The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1893-02-23

like baby clouds, away below US, and
the quick CLINT here ana there of the
sun, which now shone out bright and
clear on what were Enthusiastically rifles
or sabers.
/ We refined in, but we were too far I'D
and away to catch any sound. My field
/ glasses. however, reached a number OF
men in gray to the south and others in
blue to the north. The firing must have
been harmless, for the rear guard of the
cavalrymen in blue wheeled now and
then TO exchange shots with the enemy,
fully half mile away. These, now
felt certain, were the iifty.four men left
back with Brown and Arthur, and from
I the line Of their retreat was sure that
the guide, Lin Moore, had reached them
aud reported my instructions IL we
could now communicate with our friends
| felt that the immediate danger would
be over and that we could reach our
lines after having carried out every or.
der and made the scout success
As the mountainside was unusually
rough, and did not care to kill the
horses, which we always did IL safety
compelled us to proceed on foot, | dis
mounted one Of the men, with orders to
have our friends halt or return to our
assistance if they had passed beyond the
zine OF our advance when the man had
reached them. Hugh McNeifs keen
eyes took in the situation, and noticed
that his complexion became ashy and
bis thick lips were compressed with the
expression Of a man trying to suppress n
cry Of agony.
AS we We're out for information and u
fight might prove disastrous to our mis-
sion we were eager TO avoid il. unless II
became actually necessary to our own
preservation. Again we advanced. this
time with all speed. though frequently
we were forced to disinount. SO precip
our friends kept falling back steadily
though ii was evident there was ~ panic
among them. and as steadily the mount
ed men in gray followed. At length we
could hear the report Of the rifles and
the yelling of the pursuing cavalry AZ
| 1t would be counting ruin to 80 down
into the valley. and it was impossible to
make Roadway along the side of the
mountain, II halt was called AT point
where mass Of rocks afforded good
point for y defense. and all dismounted
Our presence here was soon discovered
by the Coulelerates, and ! saw a dozen
or more cutting of from the right Of
their little line and facing the hill at II
gallop. Soon they had to dislnount and
come up afoot. and | was glad to see
that their force. weakened by the men
left to hold the horses, was not 50 wildly
impetuous as at the start: yet they had
pluck. though they showed that they
were green and nervous by firing long
before there was chance of their reach
ing us.
Lie down and make Hen lie beside.
your called out to Hugh Mcneil. who
with his bound arms resting on rock
in front and his son standing beside him
and echoing the cracking of the rifles in
II startlinsly realistic way, watched the
men in gray struggling up the hill.
He hesitated, then suddenly obeyed
pulling his son down by his side. What
with watching the enemy and turning
my glasses now and then in the direc-
ton from which our friends were ex
pected, lost sight Of the prisoner. The
scouts. way glad to see. were as cool
as at any time since we crossed the Ten
nessee, and without any orders they re-
served their fire till they could distin
| guish the men who wore boards among
the enemy from those who had mus
taches only, then they opened. The Con-
federates halted, and they threw them
selves ON the ground SO quickly that it
was hard to tell the effect Of the seven
hundred yards.
| By this time | discovered that the
enemy in sight were no stronger than
ourselves if we could get all together
but instead of following our men in the
valley they turned to the mountain and
began to hurry up on foot. They had
come within about 200 yards when /
heard shout from one of my men, and
| turning in his direction ! saw Hugh
Mcneil and his son fleeing down the
mountain and in the direction of the
enemy.
At once and from both sides the firing
increased, and saw the two fugitives
! falling on their faces, but | was in no
mood to think of the reason. | subse-
quently found that the idiot had freed
his father by means of the barlow knife
had given him two days before in ex-
change for copy of the Chattanooga
Rebel.
! Telling the men to keep up their fire
took my papers from my pocket and was
in the act of striking match with the
| intention of burning them before the
enemy could come up when | heard a
cheer down the hill; then my boys
leaped to their feet, tossed up their hats
and hurrahed till they were red in the
face. sprang up the rocks and saw
the Confederates in full retreat and two.
score dismounted men in blue in hot
pursuit.
put away the papers and matches,
and we went down the hill till halted
by Lin Moore. who in his JOY embraced
me.
He had come to a stop beside Hugh
Mcneil, who had been shot through the
head, but by which side it was impossi-
BILE to say. Hugh McNeil's Hen was
shot through the breast. and the death
pallor on his face and the crimson froth
about the lips told that the end was
| near.
The poor fellow recognized Lin Moore
and tried to rise. Failing in this, he
reached up his hands and, like distant
echo OF his former greetings. gave the
cry of the whippoorwill. and the guide
responded with bob white"
They've done TO you uns, pore boy!