The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-06-27

him sitting up in an armchair on the
veranda looking 80 pale and handsome;
I used to sit by him with my work, and
he seemed so gentle and so patient-not
at all like he appeared to me when l
first saw him riding back to the barn TO
press the horses-that I began to feel
sorry he wasn't one of our own men IN
stead of being nothing but detestable
Yankee.
One day while I was sitting on the
veranda beside him, sewing, he said:
miss Molly, are you still holding my
horse as a hostage2" :,
eyes. Ours haven't come back yet. "
"Don't you think you could let me
take him when I get we'll, if should
promise to 90 and find your horses, and
have them returnedi"
s'Pll see about that when you get
WELL"
He'd been talking already about going
on to join the army, but dln't think
him well enough, and didn't mean to let
him 90. He couldn't very we'll 60
without his horse, so wouldn't let him
have it.
"Wha. hostage do you require in token
of my appreciation of your kindness since
I've been sick?" he asked.
"You haven't anything to leave. Be-
sides, I've done very little, I'm sure"
he thought moment. Then ne SAID,
somewhat sadly: q
eyes; there's one thing I can leave
only one. Pll leave that with you" ,
/ Icouldn't think of anything he had
except his revolver, and 1 was sure he
wouldn't leave that. 1t wasn't appro-
pirate. waited for him to tell me, but
be said nothing about it then. -.
At last he was well enough to 60. At
least he thought so; I didn't. He was
still as weak as kitten, but saw how
anxious he was, and I didn't oppose him
any longer. So one pleasant morning,
when the air was soft and the roads were
dry, I told one of the colored boys to
bring the captains horse round from the
barn.
The captain stood on the veranda ready
to mount and ride away. His blanket and
rubber poncho were strapped behind the
saddle, Just as he had left them, and his
horse was so anxious to be OF that the
boy could hardly hold him. The cap
tain took my hand in his to say good-by,
and looked straight into my eyes. 1
lowered them to his spurs.
"You're a good girl" he said. 'Tll
not forget your kindness.
"Oh, I would have done the same for
any one."
''Any onei"
"Any one."
Then I asked myself: "What did l
want to say that for
II leave you the hostage 1 spoke OF, "
he said, 'bnt it is very poor return for
so much kindress-a mere bagatelle."
I could have bitten my tongue off. He
was going to make return-to pay for
what had done for him.
"You will find it," he added, 'if you
have the shrewdness to guess where 1t
is.'
With that he gave my hand apressure,
aud looked long and steadily into my
ewes. Then he mounted his horse and
rode away without once looking back.
As soon as he had gone | commenced
to think what he could mean about leav-
ing hostage. I was sure he wouldn't
offer anything very valuable. He must
know wouldn't like that; but I thought
he m ght leave some little trinket for me
to remember him by. I ransacked the
room he had occupied, looking into
bureau drawers, into closets, any place
the ingenuity of man could find to hide
ANYTHING. I even looked behind the
pictures hanging on the wall. Then I
went all over the house from attic
to cellar. Not thing could l find.
Then recalled his words: 'If you are
shrewd enough to guess where it is, " and
went all over my search again. At last l
gave it up. "a pretty way to treat me, !"
| grumbled, ''after taking care OF him so
longp l vowed that if ever I should
see him again he should tell me whether
he had really left'anything, and what it
WIS.
y
News came of terrible fighting at the
front. Stragglers, broken-down horses,
wagons, am6ulances from which now
and then a ghastly face would look out,
kept going BY day after day for several
days. The yard, the barn, the kitchen,
were full of men. They first day they
drank up all'the water in the well. Then
regiments marched by almost as fast as
when they were making their forced
march South. They passed on by the
house, but stopped on the crest of the
hill up the road. There they began to
dig with spades and shovels, and the
next morning when looked out there
was long line of forts, and the Yankee
flag flying above them, and, great heav-
ems !! the black mouths of cannon frown-
ing directly down at us.
While was looking heard some
thing rattle far down the road. 1t
sounded like emptYing barrel OF stones
into another barrel. Then another rat
tie, mingled with constant dull DOOM
ing. All the morning the sounds kept
coming nearer, till at last could dis
tinctly hear the loud reports of cannon
and of muskets all fired at once. l no.
ticed a great stir in the forts above.
Horsemen were galloping back and
forth; new guns were every moment
thrusting out their ugly mouths, and
men were marching and countermalch-
ing. could hear their officers shout
ing gibberish at them, which they must
have been Ind an or Chinese to under
stand. Then more soldiers passed the
house from the South, tiled, dusty,
grimcd, some Of them running. some
wounded and totterlng along slowly.
All passed in steady stream behind the
forts.
Suddenly hosl eman dashed up to the