The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-04-19

Born among the hills, where the crops
are stones, and the Sleeps noses are
sharpened before they can nibble the
thin grass between them, his life had
been one of the hardest toll and priva-
ton. He knew nothing but what
nature, the Bible, the "course of Time,"
and two or three of Shakespeare plays
had taught him, but somehow in the
mountain air he had grown to be man
"a man as civilized nations account
manhood.
Why did you come into the war?
at last asked the colonel.
60 To do my sheer fur the kentry,
Gin 'ral, answered the man. "And 1
didn't druv no barg'in wi th' Lord. 1
guv Him my life squar' out; and eff
He's a mind to tuck 1t on this tramp
why it's His'n; I've nothin' ter say
agin it."s
"You mean that you've come into
the war not expecting to get out of
it 2"
"That's so, Gin'ral"
Will you die rather than let the dis
patch be taken ?"
{" wull."
The colonel recalled what had passed
in his own mind when pouring over his
mothers Bible that night at his home
in Ohio; and it decided him. "Very
well, - he said Il will trust you"
The dispatch was written on tissue
paper, rolled into the form of bullet,
coated with warm lead, and put into
the hand of the Kentuckian. He was
given carbine, brace of revolvers,
and the fleetest horse in his regiment,
and, when the moon was down, started
on his perilous journey. He was to
ride at night, and hide in the woods or
in the houses of loyal men in the day.
time.
1t was pitch-dark when he set out
but he knew every inch of the way,
having travelled it often, driving mules
to market He had gone twenty miles
by early dawn, and the house of friend
was only few miles beyond him. The
man himself was away, but his wife was
at home, and she would harbor him till
nightfall. He pushed on. and tethered
his horse in the timber; but it was
broad day when he raped at the door,
and was admitted. The good woman
gave him breakfast, and showed him to
the guest-chamber, where, lying down
in his boots, he was soon in a deep
slumber.
The house was log cabin in the
midst of few acres of deadening-
ground from which trees have been
cleared by girdling. Dense woods were
all about it; but the nearest forest was
quarter of a mile distant, and should the
scout be tracked, 1t would be hard to get
away over this open space, unless he
had warning of the approach of his
pursuers. The woman thought of this,
and sent up the road on mule, her
whole worldly possessions, an old negro,
dark as the night, but faithful as the
sun in the heavens. 1t was high noon
when The mule came back, his heels
striking fire, and his riders eyes flash
ing, as if ignited from the sparks the
steel had emitted.
"Dey'm comm, missus!" he cried,
"not half mile away-twenty Secesh,
-ridin' as eff de Debil was arter 'em !"
She barred the door, and hastened to
the guest chamber.
Co." she cried, "through the win
der,-ter the woods They'll be here in
minute"
"How many is thar ~ asked the
scout.
"Twenty,-go,-go at once, or you'll
be taken ~
The scout did not move; but fixing
his eyes on her face, he said:
"Yes, 1 yere 'em. Thar's sorry
chance fur my life already. But Rachel,
I've thet bout me thet's wuth more'n
my life-thet, may bell save Kaintuck.
If I'm killed, wull ye tuck it ter Cunnel
Cranor, at Paris ?''
Yes, yes, I will. But go; you've
not minnit to lose, tell you."
q" 1 know; but wull We swar it,-swar
ter tuck this ter Cunnel Cranor fore th'
Lord tibet yeres us Yn
Eyes, yes, Iwlll," she said, taking
the bullet. But horses hoofs were
already sounding in the door-yard. "Oh,
why did you stop to parley ?"
" Never mind, Rachel answered the
scout. Don't tuck on. Tuck ye keer