The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1867-01-22

whore hC cadsd Na.Nh the road leave
the gate Bi3o open, ud 80 report n-
s,auilf the first appearance of man,
however dressed But Max uas q Ger
mau. not long ffom his native dnchy
and although anxious q Is his duty
faithfully. sometimes misunderstood III
recaons ID most wpiul manner His
standing orders AZ Darrell's hc c5mpre-
henaed perfectly but when, upon ihis
occasion. De received tie additional n-
struc,ious 10 take good care 81 the
horses. le interpreted them literally.
ln.thrcc minutes after receiving his IN
Rtructious hc had both the animals uu-
saddled and unbudled tied up to the
manger ia the barn and eating grecdi-
N from farmer Darrcll's oats, which
had IN some way escaped tho prying
eyes Of our f1rlgcmaster Meanwhile
the AdJutant sat tctc-a-tetc in thc par
Tor with his hostess, enjoying CONVERSE
tion immensely and in bhssfdl ignur-
nee Of his Dutch orderly Blisshjl, ins
deed His heart would have icapcd 10
has mouth, and himself bol;ed preeipi-
tately for the barn, bad amy suspicion
Of the truth crossed his mind But no
thought of thc kind troubled him, and
an hour passed pleasantly aud costly
Then Max came running in brcathlcss
with excitement, and reported that q
squad of horsemen were in sight, com
ing toward the house. The Adlutant
rose from his chair, Miss Darrell did
the same, and placed hand on each
shouldcr
"Ihey are only some Of your men
from Winchester, she said coaxingly
Don't go Lieutenant.
Blake was little disturbed by the
intelligence which the orderly brought,
but still more by the very entrcatng
way in which the girl urged HIM to re-
main He had never bcen 50 pressed
to prolong his visit before. Taking the
two things together, be was decidedly
uneasy
Il think must step outside, Miss
Darrell, and see about this, lie said
He was about 70 suit tie ac,ion to the
words, when he became aware that the
hands oftle siren were transferred
from his shoulders 8 his asn-i and the
girl herself wis ciinging % him with
well simulated distress, slide She beg
ged him not TO lcayo her L would be
so dreadful If anything should happen
there They might perhaps be Con-
fedora If they were, they wouldcn't
know Ec Nas there If be stayed in the
house No no he musat, should MT
go and although the Adjutant is un-
able to remember distinctly he thinks
that at this iuucturo Of affairs he felt
both the hands somewhere about the
bacl, Of his neck.
He was cool, clcm-hcaded, think
ing youth, as web as courageous Que,
just the man not to be fholn, Samson
like. by the arts Of any Delilah. He
thought he saw trap, and throwing
the girl into corner, rushed from the
house with Max at his heels The
horses were missing, and then he be-
came aware for the first time Of the
helpless condition il which the stupid
ity Of Max had placed them both
Running into the barn, with the orderly
close behind him, he glanced at the
horses rs they quietly fed Mt the man
ger Five minutes, at the least, would
be required to saddle and bride them,
and get them into the road. 4 horse
man was just entering the yard by the
gate; another was five rods behind
him; five more comming up the road at
rapid trot The first rode directly in
to the yard, and stopped ten feet from
the barn door. Tie keen eye Of the
AdjuIant gave ono comprehensive
Glance at horse md rider The first
was d magnificent Virginian thorough
bred, cleanlimbcd and sinewy, the lat
ter young man who sat him like n
centaur, dressed in the ordinary farm
mer's clothes of the vicinity He wore
n belt under bis sack, which might very
easily conceal pistols. He saw the Adj
utant and Max standing ia the door
way Of the barn, sang ont, Good day
sir, and put his hand under his coat.
A man IN q corner can DO great
deal Of thinking in quarter Of a min-
ute Blake had seen some of Mosby's
nrcu as prisoners, and noticed their
nonchalant deyil-may-care carriage.
This man had the same appearance.
He observed the horse, and decided at
once that it was a better animal than
any farmer in the ueigbborhood owned.
Ordinary observers might have seen
nothing suspicious ia tic mans appea-
rance Blake was instantly satisfied
that he was Q guerrilla.
Ard i he was, what then
4 great many mon would have found
tic situation just such as Is justify a.
unresistiDg surrender. Seven mounted
men were opposed TO him; iieht was
impossible; il seemed folly and sure de-
structiou % fght Al this, which care
fill, prudent minds would haze taken
thought a. never once occurred tc
Lieutenant Blake The experience of
three years on tie skiImish sad picket
lines bad taught him some valuable les
sons; and though he would have fought
there tiil the last gasp rather than 10
be taken under such LumiIioting cir-
cunstanccs. bis plan formed en- tie in
slant was one Of mixed audacty and
adroitucss.
He had with hitn two a Colts navy
regoltcrs, one 10 each bootleg, as the
staff and cavalry carried them. Be