The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1890-10-29

"Tell me your plan," pursued the
Major, trying to hide his admiration
under an appearance of gruffness.
at is something l would rather talk
about after it is accomplished" the boy
replied, with tinge of bashfulness in
his usually frank manner.
The Major gave the required permis
sion and the Sergeant went out.
He took of his uniform and In a few
moments bore no resemblance to the
trim young official who had entered the
tent.
lie had borrowed from some Of the
neighboring country youths blue
blouse shirt and pair of linen pants.
He took off his shoes and stockings and
pulled his short black hair down over
his forehead, which was too intellectual
for the role he intended to play.
A torn hat of dirty straw, and q bag
made of a coffee sack, whic' he was
going TO sling over his shoulder, com
pleted the picture.
This bag contained q queer collection
Of articles which were very useful later.
To look at the Sergeant in this dis
guise was to behold pumpkin of the
lowest class.
No soldier would give him q moments
thought, and, if he did, the Tennessee
dialect would have deceived a native.
Wilton was born mimic. He stopped
at his Captains tent.
"Has youuns got ary q thing for
we'uns ter do2" he said, with en- inde-
scribable drawl.
"Come back alive, boy" answered
the Captain; II would 90 with you, but
it would only increase the danger"
1t was about 7:30 in the morning.
The hot summer day was before him, and
also the twenty miles which stretched
between him and the river, on the far
side OF which the enemy lay encamped.
He chose the open road, and after an
hour of walking a wagon rumbled by.
He begged for a ride and obtained 1t.
BY noon he was ten miles on his way.
They gave him buttermilk AND cold
corn -dodger at a farmhouse where he
stopped. He ate heartily of the coarse
food, as heroic natures do, for the par
pose of keeping up his strength.
AS he stepped out into the sun the
heart of the farmers wife out to him.
'Be you agoin' fur2" she called.
"I be agoin' down ter the river to
Uncle Job Adkins. Weun's COW air all
ing like, aud ma, she low Uncle job sot
her all right onct before. He gin her
, some "yarbs."
The woman reflected. She had four
horses in the pasture.
~ amt got no saddle round handy,
but might mex out to lerd yer rope
, If yer have got spunk ernuf ter catch
one of them horses. Yew could bring 1t
back ter-morrow"
No second bidding was needed, and
in a short time Wilton sat upon his bor-
rowed steed, feeling that fortune favored
him.
: As he rode away he lifted his torn
hat, brushing back the hair from his
brow. The unlearned woman felt a
thrill she could not comprehend as she
encountered that farewell glance, and
went into the house to dream of her boys
, in the army.
He rode steadily, until at about five IN
g the afternoon, he saw the broad water
Q of the river cleaning in the distance.
He tied his horse to tree with thu
long rope and let him Craze.
, Then he climbed to the highest brancl
. of the highest tree in the little grove ant
4 surveyed the country.
On the other side of the river tn,
n white tents of the enemy, the canons oil
the outposts, the men In uniform, thu
f martial sights and sounds made up al
agreeable whole.
But to the poor boy in the tree It wa
a terrible. Somewhere in the midst of al
|. that his little brother was prisoner.
a Many of the tents were very near tn,
n bank and from his post of vantage h
n watched the men as they went in swim
ming.
n At last the sun went down and h
" crept from the grove.
Presently a single star came out ant
comforted him. His mother alway
. looked for that first star and loved 1t
> When they were little they had mad
- wishes on 1t. He made a wish upon
now, and then with child-like faith pur
h sued his enterprise.
/, He was near enough to hear voices
> borne family over the water, for it was
.. broad deep stream, not one OF the over
, grown creeks which we often call rive
in the South.
! Deeper and deeper grew the twilight
a, until its gray mantle wrapped him CON
=, pletely. Then he went farther down tn
. shore uutil he was no longer quite oppc
a. site the camp and walked out in tn
~ water, which was shallow near the bank
10 Then he swan across the river and waite
~ ~ in the reeds on the other side.
n A party of soldiers were eating
0, "post supper spread" at a short distanc
&C from the camp fire.
They had obtained permission to brn
y with them one of the prisoners, "littI
kid, as they called him, who had woT
derful voice.
in The men would make him sing "Hom'
ed Sweet Home" until the tears rolled dow
G, their cheeks and his own. Then to max
up for this they tried to teach him sons
10 which he would not learn.
or On this particular evening he had sun
at 10 them n lone time. As his eve caugl