Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-05-10
A SWAMP MYSTERY.


the more destructive heat of the civil war.
General Burn side had captured long
reach of the seaboard and had established
his headquarters at Newbern. No bat
ties followed very soon nor any storm to
speak of, but the army and the weather
were fast getting into high state of prep
aration for either kind of event.
There were Union IL loops at Fort Macon
and Morehead City, not many miles up
the coast from Newbern, and much pay
was due them.
The money came down from the north
In July, and couple Of paymasters re-
ceived orders to go at once and deal it out
to the men.
Before the war railway had been con-
structed from Newbern to Morehead City.
Its rails were still there, but all its rolling
stock with the exception of one hand car
had gone into the interior of the state.
The viaduct was only just wide enough to
carry the rails, and much of it's course was
through a swamp whose dense bushes
were now luxuriantly reaching out as If
they meant to capture the track before the
end of the season.
The quartermaster placed his one hand
car at the disposal of the paymasters. He
did so with the pleasant information that
on the previous evening the busy Confed
crates had made raid and had swept
away all the pickets posted along the line
of the railway. New pickets had been post
ed, he told them, and their proposed trip
would be reasonably safe.
"Hope the rebs won't get it, then. Put
her through, sergeant, but look sharp.
The storm is most got here" He also was
correct about the weather. In 10 minutes
more such storm had arrived as was q
credit to Cape Hatteras and the whole sea-
coast of North Carolina. On rolled the
hand car, its crouching passengers drench-
ed with rain that fell in streams rather
than drops. The lightning flashed almost
necessarily, and the thunder seemed to be
rolling around all over the swamp. Ex-
cept where streak of lightning cleft it,
the darkness was like solid wall, and
there was neither headlight nor hand Ian
tern provided for that hand car.
''Worst storm ever saw, =" remarked the
sergeant, and one of the brace of men who
were acting as motive power grunted
back at him, "It's the worst kind of
storm, but you can't see it,
1t was q just correction of the statement
made by the sergeant, but at that mo-
ment hoarse, deep, all but sepulchral
voice from among, the bushes and black
ness at the right of the track commanded:
"Halt"
"Stop her Quick, boysp' exclaimed
the sergeant, and as the men changed in
stantly from motive power into brakes he
sprang from the car into water above his
knees and waded forward to answer the
hail and give the countersign.
1t was all in vain. Down came dou-
BILE deluge of rain and thicker darkness.
Then vividness of blue electricity danced
through the dripping bushes, and great
roar of thunder followed it as if in search
of the hidden "picket." Neither rain nor
lightning nor thunder nor the anxious
questionings Of the sergeant discovered
him.
There he was or must have been, dead
or alive, for he had said "Halt," but that
was apparently all he had to say.
The sergeant splashed his way back to
the hand car, using very strong language,
and it was decided to go forward.
first thing" remarked the paymaster's
clerk, land they'd hit some of us sure!"
= Both Of the paymasters agreed with him,
and one expressed his satisfaction that the
box containing the greenbacks was water
proof
"That's more than am, )" said one of
the soldiers. "This 'er' rain got through
my roof. / can feel it trickle down inside
Of me-"
The hand car was not propelled rapidly
after that, but the lightning and thunder
worked harder than ever. Perhaps half a
mile had been gained when another voice
on the left this time and not so near, but
equally hoarse and peremptory, shouted:
"Haltr'
Other words which seemed to follow
were swallowed up by wide mouthed
clap of thunder, and SO was the sergeant's
prompt response, but in an instant he was
among the bushes.
The first we heard from him was:
"Boys, it's up to my waist and getting
deeper!"
"Go on, sereeant!" shouted one of the
II they don't get an answered.
"Hurrah for General BurnsideW
squawked the payniaster's clerk in a
vague effort to let any supposed picket
know which side he was on, but severe
sternness from the further end babe him:
"Shut upl Haiti Come along''
"I'm coming' shouted the sergeant.
"Friendl Paymasterl'
''Shut upl Come alongl' responded the
threatening voice beyond him.
For full quarter of an hour the ser
geant CROPPED and floundered among those
bushes. Again he used strong language
very strong indeed-but not soul came
to meet him, nor did another word reply
to his repeated requests that the picket
should advise him as to what course he
should take,
The party on the hand car covered un-
der sheets and torrents and whole mill
ponds of falling water and hoped that
there might be cessation of the lightning
flashes, 80 that any hidden rihemen would
be less able to shoot straight
II give 1t up" said the voice of the ser
gespt at last. He was only three PAGES
from the car, but he was invisible.
1.-THE boys know who we are" said
one Of the soldiers, "Rpd We can 60 on,
but It's an awful mean Joke to play in such
q rain as this.
'There's something more than that in
IT," said one of the paymasters. "There'sa
trap Of some kind. Wen never get to More
head City,"
swell 60 ahead anyhow" said the ses-
geant. "There's a. much danger behind
as there IL before"
"I'm glad ! hurrahed for Burnside, /" ~
marked the paymaster's clerk,
On went the hand car into the water
soaked darkness, and another mile or mors