Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-09-27

Il uufA
"Cotns har. Hen The idiot obeyed.
"Now keep yor d-u mouth shet or I'll
gad yo'r"
The poor creature was evidently &C.
customed 10 this kind % talk and 90
rvugher treatment. Tor he crouche,i
down. and covering his face with his
hands he looked up ut his father DO
tween his fingers.
"Tell him he must 20 home; we can't
take him along" ! said.
THAR wouldn't b. no use In that
Hen. he don't know nawthin bout home,
and he lives. bein . nat'ral. purity much
altogether. ~ one mout say. In the
woods. You uns mout skeer him Oh
10 bit, but he'd bs mos' nigh shuah 10
foliah.-
About the middle Of the afternoon we
came to q hill that gave ne fns view
north and south for many miles. discov.
ering q few frame houses and many
cleared fields: but what mos, attracted
our attention were silvery smoke puffs,
like baby clouds. away below us. and
the quick CLINT here and there of the
sun, which now shone out bright and
clear on what were unmistAkably rifles
or saberS
We refined In. but We were too far up
and away to catch any sound. Ny field
glasses. however. rea hci . number Of
men In gray 30 the south and others In
blue to the north. The firing must have
been harmless. for the rear guard of the
cavairymen In blue wheeled now and
then 10 exchange shots with the enemy.
fully = half mile away. These. now
felt certain. were tho hfty.four men left
back with Brown and Arthur. and from
the line Of their retreat was sure that
the guide. Lin Moore. had reached them
and reported my Instructions n We
could now communicate with our friends
I felt that the immelia,e danger would
b. over and that we could reach our
lines after having carried out every or.
der aud made the scout success.
As the mountain.ide was unusually
rough. and ! did not care 10 kill the
hor>cs. which we always did u safety
compelled us 90 proceed on foot. dis
mounted one of the men, with orders 10
have our friends halt or return 20 our
assistance u they had passed beyond the
line VI cur advance when the man had
reaehai them. Hugh MeSeil's keen
,yrs took In the situation. and ! roticcd
that his compleIion became ashy and
his thick lips were COMPRESSED with the
oppression Of . man trying TO suppress
;ry of agony.
A we were out Tor information and .
light might prove DISASTROUS io our mis-
.ion W, w,r. eager 10 avoid u. unless u
t.came actually necessary 20 our own
preservation. Again We advanced. this
time with all speed. though frequently
". were forced TO di.mount, 20 prv,il'
.,ous was the descent To our aiarh
,ur friends kept falling hack steadily
though II was evident there was no PAM
among them. and ~ steadily the mount
II men In gray followed. AZ length W
could hear the report Of the niles an
the yelling Of the pursuing cavalry. A.
Il would 10 courting ruin 10 go dow
into the valley. and II was impossible g.
make headway along the side Of a.
mountain. a halt was called q, a poin'
where a mass u rocks afforded q gool
point for defense. and all dismounts'i
Our pr--encc here wss soon discoyer-'
by the Cunfc,i.rates. and ! saw dorsn
or NOR. cutting od from the right ~
their little line and facing the hill at
gailop Soon they had TO dismount anu
come up afcot. and was glad 10 ses
that their force. weakened by the met
left 10 hold the horses. was not - wildl,
impetuous ~ at the start. yet they hal
pluck, though they slsDwed that they
were green and nervous by hring long
bsfore there was . chance Of their reach
ing us.
"l.ie down and make Hen lie beside
you!'' called out TO Hugh Mcneil. who
with his bound arms resting on rock
in front and his son standing beside him
and cchoing the cracking Of the rifles In
. startiingly realistic way. wa,chcj the
men In gray struggling up tho hill.
lie hesitate,i, then suddenly obeycd
pulling his son down by his side. What
with watching tho enemy and turning
my glasses now and then in the direc-
ton from which our friends were en
Decte,l. l lost sight of the prisoner. The
.couts. I was glad 10 SEE. were a. cool
~ at any time since we crossed the Ten
n.-see. and without any orders they ~
served their lire till they could disiin
guish the men who wore boards among
the enemy from those who hal mus
taches only. then they opene,i The Con.
federatss halted. and they threw them
selves ON tho ground ~ quickly that u
was hard 20 tell the effect OF the seven
carbines fired from rest ut barely one
hundred yards.
by this time ! discovered that the
enemy In sight were no stronger than
ourselves II we could get all together
but instead Of following orr men In the
valley they turned 10 the mountain and
began TO hurry up on foot. They had
come within about 30 yards when J
heard q shout from one Of my men. and
turning In his direction saw Hugh
Mcneil and his son fleeing down the
mountain and In the direction Of the
enemy.
At once and from both sides the firing
increased. and saw the two fugitives
falling on their faces. but ! was In no
mood 10 think Of the reason. subse-
quently found that the idiot had freed
his father by means Of the harlow knife
had given him two days before In ex.
change for copy Of the Chattanooga
Rebel.
Telling the men 10 keep up their fire ]
took my papers from my pocket and was
In the act VI striking match with the
intention of burning them before the
enemy could como mp when ] heard
cheer down the hill; then my boys
leaped to their feet, tossed up their hats
and hurrahed till they were red In the
face. sprang up the rocks and saw
the Coufelerates In full retreat and two
score dismounted men In blue In hot
pursuit.
put away tho papers and matches,
and we went down the hill till halted
By Lin Moore.
lie had come 10 . stop beside Hugh
Mcneil. who had teen shot through the
heal, but by which side u was impossi.
bic to say. Hugh McNeils Hen was
shot through the breast. and the death
pallor on his face and the crimson froth
about the lips told that the end was
near.
The poor fellow recognised Lin Moore