The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1891-05-23

\
that he was so weary he could scarcely
| keep his eyes open and would be in bed
in few minutes: then what did this
midnight ramble mean? Snutching his
feld-glass from its case, he fixed his
eyes on an open bit of road he knew
the midnight prowler would shortly
reach.
Yes, there he was. A long, shrill
whistle like the cali of bird, and
mounted man in Confederate uniform
rode up to him They talked together
earnestly and negligently-neg diligently
because they thought themselves too
| far away for observation but they were
reckoning without the Majors power
full binoculars. Then the trooper
turned back up the hill and Dixon ac-
companied him. To snatch his cap
and pistols and spring from the win
dow was but the work Of minute to
one whose active, wholesome life made
his fve-and-forty-years as light a bur
den as many mans of half his age. The
drop to the ground shook him a bit, but
he was not hurt, and without stopping
to give word Of warning to any one, he
started up the hill. Now he could uR-
derstand why Dixon had persuaded
him to post his sentries-on the north,
why this important road was without
patrol or picket.
The best part of an hour elapsed.
"Wake up, boys, quickly and quietly
as you can. Make no noise whatever
our lives depend upon your silence"
1t ives the Majors voice.
In FIVE minutes his officers were In his
room.
'You see that hill yonder, my lads"
he said, grimly pointing to the cluster
ing pines. "Well, just beyond those
pretty trees in a little valley lies half
regiment of Confederate cavalry, who
are about to do Us the honor of an early
morning call. What do you say to our
| getting up little surprise party and
anticipating them In their polite atten.
tions? You think it best, of course
then order your men under arms with.
out an instant's loss-get them out OF
the church, if you can without a sound
and meet me at the bend of the road
yonder."
All, little do Colonel Hawes and his
merry men, stretched at their ease on
the green sward, snatching few hours
of precious sleep before they shall cap
the climax of Jack Lascelles' superb
mimicry by peppering the lives out of
those poor devils of defenseless Yanlxs
know that two hundred cleaning
muskets, held by the hands of resolute
men were pointed on their prostrate
forms from every tree around them.
ty,1y
their careless pickets lay stunned, OF
gagged and bound at their neglected
posts.
Did they start in their sleep and think
1t was dream, as the hoarse command
rang out:
snake ready-Firel Fix bayonets-
Charged" and two deadly volleys walked
the woodland echoes With wild hurrah
the Fighting Fourth were on them.
There Is no time to even shout surpriseI
the only sounds, the scuffling of men
and tramp of steeds, as a score or two
of troopers, fighting like wildcats,
manage to cut their horses loose and
flee to the valley below. 1t was a grand,
glorious little victory = fifty of the
enemy killed and wounded, over forty
horses, with their equipments and ac,
coutrenents, captured, to say nothing OF
several stands of small arms and two
baggage wagons filed with ammunition
and supplies
But there was one enemy the gallant
Major missed, and him he sought for
with eager, vengeful haste-ah, there
he goes stretching his long legs like a
crane In awkward fight, and making
with maddened haste for neighboring
copse.
"After him, boysi' the Major cried,
pointing with his sword to the luclzless
fugitive 'Ill give fifty dollars to the
man that brings him back TO me alive
alive, remember, for l want to hang
himl"
Who would ever have thought the
gentle Major could have made as blood
thirsty a declaration - not Frank
Besant who gazed in inquiring wonder
on his flushed cheeks and flashing eyes.
But the Majors soul was raging against
the haplecs wretch's sustained duplici-
ty, and, when he said he intended to
hang the s,oundrel, he surely meant it.
Poor Squire Dixon was indeed
pitiable sight as he was dragged by two
rough soldiers into the irate Majors
| presence.
"F1ing rope over the limb of that
tree and tie him up" was the stern
command.
At first the poor wretch's tongue re-
fused to utter abjectprayers for pardon,
but when in an agony Of terror he saw
them making the fatal preparations
torrent of wild supplieations burst from
his lips.
But the Majors face never relaxed u
muscle.
''String him up, boysl"
Already the mems hands were fore
ing his neck into the moose, when an
other appeal from the doomed man was
more effective.
~ viii give the lives Of six Union sol
| T. Y. -. y.