The National tribune., 1888-10-04
THE LOST ARMY.
(ContInued from Ist page.l

once dispatched with 20 men to hunt for the
Captain and his band of horse thieves. Jack
and Harry offered to accompany them, but
the Captain declined, partly because they
were In great need of rest, having travelled
30 miles in about % hours and been awake
all night, and partly because they would be
recognized by those who had seen them on
the road, and by the Captain and his men in
case they should be encountered
But do us one favor" said Jack, when
he found that their desire to accompany the
party would not be granted.
Anything In reason said the Lieuten-
ant; what is it?D
Then he told about the woman who
had given them the milk and asked them to
stay to dinner, and he described the house
so that it could not be mistaken.
Well, what about her." asked the
Lieutenant, as Jack paused. Take her
this" said Jack, handing out pack
age containing half a pound of tea,
which he had obtained from the Colo
nefs servant while they were waiting the
arrival of the Lieutenant, after the boys had
told their story. Just leave it and say it
is from friends; you needn't tell her any
thing more, and it isn't necessary for her 70
know. We feel rather guilty at having had
her hospitality for nothing, and want to
compensate her in some way"
The Lieutenant laughed as he tossed the
package to his Sergeant and gave the order
TO mount. In two minutes the party was
off. 1t was accompanied by two Union men,
natives in that region, who were 10 act as
guides in designating the roads leading to
the probable retreat of the Captain with
whom the youths had formed so brief an
acquaintance.
The Lieutenant carried out the request oi
the boys and left the woman a good deal
puzzled over the affair." He did not stop
five minutes at the house, and briefly told
her that an old friend had sent her some
thing he thought would be acceptable. As
the boys could not in any sense be consid.
cred old friends she never once thought oi
them, and especially as they had gone, as she
supposed, to the South, and turned theil
backs altogether upon Rolla and the way the
Yankees came from.
Let us follow the scouting party and see
how it turned out.
About 10 miles out from RoIla, and neal
the point where Jack and Harry turned back
the Lieutenant halted his men and sought a
place of concealment IN the woods by tn.
roadside, first putting out picket to pre-
vent anyone passing IN either direction
Then, rs the Union guides were known, he
had them change clothing and horses with tive
of men, whom he sent forward to one of the
SecessiOnists whose name had been given by
the rebel Captain to the youths. For this
work he selected two young and beardles:
men, on the chance that the. Captain ha(
told the SecessiOnist that the two youths
might ask his whereabouts.
The Lieutenants calculations were cor
rect. The resident readily told where tn
| Captain was to be found, and the men re
! turned by a eircuitous route TO where the sol
| diers were waiting for the desired informa
| ton. Then there was change back again
| to clothing and horses as before, and tn
hunt for the human game was renewed.
| So we'll was the affair managed that tn
whole band was captured without the shed
| ding of a drop of blood. With the aid o
| the guides the camp of the rebel recruits
was surrounded and the whole party wa
| taken By surprise. At first they were in
| clined to fight, but when they saw thei
aSsailants were double their number anC
also were better armed, they considered dis
| cretion the better part Of yalOr and gave N
as gracefully as they could.
| The Lieutenant returned IN triumph t
| ROlla with his prisoners and their horses
| To guard against accidents the prisoner
/ were not mounted on their own steeds, bu
/ carried in a wagon which formed part o
their camp equipment. Four soldiers will
their carbines ready rode on each side of tn
wagon, and if any attempt had been mad
| to escape it would have resulted badly 70
I those who tried it.
The captured horses were turned over t
the eQuartermaster, with the exception of two
which the Colonel gave to Jack and Harr.
for their own use. Jack selected the on
which had belonged to the Captain, and re
marked as he did so that he had carried on
that gentleman's wishes in helping himsel
to horse though possibly not in the wa
| the latter intended.
The Colonel praised the boys for wha
they had done, but advised them to give tn
region of their late operations a wide bert
| in future.
ITO be continWedl