The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1895-04-04

manner OF people and vehicles passing
between the different corps of the Army
of the Cumberland, met them or were
passed by them OH the way.
"Jakey," said the colonel, II remem-
Der every moment of the time when l
came along this road on my way back
from Chattanooga. was travelling, as
the dignitaries say, incog"
eyer mean by tibet eff they'd know
ed what 'portant person y war they'd
showed ther respec' by hangin ""
Exactly. They would have put sew
eral feet between mine and the waving
summer grass below. You have for
chile way of expressing yourself, but
considering that I'm the subject of your
remarks my throat feels clearer at my
own more delicate drawing of the pic
ture."
Reckon, laid Jakey, with proper
solemnity, remembering that the topic
was likely to wound the colonel's feel
ings.
''On that occasion, Jakey, I did not
meet even a mule without my heart
jumping up into my throat. ;"
"a rope harness must skeered y
outen yer skin.
Especially when noticed the knots
in it. But seriously, Jakey, that expert
ence has filed me with peculiar dread.
Now, suppose some day a Confederate
spy should fall into my hands,
Reckon yer'd hev lots o. fun hang
in him.
You re far out of the way there, my
little Solomon. fear it would. be abso-
lutely impossible for me to do such a
duty if required Of me-. -
eyer needn't take him. in the first
place.
cit might be my duty to do So
"Y' mought do like Tom. Tom, he
can't never see me when I want ter
drive i'm outen pastur. He can see well
nuff when get ear O. corn TO- i'm,
though"
"A good idea, Jakey. With that sub
tie sophistry of yours you could reason
Methodist minister into dancing a
hornpipe, but I fear it's hardly sound
enough to enable one so used to deceiv-
ing others as was when scout to de-
ceive himself. should do my best,
should l take spy, to turn him over. .
"S'posin 'twar a woman?''
ooh, Lord, Jakey, don't suppose any
such thing. I'd have to do my duty in
that case just the same as if she were
man. What kind Of looking go
cart is that coming down the road?"
A horse was visible in the distance,
its long neck stretched out in front of
it's body, coming toward them at rapid
gait. The rafting of buggy which it
dragged reminded the colonel of the
band of q newly recruited regiment
Within sat a woman in a striped dress,
sunbonnet and glasses. In short, Jakey
Slack at once recognized his old friend,
Betsy Baggs.
"Howdy, Miss Baggs," he said as
she drove by.
Miss Baggs was the sphinx she had
been to Jakey when he met her near
Tullahoma. She leveled her spectacles
at him, but had no recognition what
ever for him.
who's your friend?" asked May
nard as the buggy ratified away.
'Thet's Miss Baggs, " said Jakey.
"And who's Miss Baggs?"
Jakey paused long while before re.
plying. There was problem in his
mind suggested by the meeting Of Miss
Baggs SO soon after his conversation
with the colonel about capturing a
woman spy, for Jakey had q suspicion
that Miss Baggs was in some way a
Confederate emissary.
"Waal, !" he said at length, II reck.
on she's sweet on Rats. .
"Jakey,,' said the colonel, there Is
occasionally lucidity about your ex-
plantations, shining brightness, which
makes my eyes blink. But on the pres
emit occasion l think there is dust in
them. Would you mind giving me .
pointer as to your meaning? By Rats
do you mean rodents?''
What's rodents?" asked Jakey.
Meanwhile the rafting Of Miss Bags
buggy was dying away in the distance.
Real rats are rodents
Not them uns. Rats is corporal in
Major Burke's critter company. "
ITO be continued.)