Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1881-12-10

SAVED BY A SHADOW.
How One of MOsby's Scouts
Once Heard His Own
Death Warrant Read.

How One of MOsby's Scouts
Once Heard His Own
Death Warrant Read.
~. Esten Cook, Phila. Weekly Times.1
The scout was surrounded. He
took in everything at a glance and
determined TO cut his way through
and risk the chances. But the la
dies represented to him that this
vas certain death. They could
conceal him, and S--assented.
The young ladies acted promptly.
One ran to the window and asked
who was there, while another
closed the back door-that in front
being already fastened. S..
was then hurried up the staircase,
one of the ladies accompanying
him to show him his hiding place.
All had taken place in a few mo-
ments, and the Federal troops
gave sudden evidence Of their es-
Innate of S--.They fired a vol
ley through the front door and the
bullets whistled by the young Ia
dies. Then the door was burst in
and the troopers swarmed into the
house.
S--had been conducted to a
garnet, bare of all furniture, but
some planks lay upon the sleepers
of the ceiling, and by lying down
on these a man might conceal
himself. S--mounted quiet
ly and stretched himself ut full
length, and the young lady retir-
ed and returned to the lower floor.
From his perch S-then heard
all that was said in the hall be-
meath.
Where is the guerilla?n ex-
claimed the FeueraI officer com-
manding the detachment.
what guerilla?" asked one of
the ladies.
THE rascal So
HE was here, but he has gone"
THAT il untrue,n the officer
said, land | am not to be triled
with. / shall search this house.
But first read the orders to the
men," he added, turning to "a SER
geant.
The sergeant obeyed and S.
distinctly overheard the reading
of his death-warrant. The paper
chronicled his exploits, denounced
him as a guerilla and bushwacker,
and directed that he should not be
taken alive;the men were express
ly ordered to kill him, not to take
him prisoner. This was not re-
assuring to the scout concealed IN
der the rafters above. 1t was
probably that he would be dis
covered, in which case death
would follow. There was but one
thing to do-to sell his life dearly.
After ransacking every room on
the fret and second floors, the
Federal troops assembled to the
garnet. The ladies had attempted
to divert their attention from IL,
but one of them asked:
what room is that up there?"
"The garrett" was the reply.
"He may be there-show the
way"
"You see the way" replied the
young lady, 81 do not wish to go
up in the dust; it would soil my
dress"
"You 60 before, them" said the
trooper to a negro girl who had
been made to carry about a light
ed candle, for night had come
now. The girl laughed and said:
"There was nobody up there"
but at the order went up stairs to
the garrett, followed by the troop
ers. The decisive moment had
come. S-heard the tramp
ing feet and cooked both his pis-
tolls. The light streamed into the
garnet, and looking over the edge
of his plank he saw the garrett fill
with troopers. All seemed over
and his discovery certain; he was
about to spring down and fire,
when the men growled: "Hell,
there's nothing here" and went
down the stairs again. The SER
want girl had saved him by a ruse.
She had taken her stand directly
beneath the broad plank upon
which s. was extended, and
the deep shadow had concealed
him. To this ruse he doubtless
owed his life. Ar hour afterward
the Federal detachment left the
house in extreme ill-hu-mor, and
before morning S--was miles
away from the dangerous locality
where he had overheard his SEN
tence OF death. Sis now one
of the leading clergymen in Vir-
ginia.
The Immediately beneficial eff
fects following the use of Fellows
Hypophosphites in those cases of
cancellation and |