Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-12-01


nigh it,
"A rebel colonel had his quarters in
the house-a Colonel Taunton that
was Joe's enemy in war an peace, and
wanted the gal fur hisself Her room
was upstairs. A light was burnin' in
it, an her winder was open A tree
grew close by-so close the branches
scraped against the winder in the win
ter
Cup the tree Joe went like squir-
rel. The light frum the winder an
the moon wus both in the treetop, an
Joe stuck his head out among the
leaves to git view o. the inside o. the
room. He ketched his breath in a
gulp-like as he looked in, iur thar was
his gal on her knees at the winder
lookin ont at the sky. a-sayin' her
prayers. He listened with all his
senses crowdin into his ears, an heerd
her mention his name-heerd her
prayin that God would take care o
him, an make him quit drinkin' an
bring him back to her
That settled Joe. He lost his
presence o. mind, an his hold on the
tree at the same time, an fell right
down among a lot O rebel soldiers
sleepin' on the ground How they
hollered They jist tied him, an
kicked an cussed him fur disturbin'
thar rest; an axed him if he was Cir
eral Sheridan; an Joe told them he
was, an that he'd jist dropped down
inform ly-like to swap hisself fur Gin
eral Early; but they wouldn't trade.
Then they laid down agin, leavin him
fur mornin', when they intended to
hang him fur spy.
Things didn't look cheerful fur
Joe. His wrists was tied back O. his
head, fur apart, to two saplin's, an
his ankles to two more, some way; an
thar was enough ropes an cavalry
straps round his body to wrap a mum
my in. An thar he laid, fiat on his
back, lookin, up at the sky through
the branches O the trees, an thinkIn'
strong active Teller as helpless as an
infant tied to the four corners O its
cradle.
1T was about the middle O the
night, an SO still the silence seemed
singing. Out whar the trees was
thin and scatterin' the tents stood
white an still in the moonlight. The
wind sighin through the woods,
seemed tryin to keep still, too, in a
fluttin way. Sometimes a horse
iuade noise BLOWN under its lips, III
stamped in the woods, maxim dull
report underground like; ur maybe
thar was a far-away challenge O.
sentinel ringin up out O the mufiied
night. Sometimes an unseen presence
seemed trampin' around 'thout max
in any noise, all was SO muffled an
dead-like. As Joe laid thar a-listenin'
when thar wasn't anything to listen
to, 'ceptin the stiffness, he suddenly
felt somethin tuggin at one O. his
wrists. He thought it was some wild
animal that had crep' out o the woods,
an turned his head to look over his
eyebrows at what it was, maxim some
leetle noise, when low shn at lis
ear warned him to lay STILL The
blood o hope bounded through him,
for he knew it was his gal to help
him.
They say love laughs at lock-
smiths. If that's so what's ropes an
cavalTystraps when it gifts its fingers
on emp She soon had his hands free, an
he could set up, an help her with the
rest The next minute, they was fly
in through the woods quicker the
chasin' shadders flung by the flyin
moon. They had no time fur huggin'
an kissin' but made straight fur
road leadin' down to the river, whar
they had played when children. An
thar, on the banks O the Shannan-
doer, with his hand riz above him an
tears on his face, he swore to her he'd
never take another drink as long as
he lived, an she promised to be his
wife.
"He had took her by the hand to
lead her down the stream, as happy
as anybody ever outside o Heaven,
when, as he stepped round a tree, he
come face to face with Taunton, who'd
been standin thar listenin'. The
colonels sword was out, an CLEANED
in the moonlight, but Joe WIS too
quick fur him, an was onto him like
tiger, an had him by the throat In
a twinklin' the sword that was intend
ed fur Joe Whalen's body, flashed
through Taunton's heart, all the col
onel fell deader'n macker'l
THE gal tainted an fell; but Joe
was soon swimin the river with her,
fur the rebs was onto his escape. an
AFTER him, swarmin along the bank
at the tree jist as he dropped hisself
an the gal out on the other side O.
the stream, an broke fur the moun-
tains. They opened fire on him, but
thar bullets couldn't keteh him.
Nothin' ever done me SO much good
as to see him a-tearin' up the noun
tain that mornin', in the pepperin
away O the rebs, jist as the sunlight
was breakin' in the east
The firms q the rebs brought out
our relief; an we. soon had the whole
rig ment on the peak a-crackin away
at the. Johnnies, an a-cheerin Joe as
his story went around The corporal
felt SO proud o Joe he wanted to fight
him fur good iellership's sake. but Joe
wouldn't fight. never seen no one
laugh like the colonel when Toe told