The Dickinson press., 1889-04-20
CAPTURED A YANKEE.

ichtS OF northwestern Louisiana, summer
night, with murmuring wind abroad in the
ple tops and with multtudcs of owls having
IL kind of Walpurgis entertainment down in
the ehottom. There We're no lights in the great
rambling log farm house The family sat in
the open gallery until what they called good
dark, and then went tunoStentatiouslv to bed,
as became people who were astir before day
every morning.
Old man Boone" the bead of tho house
held had been excused from service because
the Conirderacy had no great need of SO
many pounds avoirdupois i'll any one indi-
vhlual For the first time in his life this
worthy gentleman had cause to bless his pom
dero>ity which saved Sim from har,lships
and danscr> innumcr;,bic Concluding, like
fal>ta!i. that the better part of valor was
discretion, he remained vaantly at home,
hiiiiiS most OF the time i'll Il capacious arm
chair. and thus added more pounds to his
weight and more objections to his availability
as IL soldier
Jim and John. the boys. were at home
one of them on furlough and the other on
sick leave. They had been silent for n long
time, and the old man had begun to express
his thoughts in various inarticulato sounds,
apparently proceeding from tie remote
depths OF his head. when suddenly he started
up eNclaliung
We'll. them owls does out hoot creation TO-
night
The three listened silently Wild boots, in
all degrees OF sarcastic emphasis, varied with
frequent bursts OF tiendish laughter, were
making night musical The woods seemed to
lie alive with their wicked mirth, and to re-
sound with screams. and shouts, and cries OF
rage and pain.
''MorScn camp neetin'," finally nsscnted
lectcd.
Ever hear owl with sich IL voice US
that queried tho old man IF that owl
could the ketched it could he learned to talk"
One voice had separated itself from the
others, and was certainly giving vent to
some very unowlish shouts, but they followed
SO rapidly on one another and We're so con-
fused and intcrninglcd 10y the thousand
echoes sent back from the adjacent hills that
for several minutes the listeners remained
under the impression that they were listening
to the solo performance of some talented owl
At last, however. the grand orchestra down
in the bottom was silent for moment and
out from the woods, away over tho ridge,
came wild, prolonged shout:
"llallo-o-o.'
Somebody, by Nel," exclaimed the old
man. growing pale in the dim light
VI.
torch. John. and less gon see"
al say go'n see!" calculated tho old man,
ncrvouSy "Bushwhackcrs, | bet"
Come, father" said John. the practical,
bringing out two bundles of fat pine splntcrs
You reckon bushwhuckcrs are a goin'
through the country ycllin' for all that's out,
like that fellow They'd be pretty fools if
they did"
'Wha-what you goin' to do, boys?" asked
the old man tremblingly, He was not afraid,
he was only nervous, und he always shook
when he wiis nervous.
Com up the road with tho torches, father,
and shout to that feller till he'll know where
to come, if he is lost"
The old man stood thinking, with his hands
in his pockets. If he remained there, tho
bushwhackclS might surround the house and
kill him while Jim and John were gone No
doubt this was a lure to draw all the men
away from the house.
'l guess Ill so with you, boys" he said in
agonized tones, dragged hither and thither by
his sense of duty and his fear of consequences
They won't he SO likely to attack us if they
see me-"
NO, said Jim, soberly, they'll think it's
regiment o infantry"
With which pleasantly tho three set out,
Jim and John carrying the great flaming
pine torches. and tho old man waddling
along i'll the rear with his usual elephantino
motion. The torches cast weird shadows up
and down the road dancing and dodgng as
the boys moved and tho wind famed the
i1nle. Every moment tho old mans ewes
grew more prominent, and his breath camo
more quickly He was certain that every
great tree by the roadside was IN ambush
from which they would be fired on when they
into Il, n,
pictured the surprise of the neighbors when
somebody should como upon the three dead
bodies tho next day, and wondered gloomily
what they would do for q suit in which to
bury him. And under the influence of these
pleasant reflections his knees smote together
us he walked.
Suddenly new thought struck him Will
the force of q thunderbolt. Jim and Joh,
were holding the torches high above theil
heads, and were shouting with all the strength
OF two very vigorous pairs of lungs, but while
they walked in the shadow, beneath til,
torches, the old man got tho full glare of til,
light upon his pcrtly figure, as though thi
were an illumination or torchlisht procession
gotten up for his exclusive benefit. What
target was presented by that extensive form
Pallid and shaking, he came to q halt
"Boysl" said he, family. "Boys'
II,
the boys looked back at their father, VIII
was involuntarily drawing back into th
shadows.
Boys, I'm kinder tired. You all go n u
the road fur as you want to- I'll les wal
here till you come back"
They were gone before he was done talking
Another moment and they were around
bend i'll tho road, and he was alone in til
pitchy darkness
"By Ned!'' hemurnlurcd in astonishcd an
awe struck tones, trembling in every limt
and almost falling to the ground from veal
ness He was able to distinguish nothing bu
the dim whiteness of the sandy road and
huge pine tree that lifted its smooth, Gar
trunk almost within reach of his hand Owe
in the bottom, tho owls had resumed the
grand Wagnerian concert, but nowhere, fl
or near could any shout be heard except tt
ones that issued from the throats of Jim au
John almost out of hearing up the road.
Hark! Was that bird that stirred IL
lea. csi 1t was not an excessively war;
night, but the lonely watcher found hilnsc
covered with perspiraton. He began vague
to wish that he lad gone with the boys
Again the leaves stirred, and somethil
like pallid face was thrust into his sigh
peerins from behind the great pine ire
Merciful powers! Where were Jim and job,
The face was withdrawn, and for ono swi
moment the trembling man began to ho,
that he was mistaken. The next moment ii
twigs were brushed aside, and out into Il
road stepped tall form, within two feet
the miserable old man.
"Wha'-wha'-wha's matteri Who're you
he cried inarticulately, heartily wishing th
he were woman, so that he could faint CO,
fortably away and have nothing further
do with the affair.
I'm Yankee" was the self possessed !
ply.
keep off Keep OFF, exclaimed tho G
man, trying to back bodily through t
trunk of the pine, which, however, mai
tanned its ground. Keep Off, | tell ,
These woods is plum full of my boys.
wasn't in no notion of secession, no way.
said the whole time didn't b'ieve it W