Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-02-01

one TO take look out Of the window.
why, hellol" he exclaimed, as he sent
glance at the unclassifled member of
the party which might have meant any
thing. II think know this place.
Why, OF course, certainly do. Yes,
yes, same place Same old mountain.
looks as natural as It did thirty years
ago. And just such night NJ this
when | was here All! I'll rcmcm-
Der that night II ] forget my grand
mother"
The younger man, who was student
OF war history, became interested ut
once. lie put aside his yellow-bGclscd
novel and prepared for "reminiscences
War of any kind seemed 70 be wholly
irrelevant TO the man who had bccn
looking cut Of the window-hc of the
accent and hat--but he had bound.
less curio ,ity. lie closed the window
and listened. The narrator continued:
II will tell you something about that
old hill over there" he said, ''if YOU
care TO listen. II Is doubtless very
nice old hill when you come TO know
II well, but made IL, acquaintance
under very trying circumstances. That
was in war times--in the year-well,
/ don't exactly remember the date, but
that does not signify. | was then serv.
ing In the confederate cavalry, Cham
bliss brigade. Stuart's command.
was ON scouting expedition that
night, six of US In the party. We had
been riding all day, trying to rejoin
the command, which had suddenly
shifted its quarters. And tell you
we were mighty tired when we got
upon the top Of that plateau which
you see there, and concluded TO camp
for few hours, for our horses did not
look as II they could carry us another
mile without rest We knew that it
was not safe to tarry very long, as the
enemy was all around us.
"Well, we piclseted our horses. and
after stationing one man as sentry the
others stretched themselves upon the
ground for few hours sleep. II seems
10 me that had hardly dozed of be-
fore we were aroused by the sentry.
Come, wake up he said, as he hur-
riedly kicked one sleeper after another,
the enemy Is coming We rubbed the
sleep out Of our eyes and listened The
tramp OF horses could be distinctly
heard in the dead stiffness of the night,
and looking down the road in the di-
rection OF the sound we could distin.
guish about a dozen horsemen coming
directly toward us.
when we saw that we were not
very greatly outnumbered we decided
on a defensive policy. The road made
n sharp curve before reaching the top
Of the plateau. Just where It diverged
was ledge OF rock, and behind this we
ranged ourselves and waited tho APP
proach of our friends. They came
Gathering up the hill, and when within
about thirty PAGES, near enough TO dis
tinguish their blue uniforms. for we did
not want TO make a mistake, the SER
geant gave the order to fire. Four OF
the men reeled out of their saddles, one
horse dropped TO his knees, pitching his
rider over his head. and the others,
thinking probably that they had run
against the picket line Of regiment,
turned and fed.
THAT is, all but one did. lie was
mounted on n powerful black horse
and the animal, stung by a bullet
came rushing directly toward u.s. AS
he leaped the ledge one OF our men
made a grab at the bride and had his
cheek laid open by saber cut. An.
other, who threw himself at the rider,
was carried Off hiE feet by tho rush OF
the maddenod animal We sent sew
eral bullets from our rcvolyers after
the pair, but ! don't believe any hit
Al any rate, they both got away"
The man with the hat had been
listening intently TO the narrative and
would frequently nudge closer to the
speaker. lie seemed several times on
the point OF interrupting, but con.
tanned himself At this point he ex-
tended a bony hand TO the old man
The latter looked as II he had expected
some little attention Of that sort ana
took 1t without word
~ am" SAID the listener, emotion
ally, 81 am that man.-the man who
rode the black horse that night"
The other said, inserutably, what q
remarkable meetiIg-a very remark.
able meeting, time, place, everything,
and then those two talked about
things until tie next station was
reached, and then the hero OF the black
horse babe his whilom enemy touch
ing Oddly.
ne old man was silent for long