Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-04-08

UT SSNSIdl W1bh uG~ dress, he avoided the outlying hostile pickets and having at length reached the great military road leading through the Shenandoah valley, felt secure of accomplishing his purpose.
 Everywhere, as he rode along, the fearful ravages of war were apparent; smoking ruins, deserted dwellings, slaughtered cattle and burning crops were to be seen on all sides, and the very soil itself seemed to smell of blood!
 By and by, in the heat of the daJ the solitary rider turned into a short lane, at the further end of which stood an empty house, and in front of this house, near the door of log stable, lay trough of water, supplied by tiny stream trickling through an old musket barrel.
 All appeared quiet; not a sign of life was to be seen anywhere about; and the thirsty trooper, without dismounting, dipped up in his canteen a copious draught and imbibed it leisurely, while his good horse drank deeply from the trough. Just as the unsuspiciouS young man had thrown back his head to drain the last drop of the refreshing fluid he heard a slight shuf1ing noise and simul- taneously an ominous click. Half turn ing in his saddle he saw within a few yards of him two barefooted "bush- whackers,' who had evidently up till now been concealed in the stable.
 One of these dangerous tramps car ried long duclxing-gun, already stead lily covering Herbert's breast, and the other loclkless rife and bayonet.
 Up with yer hands, ye d-d Yanl5!" yelled the fellow with the gun. But Private Leslie was not that kind of "Yank." He had been carefully coached for just such an emergency as this, and instead of leaving his revolver in the holsters had one of them lying on the pommel of his saddle. Quick as thought he dropped his hand to the weapon, but swift as his motion was his fingers had barely touched its butt when the menacing ruffian pulled the trigger of his smoothbore.
 If the clumsy piece had exploded its tnree-ounce load of slugs and buckshot , would have torn the bold unionists body to shreds, but fortunately for him the hammer fell upon a spoiled cap, and seeing there was no time to replace it the guerillaS rushed forward with frightful oaths.
 1 One took two steps, the other three, and then both lay weltering in their gore-shot down by the deadly, rapid fire of their boyish foe.
 Not knowing how many more of these vagabond, no-nation stragglers might be ambushed within hearing, Herbert dared not wait to ascertain the condi- tion of his assailants, but, wheeling his horse, rode off at speed, little imagining what was next to befal.
 He had arrived, with no further mo- lestation, within six miles of the outer line of Crooks videttes and was riding, now more slowly, along the edge of a wooded tract, when he heard low, moaning cry which appeared to come from an adjoining thicket.
 Some poor, wounded 'reb' needs help" the humane young fellow nut tered, and. promptly dismounting, he proceeded to make search, having first, for fear of treachery, placed a re- volver in his belt. Creeping on hands and knees through the dense under brush and guided by the still-continued plaint, he came presently to a prostrate, blood-stained form clad in torn uni form-not of gray, but of bluei
 ''Ahl one of our own brave boys, '' thought he, and, kneeling by the side of the helpless man, he gently raised his head. The wan, pinched, hunger stricken face, covered with mud, seemed that of a stranger, but no sooner had the sunken eyes turned upon Leslie than the wounded soldier gasped
 "Oh- Herbert don't-you = know me?"
 ''Merciful Heaven" exclaimed the astounded rescuer, Sit is Fred Ainslie? and, throwing his arms around his SC strangely found friend, he burst into very unsoldierlike tears.
 "Why, my dear Fred''-he began, but the wornout boy had tainted and now lay senseless upon his old schoolmate's breast.
 Owing to the nasty manner in which Herbert had been obliged to leave the water he had not reflled his canteen and now he had not so much as droI to force between the swollen lips of his unconscious comrade. Yet not a mo ment must be lostI He saw that Fred's ; right leg was shot through above the knee, that he was utterly exhausted by loss of blood and might die before othel
 help could be brought, and, besides, hi
 own business would not admit of delay . So, with infinite care and tenderness , he drew the motionless form out to thu | road and placed it across his saddle 5 Then, remounting, he held the ligh 5 weight fairly in his arms and, putting his well-trained charger to an eas,
 canter, carried poor Fred safely, an' = without jolt, to Crooks headquarters 5 where, by the aid of cautiously admin l istered stimulants, he quickly revived | The shattered limb was then properl,
 attended to and in the course of tn 3 next twenty-four hours Herbert hear, f his friends story from his own lips. l It seems that, three days before = Sergeant Ainslie (for Fred had been pro . unotedl had beau sent mt in charOa a