The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1892-07-21


We buried the men as best we could,
and then rode down the hill to the
stream. ate sparingly of the rations in
our haversacks, watered the horses and
were preparing to mount when Saddle
Ferguson put in an appearance. She
was going ovah Lost erik way to see a
sick neighbor," she said. Something
about the girls manner excited my sus-
picion. She must have seen the graves
up the hill, yet she made no comment;
and when asked her about Mart Hall
she declared, without q tremor Of the
eyelid. that she hadn't seed him sence
foah cohn cuttin time" She slipped
away as quietly as she had come, and
regretted afterward that did not place
her on one Of the empty saddles and
hold her till we fell back to the Sequat-
chic.
About noon two bright men who had
been in the advance came in with a
prisoner from Armstrong; division Of
Wheeler's corps. he reported his COM
mand moving west, about FIVE miles to
the south, and as soon as was assured,
from our own observations, Of the accu-
racy of his statement, sent a messenger
to Colonel McCoOk. Early the next
morning the messenger returned on foot
his horse had been killed by guer-
rilla about mile back-with an order
to follow up the Confederates as far as
Bridgeport and to report II they deviated
from that point.
On our way back we met old Ferguson
near the creek on which we were en-
camped when first met Saddle. The
old mans brown, leathery face and the
trembling Of the long, lean fingers that
clutched his staff showed that he was
very much excited.
Don't 90 down the erik to the Sc
quatch," he said. Mart Hall and q
gang is q layin TO you uns."
"But how else am to get to the Be-
quatchie2" asked.
"YOu uns could git thar without crit
tiers by climbin ovah the mountains"
But we would have to leave our
horsesr'
"Yaas, 1 reckon 90" and he stroked
his grizzled beard in a nervous, perplex-
ed way.
"How many men has this Mart Hall
with himT'
"waal, thsr's right smart bunch, !
reckon"
AS many as have7r
"MeJbe not" he said, after Q glance
over the men.
"Very well. am going to ride down
the creek to the Sequatchie, and II Mart
Hall or any one else tries to stop me he
must take the consequences" Then l
was reminded to ask, ais this Mart Hall
an oficerTr
mo, sab. leastwise not ez any one
ever heard on, and eff so he was, l reck-
on he'd a told Saddle, said the old man.
"Where did he get his meng'
smart sorter picked EN- up"
"Where!'
"W aul, all about in the hills"
"And they are not soldiersT
mo, not edzactly."
"Then they are guerrillasT
"Waal, stronger, ! reckon you uns'd
make no mistake II 90 be they was sOt
down bout that way" said the old man.
"was Mart Hall at your place this
morning."
"Yaas."
"And he talked with Soldier"
Gle did, TO shuah."
"very well; thanks for the informa-
ton, and goodby."
As we rode down the narrow valley
became more and more convinced tina
there was direct connection between
Saddle Ferguson's visit to our camp and
the killing Of the three pickets, and yet
my conscience pricked me for thinking
90 harshly Of that surprisingly pretty
girl.
About two miles below the point
where we met the old man the creek ran
from bank to bank between high lime
stone walls. Realizing that It would b
q very bad place to be stopped, ! dis
mounted thirty men and sent one-half
up the precipitous rocks on either side,
90 as to clear the way, II need be, for the
others TO pass through with the horses.
! Ihad lust given the command to I'd.