New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1895-02-13

tu0T0 yesterday. LII uluSG % III GTaQS1E.
Oh, why should thave halted just in
time to block the way?
''God help me, must take my
chances and go on ~!
Sentinels were pacing on their beats
about the camps. In some cases the
beats led along the road, but not across
it. Right through these chains of senti-
nels, right into the heart of this sleep
ing multitude of armed men, dashed
the woman whose only weapons of de-
Tense were Bobby Lee and her antiquat.
ed vehicle.
"Halt!''
$50 on, Bob!''
A shot, bullet singing like tun-
Ing fork in ears which already sang
loud enough in themselves with excite
ment.
Turn out the guard!''
Following Miss Baggs came Corporal
Ratigan, to find the road in front of
him blocked by half dozen men with
as many muskets pointed right up in
his face.
He uttered an involuntary 'sThank
God!' He must be delayed; the respon-
sibility for the escape Of the fugitive
would be with them. If indeed she were
Miss Baggs, he would regard himself
fortunate at the delay.
"What's the matter?'' asked one of
the men.
"I'm chasing some one in front. I
suspect telegraph breaker
''Ah! That's it, is it? Well, 80 on;
we've stopped the wrong person.
The corporal regretted that the inter-
view had been SO brief, the interruption
SO short. He had no option but to dash
on. Before the fugitive there stood a 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 dozen feet of
him and heard:
"Halt, or I'll fire!'' "
Rising in her seat and concentrating
all her strength in one effort, she brought
her whip down on the horses back, at
the 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.
And now each one of the chain of
sentries through which the 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
rafting of Wheels and seeing some
thing coming through heFdarkness as
Miss Baggs approached, shouted ''Halt!''
'"Turn out the guard!' "Who comes
THEREOF and a score of other similar
cries, to none Of which Miss Baggs paid
any other attention than to fly through
and from them as from the hand of
death. A score Of shots were fired at
her along half a mile of road while she
was running the gantlet.
And now the last sentry is passed,
and the woman shoots out from between
the rows Of white tents into 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
it's calls. She hears the beating of the
"long roll" The whole camp is arous-
ed. A legion of Yankees may soon be in
pursuit.
Corporal Ratigan was stopped by ev-
cry sentinel who had tried to check Miss
Baggs. After an explanation to each he
was suffered to go Oh. The men who
Of H. Two, IL,
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
ed escort to the general commanding.
Some Of these were ordered in pursuit.
There was a hurried saddling of horses,
sprinkled with oaths at the delays en-
countered, and three cavalrymen mount
ed and dashed after Miss Baggs and her
pursuer. But before they started 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 a
ship rolling through the pillows of an
ocean. For a moment he hesitated be-
tween his duty as a soldier and that
quick, sharp something, be it love, be-
witchment or a natural sympathy Of
man for weaker woman, while beads of
cold perspiration stood on his forehead.
1t seemed to him that if he should do
his duty he would BIZ acting the part Of
an executioner, not only that, but the
executioner 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 hard struggle, and from the
nature Of the case could not be long
one. Duty won. Heshouted to his horse,
gave him dig with both spurs and
dashed forward.
There was a depression in the ground
down which the corporal plunged. Then
the road ran alonga level for awhile.
with another slight rise beyond AS he
rode down the declivity the fugitive
was on the crest of the second rise. She
stood I'M or1 %r~rol saGe