The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1896-03-13

solitary "Trip. LII Was d ulaut0l VI uoHoh
miles to the door of my old friends the
Hoopers, and the pleasure with which
I knew they would greet me again, and
the interest they would take in MY
checkered career since our capture on
Yellow mountain, and the joy they
would feel in the better fortune of my
companions were enough to nerve me on
if I had been much more weary than
was.
ran rather than walked over the lev
ell road through the woods, and tEzoe
times I came upon fords of the same
broad rivulet. Removing my shoes and
stockings and rolling up my trousers, l
waded into the first ford. Flakes u
broken ice were eddying against the
banks, and before reaching thwmiddle OF
the stream my feet ached with the cold,
the pain increasing at every step over
the sharp stones until 1 threw my blan-
ket on to the opposite bank and wrapped
nv feet in it's dry folds. Rising little
knoll soon after making the third ford, l
came suddenly, i'll the moonlight, upon
the back of Squire Hooper's house 1t
was scarcely more than O'Clock, and
found the family still up about the FIRE.
Together we rejoiced over the escape OF
Sill and Lamson and made merry over
my own vicissitudes.
Nv welcome was not less cordial than
had expected. Every man l had met
in my travels the squire knew personal
" and of him had some anecdote to re-
late in return. The girls laughed at my
mishaps and applauded my successes
and when my story was told gave me
news of the departure Of Headen and ole
Tom Hancock and along with then
Captain Knapp, bouQd for Tennessee.
I staid in the valley under Big ant
Little Sheep cliff only until it was lat
enough in the evening of the following
day to pick my way up the trail to tn
Headen cabin ON Yellow mountain.
The next evening Aunt Betsy Headen
now sole head of the house of "Heady,
saddled her mare and rode over the snow
to put me in the company OF youth o
the name of Green, who was abou
starting to visit his uncle at Shooting
Creek. which was settlement 60 mile
on the road to Tennessee and wlthll
sight of the hills of Georgia.
1t was at the close of the last night
march, during which we had passed owe
three snow capped ridges, that my BLACK
smith's shoes, soaked to pulp as to tn
soles, gave out altogether. With thes
articles in my hand stood in my stock
ings ON the frozen ground on the ores
of the last ridge. Stretching away int
the west in the direction of east Tel
nessee was a wilderness OF mountain
drawn like huge burrows across my II
ture way, the pale gray of the uttermoS
ridges fading into an lmperceptpI
union with the clouds beyond. Thel
was a single log house in view sendln
up a perpendicular column OF smoh
from it's rock chimney, and here "
pioked our way in search of cobble
and found him, of course, in a counti
where every family makes its o"
shoes.
As I remember, we spent only tv
NIGHTS ON the road, lying concealed In
thicket of laurel over the first day al
walking ON the second. Just as the ST
was sinking out OF sight we arrived
CHUNKY CALI mountain overlooklr
Shooting Creek.
THAT, said my guide, pointing to
house in Che valley, lis where my unc
lives. and over there among the trees
that cabin with long roofs and the lean
that is Mrs Kitchens, where w
take you"
Twas to find guides here who made
their business to take parties oil Once
into our lines, receiving 800 as
from each officer, the money to he pa
ON arrival at the first pay station. Lie
tenants Sill and Lamson had pass
here, and one of their guides was IN
next valley. Going in search OF MN
the morning, met two men with 10
rifles crossing branch, and to my 81
prise one of them was wearing the sn'
oolored sack coat / remembered SO wen
belonging to Lieutenant Lamson' !n'
men were Ounce Edmonston and ma
Hooper, and they turned about and 70
me TO Edmonston' cabin, telling
that there were two other officers O