Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-06-05
Adventures, Perils and Escapes
OF G. q. BELL,
The Union Scout of the Mississippi

The Union Scout of the Mississippi
BY GEORGE wAKEMAY.-No. XVII.
A Droary Day and a Lonely Ride
life in the Southwest An Experi
ment with n Locomotive.
From the New York Ledger.l
By and by, as the scout rode away from
Corinth, the rain came down il binding
torrents. The sky was dark, and the wind
whistled through the dripping trees. Rills
and streams ran down the road, and in
many places it was flooded.
On coming to the Tuscumbia creek he
found it at full hight, and his horse was
very reluctant to plunge into the surging
current. A. forcible application of the
spurs finally induced him to move for
ward, and he soon swan to the other side.
Bells clothes were already drenched, but
he held up his saddle bags and preserved
the quinine, morphine, percussion caps,
gold lace, etc., with which they were
stored, from injury.
The country was lonely and poor. The
forests we're partially stripped of their
foliage and every gust brought down the
heavy wet leaves. On the uplsnds the
timber was mostly oak, and on the low
lands sweet gum, blackberry, and hickory.
Occasionally he came upon corduroy
roads that had been used by Beauregard
during his occupation of Corinth, and the
earth having been washed off the logs and
rails, his horse stumbled over them slowly
and drearily. He did not meet a living
being during his journey of thirty miles
The time passed rather gloomily, and
Bell had plenty of time for reflection.
Sometimes he thought CT the conse-
ouences to himself if Chalmers should
hear of this journey in the Southwest ;
sometimes he cogitated chimerical plans
for the future; but oftener he found it
more pleasant to sing snatches cf quaint
tunes that mingled curiously with the
souehIng of the wind, and to attempt
rhyming aad yersifying aud humming
into unison and harmony words descrip-
tive of the day and scene, for he always
had a pleasure in conjuring together
Iingling verses and fancies for poems.
The light was going out of the day
when Bell rode up to the door of log
house that was nearly buried in the depths
Of the forest He concluded that it would
be best for him, if possible, to obtain
shelter here for the night, as his horse
was tired, and he did not care to ride ia
the dense darkness that he knew would
soon prevail.
Everything was quiet about the house,
but Bell saw an old man of about sixty
winters sitting in the door, smoking a
pins that was turned upside down to keep
out the rain, and seemingly entirely in
different to the stogEl that was bowling
through the woods, as we'll as 70 the pres
ence Of o stranger st his gate. When
Bell cried out, Halo T. he merely
looked toward him, but did not trouble
himself TO reply. -,
GOOD syening. fiE," said Bell, as
politely as was ccusistent vith tse loud
tones Of his voice. 49,,
"Evenas," mumbled the man withoS,
any emotion, and even without moving
bis head, or taking bis pipe ont Of his
mouth.
"Can / stay over night with you 2"
said Bell. s.
"Umphi" grunted the old mas, turn
ing around and speaking to some one in
side of the door. "Yere's a stranger
wants ter stop over night Kin he stop p
ayes, / reckon, responded q shrill
voice from the house.
Yer kin !" said the old man, oraca-
larly. Dismouut, stranger, and tie yer
boss to shs gate. a mu Wvr