wus;
i thet my father had been killed, an’
: I reckoned the Reb spy did it, an’
; tnet fruin now on we wus goin’ fer
; ter fight on their side. I don’t reckon
as how he believed much o’ what 1
sed, but all ther same, he had ter
pretend he did, an’ let us go ’long
without no fightin’. So he done sent
us on ahead, an’ sent thet young snip
along fer ter watch me. Thet s the
how it happened."
“I see, an' termorrer we leaves them
holdin’ the hag—Hulif), Arise! look
thar—it's Kelly eomin back, an', by
jinks! he's leadin’ t'vo bosses.”
Anse swung down to the ground,
and ran his hands over the animals,
lingering the equipment.
"Didn’t the lieutenant say thet the
spy an' the gurl got off on horses
hitched by the hotel?”
"1 didn't hear tell.”
“Well, I did; enyhow they wusn’t
army horses they took. By God! I be
lieve they're hidin’ now in that church
Here, you Kelly,” a new, exultant tone
in his voice, "scatter your men out
around tiler whol’ buildin’; we’ve
treed our game, 1 reckon.”
The guerrillas came forward on
foot, running, and scrambling up the
incline, but inclined to keep well back
from the silent church. Jem was clat
tering down the pike, the clang of
his horse's hoofs dying away in the
I distance. Harwood dropped his grip
! ping hand from oft my shoulder, and
stepped back from before the window.
“Sergeant.”
“Here, sir,” and Wharton moved j
slightly in the darkness, so as to sig
nify his whereabouts.”
“You attended to the door?”
“Yes, sir; we found an old iron bar
to fit across; they’ll have to crush in
the wood to get through.”
"Let Johnson and Mcllvaine join
me here; what is the name of that lad
I was going to recommend for cor
poral?”
‘‘O’Hare, sir; Jacob O’Hare.”
“Put him in command of the south
side, and you take the north; place
benches to stand on under the win
dows, but keep your men down until
1 you get the word. There is to be no
firing until 1 give the order. Tell
them they have got to fight for their
lives. You understand?”
“Yes. sir; we’ll do that, sir.”
"Then get to your stations. Now,
Wyatt, you command at the other
end; there are two windows and a
door. Here, take this gun and belt; I
can get another.” He stopped, and
drew in a quick breath glancing out
out again through the window.
“Friend Cowan—if that be his name
—seems to be waiting for the military
to come up." he commented mock
ingly. "Prefers to let the Yanks pull
i his chestnuts out of the fire. Perhaps
he has known you a long while—hey,
! Wyatt?”
“The acquaintance has been rather
brief, but warm.”
“No doubt; well. I’ll help make it
warmer presently.
"Fair cousin, I do not know where
to hide you in safety. This is going
to be a real fight, or I am greatly mis
taken, and bullets fly wild through the
dark.”
“If it is left to me,” she said qui
etly, “I prefer to go with Tom Wyatt.”
“But you do not understand,” 1
broke in hastily, my pulses throbbing
at her unexpected decision. “They
may attai k—”
“Oh, yes, the lady docs, Wyatt,"
chuckled the lieutenant, his reckless
good nature in no wise lost by the
desperation of our position. “She is
a Harwood, that's all. Hullo! here
comes the cavalry! Now, men, to
your posts—and stand up to the mu
sic.”
I caught her hand in mine.
“You—you mean that, Noreen?”
“Yes; do not refuse. I am not
afraid," she implored. “Take me with
you.”
We came to the platform, and felt
our way up the steps, it was darker
here, yet my eyes, accustomed to the
gloom, caught glimpse of crouching
figures beyond the pulpit. Outside,
sounding some distance away, Kelly's
sharp, penetrating voice shouted an
order, accompanied by an oath. One
of The kneeling figures' r\,se slowly uft- ’
til his eyes were even with the win
dow sill.
‘'Men,” I said quietly, barely loud
enough to reach their ears. “I am a
sergeant in the Staunton horse artil
lery. Your lieutenant has just as
signed me to take command at this
end of the church. How many are
there of you?"
“Ten sir,” answered the one near
est. after a pause, turning his head
slightly. “Three at each window, and
four at the door.”
“You have a prisoner, I understand."
He gave a muffled sound, as though
stilling an incipient laugh.
"Nuthin’ ter worry -bout; he's lyin’
over thar in the corner with Jack
Gold a-guardin' of him. I reckon the
cuss likes prayin' be ;* r ner fightin'
any day o’ ther week."
“All right.” I dropi>ed my voice to
a whisper. “Noreen, it will give us
an extra fighting man if you will keep
an eye on Nichols, and we’ll need
them all. I shall be less a coward if
I believe you out of danger.”
“A coward—you! Yes. of course, I
will go.”
1 stepped across the platform, hold
ing her arm.
“Gold, the lady will watch the pris
oner; you join the others at the door.”
