Dodge City times., 1891-01-16

S~l>
BREss DE GOOD LOI."
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 well ez kin, an
ef dar's any danjah, wich amt a-lookin
foh at dis time oh night, I'll let yeh
KNOW" said the old man.
With this assurance, We took off our
boots and outer clothing and climbed
into the loft, where we were soon fast
asleep.
81 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 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 our clothes comfortable and dry.
We dressed. and when told the old
people that we had no money to re-
ward them, both declared that they
were ready to do ''ten times noah foh
de Yankees" if they could.
The old woman gave US a basket con-
tanning cooked food, and then offered
up fervent prayer for our deliverance;
and when we were ready to go the old
man volunteered to guide US ''twile
bout daylight"
confidence in our guide made us feel
like new men, and as we started of
again We felt that we could march with
out fatigue for mOnth-that is, if our
course lay in tho direction of Liberty
and Gods land"
The necessity for "skrimagin" must
have developed our guides walking
powers, for he led us on at a pace that
was surprising in a man of his years.
Just as the day was breaking he
knocked at the door of q log-cabin on
the edge of dense wood, and in re-
sponse to ''who's dare" in q woman's
voice from within, he replied:
sUncle Jake, an he hcz two Yanks
wild him."
''GoOd Lori" from within.
eyes, an 1 wants Tom to keep 'em
all day, an see 'em ON tonight"
'Tom aint har."
"Whar's hep"
"He's done gone OF skrimsgin."
"Wa'al, Liz, can't you hide 'em till
dark an give 'em place to sleep, fob
deyre powahful u'-ahd?"
"rn try" said the voice from within.
Tho door was opened, and closed as
soon as we entered. Our guide ex-
planned our mission, and when the
woman said that she 'shad mos nothin'
to eat in de house." he explained that
we were provided with rations in small
way. This information took q load of
LIS mind-she was a middle-aged and
very black XQman-for she consented
to keep US. and after shaking hands and
wishing us God speed, our old guide left
us.
From Liz we learned that the Confed-
crate cavalry had been ''gallOpin' round
right smart all day." and she further in
formed US that she had ''heard ez how
dc Yankees wuz seed down Harrison
Landing way jes' afoah dak las night"
We shared with Liz our supply Of
cooked food, and then crept up into the
loft and lay down ON the blankets she had
spread for Ms. We might have slept on
for four snd twenty hours had We not
been aroused about the middle Of the
afternoon BY the tramping Of horses,
the familiar clattef Of scabbards, and the
hoarse voices of men. I looked out
through the chinks sndsaw a6oat . dozen
Confederates, the leader Of whom was
talking to our frightened hostess.
81 Amt seed no Yanks, seed no nav
thin" Liz protested again and again.
With An Undesirable sense Of relief,
saw the horseman ride away, and IS
soon - the sound Of the tramping died
out Howard and left the loft.
As the woman's husband, whom we
hoped to have had for guide, did not
put in an appearance BY dark, we
thanked Liz for her Kindness and start
ed OF again. It was pitch dark, with
snow and sleee driving down from the
north, but we bad faith IN that Provi-
denoe who had % far guided u Alright.
CHAPfER XVI
We found . road. which Liz directed
us to, and which she assured us ran
plum est fob bout ten mile" Along
this We fairly ran, holding each others
hands to keep from stumbling. Where
the road turned 40 left Il, and, trusting
70 luck, took to the woods and fenceless
fields.
Now and then We saw camp-fircs to
the right and left, but We avoided them,
for wo dared not run the risk Of an in
II was near daylight and We must
hsve traveled fully forty miles from
our last stopping place. when from the
crest Of what was . considerable eleva-
ton for that region We saw campfire
n. 1t vas - near that we
could see men IN long oveEooats grouped
about tho 6re. with their rifles stacked
within reach.
This sesDed 70 b . reeerve picket
posi- 1he nea bad built the liEe amoug