The Brookhaven leader., 1885-01-08

aid of Tue boy | soon made myself
very comfortable. After making
myself as presentable as possible
the boy led me through a hall into
the dining room, and as j entered
there were several ladies' at the table.
| thought of the little bag in which
l had put the scraps of paper to be
delivered on the road between Nicks-
burg and Jackson, and | felt for 1t,
and found it safe. The lady who
had given the boy his orders sat at
the far end of the table, AMI served
the coffee, and very pale, dolicate
lady sat on my right at the foot of
the table, and just opposite Inc sat
a beautiful curly headed Hebe, who
seemed to have been chosen spokes-
woman, as she began the converse
Lion by saying:
Where arc you from p
l said, "from Vickshurg.'
"You are Il Yankee, then p
"No, I'm a Confederate"
"How did you get out?'
"Only my God and General will
know for some time :"
"Ah! do you know any one in
Vicks burg ?"
YES" and as luck would have it.,
| had met most OF her acquaintances
while there. She asked and | an
swered many questions, and | could
see that all were intensely interested.
Presently the pale lady on my right
asked me if knew a Maj Mckay
or McCabe-I don't remember
which, and l told her that tld !;
was in the same hospital with him,
and that he had been ill with tv
phoid fever, but that before ] left
that he was up and able to ride out
to his regiment. And | saw that
my answer had brought the color to
her pale cheeks, and pulled out my
tobacco bag and looked at the dis
patches, and the Majors was the
first l came across. Taking it out !
handed it TO her, saying, Madam,
probably You will know his hand
writing" She looked once at it and
gave one
GLAD SHREK AND TAINTED.
They all began the application
of restoratives, and read the dis
patch, and l was soon overwhelmed
with apologies and blessings, and
was made quite hero of. My kind
hostess, Mrs. Lum, apoligized for
her seeming rudeness, and told me
she had an old crippled gray mule
that the Yankees had left of all she
formerly owned, and that l should
have her. l thanked her very kind
ly and soon the old mule. was
brought up from some deep cane
hollow, and a lot of skins and ropes
made me a bride and saddle, and
after a hearty meal, and with many
blessing from the ladies and pray
ers for my success, l bade them
adieu, and TOOK my course over the
HILLS TOWARD JACKSON.
I rode slowly along. as my old
mule was not at all inclined to hur
ry, and l often felt that l could make
much better time on foot. | forgot
to tell that Mrs. Lum also gave me
a good pair of plain crutches, for
which was very thankful. l nam
ed my mule the Widow Bedott, as
she had a way of her own of holding
her head, that reminded me velN
much of that old lady. AS l was
about trying it awhile on loot, /
came in sight of public road that
led away to the South and l could
see up long red hill for q full mile,
and | could also see that there was
a man On a horse coming toward me,
and he seemed to have on a suit of
dark cloth, that at the distance Of
nearly mile thought was blue.
So hiding my old mule l took up my
position in the edge of some vines
and bushes on the side OF the road
with fence on the opposite side.
waited his coming. AS he came
| could see he was riding u good
sorrel horse and that he was doc
tor and dressed in a suit of black.
| waited until he was IN front of ne
and no chance to escape. l leveled
my pistol and ordered a halt. He
did so at once. i told him to dis
mount and hitch his horse to the
fence, he did so, and l mounted The
horse and laid the doctors saddle
bags on the fence, and told him
that was ready to parley with him,
that | would pay him for his horse
in gold, greenbacks, or Confederate
He said he could not sell,
as it was not his horse, but belonged
to widow lady. l finally told him
that would leave the horse some
place between there and jackson.
and l then gave him an order to get
him, and / presented him with the
WIDOW BEDoTT,
and rode raridly up the road by
Rocky Springs. At two o'clock in
llIe morning / came to Raymond
and got fresh horse from The sur