The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1879-11-13

seeing the people gathering at tho
back door be went no farther than
the kitchen. The doors all stood
open. After a glance around for
hiding place, the scout stepped be-
hind the one leading up stairs This
door swung close to the floor and
hit the wall, 80 as to leave quite a
corner where the wall joined.
The scJut was scarcely hidden
when the house was full Of men. All
had seen him euter. abd they felt
sure Of capturing him. While some
stood guarl at the doors. others be.
gan search. They examined every
room in detail, constantly expecting
to unearth the Yankee, and two of
the kitchen doors were pulled back
for peep in the corners. The eel
lar was the last place searched a
window in the wall was open, and
after brief search the soldiers con,
cluded that tho scout had crcpt ont
of this and made Of while they were
searching above. At this moment
one of the colored women raised an
ou'cry aud declared that SHE had
seen blue coat enter the corn feld
about thirty rods from the house.
Away went the crowd, wooping aud
yelling, aud the scout was left alone
with the women aud children.
Dave had planned to step forth.
cross the highway and make for the
cover of the forest, but just rs he
was ready to execute the movement
he heard the rumble of wheels on
the rood. A force was passing, and
his appearance would have been the
signal for pelsnit. The ouly way
was to trust to lnck.
After hunt of half an hour the
patrol straygled back to the house
with tho Information that the Yam
kee had made his escape for the
timo being, but that patrols had
been seut ont to cut off his return
The lieutenant was offered food and
he had just drawn up to the table
to eat cold bite when he was jim
ed by n captain of some Independent
command. whose men hal iust come
down the road The two talked
briskly about armv matters and
movements rs they piled their knives
nnl forks, aul what the scout over.
heard as he crouched behind the
kitchen dor, WIS regIr lei OF value
when carried to the FelerL heal
quarters
When the two officers hal finished
their meal it was near sundown, and
as they rose to go Dave hal nur
row escape from discovery. In the
room WITH them was white woman
AMI a colored woman. aud rs the
capt lin rose up the white woman re
marked
"Why, captain, you are loaded
down with dust, Wait Il minute aud
I'll brush il oil
She started for the broom, She
was doubtless in the habit Of stand
ing it behind the stair door for her
haud was already on the edge of the
loor to swing it back from the wall
Yheu the colored woman cried out
from the other room that she had it,
rhc captain was vigorously dnstel,
his hostess duly thanked, aud tho
two officers departed together. How
ever. the scout was but little better
of. He could hear the troops NOV
ing along the road, and if he left his
hiding place before nj isht. his cap
ture or death would be almost cer-
tain. But could he rem iia where he
was
The excitement having somewhat
subsided the women went about
their household duties, and one OF
the colored women was instructed to
get supper. Dave had been stand
ing as stiff as board for an hour
aud half, bat he dared not change
his position. The women talked
pretty bravely, and his escape from
the house might not be accomplish
cd as safely as he had at first antici-
pated. The windows were open and
hs could hear sounds which convinc
ei bin that soldiers were in camp
not far away.
BY aud by twilight came and sup
per was ready. Dave hoped that af-
ter the meal was over the household
might scatter long enough to pre-
vent his exit unseen, but fate had u
trick to play him. The meal was
not more than half over when some
article foil to the floor upstairs with
u loud bang, At this the mistress OF
tho house remarked to ono OF the
children
"Albert. shut that stair door aud
stop that draft Of wind,
The boy loft the table, walked
over to tho door aud pulled it shut.
leaving Dave in his corner without
shelter. Tho lad gave start OF
surprise ut sight Of tho intruder,
but before no could CRY Gu. tho
scout stepped boldly forward with a
polito good evening 10 all No ono
was greatly startled, as soldiers were
frequent callers,
"Who ia il 7" asked the mistress
~ she looked NJ,
"oar n m,shly , ia dat yaak /
o, cla,mel oae ~ the calarel women
IN reply M ahe eaaght s,gat oi The
blue olo,hea,
A heightened hook aweW sroaaa
the et,clA AMI IA the black WOMAN
turned ~ ay the scout called oat
"pont he atva,a no ana sha,l b,