Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1896-04-09

my misery and Beml-consCiousne i
had shown sleepy but effective abil-
lty to eat.
when the surgeon returned had
subsided, and was lying still and quiet.
Then all that morning laid there, Won
dering what was to become Of me, and
planning desperately to escape No,
could hardly call 1t planning, for sim
ply could not plan. There seemed no
possible way for me to make egress
from that camp, For had l walked out
OF the tent while the surgeon was taxi
ing one Of his short maps during the
night, | would have been promptly
nailed by guard, Or, at least, l could
never have passed the pickets.
while was thinking 1t over, col
onel, | suddenly dropped to sleep, and
slept until far in the afternoon. Then.
when awoke, learned from the sur
geon, who was just then talking to an
officer, that three more Of our boys had
died.
"And later on In the afternoon Just .
little later on, colonel, another of our
comrades took his last breath. He died
about an hour before dark, and even as
he did so there came to me a startling
idea, which was suggested by his lying
on the blanket next to mel
MY breath came quick but silent, as
out OF mJ sleepy, half-closed eyes I
watched the surgeon cross the poor fell
lows hands and fold the blanket care
fully around the body. In a way that
would show the grayediggers that 1t
was form ready for their hands.
Then, as the doctor stepped from the
body, for perhaps five minutes prayed
earnestly for him to leave the tent, for
something to call him away.
And 1t seemed, colonel, that my
prayer was answered, for presently an
officer came to the door and said that he
was wanted in another tent. Then tho
surgeon passed out under the canvas
flap, and both he and the officer moved
away. At the same instant heard
the rattle of the 1eadwagon approach
ing the tent. For darkness had come,
a darkness which would have been COM
plete but for the simmering moonlight.
II had but an instant to act, but I
moved quickly, desperately.
Swiftly as the thought itself Irose,
leaned over and spread the dead mans
blanket out in loose, careless manner
over him, leaving his hair and part Of
| his forehead exposed, and his arms eX-
tended out from under the blankets
folds. Then with the same desperate
quickness I wrapped my own blanket
tightly around my legs, then my body,
and after tucking it over and under my
head, and folding my arms under it in
manner that made 1t more tight, I
held myself rigid.
II had. Of course, removed the ban
dages from my head, and when, a min
ute later. hand gently pulled the blan-
ket from over my face, my lips were
drawn tight and my eyes were wide set
in deadly stare.
1.-THE expression, in the dim light Of
the tent lantern, accompanied by the
rigiilty Of my figure. satisfied the
8
quickly thrown over my face, felt my
self seized by two men-one at the
heels, tho other at the neck-and sum-
moned the use Of every muscle to hold
myself stiff.
"A few minutes afterward, colonel,
was laid on something hard. and knew
was in the dead-wagon. 1t seemed an
hour to me then, though it could not
have been more than one minute, be-
fore three more bodies were deposited
beside me, and l felt myself Earring
over the ground.
After waiting probably five long,
fearful, horrible minutes, cautiously
moved the blanket from off my eyes,
and looking up, could see the limbs and
leaves that hung between me and the
moon. 1t was a delicious spectacle TO
me.
"A few seconds before I had heard
the loud challenge Of the sentry, then
the wagon had moved on, and | now
knew we were past the pickets, and pro-
ceeding over the dark forest road to-
ward the graveyard,
There was at the rear Of the wa
CONS bed board perhaps half foot
high, and on this rested my heels.
Then I slid my legs along until my
knees hung over. The grayediggers
were steadily talking, and / hoped to
drop out without their observing me.
"And did 1t, colonel, AS the wagon
was passing through heavy shadow,
rose up and dropped over the end
board to the ground. The vehicle
rolled on, and as ! heard the grave
dlggers continuing to talk In even tones.
knew that my act had been unnoticed.
81 was clothed only in my shirt and
trousers, being, of course. barefooted,
but l was hardly conscious Of that.
The conviction that was escaping was
enough to fill my mind Just then.
Swiftly hurried through the dark
woods, and presently entered a cow
path, where my progress was less pain
full. The rest was then easy, and three
hours later entered farmhouse, sew
eral miles below the Yankees camp,
where the people, wdo CHANGED to be CT
the right feeling, cared for me and kept
me effectually concealed until the time
came for me to complete my escape.