Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-03-06
CHAPTER XI.
A pArR EOP IJEE

CHAPTER XI.
RACE FOR LIFE.
Major Burke's command was ordered
to guard the telegraph line extending
south from Rossyille. The regiment
was strung out to q considerable dis
tance, each troop guarding certain
portion of the line. Corporal Ratigar
was placed in charge of section oi
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 reliefs Of four men each
posted them at intervals Of half mile
along the line under his care. At SUM-
set, not being relieved, he prepared to
spend the night in biyouac. Selecting q
clump Of trees under which to rest and
cutting some boughs for beds-or rather
to keep the men from the damp ground
the corporal established the relief, of
duty, there. The rations were cooked
and eaten, after which the guard was
relieved. The corporal went out always
with the relief, posted his men and
Blept between times.
It was 2 O'Clock in the morning when
Ratigan started out to post the last re-
lief for the night. The men followed,
grum and stupid, having just been wax.
ened out Of sound sleep and not yet
thoroughly aroused. The party rode to
the extreme end of the section, left Q
man and turned back, leaving man al
every half mile Corporal Ratigan had
posted the last man half milo from t8
bivouac and was returning when SUI
denly, turning bend in the road rrt-
ming through q wood, he descrieda
dark object before him beside the rcd.
He drew rein and watched and lstensd.
The dark object, as he fixed bis fAze
upon it, grew into the dim natlhasp{
vehicle, but it was too dark for hh 70
see if it contained any one. The apo-
raj. whose mind had been fixed Gthe
special duty OF prt~ ctlng the liz at
once assumed that some one was Tying
to cut the wire He put spursto his
horse and called out:
"Halt, therel Throw up YOU hands
and surrender. or I'll shoot"
The only response was swih from
a whip which came down evidntly on
horses back, and the dark mass be-
fore him vanished around tht bend in
the road. The corporal dasha on, but
before no could get around tHbend the
object had turned again. Hesould hear
the rattling Of wheels and punds Of q
horses hoofs digging intothe road at
q gallop. Whoever was ehind that
horse must be driving al frightful
pace, for urging his own beast to his
best he seemed to lose rader than gain
ground. Coming to stiight piece Of
road, he could again seehe object be-
fore him, but in the dfkness it was
simply darker spot thai its surround
ings. Suddenly the earsof the corporal
caught sound that fld him with as
tonishment. 1t was q. .joice urging for
ward the horse he way chasing. Rati.
gan had supposed thS whoever was try
ing to escape was man, yet this voice
was different froma mans tones. 1t
sounded like that ofa child or woman.
The corporal was pizzled. Then it sud.
denly occurred tohim that perhaps he
was chasing BetsyBaggs.
Now, the corn9al was as conscien-
tious man as hero was i'll the Army
of the Cumberland aud one of the
most gallant, ht when the suspicion
fell upon him IKE a chill that he was
after q womai whose presence, for the
brief period le had been with her, had
thrown u stange spell over him no
ceased to u$e his horse with the same
pressure as leforc. In the midst of the
chase therehad come q contest within
his own buhst between ty5 conflicting
emotions II Betsy Bagywere in front
Of him, What would bs tho result if he
should cach her? 40 must turn her
over to the military authorities, and the
chances were she would be executed for
q spy. On the other hand, supposing no
permitted her to escape, he would be
liberating ll enemy far more danger
Gus to tfe army in which he served
than sazen batteries. In short, he
would Se & IriStor to his comrades and
his cause.
Miss Saggs, for it was she, had pass
ed many pickets, had experienced many
lucky escapes. She had browbeaten Off
cars and. had cozened soldiers. She had
gone through1a dozen places where a
man would surely have been arrested.
And now, after passing SO many dan
gers, on the very eve of success, she sud.
denly found herself in the most critical
Of all the situations ske had ever been
placed i'll.
Meanwhile the long legs Of Bobby
Lee were getting over the ground at
an astonishing pace 1t was not tho tri-
ang,lation of former race for sport
with CORPORAL Ratigan. but the quick,
short jumps of a race for life And
Bobby seemed to know the stake. New
er in his former flights had his ears been
turned back so eagerly to catch tho low
tones Of his mistress. Never had there
been so much feeling in that mistress
voice. 1t was: "Go on, Bobby! Good
old horse. Get up! On, OIL. on! That's
u dear 10y. It's lifo and death with me,
Bobby" a continued stream of broken
words and Sentences, all of which Bobby
seemed to understand and act upon as if
khe had been human being.
| The fugitive knew that the chase
could not 10 a long one. Her crazy We
bicle was like q rotten hulk in q storm
Eithout sra room. To the north was
b. Tennessee river, and no means OF
rpssing. Ahead was Chickamauga
fck, but between her and it lay tho
Altered forces OF the left wing of tho
bon army. She knew the ground
LAND had as good a knowledge OF
positions of tho troops as one could
E Of an army constantly changing.
tpoint from which She had started
4half y milo west Of Rossville OH
ttafay"tte road. A mile of chasing
hSbrought her near fork. the left
.,roa beading across Chiekamauga creek
bySer's bridge, the right leading di'
recteouth. She determined to take
the It hand road, intending, if she
shousucceed in reaching Dyer's mill,
aboutpnile from the creek, to strike
fordsne distance below that she ro-
membd having once crossed