The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-06-25
Copyright. 1891. by A. n. Kellogg Newspaper Co.
CHAPTER yII-coNrISrrn

CHAPTER XII.-CoNTINUEp.
Could Frank Besant have followed
the current of the Majors wandering
thoughts, he would indeed have been
startled; for his meditations were on
the possibility of a man sincerely low
ing two women, with himself as an IL
lustration Of the problem, and one of
the women, the true wife the sea had
robbed him of, the other-whom he
could only remember as lovely school
girl-the mother of his young friend
and subaltern. All, it was her face,
not his boys, that the lad had reminded
him of when he first noticed him on
board the ship going down to st. Louis.
pretty Mary Carter" the Major
thought, Il wonder what she is like now
wonder if she was happy with that fell
low Besant, who always seemed to me
bit of q prig,-wonder if"
But his dreams were cut short by his
noticing the figure of a man creeping
stealthily across the orchard. lie first
thought it was Charlie Fulton. but as
the fellow emerged from the shadows
into the moonlit road, he quickly saw
his mistake, and a moment after he
recognized the tall, spare figure of his
host. In an instant trcachery flashed
across his mind like an electric shock
Surely Dixon had told him IN hour ago
that he was SO weary he could scarcely
keep his eyes open and would be in bed
in a few minutes: then what did this
midnight ramble mean? Snatching his
field-glass from its case. he fixed his
eyes on an open bit of road he knew
the midnight prowlcr would shortly
reach.
Yes, there he was. A long, shrill
mounted man in Confederate uniform
rode up to him. They talked together
earnestly and negligently--negligently
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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS as light bur.
den as many a mans of half his age. The
drop to the ground shook him 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 un.
derstand why Dixon had persuaded
him to post his sentrics 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
rs you can. Make no noise whatever
our lives depend upon your silence"
1t was the Majors voice.
In five minutes his officers were in his
room.
"You see that hill yondcr, my lads, -
he said, grimly pointing to the cluster
ing pines. well, just beyond those
pretty trees in little valley lies half a
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.
tons? You think it best, of course :
then order your men under arms with
out an instant's loss-gct them out Oh
the church if you can without sound
and meet me at the bend of the road
yonder."
All, little do Colonel Halves and his
merry men, stretched at their ease Oh
the green sward, snatching few hours
of precious sleep before they shall cap
the climax of Jack Lascclles' superb
mimicry by peppering the lives out OF
know that two hundred cleaning
muskets, held by the hands of resofute
men were pointed on their PROSTATE
forms from every tree around them
Little did they think that even now
their careless pickets lay stunned. OF
gagged and bound at their neglected
posts.
Did they start in their sleep and think
it was a dream, as the hoarse command
rang out:
make rcady-Fire: Fix bayoncts-
Charged" and two deadly vollcys walked
the woodland echoes. With wild hurral
the Fighting Fourth were on them
There is no time to even shout surprise;
the only sounds, the scuffling Of men
and tramp of steeds, as 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
prisoners taken, and nearly two hundred