The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-05-02
'oprRrdH1rp 1894 BY AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION.

and she shuddered as she realized what
might have been. The dead were for
gotten for a moment in her anxiety for
the living. There had been no firing for
tho last 10 minutes. Had the camp been
captured? Had help come too later She
stood in the open door and held herself
on her feet while she listened. A sud
den crash of musketIy told her what she
was yearning to know. The Federal
troopers had attacked, and they were
strong enough to beat off or annihilate
the besiegers. Half an hour later she
was crying and sobbing and saying to
the men who bore the litter;
Carefully now! Bring him right in
this way! | am so glad! was afraid
that he was deadn'
The prisoners were confined in the
barn. Of the entire force not one had
escaped except Ike Baxter, and that
only because he was absent. There were
a dozen or more dead men to bury, and
after awhile detail was sent back to
perform the work. A dozen dead, but
no wounded. If you were in the valley
that winter, you will recall the bitter
ness existing between the "irregulais,
who were practically bushwhackers and
guerrillas, and the Federal cavalry. No
prisoners were taken on either side. If
a Federal detachment was cut of, never
man returned to his lines. If cou-
rier was captured, he was shot in his
tracks or hung TO the limb OF aIoadside
tree. There was no more mercy shown
on the other side. The capture OF an
armed man in citizens dress or half
uniform meant that he had only 8 min
utes to live at the furthCst. If be
claimed to belong to Mosby's band, he
courted death the sooner. Men who fell
in fight went down to be buried there.
Custer with his troopers found Uncle
Ben eagerly awaiting them. The old
man was given a seat in an ambulance
and within few minutes the general
had heard his story. The order was
given topush on at a faster pace, and the
command reached Rest Haven just as
the prisoners had been placed under
guard. A surgeon accompanied the coll
umn, and while he was busy dressing
Kenton wounds General Custer was
holding an interview with Marian Per
cy. The result Of this was an order that
the dead woman and the wounded man
should be taken back 20 the Federal
lines-the one for burial. the other lor
proper medical treatment. Whatever
Marian wished 10 take away would DO
transported for her and the place would
be abandoned.
Steve Brayton had come out Of the
affair a greater hero than be had ever
hoped to be. Although frankly acknowl-
edging himself an escaped prisoner and
now again captured by the enemies Of
his cause, every Federal who understood
how he had fortified tho camp and do
Tended it 10 save a wounded and almost
helpless fellow Confederate insisted on
taking him by the hand and rendering
him hearty congratulations. Even
General Custer himself did not withhold
word Of praise after learning from
Marian and kcnton of Brayton s. BRAY
cry and self sacrifice
WAL, ginerll, / dunno about all
this, replied Steve, with a good deal
Of embarrassment. Reckon | was the
means Of gittiu that Yank into the Con-
tederate service and now IL looks as If
| was the meaus Of gittin him out and
myself along with him. We uns hev
been Griv outer the southern army hy
that tCnt up at the camp, and II so uus
don't take koer OF us | reckon we uus
will hev 10 hunt cave sumwhar and
hide away till the war is over.
The packing up had been accom-
plished, and the dead woman was about
TO be carried out of the house when the
burial party was driven in by strong
force Of Conisdcrates. Ike Baxter bad
galloped into the Confederate lines, only
five or SIX miles away, with information
that speedily sent two companies of cav.
airy down tho road as reinforcement.
One Of these was Captain Wyle's. and
he smiled gIimly as ho recalled the cir.
cumstances of his last tide over this
highway.
Ike Baxter had come into camp on a
previous occasion to report that Kenton
and Brayton were hiding ont near Rest
Haven, and that he had been nearly
killed by Uncle Ben while trying to fol-
low him to the hiding place OF tho fugi.
tiyes. Captain Wylo would wash his
hands Of the affair, but detachment
was sent away with orders to hunt down
and bring in the prisoners. Steve Bray
ton might bo brought in, but he very
well knew that Kenton would not be,
whether found wounded and helpless or
not. After the detachment had accom-
plished its work he would seek q meet
ing with Marian Percy, but not before
She could not hold him responsible for
the action Of others.
As the Confederates came down the
road in pursuit Of the burial party Gus
ter ordered forward three or four com
panies, and the pursuers became in turn
the pursued. But not for long. A heavy
force of troopers in gray were coming
up, and even child could have told
what that look on General Custer's face
portrayed. For long weeks he had tried
to bring on a cavalry fight. The hour
had comet
[To BE Continued