The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-02-02

tucky
This knew if followed up would bring me
into the Union lines. But it would also be /
likely to be used by any rebel cayalrymen or
scouts who might be sent out from the Gap in |
pursuit.
Not having any means of defense with me 4
in case 1 should be confronted by an armed 1
scout, would simply have been at his mercy /
and been led back to the Gap like a sheep with /
a rope around its neck. On this account was (
obliged to keep myself under cover; but, fear /
ing to trust myself again in the deep woods too /
far, / secuted along the edge as near the road /
as dared, keeping it in view all the time
In this way / moved along slowly enough, /
watching eagerly up and down the road for +
some signs of picket in blue in one direction
and scout in gray in the other.
Not seeing anything in either direction for
so long, l at last to help myself along faster
and with less difficulty boldly came out to the
road and with one good long look behind me
started to walk on with a doublequicl gait.
had not gone far when, stopping to listen,
as was my habit on such OCCASIONS was star
tied to hear what l supposed were
HORSES FEET BEHIND Me.
In a moment I was in the woods at the side of
the road, where my long jumps made such
noise in the dry underground that 1 had to
stop before / could recover my breath. | saw
two gray coats coming up the road together,
both Of them on foot Dropping myself to the
ground as suddenly as if shot, just where l
stood, lay for few seconds in tremor of
fright, the only sound audible being my heart
wildly beating.
As the TWO men passed by me on the road
they were talking in hurried way, being so
much interested between themselves that my
presence was not suspected by them. / lifted
my head far enough to look after them just as
they passed. Just imagine my feelings if you
can when / saw that they were none other than
two men from our rebel company Of Maryland
artillery; but worst of all one Of the two
was Lanyard, my old Richmond mate and
ehum, and the other was fat young German,
who had been a baker in Richmond.
The first thought in my mind was that these
two fellows had been sent ont the road after
me. 1t was not comforting either, to know
that they were not only on my path, but were
ahead of me.
What to do under the suddenly-changed con-
dition of things was only momentary puzzle.
| argued to myself that they could not 60 very
far ahead on that road without running into the
Union pickets, and that if they were not capt
ured by them they would soon be coming
back over that path. In either case | should
avoid the road, and endeavor once again to get
to the Union lines, through the woods only,
while the daylight lasted.
The thought that perhaps our forces had
fallen back some distance or that they might
have wholly abandoned that part Of the country
was not comforting to my feelings just at that
time. While / did not at first understand why
Lanyard, of all others, should be the person
detailed to intercept me, began to imagine that
his notion was that l had innocently strayed
OIL and been lost, and that his purpose was only
to aid me, in friendly way, in my return to
the rebe! camp.
While walking through the woods some such
thoughts as have tried to describe were crowd
ing each other through my now thoroughly
weaFied brain, when the current was suddenly
changed by hearing the wild barking of dogs in
the direction my pnrsuers had taken on the
road
If there is one thing more than another
that a scout or spy detests, while he is quietly
pursuing his business it is dog, especially
BARKING DOG.
Crawling carefully towards the sound, I
could see some smoke above the trees and
little beyond, on the opposite side of the road,
a house. That was enough for me. l wanted
some breakfast terribly just then, but l had no
use for any more houses what | wanted TO sec
was camp of soldiers with their tents, and
the Stars and Stripes floating over them.
1t took me long time to flank that insig-
nifcant little old house, and made my legs
very tired but / succeeded in accomplishing
the task at last, and had the satisfaction of
looking back at it from a hilltop on the road,
some distance inside or beyond it.
saw then what surprised me no little. In
the road, and all about the front Of the house
that had passed, were quite a crowd of men
and some horses tied to the fences alongside.
The men seemed to be armed and they wore
blue clothes. / wasn't exactly sure Of this,
though. / remembered my mistake in Yir-
ginia in trusting too much to the blue
clothes and determined that this time should
be sure the wearer of the blue was a Union sol
dier and not a disguised rebel.
l hoped sincerely and prayed that | had
cod TTviru nrsfss arfdf of Flaf
the United States. That they had not seen me
was evident from the Indifferent and careless
manner of the men. | judged, too, that the
dogs had announced the approach of Lanyard
| and the baker TO the house, and that they were
/ both detained there.
| trudged ahead, hugging the road closely,
meeting one in that lonely country, until
/ so tired out and exhausted after my night, and
/ half of the daylight that / was forced to sit
| down by the roadside to rest. don't think I
went to sleep, but must have dozed of some as
| / was first aroused by hearing the tramp of
| horses feet and the sound Of several voices,
which, in a dream, had imagined belonged to
a gang of rebels who were dragging my help
less body to good place for a hanging. In
| this little dream or nightmare in the broad
! daylight was as hel pless as if tied hand and
| foot, and could not utter a word but blindlY
submitted to their brutal treatment.
When aroused by the approaching sound, and
| before l could get away, because by making
the attempt / would expose myself, two horse
men in blue, armed with carbines and sabers
rafting, were almost up to me. In front of
the two cavalrymen, walking along not like
captured prisoners, but gayly laughing and
talking with the mounted men, were my two
conrades-in- arms Lanyard and the baker
lay perfectly still l dare not, could not
move just then, until they came almost abreast
OF me, when l jumped up so suddenly as to
scare the nearest horse so that ii SHE'D against
| its companion.
spoke first. asked one question:
Arc you Union or q Confederate?"
70 be continued
In every community there are nun,bar of