Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1869-11-02
Number so

as such feared the power of FsdeiA au-
thorities, should they extend to me "aid
aud comfor." As dernier resorte I
found resting place in the back part of
an untenanted old store, the loose straw
upon the floor evidcncing that it had be.
fore served as a rodghA for larger par
ty of soldiers. Poor old Whitley" was
left hitched at the corner to make "fod.
der" from the splinters of On oak rail. l
had scarcely stretched my limbs upon the
straw before candle was lighted and the
forms of three men we're disclosed, and
the privacy of my chamber was converted
into den of gamblers, the new occupants
improvising table from an old dry goods
box upon which they placed pack of
cards and bottle Of whisky, and draw.
ing up four empty nail kegs, l was polite
ly invited to join in n game of .'draw
poker" If | accepted the invitation with
any vague notion of "scooping 'em out"
ny tenerity had cost me thirty dollars
and fifty cents, when the slouched hat
gentleman at my left, instead of "seeing
my bet of five dollars, leaned back upon
his nail keg, and sung in the most charm.
ing harmony
"Maxweltens braes are bonhleS
Where early fl's the deyl
"Twas there that Annie fSurio
Gave me her promise true
Ginning in with him In the refrain, at
its conclusion, he yielded me the 'stakes..'
Twenty minutes later he had told me that
Maj. Ladoux desired an interview with
me, and where at l0o'clock next morning
we should meet. Our leaving the game
left it without desirable "quorum,
and each left me to my solitary medita-
tions.
Where was Lieut.. Mizener2 Ten,
eleven, twelve o'clock had pssssag psassssssag and he
had not arrived.
Human nature had imperative demands,
and reluctantly yielded to an order from
Morpheus, which laid me upon the straw
unconscious in his embrace, nor was 1
rescued until three o'clock, when rough
hand held me II Nv xatgh atghah Cue haHh}ada Halo ofNtHd"Glef OF
tenant. Twenty freacherous sycophants
of that "burgh" had We'd with each Other
to be the first to inform him that guer-
lila lay sleeping in that old store--tha.
the guerilla had white mule belonging
to Uncle Sam-every one following in the
wake Of the Lieut.. to witness the denou:
ment Of my capture.
Then it was, for the first time, came
near losing my self-pOssession. Rubbing
my eyes only in remembrance of his tardy
movements, | was about to CURSE his un.
warratable delay, when he sternlS demand
ed if | "was the man who rode this white
mule out here ~.
+" Y es, sir"
"Do you belong to the Union army 7"
"No, SIR"
"Then what business have you with q
mule belonging to the U. 81"
! replied that was b9t aware he was
branded U. S." when | traded for him
in the night at the mouth Of the Big
Sandy.
"Very WE'LL" said he, "you will get
up and go along with me-" at the same
time drawing his revolver.
| followed him to the door, when by
word and gesture, that he could dispense
with any further a,.sH'ions from the gen.
tlcmen who had tracked me to my lair,
and we alone started for the bivouac o.
his command about q fourth of mill
: distant.
, Hurriedly l informed the Lieut.. of III.
discoveries ths day previous, and express
t ed my belief that even now it was no
too late to "gobblc" Mr.. Niece's guests
| To this end he was to facilitate my escape
. for every man in the village, including
: even our own soldiers, Ladoux's represeu
] tive who was cognizant Of my arrest, re
D garded me as prisoner.
e My proposition then, was IL escape AM
! ride over to Neice's and ascertain if tn
t bushwhackers were yet there, and tina
0 the Lieutenant with his command shoul,
follow Immediately, and by signal agree'
9 upon between usi let hiHl khOw Affirmative
o ly or othet~issI if they were there bt .it'
Aud faFthef; III hhy event he Shossf
e await my cotHiHg, to meet him at cer
. tain place, until eight o'clock in the after
noon.
It This being mutually understood, he CAV
8 me in charge of guard, who had rcmo'
9 ed his cartridge box for case and rest, h
J. also ordered my mule, and called his me
l. to saddle.
My guard, new recruit, leaned hi
i, 6arbne against the tree by my side, Will
d he donned his cartridge box. In atwinl
1t ling I had removed the cap from its nil