Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1894-12-27
TWO CAVALIERS.
Dy ALFRED 2. CALHOUN.

BY ALFRED 3. CALHOUN.
Copyright, 1894, by American Press Associa-
ton.
In curly October, 1865, Travelled on
horseback from Asheville. n. c., into
east Tennessee by way of the preclpl-
tous and picturesque valley OF the
French Broad river. Here, If any place
On the Continent, one might have thought
that the battle storm that ragged tor four
years on either side of the Great Smoky
range would have been unfelt and the
sound of its wild tainult be heard only
as an echo. But the ash heaps marking
the sites Of log cabins, defenses thrown
up to command the sweeps and angles
of that rough mountain road, haggard
men in ragged blue or gray, with one
leg or one arm, and, more than all, the
shallow graves hastily followed in the
thin soil of the hills, told that even this
sanctuary had been defiled by the red
hand Of war and its sylvan alsles lit up
by the torch of the destroyer.
During years of fighting and scouting
on the heights and through the valleys
Of the Appalachian mountains l had
never before been SO impressed by the
variety and splendor of coloring of these
wooded crests and slopes. The autumn
tints were bewildering in their brilliant
beauty. the dark green shafts of baIsaln
and fir serving to bring the crimson
hues Of the NAPLES and the russell gold
of the mountain oaks into intenseI
lights.
AS the sun was setting myself and my
companion, Captain Singer of the Thir-
ty-third Ohio, halted at Il cabin, hoping
to find accommodations for ourselves
and animals for the night But even
with the thoughts Of self IN mind we
had to turn in our saddles for one more
glance at the valley of gold and another
long lock at the marvellous slopes and
cones of the mountains now blazing and
flaming with the crimson, igneous glow
that one felt must continue to light up
the landscape after day had faded from
the crests of the CunlbeI land range to
the west.
1t was n double log cabin. with a
meadow in which cattle We're grazing,
down in tho valley, and Il large field Of
shocked corn on the slope above. In
the open space tall, fine looking young
woman appeared in response to our call.
You uns want to stay TO- tho night,
eh?" she said, ar1 she shaded her eyes
from the western light and looked down
the road in a direction opposite to that
by which we had come as if expecting
some one. Then as she did not see the
object of her search she turned to us and
added: 'Git off yer critters and rest q
bit till Andy and Phil come up. l reck-
on hit won't be long. To- we uns hez
been lookin TO EN- lack cvah scnce the
sun drapped ovs:h C2rt;;ll ridge. All,
thar they is, and ris,,>.t smart glad am
to see 'em, TO Andy amt no use Of his
SELF when hit get; dark.
With our brides over our arms, Sing
er and myself turned IN the direction
indicated by the young woman's extend
ed arm and saw two men coming up the
road, which, being some distance below
rs, was in shadow almost as dark as
night. AS the men approached we could
see that one walked with his hand on
the shoulder of tho other, as If for guild
ance. The man who appeared to be blind
wore faded blue jacket, the yellow
facings of which told mo that it had
been designed for Federal trooper.
The woman came out. and linking
her arm In that OF the man whose eyes
were shaded by the glazed peak of a cap
that looked very odd under his slouched
cavalry hat she turned him toward us
and said: Andy, har's two strengers
with critters as seems bound TO- Knox