Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-12-24

safely lodged fin its winter cantOnments,
and halted for the night in I little raviue
surrounded by dense underground of
scrub.pine and cedar. 1t was showing
fast. The pines bending beneath their
white covering, afforded tolerabie shelter
for the men and horses, while in the open
space blazed a great camp fire, whose
Pickering light added its charm to the
wild and weird scene.
"Say, boys, don't you think you are
making little too big fire, there? Snow
is a good reflector. you know, aud we may
have some of Mosby's men. down on US
before morning."
"Well, Cap, that's 50. But we've got
TO keep warm some way, haven't we %
Besides, it's Christmas Eve, you
know" said Burnett, land it makes
fellow feel like having little fire to think
of the jolly times they are having at home
to night"
"Rile on another log, Geordie," said
Joe Winters, "and let 'cm see US if they
want to Mosby or no Mosby, we've got to
have a fire to toast our shins by and ro-
mind us that Christmas comes but once in
the year.
go, Christmas comes but once in the year.
Ira. ia, Ia ira, 10, Ii.
Good sirs, wish you all good cheer,
Ira la Ia, Ia la"
With no heart for restraining his men
from their hilarity. the captain allowed
them the poor and solitary comfort of
their camp fire, taking good care, however,
that his pickets Oh the surrounding hills
should he we'll posted and wide awake.
Before settling down by the fire for the
night, he personally inspected every post
and resolved within himself to sleep with
more than one eye open. AS he returned
from one of these tours of inspection, on
emerging from the bushes what picture
his tired troopers looked through the
driving snow and tue dancing red light of
the camp fire. Seated on piles of pine
brush, with their horses saddled and
tcthered beneath the pines, they were hav-
ing jolly time.
Burnett, the favorite of the company,
was singing song, the rest joining in on
the chorus, so sweet and melodiOus that
tho very horses pricked up their ears at
the sound. Then followed stories and
anecdotes, grave and gay, with songs and
glees, till tho fire flickered low, and all
hands wrapping themselves up in their
great coats and blankets, lay down before
| the fire, Indian fashion, and were soon
| sound asleep.
Bang!
"Hello! What's that, boys?"
Bang-bang-bang!
Boots ana saddles, bOys-the devils
| are on us for sure ~
Kicking the snow over the smoullering
| fire, tho captain ordered his men, in short
| sharp tones, like the suppressed blast of a
bugle, to stand by their horses heads,
make ready their carbines. loosen their
| hrcc onI mount SorooNo1 from nhSnr.
vation by clump of pines along the edge
Of the ravinc through which the enemy
would likely dash down on them, they
awaited the charge as their piclzets came
galloping in with a body of Mosby's troop
ers at their heels.
| "NOw, my lads" shouted tho captain,
"look to your carbincs and sabr,s, ard let
them have it"'
| Not anticipating 50 sudden check to
their headlong course, and with no sus-
picion of tho neat little amEuscade await
ing them, Mosby's men were thrown
somewhat into confusion by the sudden
shock, as with ringing carbines and swift
sabre strokes tho Union boys dashed out
Oh them with cheer. 1t was short, sharp
work, man to man and horse to horse, the
whole affray occupying scarcely more time
than it takes to relate it, when in a cloud
of snow at their horses heels MOsby's
men dashed up the defilc and away.
Several men were killed on either side
and some wounded, too, whom VIC need
not stop to mourn over, for such arc the
chances of war-but where was Burnett
"Burnett Burnett ~ sang out his
messmate, Winters, as he stood leaning
against his horse. "Any of you fellows
know where Geordic is?'' There was nc
answer. He was not among tho wounded,
he could not be found among the killed.
"By Jove! said Winters, "they'vc
taken Gsordie prisoner ~
| Without word mere. and utterly
needless of an ugly wound in the shoulder,
| Winters mounted his horse and dashed at
full gallop in the direction Mosby's men
had taken.
"Winters stop" shouted the captain.
He might as we'll have shouted to whirl-
wind. For Joe Wintcrs--a tall, raw boned
man of great physical strength and fiery
temper, had from the first taken a strange
liking for the slender and rather delicate
lad of light hair and blue eyes, and any
day would have gone through, fire and flood
or worse for the love he bore him. And
the suspicion that Geordie was prisoner,
and the certainty that he would never re.
turn alive, aroused in Winters the heroic
determination to oyertake Mosby's men
and surrender himself instead Of Geordie
| How he rode hard and fast mile after
mile that wintry Christmas morning-hOw
he overlook the Confederate cavalry with
their prisoner riding in the milst-what
| scenes there were amongst the boys in
gray, as dismounting they listened to the
gallant proposal of Winters to ransom
| their prisoner with his own body-how
Geordie expostulated, entreated, begged
| the wounded Winters to desist, and how
in spite of all his rcn,onstrances he was
conveyed back again the next morning to
his own men, will not stop moro particu
larly to relate. Suffice it to say that ut
daybrcak, as they were preparing to break
camp, Geordic rode into the midst of them
and threw himself on the ground in a
passion of tears.
"Why, Burnett" said tho captain,
"what's the matter? Are you hurt bad
ly"'
go, no, Cap, but-Winters-"
"Aye, my boy, Winters you tell
me what has become of him 90
eyes, sir. They took me prisoner in
tho fight last highland Winters has gOne
and given himself up a prisoner in my
stead ~
Another year had passed away and a
second Christmas Eve was drawing near.
George Burnett's S father and mother, and
old Michael too, as we'll as they, anx-
iously and impatiently awaited the holi-
days for when the holidays came Geordic