The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-10-20
IN COLD BLOOD.
How Hard an Old Soldier Found 1t to Kill
aYoung Guard.

w ~ 'h'ht ''''N' 49,
army colonel, "but always in battle. ]
never was so placed as to feel obliged
to kill man in cold blood but once. !
never want 10 be placed in such posi-
ton again" "Eiow was it?" | asked.
"Well," said the Colonel, signing, with
unwillingness to go back to that disa.
grceable day. "you see | was one oil
the 100 Federal prisoners brought down
from Savannah to Charleston to stop the
shells and balls from General Rufus
Sayton's batteries. You remember we
were stockadcd there on space in from,
of Charleston as sort of target for the
Federal guns. Well, on the way down
from Savannah to Charlestown we were
to escape We planned it in Savannah.
| Tic train, a rambling stumbling affair,
drawn by n wheezy old locomotive cap
able of something like ten miles an
hour on dead level, was to be guarded
by old men and young bows unfit for
| field duty. They were armed, of course;
but we outnumbercd them ten to one.
Every man in the secret had his part
to playa signal to give, guard to
watch. a gun to seize. Each of us car
red an improvised weapon of some
sort. remember picked up the bolt
an old car coupling and hid it under
my shirt, and | suppose all the other
had arms of some description. My duty
was to Kill guard who stood right in
front of me at the end of the car wien
the signal should be given. 1t was an
old passenger car. l sat in the last seat
facing the wood box. and the guard
stood by the stove. Presently he came
over and stood by the woodbox And
such guard! A white-haired farmers
boy of some II years, so sleepy with
long duty that he could scarcely keep
his eyes open. He had good face,
with Il very innocent expression, that
refined the appearance of his coarse
clothes and dirty shoes. He had an old
fashioned musket--a muzzleloader,
with big percussion cap. And this
was my victim. looked him all over
and measured him carefully. One blow
of my hard bolt on that soft head
would end him.
TRYING NOT TO KILL HIM.
Il have no idea of the scenery of
that route. ! saw but one thing all
that way-that boy. | watched him as
the hawk watches the little chicken.
And as watched l pited him more and
more. He was so young, so fair, so in
nocent. Isteeled myself with the thought
that he must die if we would be free.
At the time though | was looking for
some way in which | could do my duty
and vet save that boy. | tell YOU it's a
terrible thing to sit for hours opposite q
tow-headed boy measuring him for a
coffin. don't know what fear is, but
| confess without hesitation to tremor
every time | thought of his dying gasp.
As | watched him (and everybody else
in the car was watching me) wondered
whether could not disable his gun and
then content myself with stunning him
when the moment came. With such
care as you can scarcely conceive |
reached forward through those short
legs for the nipple of the musket. After
several trials touched the gun, oh, so
carefully, and in moment more had
the cap in my hand. | threw it out of
the window. Then the whole car
breathed freer. l know | did. The
guard still slept. wondered whether
| couldn't get that musket away. |
could try. | did, with inconceiva BILE
patience and care. slowly disengaged
the dangling legs; carefully lifted the
clasped fingers; put the hands in his
lap; | took the musket slowly from be-
tween his legs and quietly pushed it
under the seat on which | sat. As | did
SO. he shook himself, turned over with
his head against the wall, and went on
with his nap. Now | was myself again.
He was in my power and no blood
would be shed. But just at that mo-
ment word was passed to me that the
plan had failed. The coward who was
10 give the signal was afraid to give it;
tnc point WAS passed; it was all over;
i." locomotive was whistling for tho
Need of More Farm Homes.