He moved off, evidently glad enough
to be relieved, and I stood erect where
I could gaze out through the nearby
window into the moonlight night with
out. 1 hud a moment in which to
think, to gather my scattered wits to
gether, to face the situation. Behind
me the tramp of approaching horse
men sounded along the pika, the gruff
tone of an occasional voice, the < lang
of accoutrements. Then this noise
ceased, as the head of the cavalry col
umn came up to where Cowan and his
men waited. I could barely make out
the murmur of voices in explanation,
muffled by the sound of approaching
wheels, signifying the slower advance
of the guarded wagons. I heard no
orders given, yet the moonlight re
vealed more numerous figures in the
line stretching across th" open space.
“Thar's sojers out thar now, sir,"
whispered the man next tV.c* winccA ,
fingering his gun nervously, "a slew
®f ’em. Do yer know how many they
got?”
“Only to guess at it—a couple of
hundred altogether, 1 should say —
enough to make it interesting.”
I leaned forward, attracted by the
sight of two figures standing together
in the full gleam of the moon—Cowan
and Raymond. So they were to com
mand the rear attack, while Fox and 1
the infantryman remained out in
front.
“Have you counted the fellows out
there?” I asked.
“ ’Rout fifty, near as I kin make out;
they’re movin’ ’round some, an’ the
light is damned bad.”
“Then the main body is still in front, j
and that is where the fight will likely j
begin. Pass the word no firing until
you get the order.”
I stepped back, whispering a word
to Noreen as i passed, and took place
beside the pulpit, where I could see
and hear something of what was about
to transpire.
CHAPTER XXV.
We Drive Them.
It was silent enough within—not a
movement, not a sound. Outside therp
was scarcely any more noise audible—
the occasional pawing of a horse, a
distant thud of feet where some infan- j
trymen were being hurried into posi
tion. and now and then an indistinct
voice. The caution shown, the force
displayed about the church, surprised j
me. Surely no such effort would be
made merely because of a vague sus
picion that a man and girl might be
hidden within. The leaders all knew
that I was not likely to surrender w ith
out a fight, and that I was armed, yet
this could hardly account for such
preparation.
Cov.ld it be they really had a faint
glimmer of the truth—that they real
ized the possibility of a Confederate
raiding party in the neighborhood?
They had shot Harwood's picket, and
knew him to be a southern cavalry
man from the unlfojm he wore. This
might account for the display of force
with which they invested tl«a church
before demanding admission. No doubt
the heavy log walls looked formidable
and mysterious in the moonlight. But,
if they really suspected a garrison
within, why should their Hue be thus
extended, within easy musket shot of
the windows? The conclusion 1 arrived
at was that Fox made this open display
of force in the hope of avoiding blood
shed. He desired to capture instead
of kill, and wished abo A all else to
protect Norton from danger. If we
were alone within the church, escape
was clearly impossible, and the prob
ability strong that no resistance would
be attempted.
The silence, the long wait got upon
my nerves. I could see little, and the
few' sounds reaching my cars con
veyed no information of value. What
were those fellows doing? What could
cause their delay? The soldier behind
me was humming softly; a foot
scraped on the floor to the right; i
caught the soft swish of Noreen's
skirt as she changed position; the
moonbeams glimmered on a lifted rifle
barrel, there was all about a sup
pressed sound of breathing. Good
Lord! would they never move! What
could they possibly be doing out there?
A half dozen blows rang sharp on
the wood of the outer door. Not a
sound answered from within, although
I could feel the men straighten up and
sense the sharp intake of breath.
Again the blows crashed, as if struck
by the butt of a musket.
"Qi'cu. up in there]' roared 4 voice,
CREAM
along Powder
Sixty Years the Standard
HO ALUM
tSfl
bo muffled as to have no
familiar
“Thar’s Sojers Out Thar Now,’’ Whis
pered the Man Next to the Win
dow.
sound, ‘‘or we'll break down the door.
Come, Mr. Spy, we’s got you trapped."
“Sergeant Wyatt, the lieutenant
wants yer,” the whispered words
swept down the line of waiting men,
and I hurried forward. Harwood was
in the dark vestibule close beside the
big door.
hoard; he'll boar watching. Ah! our
friend the major has come to his
senses—look yonder! They are mov
ing hack out of range."
"Ay! and concentrating a heavier
body of men this way."
"Of course; the first assault will be
from the front. Tell Wharton to
spare me two or three more men, and
send a couple from your end. They may
make a rush from all directions, but
the real fight will be here; they are
going to try us out, that is certain."
I walked back to my station. The
line of men threatening this end of
the building had been drawn aside,
out of direct rifle range, and seemed
to be grouped opposite each corner,
and were so closely bunched together
as to make any estimate of their num
bers impossible. They were only
shai>eless shadows, with moonlight
gleaming from their weapons, and an
occasional voice breaking the ominous
silence. There remained nothing to
do but await their action, ready for
whatever might occur. 1 passed along
the wall from man to man, assuring
myself paeli was at his station, with
loaded weapon, and well filled car
tridge belt.
“The fight will begin in front." I
whispered, unable to distinguish facet,
"and no firing here until I give the
word.”
In the darker corner where the prls
I oner sat motionless against the log
j wall, my eyes could distinguish noth
ing.
