The National tribune., 1892-11-10

THE DEATH OF YOUNG WARD.
10 secure their personal safety On my
arrival there was general rejoicing, as they
had heard of my capture, and thought
had already been consigned to the dreary
and lonely sepulcher.
Something now had to be done to secure
our further safety, for we still hoped and
believed that the Northern troops would
soon appear in this section of country and
relieve MS from our embarrassments We
concluded TO go farther out among the
mount ius and build camp for we well
knew hat the internal rebels would use
every 1oii 10 discover our place OF coverture,
which We concluded TO keep profoundly
secret, even from our best friends, with the
exception of Mr.. Lewis and bic son, who
were our guides, and who aided us in select
ing suitable hiding place. and provided us
with something to eat
Tbereupon, with Mr.. Lewis and his son
guiding Us, we shouldered busheI of corn
meal, few pounds of bacon, and started
for remote locality ia the gorges of the
mountains, leaving the busy world and the
merciless rebels behind us; not, however,
without deeply lamenting our deplorable
condition should the Federal Government
fail to relieve us. Mr. Lewis conducted us
far beyond the Pond Mountain, somewhere
on the waters OF Elk Greek, to an immense
thicket of laurel and big bushes. which
looked as if they might have been growing
there ever since the timewhen the morning
stars sang together" They were OF such
isrge dimension and their branches SO COM
pletely jntermingled and interviewer that
bird could not fly through them. The only
way we could gain an entrance was by
crawling upon our hands and knees under
the thick branches.
We were now, perhaps. where the foot of
man had never before trod; and here
in this lonely and dismal place we pro-
ceeded TO build a camp to protect us
against the inelemency OF the weather, for
1t was now late in the dreary month of No
vember, and the cold blasts of Winter could
already be heard and felt as they rushed
forth from the caves of old Boreas
OUR CAMP WAS NOT VERY COMFORTABLE,
for we were inexperienced in the business of
camp-building, and also had to build ont of
rough and unshapen materials. After we
finished it we covered the ground floor within
plentifUlly with leaves, which afforded us a
tolerably good bed to sleep on. Our fire was
built at the door of our cams, which we kept
well supplied with fuel, for there was an
abundance of wood in close proximity. The
weather, as / have already remarked. was
getting very cold, especially 80 in this remote
mountain region, and a good fire we found to
-. Ii N \
cooking utensils and therefore had 20 bake our
bread. with the bran in it, by spreading the
dough upon a large chip and setting il up before
the fire. We did not prepare our bread after
any style which have seen laid down IL anv
OF the fashionable cook books" of the pres
ent cay. but operated, in its preparation. after
the following fashion: We put our meal into a
knesding-trough and poured the water into it
with our hands, which We procured from a
small contiguous branch which rippled along
near our lonely encampment. After working
the dough sufficiently We baked it as described
above. None of US being annoyed with dys-
pepsis. we generally ate with ravenous appe.
tscs at first cooked our meals upon the
Goals. but we were shortly enabled TO prepare
our food in more approved style, AS our
friends furnished as with q small oven to
cook in and some tin cups out of which TO
drink water. As for the luxury of coffee, we
did not think Of cndeavoriag TO procure it as
the infamous rebellion had deprived the country
Of supply of the genuine article. and we did
not wish TO substitute in it's place the coffee
which was used by the rebels, which was wheat
and rye.
With the assistance of our friends we laid in
an abundant supply of bacon and -four which
we bad TO pack upon our backs come six miles
through the valleys Of the mountains Some
of our party proposed that we should pass
Law that no should stay in the camp uu-
less he Pouid nark "a noupSa Of Honr ,r Iaoo.,
for the distance of six miles through the laurel
thicket on his back. This, indeed, would have
been severer law than any which was ever
Instituted by that philosophic Spartan law
River, Lycurgus, and could not possibly have
been obeyed with anything like the same
Difference and respect which was awarded 10
the severe code OF the eminent Spartan, even if
the most distinguished and the most beloved
individual in our party had obtained promise
from all Of US that implicit obedience would be
given TO the law, which we are informed was
the policy adopted by Lycuraus in order 90 in
sure stability TO his code of Jurisprudence
The law referred 10 above, a. it NAV very well
be suspected, received no general sanction, and
was therefore never enforced. for some of our
men bad infrm constitutions, and, of course
lid rot wish TO subject themselves to such a
tstiguing manual exertion.
The men IN our party all seemed TO be afraid
TO venture far away from the camp, for fear of
getting lost among the mountains. As for N.Y.
self, soon learned the road 10 the house Of
Mr. Lewis. and could pack my so pounds with
comparative ease. We lived for some weeks
in our camp,
PASSING THE LONESOME HOURS AWAY
o. bes: we could, with unshsveu faces and irty
clothes. and looked great deal more like saw.
ages than we did like civilized men Time it
self seemed to be shod with leaden SHOES so
slowly and weariiy il appeared TO pass away. l
could not be contented 10 remain in this - pent
mp Utica" long. and after visiting the house
OF my old friend Lewis few times. / con-
eluded TO venture back to my home in order
Children CYu rss