The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-01-08

milk and eggs, and one stuff or another.
| Yes, said the Orderly stoppe,
| there last week, coming from Point O Rocks
BIT THIS isn't the right road" Imagin
my feelings Still, by powerful effort a
self-control, [ answered y well, not tn
nearest road, but Sam knows the countr,
like map, and we'll cross to the other roaC
above here" At this moment by grea
good fortune, the General called to tht
party; and after some further observation
they rode slowly down the ridge toward
their camps. During the whole interview
of more than half an hour, [ had been OF
ncttles of apprehension, lest the sound O
voices should arouse the negro from hi
drunken stupor He had fallen asleep il
anger against me for taking away his liquor
and were he to awake and find me surround
ed by Yankee horsemen, it was altogether
improbable he would neglect such an oppor
tunlty to crafty his greed for my goods, save
himself further trouble, and have the ecla
of capturing Rebel spy, as he supposed me
to be-
Indeed he could have hardly escaped be-
traying me by his replies, even if not intend
ing It, That the Yankees were suspicious
did not doubt; and especially after seeing
them, as they rode off, bend together il
low-toned conversation, with an occasional
My apprehensions were so strong that on
the moment the enemy disappeared, |
aroused Sam, and taking his liquor, bade
him follow me instantly or we should part
company. He growlingly clambered over
the fence, and we became buried in the
depths OF an immense corn field Not an
instant too soon. For ere we had gone a
few hundred yards the sound of galloping
horses coming up the road told me the
Phllistlnes were returning to investigate my
story more closely. Hating at the tree,
they looked around for moment; then put
spurs and dashed up the road lik a whirl-
wlnd,-doubtless supposing we had gone in
that direction. How [ thanked my stars
that we had not!
IN THE RIVER BOTTOM
We were now descended into the river
flats, . or bottoms" as they are called,
where | ielt comparatively safe. These
broad alluvial plains border the river for a
mile or more in width, and many miles in
length, producing vast forests of corn, SO
luxurlant that a cavalry regiment might ride
therein unperceived. Much to Sam amaze
ment my first act on reaching the bottom
was to pound up quantity of the hard
maize and gulp it down, hulls, grit, sand,
and all: for hunger, when two days old, is
NOT discriminative.
The tipsey black was now giving me great
trouble. Himself hungry, weary and soaked
with the meanest of mean whiskey, he had
begun to suspect | would bring him into
some difficulty or danger. [ had no weapon.
not even pen-knife and it was not easy
for mere boy, barefooted, dusty, diapi
dated, and dodging through by-ways, like
personal dignity, for ''bufing' purposes.
The most serious of our squabbles occurred
In the heart of the bottom, at an old hut,
long unoccupied, and now almost hidden in
brlars and vines. Evening was coming on
rapidly, and SO was tremendous thunder
storm; the big black clouds oerspreading
the whole vault of Heaven, while the wind
swept the tall cane like the shiliows of0cean!
Sam wished to stop, and lie down. But his
reasons for stopping were mine for hasten
ing on. Getting between him and the cabin,
L grasped his shoulder stick, stout hick-
DRY, and threatened to use it on his head if
he did not come right along. Instantly the
doot behind me flew open, and three ruffian-
ly fellows rushed out, each with knife in
one hand, and a brick-bat from the chimney
in the other. They were runaway slaves
from Virginia, who had escaped across the
river several weeks previous, and were
skulklng IN the corn, probably fed by the
negroes on adjacent plantations, awaiting
chance to cross the State into PENNSYLVANIA
1t will be remembered the Lincolnites were
protesting to respect the rights of Slave
holders at this time
The runaways seemed surprised, as they
had imagined it was party in search of
them. But on seeing well-dressed strip
ling, with capacious carpet big, evidently
and quarrelling with his negro pi-
lot, they drew together whispering in omin-
Gus manner, perhaps consulting whether