The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1880-02-19

and made up his mind not to desert a
comrade in peril. Then his suspicious
returned, and while the men were yet
fifty feet away he presented his revolver
and ordered they to halt.
''For Heavens sake, don't stop us
don't leave us-the guerrillas are up
there!" shouted one of the decoys, but
the trooper called back:
wheel around and face the woods
Now tell me what you saw? If either OF
you make move, I'll drop you with a
| bulleti'
ave saw men in the woodsl" shouted
| one.
"How many?' asked the trooper.
! ''More than fifty" replied the other.
He was speaking when about thirty of
Mosby's guerrillas broke cover and came
down the road at full gallop, cheering
and shooting as they came. The instant
they left cover the two decoys wheeled
and rushed for the forager. TWAS bad
fix and no time for much thought. The
| troopers horse was headed the wrong
way, and while wheeling him one of the
decoy5 closed in and sought to pull the
rider from his saddle. i bullet through
| the head was the reward, but now the
others had come up.
Surrender Surrender Surrender
yelled tie guerrillas as they opened fire,
but the forager couldn't do it. One OF
the first bullets had slightly wounded
his horse, and in It's rearing and plung-
ing the saddle was so shifted that the
trooper hung alongside his animal, un-
able to either right himself or let 90 and
drop to the ground. In this position be
was shot at and hacked at dozen times,
| and every effort was made to seize the
plunging horse, but luck was with him.
All at once the now thoroughly frighten-
ed steed jammed his way through the
circle and started for camp at his best
speed. At every Jump the big smoked
ham struck the grounl, but the rope
soon broke and it was left in the mud.
Then the poultry and tobacco went, and
the trooper was finally the only burden
left. He could neither guide nor control
his horse, having all he could do to re-
tain his precarious position. The whole
body of guerrillas followed at break
neck speed, determined to kill the fora
ger if they could not capture him. 1t
was a square race for a mile or more,
every horse doing his best,
The Yankee trooper saw no chance for
him. Ii the saddle turned bit more he
would be thrown to the ground; if it
held as it was he could not hope to es-
cape all the bullets being sent after him.
They whizzed over and around him, cut
ting his clothes and grazing his horse,
and failure to hit him only encouraged
the pursuers to renewed exertions. When
he reached the farmhouse where the
woman hadTefused to sell him poultry
she was at the gate. He could not see
her but she let her presence be known.
Realizing his situation, she clapped her
hands in a vigorous manner and cried
ont to the guerrillas:
"Catch him-shoot him-kilI him!"
Hanks horse was a race horse of
southern blood. Had he been sitting in
his saddle she would soon have distanced
pursuit. Even encumbered as she was,
having heavy man hanging to her side,
she more than held her distance. After
passing the farmhouse she had only half
mile to go to reach the picket. When
half OF this distance had been passed
! three bushwhackers suddenly appeared
in the road. They did not seek to stop
the mare, but standing side by side, re-
volyers ready, they fired together as the
| fugitive came opposite, meaning to Kill
| the horse. How they could have missed
| her Is a puzzle, but not one of the three
bullets struck the gallant little animal,
| and in another minute she was over the
hill. Forgetful or Ignorant of the picket
the guerrillas followed, but a volley
wounded three and drove the rest back
in confusion. One of the wounded men
| stated that he himself had fired eighteen
shots III the race, and his amazement
that man and horse could run such 6
gauntlet aud come out alive was as great
as any of the picket. When Hank came
to shake himself and look for damages
he found that his clothing had been cut
by three different bullets, his horse blaz
ed by two, and that bali had shivered
| the stock of his revolver. His right foot
was thrown over the horse, and the No
8 cavalry boot thus exposed had beer
/ struck on the thick heel and half of il
torn away. Few men ever had a closer
shave, and yet Hank was out foraging as
usual next day.