The National tribune., 1895-10-10

toward lilS NalilnI lslcuASHdhl anu SOiAi
rade. The rider, heretofore bent fal
over the horses neck, upon seeing the
Lieutenant, Strengthened back, and with
no little effort checked the steed. In al
excited tone he reported how they had
been surprised and separated, and hi:
comrade captured, or at least cut of
from retreat to the wagons, which meant
capture.
The three rode back towards the house
As they approached they were surprised
to see Union Orderly riding at great
speed toward them He handed mes
sage to the Lieutenant ordering him back
as speedily as possible, stating that the
army had orders to move across the
Oostanaula River Immediately, and at
9 o'clock that night the bridge crossing
that river would be burned.
1t was already o'clock p. M, and no
time to lose. The Lieutenant ordered
the wagons to return TO camp, and
arranged a guard to protect them, by
placing a part Of the soldiers in front
and a part in the rear Of the wagons,
with orders to make all possible haste
to join the command. Then turning to
the Orderly be said:
Convey my compliments to Head
quarters, and say that | have kept one
man with me, and will use every effort
to
SAVE THE LIFE
of my picket, who was cut off from my
command this afternoon"
As the wagons pulled out the Lieu
tenant said to his soldiers: BOYS, /
expect to Join you between this and to-
morrow night if possible. Now pull
out"
He told the women what had happen
ed. and Of the dead soldier near the corn
crib, and finished: " If my man comes
here while we are looking for him, tell
him, if we are not captured, we will call
here this evening"
With this the Lieutenant and soldier
rode up the road The soldier who re-
manned with the Lieutenant was a young
man just out Of his teens. He was
straight and strongly built, and his dark,
piercing, almost defiant eyes, showed a
powerful will and determination.
Presently they dismounted, and lead
ing their horses proceeded up the side of
the road under cover Of the bushes to the
place where the pickets were surprised.
They soon satisfied themselves that the
other picket was not killed. As 10
bushwhackers were in hearing, they con-
cluded they were following the picket.
They proceeded considerable distance,
and seeing signs of neither picket nor
bushwhackers nothing except some
horses tracks in the road, headed into
the cove.
Night was fast approaching, and they
decided to return to the house, thinking
perhaps their cOmrade might be there,
but upon arrival at the house found, to
their
GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT,
he had not been there. After eating
supper, which the good lady had pre-
pared for them, the Lieutenant reluc-
family said: "We viii have to move on
without Charley" (the missing soldier.
As they rode off the women at the
house assured them that they would de-
liver the message to him, should be re-
turn, and render him any assistance in
their power. The two soldiers started
towards camp at brisk pace, hoping
they could cross the bridge before it was
destroyed. The sun had sunk, and the
few rebeliious rays seeking to overcome
darkness threw the shadows of the trees
in long, ghostly figures on the road. A
night-bird now and then walled forth
some solemn notes. The two belated
soldiers conversed very little, and the
stiffness Of each 10 the other caused
many thrilling thoughts to pass through
their minds and made each unusually
alert.
In the midst Of this ghostly silence,
upon turning bend in the road, they
saw coming toward them, In a leisurely
way, band Of seven rebels, only about
10 rods distant and taking up the whole
of the road. Knowing them to be some
of Harris's men, they instantly drew
their revolvers, and, as they flashed in
the faces Of the astonished rebels, the |
Lieutenant-as brave a boy as ever
wore the blue-exclaimed in a deter
mined. voice, such as is never misunder-
stood:
=" The first that raises his hand is a
dead man! Move on, and
REMEMBER MY WORDS
The two kept the middle Of the road.
As soon as the rebels were out Of range
Of their reyolyen the Union BOYS, rid
ing around the bend, lit out down the
road, to their great surprise, unpursued,
but thanking their lucky stars that they
had been thus far successful in escaping
from what seemed to them certain TO be
a hard struggle at least.
Spurred by this chilly encounter, they
dashed on at full speed, not knowing at
what moment they might be fired upon
by some other lurking band of bush
whackers or oyerhauled by the ones
they had SO summarily defed; but,
baaripo M coupd of ,,,,et,ors sba,,