The record-union., 1894-09-01

side their pitiaDly meager belongings
where the wagons had hurriedly left
them.
Noticing these things, but with my at
tentlon liked upon only two human be-
| lngs, l followed the latter to the edge of
! the stream beside an abandoned campfire,
where, after almost threatening iuJunc-
1 tions Tor the girl to remain where bid
| den. the Italian left her apparently TO
make provision for food and for the
night.
In an instant was beside her, excitedly
whispering:
Observation-Disclosures
| She was not even startled. She seemed
merely listening as III a dream for Surer
| token OF kinship and affection in the half
aspirated calling OF her name.
"Beatrice!- -Beatricer'
L bent close to her wan and happari
"oh. God! Have one of you come at
last?''
Yes. yes. yes!-from your father.
Hush! Here. see this picture he gave me.
| head the words with it. 1t viii take you
from this villain to him.
! she sprant to her feet; but / gently
though instantly forced her down.
No, no! Not now; not until a few
hours later. Seem. docile and obedient to
Bellini. Can you swim?"
es, yes!'
''Are you brave?"
After to-day there is little to fear"
III you obey me implicitly to reach
your homer"
ITO the limit of my ifep'
1hen, when you are certain your
black devil OF companion and the camp
are asleep steal TO the bank OF the stream
| Move fearIeSsly down stream. until YOU
| meet me. BellIni is returning, Remem-
| beri''
Go not remember how long I waited
FOR Beatrice; but, sure of her bravery and
prudence as she was unquestioning of my
loyal guidance, these were the only calm
and certain hours had known since our
forces crossed Etowah
| l knew she would come; as she did,
knew that the approaching stealthy foot
steps were hers. L knew that the unseen
| form ielt near me was that of Beatrice;
and 1t was the happiest moment of my
| lie when her outstretched, cropping hand
grasped mine, and, without even whis-
| pered word, we stepped softly into the
/ placid stream together-two children,
seeing through blindness, going forward
as i'll the broad day by night, upheld in
! their infinite innocence and ignorance by
| infinite trust and faith.
! What were my plans? I had none:
| The stars told me the stream flowed to-
ward the blessed Northland. Silent as
our waterfowl and reptile companions,
! hand in hand we waded, walked and
/ swan.
Silent as the preternatural silence
| brooding between opposing armies, we
halted where huge sycamore had fallen
across and almost damned the stream,
and listened breathless to measured
ghostly tread.
1t went and came, from sward and
| covert ana cOpse to fallen sycamore
trunk. 1t beat hollow and solemn and
portentious across this. Thence it
swished and brushed over sward to covert
and copse, and back again echoingly-a
terrible pendulum of fate across our way
| to safety.
An hour or an age thus passed, when
other footsteps approached the lett bank
of the stream. Then mutlled rafting
| OF musket in dew-wet hands above our
| heads, and this challenge:
"Halt!-Who goes there?"
Grand rounds!"
Advance, grand rounds, and give the
countersign ~
Straight to leveled gun above us came
another muffled form. 1t bent over the
| bayonet and whispered:
! Observation-Disclosures ~
The musket clattered to the sentry's
shoulder. Then it clattered to the posi-
ton of Present armsr' The officer Of
the guard passed slowly on; while the
musket cIaltered back TO the sentry's
shoulder, and the ghostly tramp, tramp,
tramp, was again begun.
Two dripping figures lay for time to-
gether IN the rank grass beside the
! stream.
When they arose they stepped fear
lessly toward the sentry's path. A stern
command rang out:
Halt Who goes there ?''
Friends, with the countersign!'
Advance, friends, and give the coun-
tersignr'
Two figures bent over the sentry's lev
eled gun.
Romember-Atlantap' they whis-
| pered as cheerily as when giving the
touchword OF some pretty children's
game, while with grutf Pass on" the
| sentry's musket clattered back to his
shoulder without salute.
| we sped across an open field, and
| when we had at last gained the highway
over which 1 had SO strangely come,
ciasping the girl in my arms, muir
INJURED ecstatically in her ear:
with Gods help, we are outside the
! Confederate lines!'
\ OF a whisper nor a Shudder nor even a
| ripple of emotion was evoked. Just an
| answering pressure from the brave
girls hand, and we were away to the
\ forth again like two winged wraiths of
the night.
| After perhaps two miles had been ira
versed, L saw the stream we had followed
now winding closely beside the highway;
and remembered that at a place where
the transport wagons crossed the stream
on the previous evening l had noticed
stone bridge, with parapet-hke copings,
then occupied by Federal outposts.
Reaching this, our dilemma now seemed
| insurmountable.
| Here we flung away our shoes, and
| hugging the coping wall, opposite the side
| where l had seen the pickets in blue, we
began moving stealthIly across. One Of
ls,,V hofl de hald faSf atsfnn nho
! other CROPPED from stone to stone along
| the rotten masonry. A false step caused
me to stumble and sent my hand forward
| with unusual force. 1t missed the wall
| and the next instant a lance-lil1e bayonet
passed entirely through the flesh of my
| left forearm.
No challenge or word followed, and I
made no outcry. Dropping the hand of
Beatrice for a moment, / bent forward
and saw that the figure holding the mus
| ket behind the bayonet was strangely ST.
lent. / peered again and listened. The
picket was grimly and valiantly gripping
his gun, which was pointed toward the
enemy, but this hero of perhaps half
hundred battles was snoring peacefully
in sleep.
l grasped the gun barrel gently below
the bayonet lock, pulled my wounded
arm from oil the steel, as the blood
spurted down upon the soldiers legs,
grasped Beatrice and staggered dizzlly
forward; when at a safe distance hurried
stone back upon the sentry, that he might
escape death from being discovered asleep
upon his post; in another half hour, with
out interruption or observation, had shut
! the girl securely within my own little
white tent, which danced all manner of
ghostly antics before my eyes; and then,
half faintiHg from exertion, excitement
ard loss of blood, fell in an unconscious
heap upon some near bags of fodder