The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1869-07-22


al, pistols and coffee for two were likely
to be called for. "A denoument came,
however as usual, in all strategic move
ments either in love or war, =
One bright morning ere the bee had
gone forth to gather his sweets from
flower and field, Col. Taylor was arous-
ed from his slumbers. BY strange
coincidence he had been dreaming Of
"Wild Jeff'' upon his noble steed, with
|, Knox so gracefully sitting on her
blooded pony, running the gauntlet OF
scalping knives, tomahawks and pois-
oned arrows. Being awakened he de
manded to know why he had been
awakened at SO unseasona6 = an hour.
"Aye, aye sir-its only Patrick after
coming to tell your honor that Miss
Knox's darlint pony has gone out
through the kay hole Of the stable, bri
dltd and saddled himself, and set out
ON race with the wild winds, if We
Judge by the wide apart prints that he
was afther lawn behint him, sir; and
Miss Knox herself sir, must have fas-
tened herself in the bonnet box in her
room, for Biddy the CURL and Sally the
nagur, watched time about, both at
once, after seeing her ;rcture, and she
didn't get out and she's not in there,
sir, and,- "a g".
"Silence!' roared the Colonel.
"Yis, yis, your sarvant," cried Pat
placing his ear to the key hole.
Gan you tell me Patrick" said the
Colonel, "whether Lieut.. Davis horse
is In his stall :" the Colonel at the same
time stepping to the door,
"He is not sir, and his sarvint pro
lists it's q rex skin as rode him away
Sure Tiers not another rider this side
of the ould dart would get such jomps
from horse as the lioutenant's made
when he was LAWN and that We can
know by measuring the space between
his tracks,"
"Well, well, Patrick 60 now"
Away went the anxious Iibcrnian in
eager search for further light touch
ing the mysterious occurrences Of the
night. The faithful Patrick, wild with
excitement, and trembling with apprc-
hension regarding the safety of Miss
Knox as well as for the well-being of
his favorite Lieutenant, passed hurried
ly from place to place. and by his high
ly agitated manner spreading serious
alarm, as contagion in the tropics : SO
that when the Colonel, little later,
reached the front door. citizens were
approaching in every direction, and
his practiccd eye discovered that the
whole garrison was in commotion, as
it momentarily expected to be led forth
by him TO the rescue of his beloved
daughter and the young Lieutenant
who were supposed to have been cap,
tured by the hated red skins.
The general excitement was greatly
augmented, half an hour afterwards By
the discovery that Lieut.. Geo. Wilson,
(brother to Hon. Thomas S. Wilson of
Dubuque Iowa. and Miss Street,
daughter OF General Street were also
missing The opinion prevailed gener-
ally that the four young friends had
been captured and scalped, as it was
not supposed that even the courage of
those gallant and chivalrous young of.
ticers could permit them to pass, es
pecially with ladies, beyond the picket
lines. Hence, at an early hour, the
good French pioneers of the prairie
ca me from every direction, mounted
on their aeetest ponies and armed with
guns, pistols, butcherknives, etc, while |
the women wept in anguish over the
loss of their favorites of the fort. In
the midst ofall this confusion, and be- |
fore Col. Taylor had quite decided up |
on the precise course to be pursued,
an old pioneer more calm and self
possessed than the great mass about
him, deserted far over the prairie two
gentlemen and two ladies on horseback
approaching the fort with apparently
with all possible speed. Attention be-
ing called to the joyous sight; and all
divining that they were the missing
Lieutenants and ladies who by special
interposition of Providence, must have
escaped, but were holly pursued by
their merciless captOrs, the whole body
of impetuOus and bravehearted} French
men rushed with headlong speed to
the rescue, and were very soon face
with the late lost ones whom they
greeted with joy, it was avered, as had
never before come from the lips of
men on that beautiful "Prairie of the
Dogs"
To say that the two Lieutenants and
their fair companions were greatly as
well as most agreeably surprised at
these unexpected greetings and cordial
congratulations, would be 10 convey a