Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-01-21

time to block the way?
 God help me, must take my chances and go on."
 Sentinels were pacing on their beats about the camps. In some cases the beats led along the road, but not across it. Right through these chains of senti. nels, right into the heart of this sleep. ing multitude of armed men, dashed the woman whose only weapons of de. fense were Bobby Lee and her antiquat- ed vehicle.
 "Halt!"
 'Go on, Bobr"
 A shot, bullet singing like a tun- ing fork i'll cars which already sang loud enough ill themselves with excite ment.
 Turn out the guardr'
 Following Miss Baggs came Corporal Ratigan, to find the road in front of him blocked by half dozen men with Rs many muskets pointed right up in his face.
 He uttered an involuntary Thank Godv' He must be delayed; the respon- sibility for the escape of the fugitive would be with them. If indeed she were Miss Baggs, he would regard himself fortunate at the delay.
 Whats the natter" asked one of the men.
 Pm chasing some one ill front I suspect telegraph breaker. ''
 An! That's it, is it? Well, go on; we've stopped the wrong person.
 Tho corporal regretted that the inter view had been so brief, the interruption so short. He had no option but to dash on. Before tho fugitive there stood man ill the middle of the road with mus ket levclcd straight at her. or rather at the coming mass, which he could not distinguish Miss Baggs did not see him till she got within a dozen feet of him and heard:
 Halt, or I'll firev'
 Rising in her seat and concentrating all her strength in one effort, she brought her WI ip down oil the horses back, at the same time holding him in the cen ter of tho road by the rcins. The man was knocked in ono direction, stunned, and his mu$kct went flying in the other.
 And now each one of the chain of sentrics through which the fair dis patch stcalcr'S horse dragged her and her swaying buggy with series of lungcS, hearing shots. the cries of guards, the chatter of horses hoofs, tho rattling of wheels, and seeing some | thing coming through the darkness as Miss Baggs approached, shouted Halt" Turn out the guard!' Who comes thcrv:" and score of other similar cries, to none of which Miss Baggs paid any other attention than to fly through | and from them as from the hand of death. A score of shots were fired at her along half n mile of road while she was running the gantlct.
 And now the last sentry is passed, and tho woman shoots out from between | the rows of white tents into a free road ahead. The noises are left behind. But amid the confusion of distant sounds is ono which, coming with low. Contin ucd rattle. strikes terror into her heart. | A familiarity with war has taught her its calls. She hears the beating of the ''lOng roll The whole camp Is arous- | ed. A legion of Yankees nay soon be in pursuit.
 Corporal Ratisan was stopped by ev- cry sentinel who had tried to check Miss Bags. After an explanation to each he was suffered to go on. The men who | stopped him transmitted tho informa- tion at once to the guard tent that some one-doubtlcSS an enemy-waS being | chased The force was division of in | fantrv, with no cavalry except mount ed escort to the general commanding Some of thcsc were ordered in pursuit l There was a hurried saddling of horses | sprinkled with oaths at the delays en- cOuntercd, and three cavalrymen mount ed and dashed after Miss Baggs and her pursuer. But before they started cou- pie of miles had been placed between her and tho camps.
 | The gray of the morning was by this timo beginning to reveal objects with | greater distiuctncSS. Ratigan, coming to riso in the ground just beyond the camps, saw the buggy about two miles ahead swaying like tho dark hull of a ship rolling through the pillows of an ocean. For moment he hositated be- tween his duty as n soldier and that | quick sharp something, be it love, be- witChmcnt or natural sympathy of man for weaker woman. while beads of cold perspiration stood on his forehead. It seemed to him that if he should dc his duty he would be acting the part Of an exeCutioner, not only that, but the executiOner of a woman-a woman whose image had got into his heart and his head and never left him a moment peace since she first threw the spell Gi her entrancing personality about him. It was hard struggle. and from the nature of the case could not be a long one Duty won. He shouted to his horse gave him a dig with both spurs anG dashed forward.
 There was depression ill the ground down which the corporal plunged. Ther the road ran along level for awhile with another slight rise beyond. As h, rode down the declivity the fugitive was on the crest of the second rise. Sht stood up and turned to catch a glance behind her. She saw a horseman-sht was too far to recognize the corporal Gashing after her. Below her was wooded space and she noticed tha which gave her glimmer of hope The road forked. Urging her horse on ward, she aimed to get on one of thu two roads beyond the fork while hel pursu6r was in the hollow back of her trusting that she might escape, as sht had escaped before. by forcing him tc choose between two roads, and trusting that he might take the wrong one.
 Down the declivity her racer plunged while Ratigan was galloping down tn, one behind her. So steep was the roaC and so swift her horse's pace that tn, danger of death by mangling seemed greater than death by hanging. Sh, reached tho bottom, where the road raI
 level to the fork and the wood. Hop, urged her. It was not 100 yards to tn
 point sho was so anxious to reach. Passing over a rut at the very fork O the road that seemed her only chanc