The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-02


and it was the happiest moment of nv
life when her Outstretched, cropping hand
grasped mine, and without even a whis-
pered word, we stepped softly into the
placid stream together-twO children,
seeing through blindness, going forward
as in the broad day by night, upheld in
their infinite innocence and ignorance by
infinite trust and faith
What were my plans2 had none. The
stars told me the stream flowed toward
the blessed NOrthland. Silent as our
waterfowl and reptile companions, hand
in hand we waded, walked and swan.
Silent as the preternaJural silence
broOdlng between opposing armies, we
halted where a huge sycamore had fallen
across and almost damned the stream,
and listened breathless to a measured
ghOstly tread.
Invent and came, from sward and covert
and COpse to fallen sycamore trunk. It
beat hollow and solemn and portentous
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 left bank
of the stream. Then muf1ed rafting Of
musket in dewwet hands above our heads,
and this challenge:
"Halt!-Who goes there?"
Grand rounds"
Advance, grand rounds, and give the
countersign. :"
Straight to a leveled gun above US came
another mut1ied form. 1t bent over the
bayOnet Ond whispered:
member-Atlanta! ~
The musket clattered to the sentry's
shoulder Then it clattered to The posi-
ton of Present arms :" The officer of
the guard passed slowly on; while the
musket clattered back to the seItry'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-
tersign."
Two figures bent over the sentry's lev
eled gun.
Remember-Atlanta - they whispered
as cheerily as when giving the touch
word of some pretty children's game,
while with 4 gruf 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 l had SO strangely come, clasping
the girl in my arms, l murmured ecstat-
ically in her ear:
with Gods help, we are outside the
confederate lines"
Not Whisper nor shudder, nor even
ripple of emotion was evoked. Just an
answering pressure from the brave girls
hand, and we were away to the north
again like two winged wralths OF the
night.
After perhaps two miles had been ira
versed, ! saw the stream we had followed
now winding closely beside the highway;
and remem bered that at a place where
the transport wagons crossed the stream
on the previous evening | had noticed
stone bridge, with parapet-like copings,
then occupied by federal outposts. Reach
ing this. our dilemma now seemed insur-
mountable
Here we flung away our shoes, and hug
ging the coping wall, opposite the side
where l had seen the pickets in blue, we
began moving stealthily across. One of
my hands held fast to Beatrice. The
other CROPPED from stone to stone along
the rotten masonry. A false step caused
me to STUN BILE, and sent my hand forward
with unusual force. IL missed the wall,
and the next instant a lancelike bayonet
passed entirely through the flesh of my
left forearm.
No challenge or word followed, and l
made no Outcry. Dropping the hand Of
Beatrice for moment, l bent forward
and saw that that the figure holding the
musket behind the bayOnet was strangely
silent. / peered again and listened The
picket was grimly and vaiiantly gripping
his gun, which was pointed toward the
enemy, but this hero of perhaps half a
hundred battles was snoring peacefully
in sleep
grasped the gun barrel gently below
the baYOnet lock; pulled my wounded
arm from off the steel, as the blood
spurted down upon the soldiers leg;
grasped Beatrice and pressed dizzily for
ward; when at a safe distance hurled
stone back upon the sentry that he might
escape death from being discovered
asleep upon his post; in another half hour,
without interruption or observation, mad
shut the girl securely within my own
little white tent, which danced all manner
of ghostlY antics before my eyes; and
then, half fainting from exertion, excite
ment and loss of blood, fell in an uncon-
Sclous heap upon some near bags of fOd-
der-when all the world vas still.
Always like a troubled yet gladstone
dream have remained with me the events
OF the morning following.
Indistinct were the notes of the reveille.
Far and whispered and almost like sound
less lip-movings, were the shouts in my
ear by Sergt. MCGEE of Little Buttons !
Little Buttons Out o. this = yer tint,
or thu divil's own sorra yen seel"
Incomprehensible, too, were some
strange flight of mine, with seeming
changing, 5abre-like wings, TO the head
quarters tent and the shadowy guards,
the scowling officers, the half heard ques-
tions and the impatient orders that meet
me there. Dim and torturing was a great
placard l seemed to see, every letter of
whose words like flaming fire burned
worse than death into my whirling brain.
of
Little Buttons
DISGRAC ed
For Absence within
the Enemy Lines
WITHOUT LEAVE!
Faint and far were the bugle notes of
roll call; the droning summons of the
1ar1vr ffe, .,