The Irish standard., 1890-12-27

Beyond the prison we saw no guaroA
and excepting a drunken man IL uni
form who saluted us as we passed, we saw
no soldiers Neither Of us had boots sfit
for marching, but We paid no heed TO-
this. Once on the road leading to the
North we quickened, orr pace. We had
gone about two miles when q tire In the
advance caused us to change our course.
We turned to the east. cliln bling over
earthworks and passing scores of guns
now harmless as the birds that sorne day
were to build their nests in them.
We were in doubt as to the location OF
the Chickahominy when to our great de-
light we entered dense growth OF
water willows and soon were on the Joe
that covered the swamp. This ice was
very treacherous; again and again it.
gave way under us, letting us down to
our arm pits and forcing us to break
long avenues before we could find dry
knoll or log that would enable US to
rise And so we kept painfully on tiki
the blessed sun rose up and warmed our
faces and our hearts.
CHAPTER XIV
In anticipation of orr escape. we had
stinted ourselves for days, so that we
might have corn bread to eat on the
way, for we did not expect to find
friends nor good place fer forag1ng
between the Chickahominy and Will
iamsburg OK Fortress Monroe. Our wet
ting in the swamp soaked the hard
ccrn bread till it changed into cold
mush; but we ate it with greed and spar
ingly. III
We wrung out our clothes and tramped
around on little island SO as to keep
warm till they dried. With pieces OF
string, brought with us for the purpose,
we fastened the Tapping soles to our
boots, and taking advantage of the
daylight we made our way without an
other dripping to the eastern edge OF the
swamp. by moving constantly we kept
from freezing, and we wore alternately
the old overcoat Howard had brought
with him.
AS soon as it was dark, we moved ON
again, still keeping the north star to
the left About ten o'clock we saw
light ahead. and on a nearer approach
discovered it to come from q cabin
Howard, whose feet were not so sore as
mine, left me standing near tumbled-
down fence, and coming back after a
few minutes he said:
1.-THE only people in the house are an
old black man and his wife. Come on,
old fellow"
/ took his arm. and we advanced bold
ly and into the cabin.
'Blcss de good Lor'!'' called the old
man and his wife, as with raised hands
and open mouths they stood watch
ing us.
Owe are Yankees, uncle; we are es-
Gaping from Libby prison, and you must
help u.s. said Howard, as he closed the
door behind him.
''Good Lor', honey, yeh's in a heap
sight ov danjah!'' said the old woman,
''foh de Confed sojers hez been sl1rim-
agin' round har al day fob yeh."
But you can give us something to
eat and let us rest for awhile?''
'sWe'll do de BEES we kin, mars, but
dar amt much left atween de xo sides.
But praise de Lor, my ole mans
skrimager hissef, an he has de knack
of fndin' out if dar's any thing lef'
round about" said the old woman, as
she stirred up the fire and brought out
her pans,
''Me an my ole woman, we amt
gwine to starve SO longs dar's any thing
lef' to confnnscate. tween har an
Mars Davis house in Richmond
chuclzled the old man, and he at once
became busy helping his wife.
In proof of his success as a ''skrimager"
we were soon sitting down to such
feast of pones and bacon as would have
delighted the heart of Vitellus himself
that's, if he had been blessed with our
appetites. Since that day, at home and
abroad, have partaken of banquets
where all earth's Injuries, prepared by
artistic cooks, were spread before me in
profusion; but never enjoyed them as
l did that delicious meal provided by
the kind-hearted negress in that hum
BILE hut
We ate till we were ashamed Of our
selves. and frankly said SO, our tin plato
were kept piled up till we were satisfied.
till, for the first time, the hunger, that
had been gnawing at our vitals for
months, was appeased. But this did
not exhaust the hospitality of these
good people, for supply was cooked
''foh to tote off, with US when we left.
1t did not take much urging OF tho
old mans part to induce US to sleep for
a few hours on the bed he had prepared
in the sooty loft of the cabin.
"My ole woman, she'll dry yer clothes,
an I'll fix yer boots ez we'll ez kin, an
eft dar's any danjah, wich amt a-lookin
fob at dis time OBJ night. III let yeh
know" said the old man.
With this assurance. we took of our
boots and outer clothing and climbed
into the loft, where we were soon fast
asleep.
II reckon, gemmen, ez how yeh'd
bettah be gittin' up. It's nigh onto bout
half past three" called up the old man.
Howard and I were out of the loft at
once, though it seemed to me that had
not been asleep ten minutes. We
found the soles of our boots fastened on
and urclothes comfortable and dry
We dressed, and when told the old
people that we had no money to re-