Noreen.”
“Yes," and she stood up. "Couldn’t
you see me?"
“Not the faintest shadow. I—I
wanted to thank you for the choir#
you made."
“You mean my coming with you?
You are glad 1 did?”
“Yes, very glad,’ I said earnestly,
“for you are just as safe here, and—
and I would rather have you near me.
This may prove a desperate struggle;
we are terribly outnumbered—and—
and. well, you know, you—you trusted
yourself to me—you are under my pro
tection."
There was no answer; perhaps (
had said too much. Suddenly a volley
roared out, startling in the stillness—
a shout of command—the sharp bark
of carbines—then a grim, threatening
yelp of voices. One leap brought me
to the window, with gun barrel thrust
forward across the sill. The two black
shadows were breaking up in headlong
rush toward the door at the south
corner. I saw figures, not faces, a
gleaming of poised weapons, a huddle
of leaping bodies.
“Fire!" ! roared, my voice rising
above the hideous din. “Give it to
them!” and pulled trigger.
1 have no clear knowledge of what
followed—It was all so quickly over
with? a mere mad moment crowded
with vague glimpses, vanishing and
changing in the lurid light cf the
guns. The whole interior of the church
blazed and echoed, the smoke choking
us with its fumes, the noise stunning
cur ears. I heard the chug of bullets
flattening against the logs, smothered
oaths, the crash of an overturned
bench, a scream as shrill as a wom
an's. that made my heart leap, and
Harwood’s voice calling out the same
word again and again. But although
I heard all this, I hardly knew it, iny
whole thought riveted on those black
figures in front of me—those reckless
devils we had to kill or drive back.
And we did it! From every win
dow, from every hastily smashed pane
beside the door, we poured our fire_
the carbines spitting into the dark
their sharp barking Incessant. Bar
rels grew hot, the smoke drove back
choking into our faces, but we pulled
triggers, aiming as best we could in
the moongleam, now changed to a red
mist. They stopped; hung for a mo
ment motionless, the ground dotted
with the dead; then tried again. There
was a roar of musketry, the crack of
rifles; bullets chugged into the logs,
and came crashing through the win
dows. Glass showered upon 11s. and
the man next me went over like a log;
someone struck me across the face
with a bloody hand and a shot
tered the stock of my gun, numbing
my arm to the shoulder. I gripped
another weapon out of the stiffen
ing fingers of the nian on ,^le ^oor*
firing again blindly Into the smoke
cloud. For an Instant 1 could see
nothing but that white vapor tinged
with red and yellow flame; then some
breath of air swept It aside, and the
attackers were drifting back, running
aud utujchlint -*
‘‘That you, Wyatt?” he asked, uncer
tain as to my identity. “They are
tifter you, and have no idea anyone
else is here. You answer, and warn
them what they're up against. I don't
mind a fight, but am hardly ready to
fonimit murder.”
“I)o you hear ms in there, Wyatt?”
the gruff voice without called. "This
s your last chance; come, don't be a
tool. We know you are there, and
here couldn’t a rat get out and not
tie seen.”
“Who are you?” I asl;ed. ‘It* Cap
tain Fox there?”
“Y'es—here. Fox; the fellow wants
to talk with you.”
There was a sound of movement
without, the murmur of a word or
two spoken in subdued tones; then
Fox’s voice raised to carry through
the intervening wood.
“Sorry this hapens to be my job.
Wyatt,” be said. "For Miss Har
wood's sake ! hope you will not at
tempt to fight; we’ve got a total force
out here of over ttvo hundred men."
“So 1 see,” I answered coolly, ‘'in
cluding Cowan and my old friend, the
lieutenant. Quito a compliment to
send half a regiment after one man.”
"Our having such a force is largely
accident,” he responded somewhat
stiffly. “But that is neither here nor
there; your escape is impossible.”
”1 am not considering escape,” and
I spoke loud enough to be heard clear
ly. “This is going to be a fight, Cap
tain Fox—a real fight.”
“A fight! What, you alone?”
“Oh, no; there are men enough in
this church to make it quite interest
ing. That is why I warn you—we are
soldiers, not murderers.”
“What, you think that bluff will
work?”
“Captain Fox." broke in Harwood
bluntly, his voice nervously sharp, “I
command Troop C. Third Kentucky
cavalry. This is no bluff, sir I give
you fifteen minutes to withdraw your
men; at the expiration of that time
we open fire.”
The surprise, the shock of this unex
pocted development and threat was
plainly evident. I heard Fox step hack
from fhc door and speak earnestly to
someone; Moran swore savagely.
“What force have you?" he roared,
the insane question causing Harwood
to laugh outright.
“Come and find out,” he answered
mockingly. “Better go hack to the
other end now, sergeant,” he added in
lower veice, and gripped my hand
“The ball is about to open. Where is
my lady cousin?"
“1 put her on gin.rd over thp pris
oner. She will be out of range there,
and have something to do.”
“And gives you another fighting
man I see. Queer duck that preach
er—a Hit of a knave, to my notion, and
one of Uio finest liars 1 liavq ever