Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-10-11

sf-T fEW White River in Ar
m s s;;;:;; ;;::: n 4: =:
kQ now sufficiently convalescen,
VIZ to mount his jet-blacI wa,
nv horse and ride about the
wv camp for EXERCISE. He Hoped
han to get himself into fighting trim
cain. lie was. a Jealous, COURAGEOUS
1nng soldier. and he could not endure
itb patience his enforced inactivity.
Hearing tlsr excellent wild fruit
bonndci 10 lie woods about one mile
HI half from the Federal .camn
artwell determined to ride over and
Lioy a delicious treat.
While riding leisurely along through
large canebrake, midway between
% camp and the woods to which he
h. bound, he was surprised and cap
red by band Of rough guerrillas
be had been accommodating the enc
( !. position from safe distance.
fine Union spies had reported only
at morning that there We're no enc
les within ten miles of their own
be-.
So Hartwell had ridden off alone.
ytr dreaming of what was to befall
b.. He had been riding car4lesslv
bng. inadvertently whistling some
H. tune heard at camp, and think
Of The dear old mother far away in
albi an he Kansas line.
81 denly his horse was stopped. his
BIS we're piaioned to his sides by
pwuy hands, while villainous, hard
fd eounte aGces leered upon him.
Don't yer chip nary word, OF by ther
" smokin' powers O t'other world.
send a bullet clean through yer
Fned Yankee carcass" said one TO-
1t guerrilla, holding an old musket
Feateningly near the captive's hand
be head.
Hartwell was too completely sur
sed to frame an answer. The guer-
Jas surged about him wild with glee
b their great capture. A Yankee
Ger was not picked up every day.
cir rejoicing, uncouth and profane,
deIed them for short time in
tious. The tramp, tramp of COM
lorsemen threw the jubilant band
bur guerrillas into considerable ex-
|Ment, In moment every man
uiet and on his guard. Instinc-
FF, each rough fellow sought
Ehet or carbine, the rihed property
ome dead soldier.
Very eye was turned in the direc-
Of the approaching riders. That
be We're not more than two OF three
pa easily be told from the sounds
the horses feet made on the hard,
-baked road by the canes.
lieutenant Hartwell was for the mo-
BIT forgotten. Were those riders
rers OF the blue OF the gray? The
dense, intervening canes prevent
AN answer to that mute question.
Zee guerrillas had stationed them
les behind clumps OF vegetation,
DE the fourth held Hartwell's horse
his left hand, his right grasping a
bine.
was a favorable moment for Lieu
bnt Hartwell. He recognized it as
h. While the short absorption of
guerrillas' attention lasted, Hart
quick as wink, slipped from the
dle. and, ere his captors were aware,
far more agility than his weak
fsical condition would seem to war
he had darted off through the
5ering canes, where horse could not
pw
he guerrillas, so absorbed in await
the approach Of the invisible horse
b, did not for a moment observe the
pity saddle. Then, with smother
path, the one holding the officers
kestruck him a severe blow to make
stand aside. The spirited animal
Fnted the blow, and with savage
&c the bridle-rein was jerked from
grasp of the irate man who was
cwn hardly to the ground, where
lay half stunned as the Lieuten-
S fiery horse went tearing away
Fn the road.
hen the horsemen rode into view.
exclamation of rude pleasure fell
n the lips of the guerrillas. The
ps on the carbines loosened. They
oognized in the newcomers two Of
" own men, who were deserters
n Van Dorn's ranks, although they
Wore the gray. These men were
u Informed Of the capture and sud
escape Of the Federal officer.
'es' plum like blamed Yankee"
laFked one of the newcomers.
hey re all slicker n a eel; they'll any
en- squeeze through knot-hole eff
&c gin half a chance"
"aal, L sartain believe YER" said
leader, who had menaced Hart
u: but he KANT be fur off, boys.
en- Yankees KANT run through a
latch no better'n city gal kin.
S be on his trail, an not STAN hyer
l'lll sich chances ter beat we 'uns.
a1ier hasty consultation it was de-
ca to conceal the horses in grove
By. and every man enter the pur-
which they felt sure would lead
'a' fecapture of their escaped pris-
Il Striking into the cane-brake,
We're soon on the Lieutenant's
w. u Which led through the intricacies
s4e thicket.
Mtanu-b;Jo Al1 u..lr,on woo