Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-08-11

Soldiers Remarkable Goodness In 3
Trying situation.
Many Of the comrades will doubtless
recollect some of the circumstances con-
nected with the following story of the
civil war told by a veteran spy, scout
and pilot The hero, who was known
by the name of Jim" was employed
by man named Brown to convey him
through the Southern picket lines TO a
safe retreat from the clutches of the
confederacy. 1t was a starlight night
when they started on their trip, and
when they arrived at house, later on,
IN search of supper, they found nobody
at home but lady Jim" asked her
TO get supper for himself and compan-
ion. The lady seemed very willing to
oblige them, and said: BE seated,
while go to the spring house"
At this the wary Jim smelled a
mouse, and politely replied: No,
ma Fam; you need not trouble yourself to
leave the house, as ! and my companion
are strangers to you, and have no incli-
nation to be reported to bushwhackers;
and as your husband may be one, and is
doubtless on these premises, or near by
you need not report us, but just get us
a cold snack and we will GO"
At these words the lady was astound-
ed. She saw that Jim" had at once
penetrated her design, so she set about
getting up supper for the two strangers.
When supper was ready, the two men
sat down to eat. They had not been
eating long, when two grotesque look
ing mountaineers entered, with guns in
hand. They We're evidently enrolling
officers, and the two gentlemen who
were eating would surely be conscript-
ed At least so thought the lady of the
house. Brown was visibly agitated,
but Jim" was as cool as any cucum-
Der, and talked and laughed as if it was
the proudest moment of his life. He
was man who could exercise wonder
full self control when occasion required.
Indeed, from his appearance on this oc-
casion, one would suppose he was total
ly ignorant of any danger. He gave
Browns foot a light kick however, as
much as to say: Keep COOL
Supper over, Jim" smacked his lips
and asked for drink of water. The
water, it happened, was out on the
porch, and Jim" stepped out, ostensi-
bly, to get drink; but he did not stop
for water; on the contrary, with the
bound of a gazelle, the willy scout
reached the ground, then the fence,
then the road, Brown following closely
at his heels. The men did not wait to
see what effect their strategy had upon
the two officers, but bounded swiftly
on. Finally Jim" stopped; he seemed
to see a ghost n something worse, and
craning his long neck over the fence,
exclaimed:
Great heavens. Brown, we are
doomed after all, fear Look"
What is it?" said Brown.
Horrors. it is confederate camp, as
sure as fate"
Taking another look, however,
Jim" was not so positive it was a
camp, after all; but in plain view were
several white objects, near a dwelling.
What were they? Jim had suspi-
cion-and hope. He crept nearer and
nearer, and strained his eyes more and
more. He seemed to gain assurance.
He plainly saw in the starlight what he
had at first supposed betokened camp.
The thought of the mistake he had
made was so ridiculous that he laughed
aloud Brown thought his comrade had
become insane until he, too, came up
closer and beheld the fantastic scene
presented. Instead of there being
confederate camp about, several light
colored garments We're hanging on the
shrubbery in farmers yard subse-
quent to days washing. The general
appearance of the laundried garments
after night was much the same as a
camp ground, to the eyes of the two
men who had narrowly escaped by
little strategy and much hard running.
H. Greeley Miller, in Toledo Blade.