The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1893-11-30

away. Not a horseman passed. A shift
neutral ground, and the armies were
preparing to go into winter quarters.
There We're days and nights when Lit
Jim was out of his head and raving of
home and mother. There were days and
nights when his life hung or thread
He had the care his own mother would
have given him. Many and many a
time he called her his mother, and
blessed her that she had comedown from
the old h,,me to nurse him back to life.
BY and by the crisis passed, and the sol
der knew where he was and the situa-
ton outside. He knew more than the
good woman would have him. That lit
tie family was being put to sore straits
to find him such food as an invalid must
have, and he heard the children cry out
at night because they had not enough
covering to keep them warm. After a
few days, when he found there was no
chance to get word into the Federal line,
he begged of the woman to deliver him
up to the Confederate authorities and re-
lieve herself Of the burden. She indig-
nantly refused, and the children, who
had insisted on calling him Uncle Daniel,
cried at the thought of his going away.
Pretty soon new peril threatened.
The neutral territory was given up to
bushwhackers and guerrillas. One day a
long haired, evil looking man, whose
garb was that of a farmer, and who was
probably the would be assassin of Little
Jim, was seen lurking about the premises.
The woman put another pillow behind
the soldier, handed Linn his revolver and
quietly said:
81 have your carbine and shall try to
kill him if he persists in entering TIE
house. If / am killed, then you must
take care of yourself"
The sergeant could hear every word of
the conversation as the man finally ad.
vanced 20 the house, and the woman
stepped outside to meet him.
Look yere, woman" he began, "who
yo' got in yo'r house"
by what right do you ask that?' she
demanded in turn.
'By che right everybody has to kiln a
cussed Yankee wharever he kin find him.
Stand aside and let me see what sort Of
fowl yove had cooped in yere fur two
or three weeks"
Click! Clickl sounded the hammer
of her carbine, and as she brought the
muzzle on line with the mans heart
she said:
There's the road, Yo' scatter! I'll
count 20, and then I'll shootr'
He backed away, muttering and ours
ing, and for the next three days the cab
in was in state of siege. He hung
about, determined to investigate the re-
ports which had somehow leaked out,
but finding the woman on her guard he
finally went away to report to the mill
tary authorities. Thanksgiving day
came-cold, bleak and futter of snow
flakes in the air. Little Jim had been
shot Just three weeks before, but such
was the nursing that on this day he was
helped out of bed and bolstered up in
the big rocking chair to eat Thanksgiv-
ing dinner. Tears came ITO his eyes as
he saw what efforts the woman had put
forth and how meagsr the results.
Mother, children and soldier were gath-
cred at the table when there came a
clatter Of hpofs and clankipg of sabers,
and dozen. troopers in gray gallopsd up
to the door. At their head was ser.
geant, who pushed his way in and seized
wife and children and kissed them be-
fore he looked at the pale faced man at
his table. He was followed by cor.
poral who was scarcely inside the door
before the children cried out:
"Uncle Daniel! Uncle. Daniel! Cur
other Uncle Daniel has come home"
The bushwhacker had made his report
to the nearest camp, and the sergeant
had been sent to bring the prisoner in
He sat at the head Of the table and heard
the story, and whenit was concluded he
patted his wife on the head and said:
"You did Just right, Mary. When q
Yaak is mp, he's our enemy; when bet