Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-10-25

again. He was a Jealous, courageous
young soldier, and he could not endure
with patience his enforced inactivity.
Hearing that excellent wild fruit
abounded in the woods about one mile
and a half from the Federal camp,
Hartwell determined to ride over and
enjoy a delicious treat.
While riding leisurely along through
a large canebrake, midway between
the camp and the woods to which he
was bound, he was surprised and cap
tured by band of rough guerrillas
who had been accommodating the enc
my's position from safe distance.
The Union spies had reported only
that morning that there were no enc
mics within ten miles of their own
lines.
So Hartwell had ridden off alone,
never dreaming of what was to befau
him. He had been riding carelessly
along, inadvertently whistling some
little tune heard at camp, and think
ing of the dear old mother far away in
her cabin on the Kansas line.
Suddenly his horse was stopped, his
arms were piniOned to his sides by
braWny hands, while Villainous, hard
ened countenances leered upon him.
Don't yer chip nary word. or by ther
holy smOkin' powers o t'Other world,
I'll send a bullet clean through yer
burned Yankee carcass" said one TO
bust guerrilla, holding an old musket
threateningly near the captive's hand
some head.
Hartwell was too completely sur
prised to frame an answer. The guer-
rillas surged about him wild with gIee
J., A
officer was not picked up every day.
Their rejoicing, uncOuth and prOfane,
rendered them for q short time in
cautious. The tramp, tramp Of COM
ing horsemen threw the jubilant band
of four guerrillas into considerable ex-
element. In a moment every man
was quiet and on his guard Instinc-
lively, each rough fellow sought
musket or carbine, the rifed property
of some dead soldier.
Every eye was turned in the direc-
ton of the approaching riders. That
there were not more than two or three
could easily be told from the sounds
that the horses feet made on the hard
clay-baked road by the canes.
Lieutenant Hartweu was for the mo-
ment forgotten. We're those riders
wearers of the blue OF the gray? The
tall, dense, intervening canes prevent
ed an answer to that mute question.
Three guerrillas had stationed them
selves behind clumps of vegetation,
while the fourth held HartWell's horse
with his left hand his right grasping a
carbine.
1t was favorable moment for Lieu
tenant Hartwell. He recognized it as
such. While the short absorption of
the guerrillas' attention lasted, Hart
well, quick as q wink, slipped from the
saddle, and, ere his captOrs were aware,
with far more agility than his weak
physical condition would seem to war
rant, he had darted off through the
towering canes, where a horse could not
follow
The guerrillas, so absorbed in await
ing the approach of the invisible horse
men, did not for q moment observe the
empty saddle. Then, with smother
ed oath, the one holding the officers
horse struck him a severe blow to make
him stand aside. The spirited animal
resented the blow, and with savage
lunge the bridle-rein was jerked from
the grasp Of the irate man who was
thrown hardly to the ground, where
he lay half stunned as the Lieuten
ants fiery horse went tearing away
down the road.
Then the hOrsemen rode into view
An exclamation of rude pleasure feI
from the lips of the guerrillas. Tn,
grips on the carbines lOOsened. They
recognized in the newcomers two o
their own men, who were deserter
from Van Dorn's ranks, although the7
still wore the gray. These men wer,
soon informed of the capture and sud
den escape of tho Federal officer.
"Jes' plum like a blamed Yankee,
remarked one of the newcomers
"They're all slicker n a eel; they'll an,
of EN- squeeze through a knot-hole e
they're gin half a chance"
"Waal, I sartain believe yer, sal,
the leader, who had menaced Hart
we'll; "but he KANT be fur off, boys
Them Yankees KANT run through
cane-patch no better'n a city gal kin
Let's be on his trail an not stan hye
a-givin' SIGH chances ter beat we 'uns.
After a hasty consultation it was dc
oided to conceal the horses in grow
hard by, and every man enter the pun
suit, which they felt sure would lea
to the recapture of then. escaped pris
Oner. Striking into the cane-brake
they were soon on the Lieutenant
track, which led through the intricacie
of the thicket.
Meanwhile, Arthur Hartweu wa
making gigantic strides through tn
bosky brake, stumbling over clingin
vines, which were densely entangle
about the canes; splashing and dasl
ing into hidden pools of stagnar
water; then out again and into anothe
worse than the first, despoiling th
polish of his No. rs and Ticking wit
clayey splashes his spOtless uniform
His physical strength was not adj
ouate to the demand which his real
desperate effort to escape enforce,
Still, on he hurried.
The early autumn day was intensel