Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-01-21
CHICKAMAUGA.
By Captain r. A. MITCHELL.
[CopyrigI.;, lSs4, by American Press Asso:ia-
 tion.l
CHATTER NJ.

Mujnr Bur&v'S command Was ordered to guard tbr telegraph line extending south from l:uSsville. The regiment was strung uu! to a considerable dis tanCG, each troop guarding a certain portion of the line Corporal Ratigan was placed i'll charge of section of two miles. Putting himself at the head of eight men, he led them to the end ot his section nearest camp, and dividing them into two rvliofs of four men each posted them at intervals of half mile along the line under his care. At sun, set, not being relieved, he prepared tC spend the night in bivouac. Selecting |. Clump of trees under which to rest and cutting some bouShs for beds-or rather to keep tho men from the damp ground -thc corporal established the relief, of duty, there. The ratiCns were cooked and eaten, after which the guard was relieved. The corporal vent out always with the relief, posted his men and slrpt between times.
 II was , 2u'cIncil ill the morning when RatiGNu started out to post tho last re lief .,r jUr night. The men followed, Erun 3:.I ~tupid, having just been wax Cnvd uut ut a sound sleep and not yet thoroughly aroused The party rode to the ,NtrrNr end of the section, lpft a man and turned hack, leaving a man at CVvry half mile. Corporal Ratigan had posted the last l!iAu half mile from the hivuuIr and wa~ returning when sud denly, turning 1 bend ill the road run ming through a wood. he drsCried a l,.,t, lir He drew rein and watched and listened. The dark object. as h. fixed his gaze upon it, grow into the dim outlines of q vehicle, but if waS too dark for him to sec if il onttinvd any one The corpo- I'll. whose mind had been fixed on the special duty of pro,ectins the line, at ouco assumed that some one was trying 10 cut the wire. H. put spurs to his hul>n and called out:
 "lIlli lE; rc! Throw up your hands and surrender, ar I'll shoot.
 Thr only r>%i',usc Was a swish from whip v.hi.A camo down evidently on liry~' 5 !.3. <. ;uI the dark mass be- f,:.' llm Na!:i~si,I around tho bend in tho rnIL l!.s' Curparal dashed on, but tytnrv lir could X; around tine bend the object had turu,.i again. He could hear tn" rIltljnG If wheels aul sounds of q hors"'s hnots digging into the road at cAllvp Whovv,r Was behind that horse must ho driving at friChtful pace, for urging his own beast to his best he >ctru,l tn loso rather than gain ground, Cpm.l,; to A straight piece of road, he CouN again sec the object be- fore him, hut i'll the darkness it was simply q darker spot than its surround iuEs. Suddenly the ears of the corporal caught sound that filled him with as tuni>hmvnt lt Wl@ a voice urging for ward the hc.~' he was chasing Rati- gan had sIJH, ',.,l that whoever was try ing tA cSr:;r' N,lS a III; Y, vet this voice WAS different from mans tones. It sounded h,:N that If a child or q woman. Thp corporal W:., lu1zltd. Then it sud d@n}y r.'ruI:, . him that perhaps ho wa~ ri;;.~!:.-,'t ,.r I'II-S
 Nv. th" (. .u..,I WlS as Conscien- tjuu, a ls,sA aS th,rc WIS i'll the Army f the t'U.nl,rllnl and one of the my,t gallant, l.:t when the suspicion fllI }!uuu hi,.G like a chill that he was 
 brief ltIivd l.r hltl been with her. had thrown a >;1In.>' spell over him he r,l~, Il tn ur.~.. hgS horse with the samo pr, i.Ir aS l.. :orr. In thr midst of the rha~,' tl5, IT, h:ll come A contest within his own l-3,.i~t between two conflicting ,luotivu~. If E,;>y Bagg% were ill front ,f him, wh..r would be the result if he >hnuN C>ttl Er: He must turn her oV,r tn t'.' .:iliilry authorities, and the chances W,r,, >hn would be executed for SIy. Ol the uth, hand, Supposing he permitted h,r tn escape. he would be li!v ratil-, :.u enemy far moro danger oue II iH" army in which he served tAau d dozen batteries. In short, he would l'r a tr:ij,..r to lis comrades and hi~ ctu~..
 Mis- EIE.;-, for 1t WAS she, had pass cl many pickctS, had experienced many lucky escapes. Shn lad browbcatcn off. crrS and hnI cu..urd soldiers. She had gone through A dozen places where q mar would surely hay" been arrested. And HOW. aftr passing so many dan. gyrs, rn th" y'ry ,Yrof ~uccoss, sho sud. denly found h. r., If ill tho most critical l of nll th" situations she had ever been placed in
 Meanwhile the long legs of Bobby i I."c Were getting over the ground al all astonishing pace, It was not the tri angUlatiun of d former race for sport 1 with Corporal Ratigau. but the quick, | short jumps If race for life. AnC 1 Bobby seemed tD know the stake. Nev | tr in his former flights had his ears beel | turned back 50 eagerly to catch the low tones of his mistress. Never had ther, i been 50 much feeling i'll that mistress ! voice. T. was: Go OH, Bobby! GooC old hor-r. Get up! On, on. on! That .. ] a dear boy. It's life and death with me 1 Bobby, a continued stream of broker 1 words and sentences. all of which Bobby ! seemed to understand and act upon as i he had been n human being.
 The fugitive knew that the chas, 1 rOuld not ha a long one. Her crazy ve ] hiclc wl> like rotten hulk in q storn without sea room To the north Wa the Tennessee river, and no means O crossing. Ahrad was ChiCkamaug; creek. but between her and it lay thu scattered forces of the left wing of tn, Union arrly She knew the ground well and had as good knowledge O the positions of the troops as one coul' have If an army constantly changing The point from which she had starte, was half d mile west of Rossville ol the Lafayette road. 4 mile of chasing had brought her near a fork, the lief road leading across ChiCkamauga Creel by Overs bridge, the right leading di rectly south. She determined to talk
 the left hand road, intending. if sh should succeed in reaching Dyer's mill about mile from the creek, to strik
 ford somo distance below that she re membcrcd having oncc crossed.
 These possibilities flashed througl
 her mind like messages over telegraph wire while the thud of hoofs and tn
 clattering of her pursuer's swinging sa