Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-06-11
Am 0rigiual Nanrelette.
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.
SOLETTE, THE FEMALE SPY.
A STORY OF CHARLESTON AND THE WAR,
BY J. WITHERsPOON ERWIN.
CHAPTER III.

ley, rising to his feet, after the morning meai hau
been concluded. We may as well 60 into camp al
once, and enrol our names and get to work. un'
derstand all the ropes, Victor; but it's new thing
to you, andy won't fancy it much for some time.
'sI think shall get along pretty well, replied
Victor, quietly. II DON'T however, expect a bite
of ease"
''Nor of plenty, either, hope, Victor" replied
his companion; eff you do, you will certainly be
disappointed When we were in Mexico, and old
Scott had everything arranged like the programme
of circus, it was oftener fast than feast and
here, we have no Scott-no programme printed
beforehand hurly-burly affair, and nine
tenths of our Commissaries and Quartermasters
are idle young sprigs, that have begged their way
into Office to sleep comfortably in bad weather and
avoid the smell of gunpowder. They are too lazy
and indolent 10 carry corn ready sheed, to tatten-
ing hogs much less to be trusted with such ener-
getic and uutiring work as providing for an army
of four hundred thousand men. No! there are
good many fast days before US, Victor; and unless
YOU lay aside your desire to serve every comrade
who wants help, and look out for SELF you will fare
badly"
"Wbv, Harvey, that is a very selfish philosophy
Won are irving to teach me-" replied Victor.
s'You will find it very sound common sense, in
camp" rejoined Harvey. 'You will see life there
just as it is, stripped of all ceremony and OF most
of its deception. The friend who shares his blan-
ket with you tonight, WILL tomorrow, if you are
shot down, step over your body with almost as lit
tie feeling as if it were the body of dog that lay
in his way You will be reported killed at the
next roll call, and there will be end of the mat
ter, so far as your comrades are concerned. It's
the way of the world, Victor; l mean OF the
world with its mask thrown of.
'sYou are too misanthropical to-day, Harvey" !"
said Victor. This world is quite good one, and
there is still much kindness and generosity among
men,"
81 don't believe in that, Victor" returned Har-
vey. 81 find the world full of sel6shness and
thauklessness, with only here and there, whole
souled noble being, standing about Us scarce as
guide posts along the road. One who has seen
the same side of life that have looked at, man
and boy, for forty-fve years, can't have any faith
in his species. Some are born to ease and COM
fort; they pass along quietly through life, fawned
upon and aattered every one lends them help
ing hand; life is all sunshine to them. But let
one be born poor, and have to fight his own way in
the world and he has to stand alone, and not on
" to struggle against circumstances, but against
men who would crush him down if they may
Think YOU, if YOU had been worth half million,
old Jacob Read would not have forced upon you,
as free gift, the best horse in his stables? Wait
until you get into camp, and you will see how mean
and servile men are to wealth. An honest, poor
man, with wife and large family, sick and starv-
ing at home, will wait, month after month, for
furough, to provide for the wants of his suffering,
ragged little brood; while the rich man, with no
necessity clamoring for him at home will be mott
fed that furlough is waiting for him when he is
ready to ask it. These things are so, Victor, and
they do no credit to human nature. You will see
them, for yourself in camp"
s'We must not denounce all mankind, Harvey,
replied Victor" because few are dishonest or
unjust.
''Denounce them? No ! but Victor" replied
Harvey, I'VE must remember what they are, and
rely only upon the few. Trust not in man! do
YOUR duty-be Just, yes! be kind and generous to
all, but rely, with the blessing of Heaven, on your
own arm when life grows dark and difficulties gath
er around you Fate made me poor and left me
to strupge with adversely Ifee bitterly, at times,
Victor, that might have been other than am.
At the very threshold of life was detrauded OF
eyerv penny-and without one friend to direct OF
counsel me, entered upon life, and it has been
one long, fierce struggle with fate. 1 have had
sorows-sometimes very bitter ones-but have
kept them in my own heart l had none to Whom
I could speak of them. But let such things pass
am out of tune to-day, for we are both going to
enter into slavery
Into slavery?" asked Victor, ''what do you
mean by that?''
'There is no slavery like that of a soldier" re-
piled Harvey. "You may be sworn at and abused
like dog, but you dare not reply. You must be
as submissive as the lowest of brutes You may
be gentleman, and your officer low bred knave;
but his word is your law. There is no remedy a
gainst his injustice and oppression l think of all
these things, for I know what service is. But,
Victor, hope all will turn out we'll. hear the
officers are gentlemen, and, though chate at the
yoke am about to put on, will try and dismiss
such feelings. We will do our duty at all events
But look if am not mistaken, here comes al
old acquaintance.
As Harvey spoke, he directed the attention o.
his young comrade to a squad Of soldiers who were
approaching from the camp, along the same roac
which they were pursuing, apparently having un
der guard an ill-looking fellow, whom they were
carrying to the Proyost's Office in the city. They
were now in few feet Of the party, which consist
ed of two young men with muskets, and the pris
oner He was a tall and powerfully built man, up
wards of six feet high, with sullen, dogged coun
tenance, in which cunning and ferocity were blend
ed together. His red, uncombed locks, falling a
bout his weatherb beaten face, gave him still more
savage and forbidding appearance. His broad
low forehead, rayless blue eyes, and short square
nose, like that of bull dog, with his powerful
under jaw and the broad lines of his firmly sci
lips and high bony cheeks, formed face at once
savage, energetic, and full Of animal courage vim
dictiveness and determination. He was without
vest or coat and his shirt unbuttoned at the throat
displayed powerful chest as shaggy with red hair
as the hide of bear. While the upper part o.
his frame was thus powerfully formed, his hips
were contracted and narrow, and his gait, as hi
strobe along with his brawny muscular hands rest
ing upon his hips, was peculiarly shambling ane
ungainly, and rendered still more so by his knee
shifting together and the carriage of his head
which was never directly to the front, but still
turned to the one side or the other, as though n
were constantly on the watch against an expected
enemy Such was the ungainly but powerful be