St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-05-18

. the escort started OF hs half turned
70 me and said:
Stand aside for Q few minutes and I
will attend to your case"
His tone was 20 careless and his order
80 natural that l caught my muscles
moving to obey. Had I picked up =
foot l should have given myself away.
As l did not move. he presently turned
to me. seemed surprised that I was
there. and began to inquire about me.
l gave him the details. and while We
were passing the tablet back and forth
Captain came up The officer OF the
day said to him:
I'VE have captured q dummy. Mighty
queer that he should take to peddling
among the soldiers, but they are queer
lot He says he had a pass from Polk.
but that the Yanks gobbled it when
they captured him the other day. DO
you see that blood spot on his left
cuff"
Twas looking the officer full in the
face as he spoke. felt that he would
try some trick. but he did it so neatly
| that he almost caught me. winked.
but did not drop my eyes
"You must have taken him for an
impostor." laughed the Captain.
We can't be too cautious" was the
reply. and he took the tablet and wrote
that might circulate about camp until
guard mount and then report to the
new officer of the day.
l got some breakfast. SID out about
half my goods. and when reported and
asked that l might pass on no objec-
ton was made found troops every
where now. and being 50 far within the
lines no one questioned my right 10 be
there. underwent but one more test
before reaching the gap. and that I was
prepared for. The soldiers accepted
me for what ! claimed to be. and while
my condition excited the sympathies of
some. others were inclined to ridicule
and joke. While knelt in a group q
joker held pistol close to my ear and
fired it Oh. heard the click OF the
hammer and was therefore pre-
pared for tho report ! found the
gap covered by a weak body. with no
defenses to speak OF. and got through
them without trouble. though my goods
were all gone. and had to claim that
I was on my way to Dalton after a new
stock. 1 was arrested after entering
the gap. and the arrest came about
through a corporal in a battery Of ar
til.ery, who at first contended that he
recognized me IS . deserSer named
William Ridges. It appeared that l
closely resembled Ridges in build and
look. but as soon as the corporal had a
close look at me he acknowledged his
mistake. This occurred just before
dark. and the Captain Of the battery.
who was in command. sent mo to Gen.
eral Wayne. in command OF some
Georgia State troops. was not sus-
pected Of being Federal spy. but hav-
ing been arrested on . charge. and
being found without . pass. it was
quite proper to make . further investi-
cation.
There were several officers in the
Generals tent when l was taken in and
reported on. and the facts in my case
had no sooner been announced than one
of them. who was q surgeon in Hoods
held a whispered consulta-
ton with the General. and suspected
a plot to test me. My suspicious were
soon proved correct The escort had
retired and left me standing in front of
the entrance. inside. of course. but just
where l was in the way Of any one
coming or going. The whispered con-
sultation lasted about five minutes. and
then the General casually remarked to
me:
Take q seat and viii 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.
Il was looking Mt his sword hang
ing on the tent-pole. and did not turn
my eyes until he wheeled around in his
chair and beckoned to me to approach.
l handed him my tablet and pencil and
he inquired why had not . pass and
where I wanted to 60. Iexplained
about the pass as before. and told him
l wanted to 60 to Dalton or Rome and
secure more goods The General would
have been quite satisfied in five min
utes. but the surgeon was q keen read
er of human nature, and he was con-
WINGED 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. /
had no fear OF any Of the rest but i
realized that it would take all my nerve
and tact to hold out against the sur
geon. Some Of the tests he At once
put me to may seem tribes to the read
err until he can put himself in the posi-
ton l occupied. He rose up suddenly.
crossed over to me. and slapping me on
the shoulder he exclaimed:
LET me see your tOngue!'
! had my teeth hard shut or my jaws
would have opened at the command.
..Straighten up!' was the next COM
mand. l was bumped over. and the
words went through me like bullet
did not move. however.
Take your foot of that sash!'
shouted the surgeon. but looked from
him to the General and showed my
wonder.
Come. now. but you're beaten!'