The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1865-08-17

t the long dark shadows. This is worl,
of shadows. Only in the atmospher,
Q which soon enclosed him is there no nigh
t and no shadow.
7 Soon the Texans escape is known a
the camp, anda great hue and cry follows
Handbills are got out, reward is offered
, and by that Sunday noon his name is Oh
every street corner Squads of soldiers
and police ransack the city and invade
every Rebel asylum. Strange things arc
brought to light, and strange gentry drag.
ged out of dark closets but nowhere is
found the Texan. The search is we'll
done, for the pursuers are in dead earn.
est and, Captain Hines, if you don't
trust him now, you are a fool, with all
your astuteness
So the day wears away and the night
cometh Just at dark man enters the
private door Of the fremont House, and
goes up to a room where the Command
ant is waiting. He sports a light rattan,
wears stoyepipe hat, Sunday suit, and
is shaven aud shorn like unto Samson
WHAT'S the Commandant doing with such
a man? Soon the gas is lighted ; and 10,
it is the Texan But who in creation
would know him The plot, he says, thick
ems. More "Butternuts" have arrived,
and the deed will be done on Tuesday
night, as sure as Christmas is coming
He has seen his men-two hundred, pick
ed, and everyone clamoring for pickings
Hines who carries the bag, is to give him
ten thousand greenbacks, to stop their
mouths and stuff their pockets, atanine in
the morning.
"And tomorrow hight we'll have them,
sure And, how say you, give you shack
les and dungeon 2" asked the Command
ant, his mouth wreathed with grim wrink-
les.
"AnythiDg you like. Anything to blot
out my record of treason %
He has learned the words-they are in
his heart, not to be razed out forever.
When he is gone, up and down the
room goes the Commandant, as is his
fashion. He is playing desperate game.
The stake is awful He holds the ace of
trumps-but shall he risk the game upon
it At half-past eight he sits down and
writes dispatch to the General. In it he
says:
"My force is, as you know, too weak
and overworked-only eight hundred
men, all told, to guard between eight and
nine thousand prisoners. | am certainly
not justified in waiting to take risk, and
mean to arrest these officers, if possible,
before morning"
The dispatch went off, but still the
Commandant is undecided. If he strikes
to- night, Hines may escape, for the fox
has a hole out of town, and may keep un-
der cover until morning. He is the king
devil, and much the Commandant wants
to cage him. Besides, he holds the bag,
and the Texan will go out of prison pen
niless man among strangers. Those ten
thousand greenbacks are lawful prize, and
should be the country's dover with the
maiden. But are not republics grateful?
Did not one give mansion to General
Mcclellan? All, Captain Hine, that was
lucky for you, beyond q doubt, it saved
your bacon
The Commandant goes back to camp,
sends for the police, and gets his blue
coats ready. At two o'clock they swoop
to the prey, and before daybreak humid
red birds are in the talons of the eagle.
Such another haul of buzzards and night
hawks never was made since Gabriel Gag
ed the Devil and the dark angels.
At the Richmond House, Grenfel was
taken in bed with the Texan. They were
clapped into irons, and drove off to the
prison together. A fortnight later, the
Texan, relating these details to stranger,
while the Commandant was sitting at his
desk writing, said /:
"Words cannot describe my relief when
those handouts were put upon us. AT
| times before, the sense of responsibility
almost overpowered me. Then [ felt
like a man who had just come into for
tune. The wonder to me now is, how
the Colonel could have trusted SO much
to a rebel"
"Trusted v' exclaimed the Comman d.
ant looking up from his writing. 81 had
faith in you, [ thought you wouldn't be-
tray me but trusted your own life in
your own hands, that was all. Too much
was at stake to do more. Your every
step was shadowed, from the very moment
you left camp till you came back in irons.
Two detectives were constantly at your
buck, sworn to take your life if you va.
vered for half a second" "Is that true?'
asked the Texan in musing way, but
without moveing muscle "I didn't
know it but felt it in the air y
In the room at the Richmond House,
on the table around which were discussed
their hellish plans, was found slip
of paper, and it, in pencil, was scrawled
the following:
"Colonel: You must leave this house
tonight. Go TO the Biggs House to,
night. j Fielding"
Fielding was the assumed name OF the
Rebel who burrowed with Hines out OF
town, where not even his fellow-fends
could 6nd him. Did the old fox scer'
the danger? Beyond a doubt ne did
Another day, and the Texans life might
Lono boo,, fn,eo;1oJ Apother daU and