The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-06-18

celles," he said, in grave tone Of ex-
postulation, do not meet my approval.
and will not have . repetition OF them.
Besides, the game Is not worth the
candle, for il those Yanks had found
you out, they would have, very proper
". strung you up to bough Of the first
tree they came to, and can not afford
to have my best officers run such risks.
allow, il you'd played the role in
tragedy, instead Of comedy, your
mother would hardly have appreciated
your histrionic ability as kcenly as you
imagine
The young man was abashed.
besides" the senior continued, do
you think your action quite in accord
ancc with the high rcputc for chivalry
this corps has ever enjoyed? However,
as the folly has been perpetratcd let me
hear the result Of your escapade."
The young man told his story, but
somehow or other all the fun seemed to
be frozen out Of the adventure by his
supcrior's anstcre criticism.
well, You have done one good thing
for MS at any rate. You have drawn
the enemy from the woods into the open,
and we can bag them by a night attack
on Winstanlcy as easily as catching
rabbits in n net"
AS he strobe away, one of the officers
slapped Lasccllcs on the shoulder. as
he gayly cried:
Don't grizzlc, old man. Nat Ilawcs
never had more appreciation of prac-
teal joke in his nature than there is
blood in a Norfolk oyster. In my opin-
ion you have done very plucky, COM
mcndablc thing, and there are brighter
eyes than old Mats will CLEAN approval
when the story's told at Nashville"
CHAPTER XII.
NIGHT ATTACK.
"Winstanley is not much Of place."
Frank Besant said, as they marched
that September afternoon up the one
dusty street that constituted the main
portion Of the miserable village, whose
squalid houses and sallow, unwhole-
some inhabitants seemed from their
signs Of decay to be unworthy the no
tice of friend or foe. No wonder Bragg
had not stayed his march to pillage so
contemplate community, as it was
really only settlement of unhealthy
cracker" whites, on whom even the
slaves looked with contempt.
NO, it isn't much Of a place." Lieu
tenant Gregory, to whom Franks re-
mark had been made. assentcd, with an
expressive shrug Of the shoulders.
''They say he was bold man who first
swallowed an oyster, but hang me, il
he would not be holder who laid him
self to rest in one of these huts."
Yet that may be our fate" Frank
prophesied.
The Lord forbid!' was the pious re-
/ ioinder.
But amid all this squalor, one house
stood high on hill at the further end
of the village, which boosted greater
pretensions than its humble ncighbors.
1t was great, square, stone building,
utterly without ornament, but roomy
and capacious, which never by any pos
sibility could have suggested home, but
which was large enough to promise
accommodation for host; and out OF
its square, ugly gateway, tall, spare,
middlc-aged man was coming at a rapid
walk towards the advancing column.
"Howdy! Howdyr" cried one of the
cracker gentry. coolly offering be
grimed paw to Major Hopkins. court.
esy which that gentleman pretended not
to notice.
"Who is this person coming down the
hill?" the officer asked.
''llim's Squar' Dixon, him is. We
'uns dom take much stock in he-kyind
o peart on his raisin', an thinks his
self better'n res o u.s."
Squire Dixon forthwith rose one
hundred per cent. in the Majors cstima
ton, a good opinion, which was forti.
fed by his unaffected expression Of
pleasure at the presence of Nortbcr'
troops, and his kindly offers of hosr
tally.
II am sorry kyant house You al
he said. heartily, but your ofiicersw
find welcome in my pore home. 4.
your men can take up their quarters in
the village church" proposition which
was gratefully accepted
All went merry as a marriage-bell.
Considering the times bountiful sup
per was done ample justice to by the
grateful officers, who did not fail also
to appreciate box of excellent cigars
and an abundance Of whisky, which,
though forced upon them with gener
GUS display of hospitality, they in
dulged in with moderation. The squire
|, proved himself an admirable host, an6
won golden opinions from his well.
, pleased guests. His was a peculia,
l hn 1.sv -,
a boy to school in Massachusetts, he
had acquired sentiments which were al
variance with the opinions of his neigh
bors, particularly as regards the qucs
ton OF the abolition of slavery, of which
he approved and which, of course, hal
made him a marked man in the com
munity. When the war broke out
though his sympathies had been entire
~ with the North, he had never daret
to declare them, though he was willin,
now and ut all times to sacrifice any
thing in reason to his conviction-an,
|, thing, in fact, short Of bcggaring hi
family. His family? Oh, yes, he hat
wife and three daughters who wer,
now in Cincinnati, thank Heaven! be
yond the reach of immediate danger
As the Major said, when they reache,
their chambers. Mr.. Dixon was alto
gether most interesting person
. Lieutenant Cuthbcrtson, of Charlie Full
tons company, was on guard duty: tn,
rest OF the officers were assigned to
: suite OF chambers side by side at tn,
back Of the mansion overlooking neg
lected garden. After brief chat il
e the Majors room they retired to rest
n But Hopkins, though he had profcsse,
e fatigue, was not inclined to follow tn
e example OF his subordinatcs: SO instea,
E OF throwing his weary limbs on tn,
tempting fcather-bcd he lit cigar, pu
r out his lamp, and drew a chair up +
o his chamber window. 1t was a bril-
S liant moonlight night, almost like da
c in its semi-tropical clearncss, and tn
S Major, who was man of scntimcn,
1 Al -