Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-05-25

we came to investigate we discovered a
|. "Butternut," ,curled up and asleep on a
rude bed in the corner. He had gone to
sleep within the Confederate lines, and
when he awoke the blue-coats were about
and beyond him.
Who the prisoner was no one seemed
to care, but it was the accepted opinion
that he was no more than a private SOL
dier, and was detailed to guard him
until he could be sent back to headauar-
tiers. The man betrayed no alarm when
reused from sleep. As far as we could
see, he was unarmed, and when the BOYS
|joked him on his capture he coolly re-
piled:
"Well, it amt nuthin' to weep over. I
was Citing purity tired of this thing, any
how
had a fair look at the mans face. and
found something there to puzzle and
startle me. One day had picked I'D in
the camp the daguerreotype of man
dressed in citizens clothes. It seemed to
be that Of a farmer; but the face was one
to be remembered. As sat in the open
door of the old house, carbine across nv
knees, and looked into the face of our
prisoner, it came to me all at once that
was his face had seen in the picture.
There was great change in some par
ticular; but yet / confidently inquired:
S'Did you have your picture taken by
of Linchburg?''
eyes, he replied.
'sWas the case of red morocco
st was"
Then the picture found in camp must
have been stolen from his house by fora
gers and afterwards thrown away. The
man looked at me as if ready to answer
further questions, but had none to put
just then. | was wondering at the curl
Gus coincidence, when he sat upon ahis
bed, looked me square in the face and
said:
81 am Dan Vernon, the bushwhacker,
and killed one of your men last night
before turning in here!!'
"Dan Vermont" repeated after him.
"Yes It is good joke on your COM
rades who took me for scrub soldier.r'
was so taken by surprise that could
however, and he continued:
ut would give Sheridan great Joy to
string me up or see me shot, but my time
isn't come yet. shall be going pretty
| soon."
Now that was pretty cool talk, consid-
ering that was there to guard him., and
my carbine ready for shot, with fifty
| comrades within hail, but he went on:
II have my rifle under the straw, and
| could have shot you long ago. / didn't
want to, however I feel goodnatured
| this morning, and you need fear no harm''
Gone cry from me will alarm the whole
post" managed to remark.
ssPooh! Let's hear you yell out once!''
Our eyes met. There was nothing
malicious in his, but they put strange
spell on me. His voice, too, had a strange,
tender influence, and when he asked me
to toss him my canteen of water and hav-
ersack Of food, obeyed without the least
hesitation. He drank from the canteen,
and as he chewed away at the food he
remarked:
s'This is pretty good fare for hungry
man. AS I can't stay here to get it all, I
shall beg the favor of carrying the rest
with me-"
He was looking into my eyes, and 1
could not force my lips to utter a word
of objection.
II hear that Sheridan has offered re-
ward for me. but no one will ever earn
it, he said, as he drunk again.
He was not fifteen feet from my car
bine, and I was thinking how surely
could hit him, when our eyes met, and he
said:
No use trying! IF you want to shoot
me, blaze away, but l tell you you can't
hit me-
We looked at each other for half
minute, and felt my carbine slipping
from my grasp to the ground outside.
My fingers had no strength to hold it.
Dan laughed in a dry way and said
"Why don't you shoot2"
" You shall never leave this place
alive" | said in answer, but hardly
recognized my own voice.
"POOh!" he carelessly replied, II am
ready to leave now! shall go out Of
this other door there, and you will sit
right where you are''
was looking full at him, and to save
my life l couldn't move hand or foot.
Each limb felt as numb as if asleep.
'sWell, old boy, good bye to you" said
Dan as he picked up his rifle from the
straw, and IN another minute he was out
of sight. I was sitting there, mouth
open and eyes fixed on vacancy, when a
comrade came down from the picket
post, shook me by the shoulder and cried
out.
ga nice man you are, fast asleep and
your prisoner gomez
Was I asleep? No. Was it dream?
No! But prisoner was gone. There was
talk of Il court-martial in my case, but it
never occurred, as the prisoner was sup
posed to be some common Johnny Rcb."
Had it been known that my man was the
famous bushwhacker, should have been
taken out and shot for permitting him to
escape. permitted him and yet l
didn't. was as helpless as if without
power or muscle. That night he crept in
on a picket and stabbed him to the heart.
wonder if the poor victim first saw
those strange, wild, magnetic eyes glar-
ing into his to deprive him even Of his
power to ask for mercy.
Babylon.
!, It is usual for travellers to dwell upon
the utter desolation Of Babylon, and to
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