Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1881-11-10
Esten Cooke in the Philadelphia Times.


READ.
J. Esten Cooke in the Philadelphia Times.
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 coulo
conceal hini, and S-assented,
The young ladies acted promptly
One ran to the window and asked
who was there, while another closed
the back door-thar 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 few moments, and
the Federal troops gave sudden ev-
iderce of their estimate of s.,
They fred a volley through the
front dor and the bullets whistleG
by the young ladies. Then the
door was burst IN and the troopers
swsrmed into the house,
S-had been conducted to a
garret bare of all furniture, but
some planks lay upon the sleepers
of the ceiling, and by lying down
on these a man might conceal him
self. S--nounted quietly and
stretched himself at full length, and
the young lady retired and return
ed to the lower floor. From his
perch S-then heard all that wss
said IN the hall beneath.
where is the guerilla g OK
claimed tho Federal officer com
manding the detachment.
What guerilla 2 asked one OF
the ladies.
The rascal S.
'He was here, bu. he has gone.
sThat is untrue,' the officer said
and l am not to be trif1cd with.
shall search this house. But first
read the orders to the men, he ad-
ded, Turning to a sergeant.
The sergeant obeyed and s
distinctly overheard the reading OF
his death warrant. The paper chron
lcled his exploits, denounced him
as a guerilla and bushwhacker, and
directed that he should not be tax
en- alive, the men were expressly
ordered to xii! him, not TO take him
prisoner. This was not reassurine
to the scout concealed under the
rafters above. 1t was probable
that he would be discovered, in
which case death would follow
There was but one thing to do to
sell his life dearly. After ransack-
ing every room on the first and
second floors, the Federal troops
ascended to the garret. The ladies
had attempted to divert their at
tention from it, but one of them
asked
What room is that up there 2
sThe garrett was the reply.
He may be there-show the
way
You see the way returned the
lady, Il do not wish to go mp In
the dust, it would soil my dress
You go before, them said the
trooper to a negro girl who had
been made to carry about lighted
+ candle, tor night had come now
The girl laughed and said "There
was nobody mp there" but at the
order went up stairs to the garret,
followed by the troopers. The de-
clsive moment had come. 8 -
heard the tramping feet and cooked
both his pistols. The light stream
ed into the garret, and looking over
the edge of his plank he saw the
garret fill with troopers. All seem
ed over and his discovery certain
he was about to spring down ant
fire, when the men growled 'Hell
there's nothing here,' aud Wen
GOWN the stairs aSalr. lhe SER
want girl lad saved him by ruse
She had taken her stand directl,
beneath the broad plank upol
which S--was extended, and tht
deep shadow had concealed him
To this ruse he doubtless owed hi
life. An hour afterwards the Fed
al detachment left the house i
extreme ill-humor, and bcfor
morning S--was milesaway fror
the dangerous locality where b
had overheard his sentence of deatl
S--is now one of the .leadin
clergymen in Virginia.
IT. is thOuoht that this vear III