St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-08-30
The Little Hero.

Heres news for We Jake, and worl
TO do J. said a tall rough looking fellow
who had ridden up a moment before
and throwing himself from his horse
come up the walk to where Jake Ren.
nan sat cleaning a shotgun. Jake look.
ed up lazily.
"Wa'al, what is it now ?n
The colonefs got positive news thai
that burned courier'll pass this >way
sometime tonight. It's most likely he'i
come by Rocky Run but he may come
mother way, so you're to watch anG
stop him eff you kin afore he gets to the
Forks. Take a couple of men with you
more ct you kin; and make it sure this
time. Eff he carries the news the colonel
thinks he does, it'll he worth money to
you to take him."
''All right! Eff he comes my way he's
booked for the colonel's quarters, you
may be sure o'that."
A bright looking boy of some ten years
was sitting near by, hacking a bit of
pine with rusty jack-knife. The new
conner looked at him curiously. "That's
not your boy, Jake?n
Jake laughed. 81 reckon not, | hain't
Yankee myself"
"And the boy is. kin see that stick
IN out plainer'n the nose on yer face"
"Yis, and he's got more grit'n most of
'em. Eff he hadn't he'd never been here.
He belonged to one o. them felers we
surprised down at the Run. His father
was took prisoner and sent off to Rich
mOnd, and some of us goin' next day by
where the campin' ground had been, we
found this yer boy, pretty bad wounded
too; but he would git well, and so we
let him, and yere he is on our hands, as
desperit a Yankee as you'll find. l kind
O. like him though"
''Gritty, ell ?" said the man, STEPPING
toward the boy. "See yere hubby, lest
you say, hurrah for Jeff Davis, or Pll
put this through ye quickel'n lightnin ~
flashing his sword in the boys face.
The little fellow was standing up by
this time, and his cheeks were flushing.
He looked at the man an instant: per-
haps he saw that he was only trying to
frlghten him. Taking off his ragged hat.
he swung it over his head.
''Hurrah for the stals and strines ~
he said i'll a low voice, but firmly.
The mans face darkened. He looked
as though he were going to strike him.
but Rennan interpOsed.
Don't bother the boy run away
Will.n
The other man laughed. 81 wasn't
goin to touch him." he said, and went
down the walk, Jake following him and
standing some moments to talk with
him beyond the boys hearing.
But Will had heard enough. Some
poor fellow was to be waylaid that night
and shot for his dispatches. The boy,
young as he was, had already had ex-
perience in life beyond his years. His
father had been living south at the time
the war broke out, and of family of six
his father and he had alone ESCAPED
alive from the prosecutions which ragged
around every Union man. Three broth
ers he had seen slain, and his mother
had died of grief. He had refused to
leave his father, and now here he was.
He knew what these men meant when
they talked about waylaying a courier.
"lf | wasn't such a little boy," he
thought, sadly, 81 could do something;
L wonder if l couldn't anyway. The
man said some time tonight, and l
know where the Forks are. They would
Kill me though if they caught me at it,"
He wandered about, thinking it over,
anxious and unhappy all day.
When night came he complained of a
headache, and made an excuse to 90 to
bed early. Once in the little room where
he slept, he raised the winuow softly,
and clam bering out over roof below,
he started off as fast as he could 90 in
the direction of Forks.
They were all too busy getting Jake
ready to miss him but he feared lest
they should discover his absence, and
suspect where he had gone. His heart
beat fast as he flew along the road, and
he imagined in every sound, that he
heard Jake upon his track.
He reached the Forks, however, safe
ly. Beyond this point the road-rOugh
and scarcely more than bride path
before - dwindled and diverged into
various nearly undistinguishable ways.
1t would not answer for him to re-
main here, but where to wait beyond
By which of these scarcely perceptible
ways would the expected courier come ?
Fortunately, about half a mile on,
the woods were more open, and the
growth low. There was high, bright
moon. ''If only Jake will stay at the
Forks and watch" thought the boy, as
hO ieth OONftl IlOTe open
ground. That reached, he climbed a
tree, and began his watch, listening at
the same time for Jake and his men.
Not very easy watch you may im-
aglne that-every young sense on the
alert, and so many shadows among the
scattering trees to delude his eyes.
Suddenly he heard the tramp of
horse, and almost instantly saw him
it must be he, he thought-a man alone
on horse back, and riding at that pace.
Almost at the same moment he imag-
ined he heard some one approaching in
the opposite direction. The courier, if
it were he, was riding unsuspiciously
on, trusting perhaps to the speed of the
animal he rode to take him past any
danger that lurked.
Will was coming down from his perch
as quickly as possible. He was quite
sure that Jake and his men were wait
ing not far away the courier was rid
ing on unconcious of it-passing direct
ly under the tree in which the boy was,
when, calculating the distance with an
accuracy born of the emergency, Will
swung himself lightly down, and
strange and providential happening
landed upon the back of the animal the
courier rode. The horse plunged lit
tie; the man. too accustomed to danger
of all kinds-for these couriers are