Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-05-04

worked our way into and under it
e When completely covered we felt com
paratively safe, for our enforced retreat
g was the property Of the most uncom
promising Union man in the country
/ And as we were well aware the soldiers
would be amply instructed where not
to look. We had taken the liberty of
slipping over to his barn, a half mile
distant, and leaving our horse and
buggy in its friendly darkness before
domiciling ourselves in his hay-mow
The night was so lovely, the stars so
brilliant, and the half moon so beauti-
full, that lay for some time watching
them through my veil of hay and the
dilapidated roof. There was one place
where time and decay had left a two
i foot opening in the ancient shingles
and | could see the slowly shifting
clouds and evar-changing panorama of
the heavens clearly through it.
The last thing | remem 3er as drop
ped off to sleep was the distant crow
ing of cock, how far away could not
tell, the night was so still and as con-
lecture was Improbable | followed the
doctors example, and by short route
went to dreamland.
How long | remained in that shad-
Owy romantic sphere l do not know
| was awakened by the lightest, most
cautious touch | ever felt; SO gentle
that but for the warning pressure |
should have thought it inadvertent.
Everything was the same apparent
ly, as when l fell asleep, but the ex-
treme stiffness was oppressive to me.
Not the faintest sound reached my ear
The docdawnilg upon me before his
ironical "Throe and a half !" was
breathed in my ear for how could he
possibly tell, as no word had been
spoken?
| "Don't move or speak, no matter
what happens. Just listen.n
| | did so, and never knew before what
silence meant The immortal Deer
ly convinced of the presence of Indians
in the house they are approaching from
it's oppressive stiffness. | had laughed
over this as the extravaganza of a ro-
mancer-I realized its truthfulness in
the stable that night. The noise made
| by mosquito, as it hovered above my
head, sounded through the hay cover
| ing my face as though it could have
| been heard mile. 1t had vindictive
ring, and the shrill piping quaver, tran
slated by me, would have been, Here
they are! Here they are !"
| could endure it no longer
did you hear anything?" l at last
ventured to breathe into the doctors !
ear-my lips touching it for safety.
II think l did; am sure the low
footsteps were what awakened me
listen - !
| strained my ears again-it was still |
er than ever even the mosquito was
gone but just then the timber of the
old rack gave low creek, and slight |
noise as of some one tip-toeing in the
stable below us could be heard. It was
barely audible, and l was wondering if |
it could be imaginary, when again the
timber gave creaking noise and a
slight rustic of the hay, as if some one
had rested his hands upon it prepara-
tory to climbing up. And then the |
breath left my body-there ensued the |
widest shrek and cackle, the most I'M
earthly fiuttering of wings, as hen
flew in every direction, squawking
louder and louder as she flew against |
the top or sides of the stable in a fren-
zied effort to reach the hole in the roof |
have never heard that noise equall- |
ed by any other feathered biped; she
would sail slowly toward the opening
with screaming cry, miss it and fall
back on the hay to try it again with a
louder sQuawk the next instant. At
last she forced herself through and
stood on the roof, still insanely cack-
| ling.
Evidently she was the most terrified
of the lot, and that is gigantic admis-
| sion.
! OF course any attempt at silence aft
er that would have been ridiculous ON
the part of the soldiers. The man who
had raised this unlocked for pande-
monium fell backward out of the rack
with yell and an oath only equalled
in intensity by the start and Sigh we
had given. The latter, however, had
been unnOticed in the superior demon
stration of the hen. For a moment my
heart stopped beating, in involuntary
homage to a fancied discharge of artil-
lery, and my frightened jump would
have betrayed us but for the appalling
| noise.
The uncomfortable laughter of the
men, and the comments they made up
on their comrade who was evidently in
dazed state of surprise at first, decid-
ed us that they were four or five in
number.
Hello, Harrison Wake up man
Don't let a blamed old settin' hen run
you!'
''She was dreamin', and thought
you was a weasel wheh you touched
her.
Harrison thought it was the John
mics at first, sure.n
Il thought it was the devil, - prompt
ly responded Harrison.
| These and kindred comments reach
ed our ears as we lay low and preserv-
ed discreet silence throughout the
fun. AT last we heard voice.
| Lets fire a volley into the old rattle
trap, lieutenant; that'll fetch em, if
they're there"
Even then we did not speak, but we
felt infinite relief at the Heutenant's
answer.
mo, no! 1t would set.it afire, and it
belongs to loyal man, they said"
His next words betrayed sufficient
penetration to entitle him to high rank
and distinction for military acumen.
| Come, boys, nobody's there. No
rebel alive could have hidden in the
stable with that hen on guard. She
get back to the horses it's very near
morning.
We listened to them as they walked
away across the fields; heard the gallop
OF two or three horses on the pike, and
then for the first time breathed freely
| Whether the hen had enlisted her
sympathies in the Southern cause, or
the touch of the soldiers hand was the
proverbial last feather, | do not know;
but have always been obliged to the
isolated. nomadic nature that led her
to forsake the farm yard and seek the
abandoned stable for her fall hatch
by George said the doctor, as we
climbed down out of the loft about day
break-the wind had risen, and was
Tapping the loose boards back and
forth,
"You may tear and demolish this stable at
But the scream of that chicken will hang
round it stil
AS we passed out of the door an ugly
little speckled hen was scratching and
clucking innocently in dust and straw,
and scarcely moved out of our way as
we went by her.
Specimen Cases.
| S, III. Clifford. New Cassel. Wis. was