The Red Cloud chief., 1895-03-22

R0b 0elay00, ana WIN q D0tto there
was q chance for oblivion.
Scratching a match, he reached for
his watch. 1t was ~ o'clock. He felt
that he could no longer bear those low
peaked canvas walls above him. He
must get out under the broader canopy.
Lighting his candle, he noticed the uni.
form of Private Flanagan, in which he
had aided the escape Of Caroline Fitz
Hugh. He put IL on, and, throwing back
the tent flaps, stepped ont into the night.
The sky was covered with thin clouds,
behind which the moo shone, giving
o light between darkness and moonlight.
He set out toward the front. Passing
out Of his own immediate camp, he as
cended the slope Of Pea Vine ridge,
which stood dark against the eastern
sky. Climbing to one of its highest
points, where he could overlook the
Pea Vine valley, he seated himself on a
rock and gave himself over TO medita-
ton. Around him was the dark circle
OF tho horizon, while above was the
great dome. Beneath him, on the east.
ern slope of the ridge, were the Union
-chh ICY ohu NIlIl blCpt u SDUltu-
crate army. Back of him, in the valley
Of the Chickamauga, were the Union
troops, the two armies making in all
100, 900 souls.
There came distant rumbling from
the south. IL grew, faded, was lost and
r~eappeared, the unmistakable rattle Of
q train. 1t came on slowly from q dis
lance Of several miles, the rolling Of the
trucks, tho painting Of the locomotive,
growing louder the while till it reach.
ed u point directly east of where he was
sitting and u few miles south of Rim.
gold. There it could not only be heard,
but seen by him. IIo watched it move
on up tho road, and ut last it was lost in
Ringold. He listened to hear if il went
farther, but the sound did not recon.
mencc.
Scarcely had the train stopped when
another was heard coming from the
same direction. 1t, too, came Oh, was
lost for a time in the tunnel, and pass.
ing north stopped where the other had
stopped. Then came u third and a fourth,
all moving in the same direction. In
less than an hour Maynard counted five
trains, all of which stopped at Ringold.
Ho rose from his seat. "There," he
exclaimed, pointing to Ringold, "is %
point from which, if | am not mistaken,
there will soon coino an attack on our
lines. They are bringing troops in those
trains to mass them on our left, where
there is so little to oppose them. II the
trains were going south, it would argue
that the enemy were retreating. Com.
ing north @ that they are going to
take the offensive. 1t looks to NE as IL
this rapid moving Of men at this hour
meant q daylight attack right here on
tho left. If SO. there is no time to lose.
l must get back and give n warming"
He walked rapidly in the direction Of
Reeds bridge. and coming to the head.
quarters OF the commanding officer Of
the troops he sought found an aid who
was on duty all night, the general being
apprehensive in his exposed position
and wishing to be called at the slightest
sign of an attack. To him Maynard re.
counted what he had seen, and the gen.
eral was awakened and informed. He
turned n willing ear to Maynard's eau.
ton and ut once ordered that the men
be aroused, the horses fed and breakfast
prepared. Then the horses were sad
died, the artillery harnessed and the
baggage loaded into the wagons.
After imparting his information May.
nard went to his W camp, called for
his horse, and buckling on his saber
and pistol rode back to the camp he had
left. He arrived just in time to join q
accommodating party starting to ride
over the ridge in the direction Of Rim
gold. Being in a private's uniform, he
was not recognized by the men-his
appearance was much changed by the
loss Of his beard-and fell in with the
last files as though he belonged to the
troop.
The squadron trotted up the road lead.
ing through q gap in the ridge and
stood On q summit overlooking tho Pea
Vine valley. By the light of day May.
nard looked down upon the landscape
he had seen q few hours before; but, an,
how changed! Ten thousand men in
gray We're coming across the valley.
1t Is q solemn sight at any time to
see Nh army moving to strike a foe.
There was something in the silent
movement-too far for him to hear tho
tramp Of the men advancing over the
intervening space, still wearing its sum-
mer robes Of green-to remind him of q
thundercloud rising in q clear sky.
There were compact columns of infan-
try steadily marching, while on either
flank cavalry trotted forward, head up,
like a troop of lions over jungle. Occa.
sionally there came a confusion of dis.
tant sounds-orders-mere murmurings
preceding the storm. The advancing
host seemed rather a troop Of specters,
moving with the wind, an army of ma.
licious spirits coming to scatter a plague
from their still silent weapons.
This fancy vanished with tho first few
shots from the skirmishers. They were
too real, tao spiteful, to attribute to
any but human agencies. Back goes the
thin line # blue before the scattered
Confederates in advance, supported by
thick columns Of dusty gray. No Skin.