Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-03-13

cause would hev to take care Of itself"
Corporal Ratiganr'
The corporal put his hands to his ears
and groaned.
Corporal Ratigan, 1 say"
Still tho corporal would not hear. He
knew that some one was approaching,
for whether he would or not he could
not help hearing his name called, each
time more distinctly. Presently sol.
dier stood looking down at him.
Corporal Ratigan," he said, yer
wanted at the headquarters of Colonel
Maynard, commanding tho -th bri-
gade."
Whats that for?" asked the cor.
poral without changing his position.
"Witness for court martial. y
Why will people ask questions ex.
planatory Of disagreeable events or mis-
fortunes, tho answers to which they
know we'll enough already? And why,
when the information comes, will they
deny its truth?
IF ye say that again, Conover, Oil
break every bone in yer body
whats the mather wild ye, cor
poral?"
Ratigan by this time had got up from
the ground, where he was lying, and
approached his tormentor
Don't ask me, Conover, me boy"
"Why, Rats, yer lookin as if ye were
goin to he tried yerself." "
Tried? Oi'm to suffer on the rack
as one Of me ancestors did once in the
old Tower in Lunnon.
"How's that?"
"Oh, don't ask me, don't ask mo. Oi
can niver endure this trial. Oil dol,
Oil dol"
"Como, brace yerself, me boy. Yer
in no condition to bo goin before
court. What is it all anyway"
"What is it all? A woman to be tried
for her life. And caught her. Dim
to bear witness against her. o God,
if they'd let mo off by tyin mo up by
the thumbs, buckin and gaggin, car.
ryin log OIL me shoulders, drummed
out of camp with shaved head and feath-
ers behind me ears. o Lord, o Lord,
Oil dol, Oil doi!'
The corporal mounted his horse and
was soon jogging along at snail's pace
toward Colonel Maynard's hcadquar-
tiers. There he was directed to where
the court was sitting.
Corporal Ratigan, you're late, said
the president sternly.
The corporal saluted, but said moth
ing. He was directed to wait till some
preliminaries had been disposed of, and
he took position in corner. 1t needed
all the strength of which he was pos
scsscd to maintain himself on his legs,
and he tried to keep his eyes from look
ing about tho courtroom. He feared
that if they rested OIL the prisoner, even
for moment, ho would sink down on
tho floor, heap of blue uniform and
boots Nevertheless the eyes will not al
ways bo controlled. Despite his efforts,
Ratigans s gave involuntary glances here
and there until suddenly they rested
OIL the object they were expected to
avoid, sitting opposite, surrounded by
guards pale, but self possessed, and a
pair of glorious eyes looking at him
with suoh sympathy and encouragement
that the poor man felt as if tho Win
dows of heaven lad been opened and an
angel was looking out to give him
strength Once his eyes were riveted on
hers there was no getting them away
until ho was suddenly aroused by q
voice.
Corporal Ratigan!'
Mechanically he staggered to place
designated rs witness stand, and hold.
ing OH to the back of a chair steadied
himself to give his testimony.
Estate how you first saw the prisoner
tampcring with the telegraph line on
yesterday morning, Sept. =" said the
Judge advocate, an officer very tall, very
slender and very serious looking.
"Oi didn't SEQ her at ALL"
"What?'
"It was too dark to SEQ anything"
"Well, state what you did see. ="
II only thought saw something"
Come, come" said the president
sternly, eve have no time to waste.
Tell the story of the capture.
Thus commanded, the corporal braced
himself to give the desired account.
"Oi was ridin to camp-after hav-
in posted tho relief, and comm along
the road-it was tho road Oi was COM
in along Oi-Oi-colonel, it was so
dark none of 20 could have seen yer
hand before yer face" The corporal
stopped ami gave evidence of sinking
OIL tho floor.
"Wcll, go on"
"Thcru was somethin black In the
road or by the side Of it. Oi stopped to
listen. Then Oi thought some ono
might be tamperin with tho line
mind ye, Oh only thought it-and Oi
called OH whoivcr it was to surrender.
Then Oi heard get up and whativer
it was dashed off. Oi followed it as
fast as iver Oi could, callin Oh 'em to
stop and firm mo Colt Divil bit did
any one stop"
The corporal paused again. 1t looked
us if ho We're not going to get any fur
ther.
go Oh, my man.
"Wcll, then we camc to tho camp Of
General IS division, and was halt
ca l,* H., ts"nr''., -..hiio vrit-t+-Ai hnd
seen got ahead. So Oi lost sight of it
entirely"
Proceed"
well, wasn't it the fault Of the
guards stoppin me and lettin the 9TH
er 20 Oh, and no fault of mine?'
go OIL.
Whats the use of goin on? Oi lost
sight of what was tamperin with the
wires.
But you overlook it..
How can Oi swear it was the !same:"
There was smile OH the faces of
those present. The qucstioner seemed
puzzled at the corporals device to avoid
testifying against tho prisoner.
did You not ride OH and overtake
what you had Sccn!'
"Divil bit"
Il know better. You went OIL and
/ found something in the road. What did
you tind:'
''Oi didn't find what Old seen. y
What had you SEEM"
Didn't Oi tell yo it was so dark that
! Oi couldn't SEQ anything"
That won't do, corporal. You Ger
tainly followed something. Now, Oh
coming up with it, what did you find it
/ to be:''
ut wasn't what Oi followed. That,
whativer it was, had gone out with tho
mornin light. Oi reckon it was some
thing ghostly."
"Nonsense Did you not find tho
prisoner lying i'll the grass:'
"Oi did, replied the witness, as if
! his heart would break, and no again
showed signs Of collapse
"And you had reasoi to believe it
was the person driving tho buggy you
/ followcd:'