The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-06-14
CHAPTER v.

1t was not until he had resumed his march
at the head Of his company that Captain
Mason began to blame himself for not hav.
ing asked the name of the fair rebel who
had so strangely impressed him. The peo
pie at the house were probably new corners,
for he had few years before known almost
every one in this part Of the country. Blu,
absence at college, and then in another
State, had permitted time to work a won.
drous change in the old familiar land.
marks. He was marching along with head
bowed, lost in painful reverie, oblivious to
the heavy tread Of two hundred feet behind
him, when a voice suddenly said:
"Massa, why didn't ye burn dat house?''
He looked up, and to bis intense amaze.
ment he saw the negro, Blackhawk, bare.
headed and bare-footed, tramping along al
his side. Blackhawk had an ocd way Of dis
appearing and appearing when least ex
pected. He seemed to have the faculty o.
being anywhere in a moment.
"Blackhawk, what are you doing here2''
he asked; shave you run away from your
masterr"
mo, sab; Jest thought I'd foller ye;
mebbe We might need me-"
'Do you know the people at that house,
Rlackhawk?" asked the young Captain, fix.
ing his keen blue eyes on the negro. Black
hawk recoiled strangely, as If he had
suddenly been touched with a no. iron. The
Captain, puzzled at his atrange demeanor,
repeated the question.
"Yes, massa; knows EN-" he said; s'dey
Is all secesh"
''What is their name?"
Morgan, massa; dat gals fadder an
brudder am bo4 in de rebel army, an
'twould sarved UNI right to bu'nt dere
house, but I'm glad ye didn't do it."
'Whya"
''Jes cause I'm glad you didn't. Some
body orter do t an some 'un viii, mebbe."
Look here, You black rascal, if hear of
you burning any houses lilhave you shot I"
"De good Lord bless you, nGssa, won't,
deed won't"
The Captain walked on with his head
bowed trying to make out the character OF
the negro. He had been the slave of Mr..
Neff for twenty years, and he had known
him ever since boyhood. but there had al
ways seemed to be some deep mystery con-
nected with him. There was something in
his nature unfathomable. When next he
looked for Blackhawk he had vanished.
AS the little army advanced their num-
bers continued to hourly increase, until they
had over a thousand men, with Indifferent
arms and still more Indifferent discipline.
Cairo was forty miles away when they re-
ceived information that JEFF Thompson,
with a force of rebels far superior to their
own, was between them and their haven
of safety. Colonel Richard Oglesby, with q
splendid Illinois regiment, was somewhere
in their neighborhood, but, despite every ef-
fort made on the part Of Colonel Smart, he
found 1t impossible to communicate with
HIM.
Among the recruits received on the march
were about two hundred mounted men,
whom they used as scouts and foragers.
Captain Henry Smart had been chosen
Colonel, but as yet no commissions had
been granted any of the officers, owing to
some disagreement between the Governor
and General Fremont. Colonel Smart tad
ali the officers of the regiment summoned to
his headquarters one morning, and, with a
face that was very earnest, said:
"Boys, we're goin' to smell gunpowder
before the day is done. The rebels are about
three miles from here on farm, and waitin'
to cut Us off,
'How many are they in number?" one of
the officers asked.
'.Don't know; but they're reported about
.hree thousand strong"