The National tribune., 1881-10-22

away. Crack crack! went couple of carbines,
and ping went the bullets, too close for comfort,
but not near enough to do harm.
With the first report my horse gave snort
and bound that threw the saddle well up on
his neck and came near dismOuntlng me. But 1T
was no time then to tighten girths; and if time
had served, it is doubtful if l could have ever
| mounted again, the animal was so FESTIVE
Away we went like the whirlwind. Over
bitches, the remains of fences, bushes and briers
i never was much of horseman, and even yet
it is subject of wOnderment to me how [ ever
managed to keep on deck and steer the con-
founded old craft. 1 should judge, from my feel
ings as I now remember them, that I had ridden
about thousand miles, when l succeeded in
hauling up alongside of a fence, fringed On the
further side by heavy but comparatively open
piece of timber to wait for my comrades who,
quarter of mile behind me, were rapidly COM
ing up.
was just resting my legs bit when shot
was fired, and simultaneously my charger caught
the sound of galloping feet as my friends
rode madly forward. Jehosaphat Without the
slightest premontion of what was intended the
internal beast evidently used to such business,
took to timber as naturally as a squirrel hunted
by dogs. Thump! went my head against low
hanging limb knocking off my hat, raising
bump as big as hens egg and nearly tumbling
me from the saddle. Whack! went one leg
against the bole of tree Scratch, scratch, went
the twigs and branches across my physiognomy; ;
rip, tear, went my clothing Oh, dear! Oh, Lord!
I shielded myself as well as l could by leaning
forward and clinging to the animals neck and
in that position brought into play new engine
of devilment- my revolver, the largest sized army
which belabored my hip increasingly. 1t Topped
up and down, up and down. until one particular
part Of my person felt like well-pounded beef
steak. In less than two minutes the revolver
seemed as if it was crOwbar, and in five minutes
felt like bar of railroad iron fifty feet long and
weighing, as nearly as l was able to estimate it.
about a thousand pounds to the foot.
l was just upon the point of giving out entirely
when we cleared the wood. And wasn't glad
Better yet, my friends almost Immediately came
riding up through the open field, my course
having fortunately run parallel with it, the
Johnnies still in pursuit, but not perceptibly
gaining upon us. Darkness now began to set in
quite rapidly, but we dared not halt for ever and
anon we could hear the gallOping feet of the
horses of our pursuers and now and then the
angry voice of carbne and ping of the bullet
as they thus called out to US through the gloom.
About nine o'clock we stumbled upon a farm
house standing back in the fields. Near it we
halted and listened for at least an hour, at the
end of which time we came to the happy cOnclu-
sion that the guerrillas had given up the chase
@hnrn No
had not yet gone to bed-aEd asked for lodging
This got, and also fair supper of corn-dodger
and bacon, which we eagerly devoured having
eaten nothing since. rly morning
Ibid not sleep N 4 that night. was per-
feet volcano of aches, pains, and the Lord knows
what all, and as raw as the back of the animal l
had ridden, which had no skin On it at all for
space as large as the palm of a mans hand.
NY old wound-I had been shot through the
neck injuring the spine-had gotten up decided
inflammation from the hard and protracted exer-
else, and my backbone seemed to clatter and
creak when 1 attempted to move, like disjointed
and WORKOUT piece of machinery My head felt
like an illy-used football balanced on the raw
end of something, which was myself.
Next morning we were up by daylight They
brought 1Ortn my SteeO. lie mad an ugly look In
his eye, and 1 endeavored to get somebody else
to engineer him ON the way home. They finally
persuaded me to keep him, and lifted me into my
seat, two of the boys having, meantime, to hold
the brute. l struck the saddle and the horse
struck for the road and freedom at the same
moment.
In passing through the gateway he scraped off
against one of the posts what little skin had
previously saved on one side of my person.
left several square feet (estimated) of my hide
literally "on the fence to dry"
We passed Fairfax in the course of an hour,
and late in the afternoon reached camp. There
were no cars to leave for some time, and my dra-
COON friend kindly offered us horses to ride into
town.
Horses! l would as soon think of riding bare
back a streak of lightning shod with thunder
bolts and red peppers. We declined with many
thanks and Immediately started to walk to
Washington by way of Long Bridge. Over the
hills and far away we trudged, until at length
the lights of the city cleaned upon our weary
sight. About eight o'clock in the evening we
reached home, but not the end of our misery
Our feet were raw with blsters, we were too
tired to stand, and-wel as for the matter of sit
ting down, that was altogether out of the aues-
ton.
My friend was completely demoralized. was
fyr,rnS A -I,@ olxl Ia