Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1888-01-05

tsrs day. in the ysar lscs. when the
var was At It's 6ercest between tie
North and the South. that lall and
slender man dressed in the dark blne
Uniform Of the Northern soldier. burt
from ciump Of thisk pines GA Ito
outskirts Of the county town OF ul-
per Marlboro. IN Southern Maryland.
He ran hastily across 4 field AMI
then TO pailing ineloaing garden.
Placing his hand on the TOP he elearea
over and ran Close to the fence in \
stooping position. Reaching the kiteh-
en- door he at once entered without
knocking. An old negro man was at
that mSnsnt alone IL Tie kitcheG.
who sprang to his feet and was about
to leave as hastily as the rheumatism
would allow on seeing the uniform of
the Northern soldier. But laugh
ing voice stopped him as the painting
soldier said
Uncle Jim, it is will. o the
wispr"
$50 It's, bress GodI But Mars Wal.
ter, chile, dis no place for ye; dee sol
diers am all bout dee town, resting
cherry body, and is looking for ye,
honey"
al know that, Uncle Jim. have
been hunted from place to place for
two days and nights. Last night
staid in the big oak in the woods with
the soldiers right under the tree
watching the road for me to pass and
talking of me. To-day some false
alarm took them away, and ! slipped
down, travelled by a roundabout route
until it grew dark enough TO come
out. Now, see if any one is in the
dining room; want to 90 in; l must
see Mrs. Belt and Ella. Uncle Jim,
tell them | am here; for / must know
if there is any danger in any goingin
the house.
When Uncle Jim had carefully shut
the kitchen door and crossed the yard
to the Great House-as the white peo-
pies house were called-Will.o the
Wisp sat down by the fire and lit his
pipe.
His enemies had named him thus,
for they could liken him to nothing so
much as the ignis ftttaes seen in The
Southern woods; for had they not
chased him all over the Southern
counties for the last three years ?
Had they not had him in their sight
over and over, only to fail in making
l. capture? He had come and gone,
heing seen and disappeared, until he
was known as the "Will-o'- -the-wisp"
by all the soldiers sent out to capture
him. Even his friends had begun to
call him the "Will-o- -the-wisp," half
in fun and derision over the failure
Of the brag detective, Captain Big
foot, sent especially from Washington
to capture him. Large rewards were
offered, and even posted mp at the
front door Of his own family. Dead
or alive he was to be ca ptured and
brought to Washington.
Will-o'-the-wisp was Captain Wal
ter Bowie, in the famous guerillas OF
Colonel Mosby, also in the secret SER
vice of the Confederacy, but by the
then government at Washington called
a spy-and dangerous one, too. IIc
was just the man for such a service.
Splendid physical and mental pow
ers; carefully raised and educated, an
athlete in all the sports Of the day,
riding and leapiug, climbing and box
ing, he was as much master Of the art
OF fencing as he was at the target,
both with gun and pistol. He was
full of gay humor, and had songs anil
stories at his ready tongues end to
guile away the time FOR friend or foe.
Daring and intrepid to a fault, he
courted adventure and laughed at
danger-this time having been sent
on special secret and dangerous mis-
sion-in fact, to Washington to draw
the plans Of the fortification, and pick
up all the information he could. He
was we'll fitted to do 90. as he was n
civil engineer, fine mathematician,
and most excellent draughtsman.
He had remained in Washington
and satisfactorily accomplished all he
was sent to DO, and had nearly reached
the Potomac, where was his boat and
safety, when he saw from the tor Of a
high hill that his route was cut off by
large body Of men.
He turned and galloped to a deer
wood. Jumping from his beautiful
dark bay horse, he had taken off the
bride and saddle, and hiding them in
clump o. bushes, be turned and took
the face of his horse in his hands and