The National tribune., 1883-05-03

again, creeping through the underbrush and
thanking the cliffs, until we reached the top of
the mountain. Our ascent was made nearly
the whole of the way by pulling ourselves up
by the bushes It took two hours to reach the
summit, and once there we built small
fire and spent this, our second Sabbath day,
in returning thanks to Almighty God for
his protection In our perilous undertak-
ing. should have felt better and derived
more comfort from my devotions had 1t not
been for that "cussed" deer's ham in our
haversack! We also slept little and, as
usual, while two rested the third watched.
About o'clock we all got up and, with much
satisfaction, surveyed the country from our lofty
position. We could look directly down into the
streets of the hot secession town ofSalem and see
the people as they walked up and down the
streets. We could almost count the panes of
glass IN the windows even, and we heard dis
tinctly the bells that called the people to wor-
ship. Little did the people of that city think
that they were being scrutinized that day by a
trio of weak and nearly naked Yankees. We felt,
indeed, that the hand of Providence was with
US, and we promised ouselves that if we ever
succeeded in reaching home we would aim in
the future to live devoted Christian lives and
spend our time in doing good.
We were now probably about half way to
the Union lines and, as we judged, on the
boundary between Old Virginia and West Vir-
ones were many and many long miles, many
broad rivers, many high mountain, and,
worse than all many an enemy. With all these
barriers ahead of US we had to nerve ourselves
for the struggle. Without waiting for the sun
to go down we set out upon our nights jour
ney. We had been told by our good Quakeress
that if we followed the ridge short distance
south we would strike one of the main practical
roads leading over the mountain westward, and
| by sunset we had found the main road and
| had gone some distance down it. 1t was so
smooth and the descent so gradual that we
came very near overwalking ourselves. Near
| the foot of the mountain, as we were turning
a short bend in the road, we came face to face
| with a man sitting by the roadside. "How do you
| do,' said we; How do you do" said he, and
| we passed on. At another bend in the road
we came upon large farmhouse or, as we
| supposed afterwards, wayside inn. The
| house looked to us as if it were half in the
road. 1t was brilliantly lighted and, from the
noise, it appeared as if there was merry
crowd inside. We at once halted, being afraid
! to pass it, and turned back with the intention
| of thanking the place la General Sherman.
| just as we were leaving the road to go into
| the woods, however, we again met the man
| that we had previously passed. He yelled
| after US, and inquired where we were going
and what our business was. We replied that
we had found we were on the wrong road, and
turning out of the woods crossed into small
! pasture at the foot of the mountain, and then
/ into thick piece of small underbrush. Com
| ing out into nice plain or valley, stretching
| off westward some distance, we made north
| west across it. We afterwards learned that ii
was called Catawba. We had not gone fal
] when we heard, in the direction, as we sup
posed, of the tavern the sound of a horn and
the baying of hounds. "Good God" said
Stoozey, are we to be hunted down like run
! away negroes by these internal seceSSionistS?
The same question was on my lips, and we al
once increased our speed. We could still heal
the men and dogs, and it appeared as If they
| were coming through the woods in the samS
direction that we had, and it flashed acros:
our minds that we were not the first human
beings TO be thus pursued. Many brave man
although dark in color, had passed through the
same ordeal. We now quickened our gait TO {
run, but could still plainly hear the meI
prompting and encouraging the dogs. Tn:
latter seemed less bloodthirsty than their mas
tiers. 1t was evident that 1ur pursuers had lef
the timber and were crossing the valley In no
pursuit We dared not look back, but ahead
short distance we could see timber, and W,
knew that if we could only reach it in time WI
could climb and at least save ourselves from
being torn to pieces by these bl0odthirst,
hounds. As we ran We gathered handfuls o
stones to use in case we failed to reach TIL
TIMBER, ana TedouDle1 our speed. On, on w
went, and at last found ourselves in the tim
ber. o, joy! there was a small stream of waite
there. Into this we plunged knee deep, crosses
and ran down the bank, then into the stream
again, and commenced Wading downWards
then out, then In again, and so ON for a mil
or so. Gradually the baying OF the hound
became fainter, and at last died out altogether
Our pursuers probably came no farther thai
the stream, and / have always believed ths
they could not make the dogs take our trai
freely They had doubtless been taught t
track negroes and not white persons.
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