The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-11-17

cAarrs. the ianer hsoke and asd tArsagA the sowa, and vese pnssnsd down ths road until within few milss of wincAss- ter.
 "very frequently all through the She nandoah valley, where the government secret service scouts were not avail able. we found is necessary to employ citixens as scouts and spies "While al Oldtown, Maryland, we had one named Moss. a good union man, who had. on account of his political opinions, found Virginia too ho, for him.
 "On one of onr raids we passed his house and called in to see bis family, from whom he had been separated for months without any means of commani- eating with them. The 6rst frightened exclamation of Mrs. Moss, AS her hus- band entered the door. was: .' Oh, John. Laws, is that you ., last ? There knew ho~ t would be. You've rus; gone and come back with your head sho, ofi. Dear me ho~ ever did |, hap pen
 Her alarm was natural. for he was dressed like soldier. and had hts head ted up so that the neighbors should no, recognize him. IL was not long after this iha, Moss undertook to visit his home by himself and vas captured. They tied him hand d foot. and ~ith the pieasan, assurance ,ha, he should be hung yust as sson as they could md a rope, they put him into an apparently empty room to lay until morning. In one corner he found an old ,ron-,oothed rake and by working the knot that confined his wrists over one of the teeth he succeeded in loosening himself. took the three horses of his cap,ors. ard rode into our lines in triumph.
 4, Martinsburg we came across an other citizen scout, who was cool, brave fellow named Noakes. A, least tha, was the name he gave us, th tough never believed 1t was hts ngh, one. Noakes had great weakness for me horses, and |, didn't make the least difference 10 him whose horses they were. He would risk his lite any time to secure good horse, and If the owner was a rebel. the less he sAid about the connsc atIon the better he vas likely 10 be off for Noakes used 10 say, after he had shot some osei-sealoas horse-owncr
 .,'l do hate like - to be interrupted in horse deal Harry Gilmore had 10 come pes,erln around one night when was lookin over some horses do~n on the opequan. and hurried me so ;ha, I'm denea ii dtdn, piek oal ,welve-year- old brood mare for four -ycar-oid Met- gan stallion kne~ was there somewhere. l; was cussed mean.
 On one occasion d small party of the Hrs, New York cavalry boys were re- turning with NoAkes from scou, up the valley. when they met 4 iofee oi the enemy on the road only fe~ hundred yards or.
 Noakes va, tid,ng an cd farm horse !: they were near tslm house. and he dts- mounted and let dc~n the fence. the officer IF charge threatening h5m @i,h hs sabre by way q: bhnd The boys dashed through. and Noakes had rc. placed the ra,ls. Jus, then tue teb leader got within hearing. and yelled
 Let down thai ience. yog inicfnal fool.
 ".H-a-a.y" shouted Noakes with his hand ,o hls ear
 '.' Tear down ;ha, fence afofe blow the fool head oti yoa
 "Cassed Tanks he1 IS, biu r akin me flop this fence for them an no~ you friends
 a" Down with r, puck. oI I'll split your infernAl carcass and me in.duate 1 confederate leaders sabre leaped from l,s scabbard.
 Neakes knew there was TO more tune for iooling. and pa.!ed down the fence as awkaafdly as he could ali lhe tune eursing the | anks who had abused hm frs. and then got hun into trouble a.th h.s friends. But by the tune the fence was down the union boys were hal.-a-miie away, and no, to be over taken.
 ''Noakes philosophically pu; up the fence again. and getting on his old farm plug rode leisurely away n the opposite drcc,ien. That night he came into camp with fine stallion, which he sad he 90, from a gentleman who was closing out his stock at a sacnhce. He gener. ally wen, out mounted on an old mule oi broken-d down army horse, and nearly al. ways rc,urped with fAe animal. which he would run over into Maryland and sell for good price.
 While returning from a scout one night VIC met an old confederate ci,Lzen riding along. and Soakes accos,ed him
 Say. uncle. do you know anything abou, the Tanks a, Mar,,nseurg
 What noui yoas belong to asked the old man.
 "' Ciimore's battalion
 "'Oh, aye Wall. you see I've jts' been runnin' the blockade over ,ber my. self to get hoss for my nevvy. Hes with Mosby. ye kno~. ar los, his hoss ID a igh, with the l anks other day
 '-' How do theiI picke,s lay
 Well. they've go, 'eIn GU; on the Bunker Hlli road 10 B'g spring and cleAr around from N crth Mountin' 10 the foto- mac. tell you, you've go, to do some tall lyln' to git through.
 ".Oh. we'll look ou, for that. We've got men here ,hA, can be4, B,ll NoAkes iyIn'.'
 I'm sure I'll help you any way ! can and only hope you Il gel into Aart.as.