Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1891-12-03
CHAPTER x.
WE ARE FORCED INTO THE CONFEDERATE
SERVICE.

''HoLD UP THAR, YOU; THAT'S MY DOG"
Bell and had been in the swamps,
woods and mountains for thirty-seven
days, but immunity from recapture did
not abate our vigilance; indeed, as we
neared ouI own lines and came within
sound of The Union guns we became
more careful and eager than we were
even on tnat stormy night in June when
we eluded the guards ut MilIen. This
anxiety was absolutely painful. We felt
like men must when, being tried for a
capital offense, they await the return Of
the jury Again and again my ceIapan-
5ofi and InFSelf ial SwDrlIsJo eacn 0unpr
that we should never be taken alive.
This decision was now constantly with
us, and more than ever we felt like men
vino might be nearing the valley of the
shadow of death.
After parting with Che alarmed cadets
who profe5sed TO have seen the Yankees
near by, we hurried on in the direction
SO far as We conld guess it, of the artil-
lery firing to the south. But the sound
OF the guns died out as night approached.
We knew that there were not enough
troops on either side in that region to
fight d heavy battle, and 50 we inferred,
aud as it turned ont rightly, that the
fight was between the Confederate home
guards aud cavalry raiders from Sher-
mans army. then extending along the
railroad from Dalton to Atlanta.
We decided after d long discussion to
remain in the woods that night, for the
artillery told that both sides were near
by in some force, and that there was a
greater risk Of running into the enemy
in the darkness than Of finding our
friends. We found q secluded place on
the jungle covered banks of little
stream that flowed into the Etowah,
and there, after finishing the last of the
food we brought from the Sleigh settle
ment, we lay down and were soon asleep.
We were very weary, and SO daylight
found us still lying in the bushes, where
we might have remained for some hours
more had we not been startled into
wazefulness by the barking Of a dog.
We sprang to our feet at once, to dis
cover that it was we who had attracted
the animals attention. "Cuss the cur;
lie looks ike bloodhound" hissed Bell,
as he raised his carbine and would have
fired had not man whom we had not
notice.; called out in an angry voice:
Hold mp thar, you; that's my dog!"
"Waal, / don't keer whose dog he is,
| amt agwine to be bit" responded
Bell.
'.But he amt bit you, hez he:'
'.No. but he looks ez eff he was sol
that way, and I'd heap sight rather
shoot the dog than be his meat, said
Bell
With many oaths and the free use Of
rdarnicks," the natives call
them-the man drove the dog back and
\ then came to view himself. He wa
bearded like pirate, his hair looked as
if it had not been cut '.since befo' dc
wah," and be was tail even for a noun
taineer. A slouched hat, cotton shirt
and pair Of hutternut trousers, the bot
4 toms inserted in the tops Of pair ol
4 verp muddy boots, constituted this gen
4 tlenanis costume. But there were two
J pistols and u knife in the wide belt
buckled about his waist, in addition tx
which he carried a Spencer carbine
which must recently have been the prop
erty Of Yankee, for / knew that thest
arms had been issued to our cavalry les:
than year before
Are You q soldier, my friend?' asked
+ Bell, as we left the bushes and stood
facing this decidedly formidable looking
man.
'.Waal. not edzacldy at this time,
said the man, and his black eyes sur
veyed us somewhat contemptuously,
thought But, lie added, II reckon
know enough about fightin to be able tC
keer fo' myself 50 he / was druv tx
hit.
Bell assured Linn That this was emi
nently proper, but that neither he no.
! myself was "a hankerin fo' a fight.
1--WE ms hez had all the fight needed
I yet If we uns had to shoot again nt {
feller mortal he wouldn't make nothil
by lit. reckon"
1t remains a wonder to me up to tiii
Z day that Dell did rot involve Us iii !
fight with every mouhtalneer we met
for he resented any approach to indig
nifty In most eombativc spirit. III
stranger actually llughed at Belr
speech. then came nearer, aud aftei
shaking hands with him told lis tha
his name was Benton, that lie Cam
from Moth Calinay,n and that eve
since he left the army--he did not sas
when or why he left-he had been
.srulnagin the cricks Of I.umnlin cnnntl