The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-01-10


regiment was got rid of. Maynard M
made colonel. Soon after his commahd
was attached TO q brigade wherein he
found himself the ranking regimontal
commander. This gave him tho com
mand of the brigade. ~
lie snlel ,4l0n his duties with mis- 4
givings he knew he was vel. ftled
for the duties Of scout. but doubted II
he could command the respect of 8 900
men. Besides no knew there Iurlea
within him spirit of antagonssf 90
conventional methods; he feared in
pulses that might wreck not only hiu.
self. but mis- brigade-perhaps q whole
army. True. there was often kind %
illegitimate nobility about these I'M.
pulses, but it did not render them any
the less dangerous.
On hearing the news Of his appoint
ment to the command Of brigade be
mounted his horse and dashed over to
the headquarters of the general to whom
he owed nearly all his advancement,
with view TO protesting On arriving
there he stammered out reasons which
had no conference and was dismissed by
the general with the remark that he
was suffering from an attack OF i'll tim
ed modesty, the general adding, "You
are born soldier, Colonel Maynard,
and if the war lasts long enough to give
you an opportunity you will reach
highero command than that of q brigade"
Once on the road he and Jakey had
passed before on their journey together
to Chattanooga, Maynard took infinite
delight in talking over their cam
paign," as he called the mission they
had pursued Jakey became more puff
ed up with pride at having been with
the colonel on that occasion than hav-
ing ridden with him into Tullahoma
Others had been on his staff on the lat
ter occasion, but he. Jake Slack, alone.
had been his boon companion, his con-
fidential friend, on his mission to Chat
tanooga. When Jakey considered this
double honor, he felt that he must GER
tainly have been born in uniform and
deprived Of it by some malignant fairy
soon after coming into the world.
The Chattanooga road was by no
means deserted. Wagons under guard,
couriers, staff officers followed by or
derlies, citizens, negroes, indeed all
manner of people and vehicles passing
between the different corps of the Army
of the Cumberland, met them or were
passed by them on the way.
"Jakey, " said the colonel, 81 remem-
Der every moment of the time when
came along this road on my way back
from Chattanooga. was travelling. Al
the dignitaries say, incog."
Eyer mean by thet Of they'd know
cd what 'portant person y war they't
showed ther respec' by hangin y"
Exactly. They would have put sev
eral feet between mine and the wavinl
summer grass below You have for
chile way of expressing yourself, but
considering that IN the subject of youS
remarks my throat feels clearer at my
own more delicate drawing Of the pic
ture."
Reckon" said Jakey, with proper
solemnity, remembering that the topl,
was likely to wound the colonel's fee
ings.
"On that occasion, Jakey, did
meet even a mule without my b.
jumping up into my throat. "
"A rope harness must u skeered
outen yer skin.
Especially when | noticed the knoss
in it, But seriously, Jakey, that experi
ence has filled me with peculiar dread
Now, suppose some day ConfedAaete
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 .
duty if required of me. I"
"Yer needn't take him. in the first
place"
'.It might be my duty to do 80. !"
"Y' monght ca like Tom. Tom. he
can't never see me when / want ter
drive i'm outen pastur He can SEQ well
nuff when ! get ear D corn TO i'm,
though
"a good .dea. Jakey. With that sub
tie sophistry Of yours you could reason
Methods. minister into dancing a
hornpipe, but fear it's hardly sound
enough 20 enable one so used to deceiv-
ing cthCfs as | was when scout to do
ceive himsef / should do my best,
should take spy, to turn him over.'
"S'posin twar womanY
"Oh, Lord, Jakey, don't suppose any
such thing I'd have to do my duty in
that case il the same as il she were
man. WHAT kind of looking go.
cart is thnf coming down the road?'
A horse was visible in the distance,
fIs long neck stretched ont i'm front OF
its body, coming toward them at rapid
gait. The rattling of buggy which it
dragged reminded the colonel of the
band of n newly recruited regiment.
Within sat woman in a striped dress,
sunbonnot and CLOSES In short, Jakey
Slack at once recognized his old friend,
Betsy Baggs.
'Howdy, Miss Baggs, F" he said as
she drove by
Miss Baggs was the sphinx she had
lecn 20 Jakey when he met her near