The Washington times., 1895-06-30
Il Daring uentUro.


was about to be done
1t would have been dangerous work for
any male neighbor to engage in, but, ''If
we are caught. Bette, / will meet a sol
dler's fate and you, of course, will be sent
home"
But we must not be caught"
The captain laughed. Bette seated her
self in the stern of the skiff and stretched
! out her hand for Sir Rogers bridle-Sir
/ Roger was the captains cavalry horse.
Just hold your hand close TO the bit
Keep his nose out OF the water and he will
do the rest
No danger Of nerve failure, Bette"
a pretty head tossed defiantly
The sun was reddening the eastern
Skies, but had not yet climbed to the hori-
! Zon. The spring floods had swollen the
! river until there was but Il foot or two of
sandy bank between the speakers and the
| skifr moored at its edge. The on rsmen
| We're already seated, impatient TO embark
on the trip that was full OF peril
No other craft was in sight That swift
running yellow current, glistening bright
ly in the morning light, was all their own.
| Some crows Were cawing in the top of
tall sycamore tree near by. A woodman's
a X punctuated the still air with clear dis
tinct strokes. Rettie measured the dis
tance between the willows they were leav-
ing and the sycamores on the other side of
the Mississippi with apprehensive eyes.
at S an awfully long swim" 3"
Sir Roger stepped into the water philo-
sophically. He was not given to taking
| thought for the future. The captain drop
ped prone into the bottom of the skiff,
with gay laugh. With his legs under
! the dingy tarpaulin that already concealed
his army saddle, knapsack and a lot of
tobacco hn king hack tn the bows
he gave his final orders.
| Now, boys, a long pull and n steady
pun straight for the old gum tree with
the two blighted branches. I'm corn and
! fodder"
Bette drew the tarpaulin carefully over
him. simultaneously four oars cleft the
water, sending the little craft its fun length
! from the bank. Sir Roger behaved like an
! equine angel. The embarkation was a
perfect success.
Ii it were not for the necessity OF tar
/ pauling Charley, Bette was just thinking,
she should rather enjoy this lark when
''Boom!'' a white puff, whistling she'll
miniature fountain The Skiff had been
sighted by the gunboat throug h a thin place
i'll the trees that clothed the bend. The
! shell plOwed the waters several yards short
of the boat.
! THE DEVIL" came muffled from the
| tarpdulib.
! -Four tcrror-stretched eyes rolled white in
two black faces. Wave yo' hankchie,
missy. Fur Lawds sake, let 'em see you
/ is womanl'
Pull" said Bette, through clnched
4 teeth. I've got no hand to spare"
Let the beast 60" from the tarpaulin.
.'Shut up Charley" But in a trice she
had Slipped the brow band over Sir Rogers
/ pointed ears, and he struck out inde-
pendently for himself Bettie's face was
! drawn with anxiety.
] Pull. boys! Beat them to land and
/ cow for each one of YOU
''Roonl!" q second shot, harmless as the
! first. Only Bcttie's nerves were Jared by
/ il. Then tie lookout reported, lowering
! his glass, "A girl and two niggers winning
! horse across" And yawl, manned by
! three marines and differed by one lieuten-
[ and, presently shot across the water TO ill.,
! quire into Bettie's intentions
! She grew white 10 her very lips. Her
oarsmen rowed like men pulling for life.
! Charley was as still as If he rrslly was a
| bundle of fodder Bette lifted her head
! defiantly:
Go slower, boys. Steady We can't
beat them. Let them cone up"
! They came up. The boats lay broatside
/ TO each other. The lieutenant IN the yawl
| had bis hand on the gunwale OF Bettie's
| skiff He was young and tendcr-hearted.
Bette lifted flashing eyes to his hand
| some face and laughed gayly.
10 lllt game worm iit G5lliNle, lleGteD-
| ant? | tried To race you, but three United
| States ma rines are better than two plan
| tatiOn darkeys Well, leaned grace
| fully back i'll the skiff, ca ressing Sir Rog-
| er's bridle-'is there any harm in a girl
| trying TO save her riding horse from raid
| ers? | meant to give poor Sir Roger the
freedom OF the woods, but he is yours
now If you can capture him. Please be
! good To him He PAGES like an angel, and
| swims almost as we'll" And she smiled
| wickedly and courageOusly.
The lieutenant had barred his head be-
/ fore her The sound OF q woman's voice
was q luxury in those days of rafting
mu sketry and booming cannon. His
| glance swept the skiff from stem to stern,
! then came back to the sweet face of its
! girl commandant.
''0f course the dear has 10 have corn
and fodder. You can have that, too, if you
need it,
The lieut. enant sat up very straight and
made stiff military salute.
Thank you We have use on board for
1 neither horses nor fodder" The boats
| shot asunder. Each went its way. The
! lieutenant reported to his captain: we
| are not warning on girls or their ponies.
! That girl says she was running her riding
horse into safety from our raiders, aud l
/ let her alone. That's all, sir
| His vehemence was really uucalled for,
| but conscience prcked him with the recol-
! lection OF a suspicious looking hump under
the tarpaulin that might have been
made by the pommel of an army saddle.
| Remember he was very young nd Bette
very pretty. He wondered if any girl
would ever do as much for him.
That same night the Blanton place was
visited by a searching party from the gun
boat under command of the lieutenant
| "A captain was reported to be barbored
there"
| Bettie's mother said briskly that there
| had been a sick captain there, but he had
| gone to Join his regiment that very morn
| ing
''How?" She had no idea. The lieu
tenant had He looked Bette full in the
| face He took care his words should reach
| no ears but hers.
What risk won't woman run for the
man she loves?''
She turned on him fiercely Captain
| Blanton is my brother" Then, dimpling,
Don't tell on yourself, lieutenant
And he never did until years afterward
| when he went back South on purpose to
| court Bette Blanton, who had captured
| him on the day she ran the blockade. 1t
| was at their wedding supper that he told
the story for the first time without any
| Sense of shame, and when somebody pro-
| posed Charley Over the Water he joined
in the singing Justify.
MRS ]. H. WALWORTH.
Ma jor Handy ana the New Woman.