Wichita eagle., 1889-06-06
For 6 IL Cents.

tent when was taken IN ana reported on,
and the facts In my case had no sooner been
announced than one of them, who was
surgeon in Hoods command held a whispered
consultation with the general, and I sus-
pected plot to test me- My suspicious were
soon proved correct. The escort had retired
and left me standing in front Of the en-
trance inside, Of course but just where was
in the way of any one coming or going. The
whispered consultation lasted about five
minutes, and then the general casually re-
marked to me:
''Take seat and will hear you"
The surgeon was looking me full in the
face, and had made the slightest move he
must have detected it.
"Sit down." commanded the general in a
louder voice.
1 was looking at his sword hanging on the
tent pole, and did not turn my eyes until he
wheeled around in his chair and beckoned to
me to approach. handed him my tablet
and pencil and he inquired why had not a
pass and where I wanted to go. explained
about the pass as before, and told him I
wanted to go to Dalton or Rome and secure
more goods The general would have been
quite satisfied in five minutes, but the sur
geon was keen reader Of human nature,
and be was convinced that was in disguise
heard him whisper his suspicious to others,
and their lack Of belief made him all the
more determined to expose me. l had no
fear of any Of the rest, but realized that
it would take all my nerve and tact to hold
out against the surgeon. Some of the tests
he at once put me to may seem trifies to the
reader until he can put himself in the position
occupied Ee rose up suddenly, crossed
over to me, and slapping me on the shoulder
he exclaimed
"Let me see your tongueF
I had my teeth hard shut or my jaws would
have opened at the command
'Straighten upr' was the next command.
I was bumped over, and the words went
through me like bullet / did not move,
however.
''Take your foot off that SASH" shouted the
surgeon, but looked from him to the general
and showed my wonder.
''Come, now, but you're beaten" laughed
one of the officers, and as the others had some
remark to make the surgeon was nettled. He
looked at me fixedly for long half minute,
and then said to his comrades:
II won't give in yet, general Please hold
on to him until we are certain of him one
way or the other"
''Oh, certainly; but think you have made
a mistake this time A deaf and dumb per-
son always has an expression not to be
counterfeited. He has told a pretty straight
story"
."That is true; but I want to study him
sxxI- nI1 % ,ax, lo-%
want to ask him for more details. What
was the datea"
He turned and put this question to me, and
had not been looking ahead for it or some
thing of the kind, my mouth would have got
away with me. His failure provoked another
laugh, and wrote on the tablet:
''What does the officer sayl Does he believe
am desertera"
''He says you are deceiving US"
~ have it hard enough now, without being
looked upon with ridicule or suspicion" l
wrote, and the general nodded his head to me
and said to the surgeon:
II won't keep him longer than noon to-mor-
row. The poor cuss has hard row to hoe,
and don't want to discourage him."
The guard was called, and I was removed
to the guard house, which was log structure
and quite comfortable. It held a prisoner,
and had no doubt that he had been placed
there for purpose. AS soon as the door
was shut behind me, he came forward and
took my hand and said:
''Ah. and they have got you, too! Bothof
US must die together"
signed to him that was a deaf mute, but
he replied:
Come, no nonsense with me. 1 know you,
and you will soon know me. I have seen
you at Sherman's headquarters a dozen
times. am jack Ross, a Union spy. was
arrested here week ago, tried by court mar
tial, found guilty, and tomorrow am to be
hung"
He trapped himself right on the start AS
had never been at Sherman's headquarters
but once l knew the name of every spy en-
ployed by that army, and there was no such
person as Jack Ross. He worked every way
he could think of to trap me, out after a
couple of hours he gave it up as a bad job.
did not go to sleep that night, suspecting
the surgeon would play me some trick. About
midnight he came softly in with a couple Of
soldiers, and at signal the men screamed in
my ears l did not move. Then musket
was discharged over my body, and the sur
geon called out:
''You careless devil! you have wounded
him!"
did not think 50, and I did not ''awake"
until they pulled at me. Next morning the
pretended spy was taken out, and l was
threatened and bulldozed for an hour. After
breakfast, as l sat with my back to the door,
1t was softly opened, and I heard the chcki
click Of the hammer of a revolver. 1t made
my flesh creep, but did not turn. At noon
was returned to the generals tent. He was
all alone, and he wrote on the tablet that
was free to go and that he would give me a
pass. As he said this he handed me paper,
but ten seconds later quietly remarked:
''See if signed my name TO it"
That WAS not the last test he conducted
me to the door OF the tent, waved me past the
sentinel, and observed:
Turn TO the left TO avoid the ditch"
/ turned to the right, bought some pro-
visions of soldier, and after making din
ner, set out to the south l do not think I
was followed or further suspected / thor
oughly investigated the defenses Of the gap,
located the nearest large bodies Of Coufed-
crates, and returned TO the Union lines with
no other damage than a flesh wound received
in the very last mile Of travel from bush
whacker.-New York Sun