The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-01-14
CHAPTER xI.
A RACE FOR LIFE.

to guard tho telegraph line extending
south from Rossville, Tho regiment
was strung ont to considerable dis
tance, each troop guarding a certain
portion of the line Corporal Ratigan
was placed in charge of section Of
two miles. Putting himself at the head
of eight men, he led them to the end OF
his section nearest camp, and dividing
them into two reliefs of four men each
posted them at intervals of half mile
along the line under his care. At sun
set, not beiug relieved. ho prepared to
sIend the night ia bivouac. Selecting
clump of trees under which to rest and
cutting some boughs for beds--or rather
TO keep the men from the damp ground
tho corporal established the relief, off
duty. there. The rations were cooked
and eaten. after which the guard was
relieved. The corporal went out always
with tho relief. posted his men and
slept between times.
1t was 2 o'clock in the morning when
Ratigan started out TO post the last re-
lief for tho night The men followed.
grum and stupid, having just been wax
ened out of q sound sleep and not yet
thoroughly aroused. The party rode to
the extreme end Of the section, left a
man and turned back. leaving man at
every half milo. Corporal Ratigan had
posted the last man half milo from the
bivouac and was returning when sud-
denly, turning bend in the road run
ming through a wood, he deserted q
dark object before him beside the road.
He drew rein and watched and listened.
The dark object, as ne fixed his gaze
upon it, grew into the dim outlines OF q
vehicle, but IL was too dark for him to
see if il contained any one. The corpo-
raj, whose mind had been fixed on the
special duty of protecting the line, at
once assumed that some one was trying
to cut the wire. He put spurs to his
horse and called out:
Halt, tEcrel Throw up your hands
and surrender. or I'll shoot.
The only response was swish from
whip which came down evidently OIL
a horses back, and the dark mass be.
fore him vanished around the bend IN
the road The corporal dashed on, but
before ho could get around the bend the
object had turuea again. He could hear
tho rafting of wheels and sounds Of a
horses hoofs digging into the road at
gallop Whoever was behind that
horse must be driving at n frightful
pace, for urging his own beast to his
best he seemed TO lose rather than gain
ground. Coming TO a straight piece of
road, he could again SEQ the object be-
fore him, bat in the darkness 10 was
simply darker spot than its surround
ings. Suddenly the ears of the corporal
caught sound that filled him with as
tonishment. 1t was voice urging for
ward the horse ho was chasing. Rati-
gan had supposed thatwhoever was try
ing To escape was man, yet this voice
was different from mans tones. It
sounded like thai of child or woman.
Tho corpora! was puzzled. Then it sud-
denly occurred to him that perhaps &c
was chasing Betsy Baggs.
Now, tho corporal was as conscien-
tious mau as there was in the Army
OF the Cumberland and one of the
most gallant, but when tho suspicion
fell upon him like. chill that he was
after woman whose presence, for the
brief period he had been with her, had
thrown strange spell over him he
ceased to urge his horse with the same
pressure as before. In the midst of the
chase there had come contest within
bis own breast between two conflicting
emosiona. II Betsy Baggs were in front
of him. what would bo the result If he
should eaten her? Ee must turn her
over to the military Authorities, and the
chances were she would be executed for
a spy, On tho other hand, supposing he
permitted her to escape, Le would be
liberating an enemy far more danger
Gus to tho array in which he served
than IN dozen batteries. In short, no
would be traitor to his comrades and
his causo
Miss Bages, for 1t was she, had pass
ed many pukets, had experienced many
lucky escapes She had browbeaten off,
GERS and had coSencd soldiers. She had
gone through dozen places where a
man would surely have been arrested.
And now, after passing so many dan
gers, on the very evo Of success, she sud.
denly found hcrself In tho most critical
OF all the situations she had ever been
placed in.
Meanwhile tho long legs Of Bobby
1Lee were getting over the ground at
an astonishing pacc. IL was not tho tri-
hngulation 81 iorrlor race for sport
with Corpoll Ratigan. but tho quick,
Short jumns Of n race for life And
| Bobby seemed to know The stake. Nov
dr In bis f,ruer Fights lad bis cars been
uurnod back 80 eagerly Co catch tho low
zones Of bis mistress Never had there
poem SO much feeling in that mistress
roico. It was: Go on, Bobbyl Good
I'D horse Get upl On, ON. onl That's
dear boy. It's lifo and death with me,
bobby, q continued stream of broken
fords and sentences, all Of which Bobby
,Pemed TO understand and act upon as IL
% had been human being.
] fh.