Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-04-17
IN WARTIME.

Two friends and myself were climbing
Lookout mountain. The pround here was
covered with old newspapers, empty en-
velopes, greasy playing cards, etc. Some
meas had squatted on this spot. Among
this litter found letter addressed 10 Ma
~ Anderson, Hamilton, o. 10 had been
stamped and sealed, but had afterward
been opened at the end
IL seemed like sacrilege 10 do so, but j
read it. The sweet, eternal old story
breathed In staggering iteration all
through IL. Although we were young, WI
did not laugh over the honest extrava
gances and burning words-fights Of this
lover, this unknown James Harlin. We
at once felt an affectionate interest In him
and his faraway sweetheart. As our passes
would expire at Q p. m.-we were clerks In
the quartermaster's department-we do
cided not to go on 10 the mountains top,
but 70 walk down TO its base and go into
the cave. Stopping at house on the road
which skirts the mountains base we pro
cured matches and candles.
1t was O'Clock when we entered 10.
Like most caves, its roof dips 40 low at In
teryals that one Is forced 10 crawl oonsid-
erable distances at times. There was
strong breeze throughout the cave, and
our candles were frequently blown out.
Every once in awhile we came TO chasm,
which might have been bottomless for all
we could tell We would lean shudderingly
over their Drinks and drop fragments OF
stalactite into the black, Shiny and drip
ping depths, but we could never hear them
strike bottom. Boards had been thrown
over these for the benefit OF explorers.
After we had progressed about half
mile, Newman suddenly said: I'VE are
either going 10 meet or overtake party.
See that glimmer In the distanceP'
"And how do we know, said j, that
they are not Confedsf"
"Well," said Robert, 1--WE are well arm
cd, and Wen make IL warm for them II
they are ION the fight"
In two minutes more we met the party.
Il consisted OF two msn and boy about
II years old. One Of the men had on
mixed uniform, part Union and part Con-
federate, and the other man and the boy
were dressed IN citizens clothes. We be-
lieyed them To DO either bushwhaokers OF
prowling dcperadoes. They were armed
to the beeth, but 30 were we, and our ex-
posed revolvers preached them quietinR
little sermon. We soon met, and after
glancing at each other for moment passed
on. My two companions were honorably
discharged Union soldiers and still wore
their uniforms, 80 that tho outgoing party
knew we were "Yanks.
We did not feel good. The baleful
glances of those murderous scoundrols
had not been roassuriDg What might
they not dor This thought must have
been common to US, for without word
we slowed into a halt. A moment after
we heard grating sound which we could
not misunderstand-the miscreants had
been dragging Che board which spanned
the last chasm over 10 their side. This
crevice was only about three feet across,
but tho ceiling at this point was not
more than two feet above the floor.
We hurried TO the place, getting there
just as they had completed their hellish
work. They started TO run the moment
they saw us, and our calls to them 10
halt only seemed TO add 10 their precipi.
fancy. We fired on them simultaneously
and yell of agony told US that at least
one shot had taken effect.
The uniformed man had been fatally
wounded and was helpless The boy had
and the remaining man found |
himself incapable of dragging his comrade |
out Of the cavS~ He saw that we had his |
covered with our guns and he signaled his
surrender. At our command he came and
replaced the board. We crawled over, one
at a time, the other two guarding with
cooked revolvcrs all the time. 10 had been
our purpose To shoot him down In case he
attempted 10 escape without giving US re-
lief. Safe across, We disarmed him and
then helped him drag or carry his wound |
cd friend TO the caves mouth-a rocky |
concavity or feet in all its diameters.
As we laid him down at last some pa
pers fell from his coat pocket. picked !
them up to put them back when the SUI
prescription Of one Of them caught my at
tention. The letter was directed in femi
nine hand TO the man whose letter i had
found on the mountain. tried To get an
explanation from the dying man, but my
question only sent a faint momentary
flush To his pallid face-he was past talk
ing. In few moments more the sol
der, II he was one, was dead. Doubt
less evidences were found ON his person
that he had ut least robbed James
Harlin- 1t is almost certain that he had
murdered him, too, as further investi-
cation seemed 10 establish. Leaving him
there, we took our prisoner 10 Chattanooga
and turned him over to the proper officer
l had put the letter In my pocket, and as
soon as l got chance TO do 30 / read IL.
1t was from James Harlin's sweetheart,
and though less passionate and ELUSIVE
than his letter TO her IL was tenderly afIec-
tionate.
Very soon after this we determined TO
go home. The climate was not agreeing
with US, and anyway we were anxious to
get On the other side of the Ohio Accord
ingly, In less than week after our adven-
ture we were on our way 10 Cincinnati.