Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1867-05-24
NO. g.

How cruel you are, Colonel, t
trifte with us I" And by a sort of In
stinct the four drew closer together
and the Colonel spoke:
Lawrence had been sacked OLD
men, women, and children had been
slaughtered without mercy, their
homes leyeled with the ground. Need
say how every man who, not being q
iend, heard the news ground his teeth
with rage and longed for vengeance
Need l say with what stern joy I learn.
ed that my regiment of gallant sabre.
6rs were ordered in pursuit of the guer.
rilla devil and his blood-stained crew.
We took little time for preparation
Boots aud Saddles rang out cheerily
and we were soon upon the road. We
travelled with great rapidity, and along
the route had no need to ask our way
for the yet smoking ashes Of cottages
and the gashed form Of many an aged
or feeble noncOmbatant dotted the
way. We had been clattering along
for about eight hours when we heard
that the guerrillas had divided into
two parties, each moving toward one
of two villages about thirty miles from
each other, and each about ten miles
ahead. Our own force was therefore
at once also divided took about a
hundred and fifty men, the Major
about the same number--all the rest,
in fact. Striking off a little to the
right left him, the plan being to meet
at the point of separation after the
work was done By this time It was
evening, The month was August, as
you may remember. The weather was
oppressively hot, and the command
were pretty well used up so that af-
ter riding, as we thought, at least ten
miles more, and seeing no rebels, a
halt was called, and a short rest order
ed. Then we went a little further /;
again halted, it being night, and pre-
pared to picket the horses where we
were and make the best of it till day
break. Sentries were posted, ratIOns
unpacked, and a long time had not
elapsed before our little force was all
asleep, except those whose dusky
forms could be seen peering into the
darkness for hidden foes, or listening
for distant sounds that might betoken
an enemy's approach.
81 do not know how &c was. for I am gem
orally wakeful before going into action, as
tomorrow / supposed inevitable; but GER
tain it is that I had no sooner lain down,
with nv. saddle for q pillow and the messy
grass for my bed, than I fell fast asleep.
Dreaming, ladies-dreaming Of home, OF IA
ces hundreds of miles away / thought /
was returning to those had left years be
fore, and as I gIfded along, as dreamers do,
saw well remembered sceneS-lands ana
meadows and gardens Where playeu WINE
yet boy, and many cottage whose IN
mates knew well. How long / thus slept
] know not, nor what aWOke me, but my
waking was sudden. and my faculties on the
alert as if by an instantaneous shock. L
gaZed all arOund-au was quiet. A little
han
of the troopers stretched in all sorts Of atti-
tudes upon the turf and all siumbeflng.
The only sound was the occasional cIink1ng
of steel bits. or the buzz Of insects that SEEM
ed to fill the air. I tried to return to my
dreaming, but could not. There was some
thing which Kept me awake. a .sllllhess
which was not repOse' weighed upon me
with a strange heaViness, and inspired mt e,
not exactly with dread but with q sense OF
yer. 1t was all right and finally, soundly
rating myself for my folly, tried once more
kind of dOze not long. Tor once more I IaWOlze
this time with a violent start Well was
1t that did awake; for close TO meas close
as either OF yous ladleS-crept a dark !or1ll
nearer, nearer, until could see in its hand
a long knife which il held lifted for blow.
1 ne ger could tell why / did not at once
until the figure stood mOtiOnless before me,
gazing down on my face with savage, gilt
tering eyes. For 2 minute which seemed an
age of suspense, he thus looked at me and
at him. Soon q slight movement as if to
and was collecting my strength Tor q bound
to my feet when O hand grasped mine with
a slow, stealthy motion that made my nesh
creep and my blood stand still, But the
grasp was q friendly one, and of the kind,
ladies, that you cannot know unless you
meet with a certain kind Of a brother. OF
course, in obedience to the evident wish Of
the second unknown, lay perfectly still,
hearing, as I did so, a low breathing at my
side. Ideclare that the interest of the scene
did not prevent even the annoyance pro
duced by the said breathing which uc1leQ
my ear. At length the man before me step
ped one pace nearer, then turned and look
ed cautiously around as he raised his arm to
strike, That look was his last, for that in
stant q pistOl-shOt woke up all the ecnOeS
and almost stunned me- fired as it was,
close over me, and the midnight proWler
fell down headlongt burying his knife TO
stIn an instant the whole camp was in an
uprOar, and the men, rushing to their hOr-
ses, began to mount like lightning. There
was no need for further alarm, however,
and quiet was soon restored, ana the Major
for it was he, was left to tell me all ne knew.
It was this: That he had had a slrirmish
injury; that he concluded to move toward
me, and had in fact arrived within 2 quar-
ter of a mile Of my command, and there en-
as had done; that he had c0mInu-
nicated with and passed through my pick
cts, leaving a captain in charge of his own
force that all this had been done without
my knowledge; that he had lain down
near me; that he had seen the guerrilla as
ssassin approach, and had shOG MN ueaQ
just in time, We afterwards found one OF
our picEets stone dead, having been done to
death by the same knife that sought my
heart He was an Indian, ladfeS-none Of
Quantrell's white blackguards would have
Yentured, as he did, into that sleeping camp
to strike its chief, but he was Of QuantreIl's s
gang nevertheless. Next day we had some
lighting but not much, for as we came upon
t4ouJ lllJg oL bLt5 tS5Ai H9 =" HSLo elLseL1
flight was as quick as the words 'Wheel
about, charge = "
'And the wound!' asked Clara, with her
whole face quivering with emotion
Ia.
who paid me this midnight VISIT was IN
such D hurry to fall nat on his face when
his brain was perforated with bullet that
he was careless Of that knife of his. As he
fell, down it came firmly Clipped in his fist,
and just cut my temple open anq a LOCK oc ol
Well-the wound, not the knife of course
and as Charley Davenport took care OF me
"Charley Davenport!' cried both sisters IN
Cousin Charley yor used to call me, 4"
said the Major, with profound bow.
"My depr cousin; why did you not tell us
you have grown so and are so much chang
ed y said Julia, tremulously;
mot much in one respect said he IN q
Then the two fell talking, which was
rude, as the Colonel and Clara evidently
thought, for they went away together, but
they were not missed.
Neither of those couples came into the
house again for a full hour, and when they
did come they looked so cOmically dustere d
that once more papa and mamma glanced
at each other in a knowing way. However,
and in month Charley, or "his friend the
Major" and Colonel Montague had entered
upon the "seCond epoch of the life OF man."
Alas that two such lasses must go away
from such home; but the Service gentle
reader, the Service! There was a farewell
feast in preparing which mammals specta-
cles looked more formidable than ever, al
though she had to take them OF and wipe
them often. 1t was merry party, and an
the village came to it. In spite of the part
ing to come, "birtis were singing, bells We're
ringing, and all the world was gay;" while
the girls cried and smiled by turns, and the
two soldiers felt almost like brigands, as
standing by each was one whom he
"Strove, and not in vain,
To sOOthe her leaving that dear home she
may not see again."
''But tell me- Julia" " said papa, when the
last farewell had nearly been spoken, "did
not you really know Charley at first 2''
"No, papa. I was very fond Of him long
time ago, but that was in q different way,
you see. You know they say that Love Is
blind, and suppose L was too"
Romantic
One Of the most beautiful actresses
of the Boulevards, Paris, received dai-
W for about month a little nanny