The Irish standard., 1892-06-18
CHAPTER XII.

! In ten minutes John reported at head
! quarters, saluted and waited instruc
! tons.
| s"Thcsc dispatches are to go to Gen
jackson. who is now somewhere IN Che
/ lower valley. 1t is d very dangerous
Journey and your life will be in your
| hands: it will require both courage and
shrevtlness. If you are successful will
see that you are rewarded, but il you
! have any hesitation about it, will lind
another man.'
John had listened respectfully and at
tentively-he replied: Il have no near
relatives, general; my life is Of but lit
| tie value to me OF anyone else, and te
risk or lose it for my country is all it is
now good for do not fight for reward:
and will be fully repaid with your ap-
! prevail"
*'Spoken like a soldier, but, my lad.
YOU must not under-value life. Il is the
gift of God, and is not to be lightly
| thrown away, and in this emergency
your life may prove of great service to
| your country
II will do my best, general" In a
| few minutes, John, with the dispatches
| safely slowed away in an inside pocket
of his coat, equipped with three days
| .ations for himself and a small sack OF
grain for his horse, started on the peril
Gus expedition.
Shortly after starting the cold rain
began to fall steadily, but the faithful
beast went forward at a rapid pace, and
| eol7
miles of the journey. When it grew too
dark to see, he turned aside, found Il
! sheltering rock. gave Selim q handful OF
| grain, and ate bit himself, had Selin
| to lie down under the shelter of the rock
! Ia trick he had taught him in happier
days. lay down beside him and fell into
sound sleep. He was awake by four
| o'clock, fed and watered his horse and
| started forward again. The rain was
still falling in a ftful way, and the air
! was chilling in the extreme, but the
| Young man absorbed in his thoughts
| almost forgot the warning elements. He
| had ridden forward an hour or more,
| and the somber light Of a sullen day
| was creeping over the rugged hills as
| he rode to the top Of a long hill and
paused for moment looking down a long
and narrow valley in his front AS
| he stopped the shrill blast Of a morn
ing bugle-caH resounded through the
| valley and rolled up the hills, and he
! knew that in front was an armed force.
| He knew also that it must be hostile
| force.
The valley was a mere open gulch
and but the one road, following along a
| swollen mountain brook. The hills were
! covered with dense timber growth
and it looked impossible to skirt the
camp in the valley. No time was to be
wasted, and he at once decided to at.
tempt to steal around the camp. Turn
| ing to the right he plunged into the
thicket, where he dismounted and
throwing his reins over the pommel Of
the saddle struck out afoot with the
horse following like a dog, and stepping
as lightly as cat. After two hours Of
exhausting toll, he came into the road
some two miles below the camp, and
outside, as he supposed, Of the pickets.
He had ridden perhaps three hundred
yards, when, turning around sharp
spur Of the hills, he came onto picket
post of two federal soldiers, within
twenty feet Of him, who detected him
| as quickly as he saw them, and con
fronted him with the sharp demand: