The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1896-05-08

when the surgeon returned. ! had
/ subsidized ana was lying sim and quiet
I Then all that morning laid there. won
| dering what vas to become NJ me. and
| planning desperately 10 escape. No.
could hardly call II planning. FOR slim
/ ply could not plan. There aecmcd no
/ possible way for me TO make ogress
/ from that camp. For had | walked out
Of tho tent while the surgeon was taxi
lng one Of his short maps during tho
/ night I would have been promptly
nailed by guard. or. at least. could
never have passed the plckota.
while | was thinking Il over. col
onei, ! suddenly dropped TO sleep. and
slept until Ear In the afternoon. Then.
when | awoke. learned from the sur
Foon. who was Just then talking TO an
ofIlcer. that three moro Of our boys had
died
And later on In the afternoon. Just
little later on. colonel, another Of our
comrades took his last breath. lie died
about an hour before dark. and even as
no did no there came to mo n startling
idea, which was suggested by his lying
/ on the blanket next 10 mol
MY breath came quick but silent. rs
out Of M sleepy. half.closod eyes I
watched tho surgeon cross the poor fell
lows hands and fold the blanket care
fully around the body. In a way that
would show the grayedlgEcrs that II
ans form ready for their hands
Then. as the doctor stepped from tho
body. for perhaps Ave minutes I prayed
earniltly for him to leave the tent, for
something to call him away
And II seemed. colonel that my
prayer was answered. Tor presently an
oilicer came 10 the door ana said that he
was wanted In another tent Then tho
surgeon passed out under the canvas
Zap. and both no ana the oflccr moved
away. At the same Instant I heard
the rattle Of the iead-wagon approach
Ing the tent. For darkness had come.
a darkness which would have been COM
pleto but for the almmorlng moonlight.
II had but an instant 10 act. but
moved quickly. desperately.
Swiftly as the thought itself rose.
'caned over and spread the dead mana
I
over him. leaving HIS hair and part of
his forehead exposed and his arms ex-
tended out from under tho blankets
folds. Then with the same desperate
qulckncsa wrapped my own blanket
tightly around my legs then my body
and after lucklng II over and under my
head, and folding my arms under II In
manner that made It more tight. I
held myself rigid.
Il had. Of course. removed tho ban.
dages from my head. and when. a min
ute later. hand gently pulled the blan-
kct from over my face. my lips were
drawn tight and my eyes were wide set
In n deadly stare.
THE expression. IN tho dim light o.
tho tent lantern. accompanied by the
riglilty OF my ngure. satisfied tho
gravedlggcr. and the covering being
quickly thrown over my face. felt my
self seized by two men-one at the
heels, tho other At tho noek--and sum
moned tho use OF every muscle TO hold
myself atlif.
"a lew minutes afterward. colonel.
was laid on something hard. and knew
was In the dead-wagon. II seemed an
hour to mo then, though II could not
have been more than one minute. be-
fore three more bodies were Deposited
beside mo. and felt myself Earring
over tho ground.
AFTER waiting probably ave long,
fearful. horrible minutes. l cautiously
moved tho blanket from OF my eyes,
and looking up. could Bee the limbs aud
leaves that hung between me pnd tho
moon. II was a delicious speeiaf . 10
me.
"a few seconds before hnti a, lri
the loud challenge OF the sentry. then
the wagon had moved on. aud now
know We were past the plckets. ana pro-
eceding over the dark forest road to-
ward the graveyard.
There was at tho rear of tho wa.
CONS bed board perhaps half u foot
high, aud on this | rested my hecls
ihcn slid my legs along until my
knees hung over. The gravedlggcrs
were steadily talking, and | hoped "a
drop out without their observing mo,
"And dld Il. colonel. As the wagon
was passing through heavy shadow
| rose up and dropped over the end
board to the ground. The vehicle
rolled en-, and as heard the grave
dlggors continuing TO talk In even tones
knew that my net had been unnoticcd
Il was clothed only In my ahirt AMI
trousers. being. OF course. hareiooled
nut was hardly conscious OF that
Tho conviction that was escaping was
enough 10 on my mind Just then,
swiftly hurried through the dari
woods. and presently entered a COW
path. where my progress was less pain
full Tho rest was then easy. and tire,
hours later | entered farmhouse, sew
eral miles below the Yankees camp
where tho people, wdo CHANGED TO be Of
the right feeling. cared lor mo and KEPT
mo oiiectually concealed until the tim,
came for me to complete my escape.
Il had lost you. colonel, or rather yoI
had lost mo, and when the war was oyol
was never able to locate you"
Until now" said the colonel, nus
klly. And you escaped with thosl
dead menl Al. Hugh. nobody but go,
could have done that"
I