Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1879-05-29
"Was the case of red moroceos'


sit 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
lust then. j was wondering at the curl
GUS coincidence, when he sat upon his
bed, looked me square In the face ana
said:
aI am Dan Vernon, the bushwhacker,
and L killed one of your men last night
before turning in herer'
"Dan Venom Irepeated after him.
eyes 1t is a good joke on your com
rades who took me for scrub soldier"
was SO taken by surprise that could
not utter word. He was as cool as ice,
however, and he continued:
sit 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 tfty
comrades within hail, but>he went on:s
81 have my rife under the straw, and
could have shot you long ago. ! didn't
want to, however. / feel goodnatured
this morning, and you need fear no harm."
zone CRY from me will alarm the whole
post, managed to remark.
"Pooh! Let's hear you yell out oncel"
Our eyes met. There was nothing
malicious in his, but they put a strange
spell ON me. His voice, too, had 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 ehewed away at the food he
remarked:
''This is a pretty good fare for hungry
man. AS / can't stay here to get it all,
shall beg the favor of carrying the rest
| with me-"
He was looking into my eyes, and,I
could not force my lips to utter word
of objection. s
81 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 / was thinking how surely
could hit him, when our eyes met, and he
said: ----
mo use trying! If you want to shoot
me, blaze away, but 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 dry way and said:
Why don't you shoot9"
You shall never leave this place
alive" l said in answer, but hardly
recognized my own voice.
"Pooh!" he carelessly replied, 81 am
ready to leave now! shall go out of
this other door there, and you will sit
| right where you are ---.-
Twas looking full at him, and to save
my life 1 couldn't move hand or foot.
Each limb felt as numb as if asleep.
"Well, 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. 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. .
"a nice man you are, fast asleep and
your prisoner gomez"
Was asleepg No! Was it dream9
No! But prisoner was gone. There was
talk of court-martial in my case, but it
never occurred, as the prisoner was sup
posed to be some common Johnny Ret"
Had it been known that my man was the
famous bushwhacker, should have been
taken out and shot for permitting him to
escape. I permitted him and vet /
didn't. was as helpless as if without
power or muscle. That night he crept in
on 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.