Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-12-15

lie heard:
Halt, thar
1nstincavely his hand went to the
handle of his revolver, for the sound
was near enough to indicate that pis-
toll rather than a rifle might be needed.
"Air you uns the sojer ez TUX supper
at the tavern at Jasper" asked voice,
singularly soft for bushwhacker.
well, suppose l ami"
81 know y from yer voice."
CLOVIS that" asked the soldier, puz-
zled
Kind o deep and smoothlike. Y
mought as wal put up yer shooter iron.
got n bead on y"
Mark could see no one, but Judging
from the voice of the speaker his alarm
partially subsidized
IL reckoned y mought come along
hyar, so l iist squatted and waited"
"Well, what do you want with me?"
"I'm one o the Stacks. Wore Union,
we Stacks air They're goen to drive us
out soon, reckon"
Union, eh2 What are you-man,
woman, boy or gall"
I'm gal"
"The dickens! What are you stopping
me for at the lnuzzle of gum"
"Lordy! How'd l know y? Wrought
"a ben bushwhacker. war at the tav-
ern whar y TUX supper. The landlords
wife, she's my aunt. ! sor " come in
and hearn y tallken to old Venables.
They reckoned y war Confederate till
y paid in Yankee shinplasters; then
they reckoned y mought be Yankee
after ALL"
Mark began to be interested. 1t was
now evident to him that this person en-
sconced behind snake fence, holding
him under cover of gun, was friend
instead of an enemy.
"Well?'
81 KEN out hyar to tell y bout it,"
"Then let me see you as well as hear
you.'
A figure with gun climbed over the
fence and advanced toward the soldier.
When it came near enough Mark saw a
girl who might be anywhere between
sixteen and eighteen, for her skirt
only reached to the tops of her shoes,
and her hair was cut square around her
neck. She came very near to him and
spoke in a low tone:
After " left the tavern some on 'em
lowed y was Union, and some on 'em
lowed y was Confederate: leastaways,
they wasn't sartin. Uncle, he's bad
secesh, and he lowed y was Union and
bound on some Grant fur the Yankees
So he pursuaded several on em ter
mount n follow y. They was gitten
ready, and l slipped out to the barn and
TUX my pony, what | rode over on this
afternoon, n Jakey's squirrel gun
(Jakey's my brother), what l allus car
ries when | ride round in these hyar
war times, n l makes tracks cross coun-
try by a trail | allus goes to uncles n
comes hum agin while the men air
comen by the road. | jest rode Sally
Maria among the trees thar and tied her
and squatted behind the fence till y
come along and-Lordy sakes!'
"What's the matter now!"
"Listen"
They We're both quiet for a moment.
the girls two big black eyes denoting
her anxiety. They could distinctly hear
the tread of horses coming on a brisk
lope.
Without word the girl seized Marks
bride rein and led horse and rider off
the road into the wood. At short dis
lance behind rise in the ground she
stopped. Mark was inclined to 20 on
farther.
mo, no." she said hurriedly. "My
pony's right thar. If she ketches sight
O your horse she'll whinnv."
Mark dismounted, and the girl, pluck
ing a handful Of grass, held it to his
horses mouth to keep his attention from
other matters that he might not neigh
and betray them. The two stood look
ing Mt each other while the sounds grew
louder, dreading every moment that
either one OF tn ir horses might give tho
signal that would lead to their discovery.
There We're evidently not less than half
a dozen of the horsemen on the road
altogether 700 many for one man, even
if well armed. to meet.
The men rode up to the fork of the
road, where they refined in their horses
for parley. 1t was a question doubt
less which road the Yankee soldier had
taken. Presently they divided, one party
taking the left hand road to Tracy
City, the other the road leading up the
valley.
AS soon as they were gone Mark took
the girls hand and gave it a grateful
pressure:
God bless you, my girl; you've saved
me from capture or being shot i'll the
back--shot, | expect"
The girl shuddered, She knew well
enough the Fate he would have met if
his pursuers had overtaken him. They
would have come upon him warily and
shot him from behind tree When tho
sounds from the retreating horsemen had
died away i'll the distance she said:
Come"
CHAPTER II.
A CHANGE OF UNIFORM.