The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-01-29
"ENGINE THIEVES" I"
The Great Story of Capturing a
Locomotive"
BY REV. wM. PITTENGEI.
[CoPYRIGHTED 1SSl-l
CHAPTER VIII.
IN THE FNEMY'S POWER,

by. marked by no special incidents lllI ABOUT
noon. Just beyond Lafayette, Georgia, was
observed ny some one on the watch for stran-
gers. party of pursuit numbering twenty or
thirty was at once organized. j knew nothing
of my danger till they were within fifty yards,
when heard them calling for me to stop.
single glance showed my helplessness i
laid my hand instiDctively on my revolver, but
knew that fight WAS useless. Neither was
flight possible. The country was open and
was too weary to run, even if someof the party
had not been mounted and others armed with
rifles and shot-guns. 1t was time TO see what
could be made of my plans carefully confrved
for Just such an emergency. Therefore max
ing virtue of necessity, i turned round and
demanded what they wanted though / knew
only too well. They said courteOusly enough
that they wanted 10 talk with me awhile
Soon they came up, and brisk little man who
had the epaulets Of Lieutenant, but whom
they called Major" began 10 ask questions
He was very bland, and apologized profusely
for iHttrrupting me, but said if l was patri-
otic man tas he had no doubt / was would
Willingly undergo a slight inconvenience for
the good of the Confederacy. ] endeavored to
emulate his politeness, begging him to proceed
in the performance of his duty, and assuring
him that he would find nothing wrong. He
searched me very closely for papers, and ex-
amincd my money and pistol, but found no
ground for suspicion
He next asked me who ] was, where came
from, and where i was going. j expected all
these questions in about that order, and an
sweTed them categorically. i told him / was
citizen of Kentucky of Fleming County, who
had become disgusted with the tyranny of the
Lincoln Government, and was ready to fight
against it: that / came TO Chattanooga, but
would not enlist there because most of the
troops were cOnsCripts, and the few volunteers
very poorly armed. / told him where / had
lodged in Chattanooga. and many things about
fnal LODI l,oh
acquired Of that character while riding on the
ears TO Marietta the preceding Friday. i had
also heard many words of praise spoken of the
LIST Ga, and now told the Major that ! wished
to join that noble organization. This fattered
his State pride, but he asked me one question
more.-why had not gone directly to Corinth,
where the 1st Ga. was, without coming TO
Lafayette which was far out of the way. The
question conveyed much information, as / did
not before know that was near Lafayette, or
out Of the road from Chattanooga to Corinth.
] answered as well as | could by alleging that
Gen. Mitchell was said TO be at Huntsville, and
that l was making circuit around TO avoid the
danger Of falling into his hands
This seemed TO be perfectly satisfactory to
the little man, and turning TO the attentive
crowd, he said,-
We may as well let this fellow go on, for he
seems to be all right"
/ was greatly rejoieed at these words, and
not gain something more before passing on the
way. But my JOY was premature. a dark
complexiOned man on horseback, with his hat
drawn over his brows, looked slowly up and
'drawied out
"Well. yes! Perhaps wed as well take him
back to town, and if it's all right, maybe we
can help him on TO Corinth."
This was rather more help than i wanted,
but there was no help for it. Besides, / rea-
soned that if | could keep on good terms with
this party, / could get information and aid that
would be invaluable towards my final escape
Nothing could really suit me much better than
actually TO be forwarded to Corinth and en-
listed IN the 1st Ga. / knew the ordeal of
questioning before that course was determined
on would be very trying, but did not despair.
If / could only have had some food and a few
hours rest!
They conducted me to the largest hotel of
the place, where / was received with much
ceremony, but they neglected to order dinner
i could have had drink enough, but was too
prudent 10 touch it, even if / had not always
been a teetotaler. Soon all the lawyers came
ln,-Latayette Is a County-seat.-and they all
had liberty TO question me. For four mortal
hours, as / could see by clock in the room
cOnVeTsed with them and answered questions
Ne talked OF everything, and their questions
grew more and more pointed. / answered as
well as l could and never let an opportunity
pass TO put in a question in turn, for it was
much easier and less perilous to ask than an
swer When i told them was from Kentucky
they wished TO know the County. / told them
Fleming. They asked after the County-seat
This also could give. But when they asked
after adjoining Counties was sorely perplexed
One Of them said il was singular a man could
moi Lound his own County. / asked how many
OF them could bound the County we then were
in. This question had a double purpose-to
gain time and information. They mentioned
several and fell into dispute TO settle which
a map had TO be produced. j got a look at it
Riso,-a mere glance. for it was soon out of
reach of my eager gaze; but / had seen much
Then they requested narrative Of my journey
all the way from Kentucky. This gave very
easily and III great detail as long as it was on
ground not accessible TO my inquisitors. | told
the truth as far as that would not be COM
promising, and then pleced out with inven-
tions. The time had spent on the train and
in the woods were hardest to arrange for
had 10 laceIt families with whom had lodged ;
tell the number OF children and servants at
each place, with all kinds of particulars
knew not how many Of my auditors might be
familiar with the country / was thus faacifully
pOFGlating and was careful not to know too
much. j plead forgetfulne6s as often as that
plea was plausible, but it would not do to use it
TOO cften. / might have refused 10 answer any
question, but this would have been a tacit ad-
mission OF some kind OF gilt,-at least, as good
Bs a mob would have required. j might safely
use any resorts and sharpness in conversation
and / did talk with perfect freedom,-but
had the feeling that silence would have brought
me in danger of the lash and the rope. Can
the reader conceive of any situation more criti-
cai and perilOus: starving and almost fainting
from weariness, in the midst of a growing
tavern crowd, questioned by acute lawyers, and
Obliged TO keep every faculty on the alert feel
ing that an incautious answer would probably
Head to an instant and frightfnl death, and com
PEELED under such pressure to tell f.tlsehood
after talsehood in unending succession?
But / had an increasing hope If my endur-
ance continued to the end. At supper-tinle ]
meant to boldly demand food and felt sure of
getting it. Besides, although they were clear
that was a suspicious character, they did not
seem IN any way TO connect me with the great
railroad ezpediJi8n,--the only Identification
feared The very fact that / was so far away
from the point where the train was abandoned
was in my favor. Temporary confinement,
enlistment in The army, anything they were
likely 10 do was without terror as long as ] was
not connected with the daring adventure which
had eliminated the day before. They were
somewhat perplexed by the assurance with
which / spoke and held numerous private con-
sutations, only agreeing that the case needed
further investigation.
Matters were in this position when a man,
riding horse covered with foam, dashed up to
the door. He came from Ringgold and brought
the news-of deeper interest to me than to any
one else-that several of the bridge burners had
been taken near the place where they aban-