The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1884-11-29

| "HoHSir anu odptSKAo quickly. linen
he looked down to the ford again, where
the others were coming slowly on the
walk. mo, don't fetch him, my boy"
said he. "Is-is there any other man
with him?'
My uncle Albert is in the house."
| answered. "And-but father said [
must not tell. What is your name? Do
you know my father" You see, 1
thought everybody knew my father, and
never took him for rebel l thought
of the retsls as being far off-with Corn
wallis at Yorktown.
NO" said he, Il do not know your
father; always remember that, my boy.
And my name-my name is Shelby
| Bill Shelby" And somehow, even then,
felt that Bill Shelby was not his real
name. NOW, sonny" he went on, 81
want you to come with me and show me
the chickens. like little boys and I've
got one at home just like YOU
He swung me up on his great
shoulders, and strobe off in the di-
rectlon of the furthest cowhouse. |
remember telling him this was not
the one where the chickens we're
Kept, but he gave no heed to me, land
when we got to the cowhouse he
opened the door, carefully closed i
again, and tossed me up on the h
NOW, no higher than his head. f
he got up himself, and, puttir
astrlde of his great muddy b.
rode me up and down like
and began talking to me. I
"Now, little boy" he said, 81 can't =
stay with YOU very long, but you stay
here until it is dark, and don't you
move on any account Is there
many of you at home -
told him we were all of us there
there with father and mother.
is your mother there, too?" said
the big man, and | said "Yes," and
he sighed. was about to talk to
him of my mother, for always liked
to talk OF her, when a crash of mus
kerry made me jump and cry out;
but he put his broad hand across my
mouth and held me in a grip like
wise. That's nothing" he whisp-
cred to me hastily; "they're firing at
mark-at turkeys. Don't you stir
from here till shutdown. Promise me
that"
He pulled Eout strengthening
wallet from his gray flannel shirt; in
it was euchre-deck ofplaying cards,
and a few dirty bank notes, and some
papers, all mixed well and sprinkled
through and through with grains of
smoking tobacco; and way down
from the bottom he pulled out a sill
Yer half dollar-the only one there
was.
Nov, sonny, you stay here quiet
till dark, and this is all your H." and
he pressed the coin into my hand.
Don't you mind anything you hear;
if YOU come out afore shutdown, I'll
take that halfdollar back. "
| had never seen so much money
before, and while | was looking at it
Bill Shelby slipped out and closed
the door of the barn behind him, and
| thought Of running to show my
half-dollar to mother; but another
noise, or perhaps the memory of
what | had promised to Bill Shelby,
made me hold back.
While all this was happening the
rebels rode up to the door of our
house. 1t seems that they had heard
of my uncle and his men, and had
ridden around them to cut them off,
and so came back upon us by the
Northern road. And when they got
to the front door their leader, Major
well, we will call him Whichehalse;
t sounds better-Major Whichehalse
knocked on the door with the pom
mel of his sword. The others did
not even take the trouble to dis
mount, but stood around waiting.
Our men within were warned by
the knocking, for no honest man up
our way ever knocks at the door
without coming in, and my father
told them all to run for their lives
out the back way, and my mother
went to the door to try to parley and
save time for them all to get away.
But my father he said he would not
run like haunted thing from any
rebel, and he stood his ground.
Is DR.. Starr at home? said Which
ehalse; and my mother said No.
Then he called her damned Union
woman and told her that she lied;
and as she barred the doorway, he
took her by the shoulders and thrust
her aside, and she stumbled on the
fiat door stone and fell upon the
grass.
And then my father, hinging the
front door wide open, asked Which
ehalse what he wanted.
Il want a parcel of Union hounds"
sad he; care you one of them ?"
But there was no need to ask this
question; for there before them all,
lying on the table in the hall, was the
old American flag my grandfather
had brought from Yorktown. And
by this time few other men. who
had not been willing to leave nv
father, came out and stood beside
him i'll the doorway, all unarmed, and
my mother put my arms around my
father neck.
Fire said Whichehalse; only he