The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-05-02
IN WARTIME


Two friends and myself were climbin
Lookout mountain! Tho ground here wa
covered with old newspapers, empty en-
velopes, greasy playing cards, etc. Som
mesa had squatted on this spot. ANON
this litter found letter addressed to Ma
ry Anderson, Hamilton, o. 1t had beef
stamped and sealed, but had afterwar,
been opened at the end.
1t seemed like sacrilcge to do so, but
read 1t. The sweet, eternal old stor.
breAthcd In staggering iteration al
through 1t. Although We were young, VI
did not laugh over tho honest extrava
gances and burning words--illghts Of thi
lover; this unknown James Harlfn. W,
at once felt an affoctionate interest in hin
and his faraway sweetheart. AS our passe
would expire ct p. m.--we wero clerks II
the CRAFTSMANSHIP departmont-we do
cided not to go ON TO the mountains top
but to walk down to its base and go Int,
the cave Stopping at house on the roas
which skirts the mountains base, we pro
cured matches and candles.
1t was 8 o'clock when We entered it
Like most caves, its roof dips 80 low ct in
tervals that one Ia forced to crawl consid
cradle distances at times There was
strong breeze throughout tho cave, ant
our candles were frequently blown out
Every once in awhile we came to q chasm
which might haye beon bottomless for al
wecould tell. Wewould lean shudderingly
over their Drinks and drop fragments Of
stalaotite into the black, elimy 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 q
mile, Newman suddenly said: Two are
either going TO meet or ovcrtake party.
See that glimmer In the tlistancep"
And how do we know" said /, ''that
they ore not Confcds2t
''Well," said Robert, 1--WE arc well arm.
ed, and we'l make 1t warm for them II
they are on tho fight"
In two minutes more VIC met the pnrty.
1t consisted Of two men and boy about
10 years old. One of tho men had on
mixed uniform, part Union and part Con-
Tolerate, and the other man and tho boy
were dressed in citizens clothes. We-be-
loved them to be either bushwhackers or
deperadoes. They were armed
to the teeth, but SO were wo, and our ex-
posed revolvers preached them n quieting
little sermon. We soon met, and after
at each other for u moment passed
on. My two companions were honorably
discharged Union soldiers and still wore
their uniforms SO that the outgoing party
knew we were "Yanks."
We did not feel good The baleful
chances Of those murderous sooundrels
had not been reassuring What might
thoy not dor This thought must have
been common to us, for without word
we slowed into halt. A moment after
we heard grating sound which we could
not misunderstand-the miscreants had
been dragging the board which spanned
the last chasm over to their sido This
creyice was only about three feet across,
but the ceiling" at this point was not
moro than two feet above tho floor.
We hurried to tho place, getting there
Just as they had completed their hollish
work. They started to run the moment
they saw US, and our calls to them tn
halt only seemed to add to 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
and was helpless. The boy had
disappeared, and the remaining man found
himself incapable of dragging his comrade
nut Of the cave. He saw that wo had his
covered with our guns, and he sighaled his
AT our command he came and
'eplaced the board. We crawled over, one
1t a time, the other two guarding with
locked reyolvers oil the time. 1t had been
,ur purpose to shoot him down in case he
attempted to escape without giving us re-
ief. Safe across, we disarmed him and
hen helped him drag or carry his wound
ID friend to the caves mouth-a rocky
oncavity or feet In all its diameters
AS we laid him down at last some pa
,ers fell from his coat pocket. picked
hem up to put them back whom tho stl-
Of one OF them caught my at
ention. The letter was directed in fenli-
limo hand to tho man Vi hose letter I had
ound on the mountain. tried to get an
EXPLANATION from tho dying man, but my
question only sent a faint momentary
lush to his pallid face-he was past talk
ng, In u few moments more the sol
her, III he was one, was dead Doubt |
ess evidences were found on his person
hat he had ct least robbed James
iarlin. 1t is almost certain that he had
him, too, as further inyesti. |
alton seemed to establish. Leaving HIM
hero, We took our prisoner to Chattanooga
nd turned him over to tho proper officer |
had put the letter In my pocket, and rs
Don as got chance to do so | read 1t
was from James Harlins sweetheart,
nd though less passionate and ELUSIVE
han his letter to her it was tcnderly affee-
onate.
Very soon after this we determined to
q home. The climate was not agreeing
18th us, and anyway we were anxious to Il
OF on the other side OF the Ohio. Accord Ii
Ugly, in less than a week after our adyen-
ire we were on our way to Cincinnati
While on the train Newman and dis.
lssed tho question as to which ono of us
lould deliver tho effects Of James Hardin
recovered from his probable murderer) to .
Ltss Anderson. As he and were sincere
! the love of girls who later on became
III wives, and as Bob was the youngest OF |
ie three and was romantic, enthusiastic |
nd full OF ambitious fiutters, we decided |
lei him be the hero-he should deliver 1
10 letoers, etc. Robert didn't need an
'axiitgt On the next day after our arrival
tho ssAs<z City he boarded Hamilton
ain.
When he got back In tho evening, he
emed 10 years older. We couldn't get H
eat deal of honest, square, coherent Eng
IN out OF him. He would burst into !
apsody, or rather verbal phantasma- ID
ria, which was about equally stupendous :
i'd gorgeous, and then suddenly he would
pse into silence SO dense that 1t was ac-
ally ebtrusive
Well, as the months rolled by, Rober.
cams more rational. Ho went to Ham.
on srery week regularly, and at the end
two years-why, then Newman and
seived an invitation to his waddinR.-
; c. Cooper in Cincinnati Post.
Under the head Of misdescription of
operties Mr., E. j. Vaughan told some
cellent stories In lecture at the Auc-
'neers' institute. Thus tale Is told of
gentleman who bought an estate under