Daily camera., 1897-01-25
tcopwsM. ,ss4. by j. B. LIppineot. comp.g.l

ltIl lult piI IL S'iiS
face peering in from under the visor OF
an infantry forage cap. One second
! only, and down went the match, and
! with stifled CRY bounded the youngest
| daughter of the household OF Walton
even the precious pail forgotten.
Ten minutes later horseinan came
galloping up the muddy road and in
! quiri"~ for the Lieutenant. Lambert
recognized ham as one oT he deputies
or assistants engaged in Saturdays af-
fair at the jail. He handed :. fG'Icd pa
per to che young officer, and, in low, ex-
,, cited tones, began some explanatory
comments.
wait" said Lambert. LET me read"
Tearing open the paper, by the dim
| light of Burns lantern he made out the
following:
| Lieut.. Lambert: Post guard at once
around Walton place. so as to prevent any
men from getting in or out. Take half the
| company if you need it. I'll be there in half
| an hour CLOSE,
"B'vt. Capt Com'd'g"
At ten o'clock that dark and gloomy
Sunday night Mr.. Lambert stood in
front of his tent, leaning on his sword
| and listening in silence to the confer
ence going on between his commander
and the civil officers of the law. Close
| had come home in high dudgeon, and
was, as usual, slow and cautious, but
| more than usually reluctant and suspi-
cious. Fuming over the failure of the
mission on which he had started so
| confidently, believing himself "tricked
| by the enemy" and now offered ample
| revenge and assured of success through
| the information rendered him, he never
theless faltered. Lambert, returning
from the round Of his sentries, was
taken unawares by the sudden question:
This gentleman says the old lady
knew just where we had gone and just
when we would get back. What do you
think of it?" a
Its matter know nothing about,
sir" was the answer, Except that she
did say she was writing letter to be
given you on your return this evening,
and instantly corrected herself by say
ing on your return"
Eyes. Here's the letter, by Jove, and
| it's a worse puzzle than before. And
here's the deputy marshal back with
increased powers, new orders, search
warrants, and God knows what all.
I'm willing enough to back you in deal
ing with men, Mr.. Parmelee," said the
J captain, turning again to the eager
civilian, "but the lieutenant has had
| these sentries posted 40 minutes and
there hasn't been sound. I don't
want any searching of = house that
holds nothing but women, because you
think some of your Jail birds are
there
81 tell you, captain, there's no room
for doubt. The. negroes have seen
them. They told Mr.. Jarvis, here, and
told him the mules were to be there be-
fore ten o'clock to carry 'em off out of
| harms way. Your man Murphy admits
he saw one last night--one of the
scroggses, sure, by the description, and
his brother is with him there, Ill bet
| a hat"
81 don't believe it," sturdily answered
Close. "Only last August she turned
Walton Scroggs away from her door
with such tongue-lashing as never
heard; an that's saying a good deal
She forbade him ever setting foot with.
| in her gates again. | heard her: sc
did half the men in this company
Il know all about that. He has been
in love with his cousin, the elder of the
| Walton girls, as long as | can remem-
ber and because of his shiftless habits
| the old lady wouldn't listen to it. Then
they took to meeting by stealth, and
she found it out. She discharged old
Rasmus for no other reason than that
he carried letters for them. I've tried
to bribe him twice to tell where Wal
Scroggs was hiding, but the old nigger's
damn fool-with a starving wife, too
They tell me he was seen round here
day or two since, asking for Riggs
and he's been carrying letters again
The old lady wouldn't have him there
before, perhaps, but she would shelter
him now, when the government de-
mands his surrender. But, even il she
| wouldn't, Esther Walton would. I tell
you they're there. captain. and they'll
be off and out of our reach this night il
you fail to take them now"
Close was pulling on soldiers over.
coat at the moment, and stopped to
listen to some sound down, the dark re-
cesses of the bottom" along the wind.
ing stream.
Its the mules now!" began Parme-
lee, excitedly, but Close held up warn
ing hand.
'If it is, my men will nab 'em, that's
all Now you've been the means of my
taliin' the men on more'n one long wild
! goose chase afoot-that telegram OF
yours was enough to give the whole
scheme eaway-and ofmy bein' invited to
| be damn fool enough to fight two duels
this afternoon. Both Col. Scroggs and
Mr.. Barton Potts, by thunder. want me
| to go out and be shot because 1 pre-
ferred to satisfy myself Mr.. Wal
Scroggs wasn't in the old Gibson place