The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-08-20
HIDDEN IN THE cLooK.
When Forced 10 Sneeze He Start
the Wheel aud Made NJ StrtIre

From h Kansas City Journal.
In the fall of 1864 the northern part
OF virginia was In a great deal Of ex-
citement, for the raids of the Copfed-
crates had greatly annoyed the Union
forces. But there was no way to catch |
the marauders. The region lay at the
loot OF the Blue Ridge mountains and
while the Federal troops would be
quietly sleeping in their fonts, some
band OF rangers would sweep down
upon them with a wild rebel veil and
before they were half awake they
would find themselves prisoners.
Wagon trains of suffers supplies
would be taken off before any detach-
ment OF troops would come to the
rescue, trains would often lash from
the rail into some big cut and be
stripped or everything sent out from
washington to the Union army, and
an immense force was kept constantly
on the watch for q small band of only a
lew hundred in number, who never
slept and who struck one point to-day
and the next night would raid q camp
at least fifty miles away. 1t was very
annoying to the Federal generals, and.
though they took every precaution in
their power, every expedition met with
q mortlty1ng failure, for the Virginians
were alert enough to elude capture,
having a thorough understanding oil
the mountainous region in which thew
operated.
AT last the Federal commander de-
termined to exterminate the g
and with that view sent out o. picked
corps OF men who were eager to meet
and capture the enemy, who boosted
that he could not be taken. 1t was
early in the morning of a warm Sep
tem6er day when the mon in blue
reached the top of a hill in close prox-
lmity 10 wher the rangers were known
TO pc, n it was only a few seconds
before the boys in gray caught sigbtof
the uniforms of the enemy, as the Fed
erals came downward at a brisk trot.
AT the foot of the hill was a long
stretch OF dusty road, shining brightly
in the cool September sunlit air.
The boys in blue dashed down with a
Wild hurrah, while their horses, catch
ing the excitement of the fight, leaped
forward as if eager for the fray. And
Win an equally fervent yell the rebels
put spurs to their horses and came on
at a steady gallop to meet the foe. For
a M there was q brisk rain of
bullets T; several of the men fell in the
dust, while their foaming, riderless
steeds continued in q mad chase down
the pike. Then the Confederates broke
and He'd, with the yelling yankees close
at their heels.
1T was u long, hot chase and soon the
solalers on both sides were wearied out
and the painting horses could hardly
keep up, had it not been for tbe con.
tinued application of whip and spur.
AT last q stream was reached, and here
the Union men succeeded in capturing
several Confederates. But not the
leader. lie was a small, wiry man with
a frame as strong and tough as steel
M Who did not know what fear on
defeat meant. and he plunged his ami.
mai into the water, lifted his sword
, high above his head and safely climbed
up the opposite bank, amid q shower OF
bullets, accompanied by q shout of ad.
miration from the astonished enemy.
In q moment he was out of sight be,
hind the hills.
!, IL toOk ten minute for the prisoners
TO be dlsarmed Inc for the cayalcade
to reach the other side then the pur.
suit was resumed
About a quarter of q mile down the
: a was a pretty farmhouse, one of the
IDEAL type, with a little porch, ovcl
whlch climbed a towering vine, while
C1e yara was full or sweet, old-fashion.
ed bushes, and the huge oak tree,
almost shut out the sunshine that tried
t timidly to creep into the quaint little
: slttlng room, where q young girl sat
| busy peeling fruit. The door was open
} and just as the girl raised her ewes, j
= morse raced into the yard with it,
hanks reeKing with water and tho
rlder wet from the tip of his plumed
nat to the soles of his cavalry boots
: me man rode into the barnyard and
left his steed in the stall, then dashed
into the house. At that moment the
head of the Federal column came over
the nil on u gallOp. The Confederate
saw the line of blue uniforms, the sun
hashlng on the sabres, and, with q hur.
RED glance around, be sprang to his
feet and ran to the corner, in which
stool an old clock, one of the style that
was used In the revolutionary times,
ana Is now known as "srnndfather's
CLOCK In a momen he had opened
me d0or,, slipped inside, and bv the
tlme he had closed it again the Union
men were trooping into the house.
Then began II thorough search of the
house IRON garnet to cellar, but not a
trace OF the man could they find. The
peas were torn to bits, the pantries
explored, every closet upset, and no
nook or corner of the place left unin.
vestigated. But to no purpose. Then
the barn was given o good overhaul
ing, and though they found the wet
ana horse, there was no trace
~ "a idoU dIl Vi UIG union
men collected in the sitting room,
where the young lady sat quietly
watching the proceedings and still
busy In her household duty of prepar-
ing the fruit. They wore nonpluced
and could not imagine what had be-
como of the rebel.
Nov, it happened that the old clock
was q running, but had been broken
ior some time and was full of dust.
Whlch b entrance of the ranger had
disturbed. In fact. he was In a great
p~rcdlcament. Dlst had filed his nos
trils, and he felt creep over HIM the
norrlb'o sensation Of IL coming sneeze.
10 sn"eZe at such II time would be TO
oetray hls hiding place 10 the union
mon, VIII now TILED tho room, but #
was impossible To cOntrOl the itching
VI Tue lrrltaIed nose any longer. A
snec"e meant capture. perhaps death,
ouc no matter, t.ic SnecHe had to come.
a bright thought just then flashed into
inc C~onfrdcrate's mind, ind, with a
quick MOTION OF his hand, he set the
ola wheels in ~ whnl and the rusty
swung out In sonOrOus chime.
In the cover OF the noise the sneeze
was born, but it was not heard. How
ever, the sudden waking into life of
the old clock excited suspicion, and
with glance OF inquiry, the Federal