The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-06-03

was little short, and only tore the visor of his
cap
"seems to me I've seen this same Mule some
where before" said GFimsted. studying Ne with
momentary interest. The next instant his
mind was the quest upon which he had
started, and was forgotten.
on We went, spastering through the batter
OF powdered limestone dust aud water which
covered the face Of the turnpike.
They've got good hours start of us"
Grimsted said to Barnard, having waited for
the latter TO come up alongside, but it's not
more'n o'clock now, aAd well surely over
take EN- before noon, for their horses are al
most tired out, while onrsare pretty fresh"
The thought of Ny being fresh was too much
for Ne. My wearied soul went out in one of
those long, stacoato walls for which My kindred
are famous. aud which seemed to quaver along
the whole damp horizon
"Confound your doleful yawp--shut upi"
said Grimsted, pulling on the reins until the
severe dragcOn- bit pressed down My tongue
and silenced Ny mellow trill. "If there's any
thing more distressful than the bray of Mule
on rainy day don't know what it is. The
howl OF dog at midnight amt q circumstance
to it."
Though thus brutaIly gagged, I was not
without way of expressing the surging emo
tions that filed My soul. unshaekled My
deadly right against the bugler, but failed 70
do him worse damage than tear a leg of his
trousers. really had no malice against the
boy who footed the signals, but he ought to
have had better luck than be within Ny reach
when was irritated
For the next two hours We plunged onward,
without any more stirring incident than On oc-
casiOnal tap from Ny heels on some horse that
jammed up 10 Ne more closely than thought
was respectful TO the steed OF the commanding
officer.
Grimsted pushed Us ahead relentlessly. We
11o,.n sod l. al
down hill, and went at a fast walk up grade.
He became more impatient every minute that
the forenoon wore away without bringing him
any glimpse of the retreating enemy. he
fumed and fretted, declared to gracious"
and hoped TO goodness that We were on the
right track. We passed but few houses, and
they were so far from the road that he be-
grudged the time it would take to inquire Of
them as to whether the raiders had passed that
way, and he contented himself by watching
the mud for indications Of the trail Of a large
body Of hOrsemen. The beating rain had made
this very unreliable. At one time he was sure
that he was on the right track, and then the
numerous footprints would look as If they
had been made weeks before. At length the
surface of the road became one long, narrow
pool Of thin mortar, which 0bliterated all hoof-
traces.
Worse stiIl, the road forked, and the indi-
cations were just as good that the rebels had
gone one way as the other.
Grimsted pulled Of his hat, wound his roach
around his bony fore1nger, and with per-
plexity wrinkling his freckled face, gazed
along one and then the other of the diverging
roads. Neither showed the least sign of having
been swept over by horde Of flying horsemen.
He dismounted several boys, and sent them
along each Of the roads 20 hunt for articles that
might have been dropped by the horsemen.
He himself disnounted aud began a careful
e - - Lii
mud, which hSre and their protruded above the
liquid coating
1--WE can't waste many minutes here" he
said, so don't 20 more than hundred yards
or So Wen miss 'em just as badly if we lose
time and don't overtake EN- as, we will by going
the wrong road"
Presently the group on the right-hand road
shouted that il had found horseshoe, while
the other called ont that IL had broken spur.
"These don't amount TO anything" said
Grimstcd to Barnard What's your opin-
ionY"
"There is certainly nothing to tell which road
they have taken" returned Barnard. "But
as the rigbt-hand road seems the more direct,
j should take it."
81 SHALL" said Grimsted, Ieaping into the
saddle. Forward, march-trotp
Away we poufded and spattered for another
mile or more, and stopped for an instant on top
Of hill to survey the road between that point
and where il passed out Of sight over the top Of
the next hill.
81 can't see anything" said Grimsted, dis
consolately. I'm afraid we've made mis-
take. I've half notion to turn back and take
! the other fork OF the read"
Captain called out the bugler, who had
walked up the hill to spare his horse, and now
stood beside him, there's a cabin over there
on the bill, just beyond the crest, and TO the
\ right Of the road. There's somebody in il, for
smokes coming ont Of the chimbly, and / can
see two horses standing hitched, and mebbe
/ there's more"
81 can't see anything" said Grimsted, cram
| ing his neck 10 catch view through riffs in
| the foliage.
"Then it's because you're too high up. Get
down here on the ground, where you can see
| undes the limbs"
Grimsted did so. "Theres certainly some
body there" said he probably squad that's
gone in to rest. Maybe it's guard put ont for