Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1861-11-07
WAR SKETCHES BY NORTHERN RANGER.
A SCOUTS ADVENTURE.

party was small, but its members were deter
mined men, none of whom were novices in
scenes of danger. We marched in silence, that
was broken only by the murmured whispers of
the men, the crlos and hutterng Of birds, or
the quick plunge of some small animal thro'
the thick foliage, which, from the very edge of
the path we were pursuing, spread amid lofty
trees Ihnly scattered on the hill.
/! ~ Day was aear its close. We were distant
some miles from the camp The enemy might
be 10 possession of the defle in overwhelming
numbers Itwas determined that we should
keep in compact order until We had got well
beyond the entrance Of the pass. when as it
becomes more DISTRACTED or tortuous, we should
taking advantage of every bush, rock or inc
quality, advance singiy, ready for the foes and
reckless of his numbers. ..
The foliage became thicker as we advanced,
aud evening fell On our right was a dense
! thicket, which we reached after having lost
sight of the entrance 10 the defe in our rear.
This thicket reached from the foot of the gorge
! to its summit Each step became frmer, but
more cautious. There was no whispering now,
aud every breath was guarded. We were far
in the gen-On one side gray rocks, lofty trees,
Towering plaDtS and creepers in wild profuson
! spreading over the abrupt sides of dark fantas-
tic hills, broken at intervals by huge chasms
that cleaned wildly in the rays of the declin-
| ing sun-ou the otherSde the impenetrabIe
thicket was buried in gloom ..
Still steadily and SteaIthiIy advancing, each
man, with his rife grasped easily in his hand,
glancing quickly to the right and left, with uh-
wearied energy crept along the glen. A whis-
tie, quick and clear, sent its wild sound thrill
ing through every heart and ear All was
bFeathless suspense That was no birds cry.
No throat but human one ever gave out
note SO threatening. What was it ," passed
in a still, rapid whisper among US "Gneril-
les y Hush !" We listened long and breath
lessIy, and wariy peered on every side Not
Il man of US visible but to his fellows. Crouch
ed, with our very heaIts beating, on the earth,
covered by the friendly bush, we lay for many
minutes iu the hope of hearing the whistle re.
peated A was as still as though the spot
had never known its wild solitude broken by
the foot of man or disturbed by his passions,
his schemes or his ambition.
Still listened, but ia vain No Fnrthor
sound was heard Why was there 10 other
signal Was it some solitary wanderer, who
sent that shrill cry forth through the stiffness
Gin mere wanIOneSs) and with 10 other motive
than that Of breaking its monotony. Not so.
There was a significance in that sound that
breathed war and defiance plainly as if 1t
had come from the blast of trumpet. " Up
and moving, men :" came, in low tones, from
the lips o. the sergeant in command " Let
'um try it again
Our march was resumed as before but we
stepped more stealthy listened with painful
attention and gared on every side with the
intensity Of blood hounds The defc took an
accute turn to the right, and on the left was
a naked space, extending for some yards, de-
void of all verdure, but the gray moss clinging
| round the gray rocks.
| We hegar, hastily, to cross this uncovered
space, when there was report OF many pieces,
whilst red flashes from rocks and bushes in the
! front CLEANED saVagely and suddenly upon us.
For moment we were staggered. Then with
"a shout we rushed forward to unearth the am
bushed foe. Again the fire was repeated, with
the muzzIeS of their rifles within few feet of
our faces. | gazed round for an instant after
dlScharging my piece at one fellow, and with
my bayonet tranStXing another 10 the soft
sandy rock, against which he fell, and pcrcev-
ed none of my party by my side. But the
thick smoke and rapidly falling darkness that
now ruled, in conjunction with yeIIS, shots aud
grOans, the surrounding glen, made all inv isl
be beyond The length of The arm.
AT that instant felt sudden pang diz
zness, blackness, like death, come over me
clutched wildly at the sulphurou8 air, reeled
aud fell.
When l recovered my senses, discovered
that was lying on my side, bleeding slightly
from a flesh wound in the thigh had bIed
profuSely before recovering Tor | was Satur-
tnI in, half al.A
on my elbow, | looked round for my compan-
ions. Tue moon was shining with all the soft
ness of her beauty on the spot. | counted FIVE
bodies lying within compass OF almost as
many yards | endeavored to discover the
uniforms, but could not at that distance. |
rose slowly, and, with much difficulty reached
! the nearest. He was dead, with a blue hole
in the centre of his forehead, through which
the bullet bad passed, and the blood still slow
ly oozed. l crawled to the next one he, too
was past all earthly aid SO on to the third,
fourth and fifth. The bullet had done its full
work on all These had been, few hours be.
! FORE my comrades, eager to deal destruction
upon foes, aud careless of the fate that met
them | was the sixth aud last OF the party.
But where was the enemy, or what had been
the enemy? heard 10 sound, aud the moon
| light falling directly upon the dead men, aud
gray, weird like rocks, produced an affect that
was sckeuing and horrible. | remembered
! the man | had slain. | searched for his body
/ but it was gone. | searched for others of the
enemy, but all had disappeared.
There was no dead left on the battle-ground
but the five fallen scouts. Yet, that others
4 had perished there, vas obvious from the blood
lying in little pools among the rocks, behind
which the ambushed foe had lurked and pour
ed upon his deadly fire
NV wound began to bleed afreash which