The Washington critic., 1888-01-14
Do THE DEAD COME DACK2
Cousin Dana's Adventures in Canada
During Our Civil War.

Ol Ine ROOu 10 I'LL llle WOrlu, LOT WnHV-
ever brings good to one must help all
in degree. We had gathered about
the open blaze of the coal fire in the
large square keeping room Of the old
New England homestead, There were
father, mother, brother Ray and
Cousin Dana and their wives and
myself, who had all come down on
the afternoon train for quiet holi-
day.
1t was storming fercely, and ever
and again the snowhakes were hurled
against the window glass with heck
ing sound which told of the bitter
conflict of the elements and enhanced
the comfort within by contrast with
the tediousness of outside exposure.
When the early twilight of the short
winter day had merged the sombre
gray of the storm clouds into dark
blackness, and mother had dropped
the curtains, as il seemed little too
early for lights, we drew our chairs a
little closer about the bright fire; and,
as the shadows arose and fell, we
chatted of many things.
When we had exhausted the topics
of present interest silence fell upon
us, and we had been sitting for some
minutes without speaking when ter
rible blast came trumpeting around
the old house, ending in half scream,
half sob in the chimney.
"Ugh" said Dana, Struggling his
shoulders, "This makes me think of
a1 N
war. Did / ever tell you about that?"
Dana was an apt story-teller, and
we all begged him, with the eagerness
of children, to tell us the adventure.
Throwing back his head and settling
himself comfortably he began:
Late in the winter of '64 there
were suspicious movements along the
Canadian frontier which made the
Government anxious for some exact
data by which to guide future move
ments. / was detailed from my com
mand TO do the required work. The
time given was very short, as | was
ordered imperatively to report at the
War Department at Washington in
person the first day of January, 1865.
"It is very easy thing for those
who sit in luXuriously furnished
rooms, behind rosewood desks, to
measure the work for subalterns,
sending them out, sometimes to death,
and always to more or less privation,
with lightly given orders.
81 had about me papers of great
value to the Government. Their
loss, as ] now know, would have
made far different showing in the
closing up of the civil war. ] met
with several vexatious delays; but,
rs / had good horse and light,
easy-traveling Canadian 'sledge, l
pressed on with the courage of ne
cessity. My route lay so near the
frontier that L was part of the time
in the States and part of the time in
Canada. The sleighing was abso-
lutely perfect.
''I'he 24th of December had dawned
brightly. AS the day advanced, how
ever, q slight haze from the southwest
overspread the whole sky, growing
more dense and hanging lower and
lower until, as night came on, the
first scattering flakes of snow thick
ened into one binding sheet of driving
sleet, through which objects on the
leeward side were barely dis
ceruible.
"Imagine my feelings. was still
miles from the nearest town, on q
lonely road, with only an occasional
hostelry. My horse began to show
signs of fatigue. A mile or two ahead
n dense pine forest loomed up,
through which the road passed; and
from here came, on the wings of the
gale, that horrible barking, wailing
cry which, once heard, no one ever
after mistakes for other than the
bowling of wolves.
Suddenly, rs the condition / was
in dawned on my mind, there loomed
mp out of the mist and gathering
ioned, gambrel-roofed house. AL.
though | could see no lights, had nc
alternative; j must at least have shell
ter for both myself and horse. Turn
ing into lane that led to outbuild
ings attached to the house | drove to
shed that was part of lean-to built
close to the house, and, as / judged
used as barn. Leaving my horse
there ] knocked at the door of the
house, but received no response.
concluded they had probably gone tC
some Christmas jolliication, and be
lieving that no Christian would, under
the circumstances, refuse shelter,
unhitched, managed to lead my horse
to a manger in the barn, where
secured and blanketed him. Coins
back to the cutter, | got my
robes and climbed into the lof
above, and finding NOV of good hay
| threw down u large armful to the
horse, and then cropping my way over
to the part of the NOV next to thu
house, scooped out bed, spread on
my two heavy bear-skins, looseneC
my revolver in my belt so as to bt
ready for an emergency and crept int,
my impromptu bed. grew warn
and congratulated myself on my gopC
fortune as listened to the pitiles
pelting of the storm outside. YoI
know, boys we slept in good many
worse places during the war.
"How long | slept never knew.
was awakened by the snorting of IN,
horse, as if in terror. Instantly
was wide awake. The whole interio
of the barn was filled with q clear
soft light like nothing / had ever seei
before, and the effect Of which | can
not describe. Ii seemed TO come from
window just above my head, in tn,
house which here formed the side o
the loft where | was, With my re
volver in hand | crept softly to tn
window. You may laugh at this pre-
caution as being unnecessary an(
absurd, but, to tell the truth, some
thing uncanny about the light hat
given me quite n nervous thrill.
Claiming u position where | coult
get a good view of the interior of tin
room, noted rapidly the contents
and do not hesitate to confess the,
did not tend in the least to quiet m,