Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-03-05

| perhaps whole division. It was not
there yesterday. 1t must be- in transit.
Oh, why should il have halted just in
time TO block the way?
God help me, / must take my
chances and go ON. "
Sentinels were pacing on their heats
| about the camps. In some cases the
beats led along the road, but not across
il. Right through these chains OF scnti'
nels, right into tho heart Of this sleep
ing multitude of armed men, dashed
.hs woman whose only weapons ri de-
fense wero Bobby Leo and her antiquat.
ed vehicls.
"Hait.'
"Go on, Dob!"
A shot, bullet singing like tun.
ing fork in ears which already sang
load enough in themselves with excite
ment.
Turn out the guardr'
Following Miss Baggs came Corporal
Ratigan, 10 find tho road in front OF
him blocked by half dozen men with
rs many muskets pointed right up in
his face.
He uttered an involuntary THANK
Godr' lie must DO delayed; the respon-
sibility for the escape Of the fugitive
would be with them. II indeed she were
Miss Baggs, he would regard himself
fortunate at the delay.
Whats the natter" asked one OF
the men.
'I'm chasing some one in front l
suspect telegraph breaker. p"
"Ah That's il, is itY Well, go on;
we've stopped the wrong person.
The corporal regretted that tho inter
view had been SO brief, the interruption
so short Ho had no option but 10 dash
OF. Before the fugitive there stood man
in the middle Of the road with mus
ket leveled straight at her. or rather at
the coming mass, which he could not
distinguish. Miss Baggs did not see
him till she got within n dozen feet Of
him and heard:
"Halt. or I'll fre"
Rising in her seat and concentrating
all her strength in one effort, she brought
her whip down on the horses back, at
tho same time holding him in the cen.
ter Of the road by the reins. The man
was knocked in one direction, stunned,
and his musket went flying in the other.
Ard now each ono of the chain OF
sentries through which tho fair dis
patch stealer's horse dragged her and
her swaying buggy with series of
lunges, hearing shots, the cries OF
guards, the clatter of horses hoofs, the
ratting OF wheels, and seeing some
thing coming through the darkness as
Miss Baggs approached, shouted Halt
Turn out tho guardW Who comes
theroy" and q score Of other similar
cries, TO none Of which Miss Baggs paid
any other attention than TO fly through
and from them rs from the hand of
death. A score OF shots were fired at
her along half milo Of road while she
was running the gantlet.
And now the last sentry IL passed,
and the woman shoots out from between
the rows Of white tents into a free road
ahead. The noises are left behind. But
amid the confusion Of distant sounds Is
one which, coming with low, contin-
ued rattle, strikes terror into her heart
A familiarity with war has Taught her
its calls. She hears the beating of the
"long roll" The whole camp Is arous-
cd. A legion of Yankees may soon be in
pursuit.
Corporal Ratigan was stopped by ov-
cry sentinel who had tried 10 check Miss
Baggs. After an explanation to each he
wa suffered TO 60 on. The men who
stopped him transmitted the informa
ton at once to the guard tent that some
one--dOubtless an enemy-was being
chased. The force was division OF in
fantry, with no cavalry except mount
ell escort to the general commanding.
Some Of these were ordered in pursuit.
There was hurried saddling Of horses,
sprinkled with oaths Mt the delays en-
countered, and three cavalrymen mount
ed and dashed after Miss Bags and her
pursuer. But before they started a cou-
pie of miles had been placed between
her and the camps.
The gray of the morning was by this
time beginning to reveal objects with
greater distinctness. Ratigan, coming
to rise in the ground just beyond the
camps. saw the buggy about two miles
ahead swaying like the dark hull OF
ship rolling through the pillows Of al
ocean. For a moment he hesitated be
tween his duty as soldier and that
quick, sharp something, be II love, be-
witchment or a natural sympathy OF
man for weaker woman. while beads OF
cold perspiration stood on his forehead.
Ii seemed to him that il he should do
his duty he would be acting the part Of
an executioner, not only that, but the
executionor Of woman--a woman
whose image had got into his heart and
his head and never left him moments
peace since she first threw the spell OF
her enhancing personality about him.
1t was a hard struggle, and from the
nature Of tho case could not be long
one. Duty won. He shouted to his horse,
cave him dig with both spurs and
dashed forward.
There was depression in the ground
down which the corporal plunged. Then
the road ran along level for awhile,
with another slight rise beyond. AS he
rode down the declivity the fugitive
was on tho crest of the second rise. She
stood up and turned to catch glance
behind her She saw q horseman-she
was too far to recognize the corporal
dashing after her. Below her was
wooded space, and she noticed that
which gave her a glimmer of hope.
The road forked. Urging her horse on
ward, she aimed to get on one Of the
two roads beyond the fork while her
pursuer was in the hollow back Of her,
trusting that she might escape, as she
had escaped before, by forcing him to
choose between two roads, and trusting
that he might take the wrong one.
Down the declivity her racer plunged
while Ratigan was galloping down the
one behind her. So steep was the road
and SO swift her horses pace that the
danger of death by mangling seemed
greater than death by hanging. She
reached the bottom, where the road ran
level to the fork and the wood. Hope
urged her. It was not 100 yards to the
point she was so anxious to reach.
Passing over rut at the very fork OF
the road that seemed her only chance
for escape, the old buggy gave dismal
groan, as much in sympathy with the