The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1897-04-14
GHPTHIN CLOSE
BY CAPTAIN CHARLES KING.
copyright. 1894, by ]. B. Lippincott Col
Nj.

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?''
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,
anu NOilNNbCu AASAoS ~ S'J
ing on your return"
"Yes. Here's the letter, by Jove, and
it's n worse puzzle than before. And
here's the deputy marshal back with
increased powers, new orders, search
warrants, and God knows whet all.
I'm willing enough to back you in deal
ing with men, Mr.. Parmelee," said the
captain, turning again to the eager
civilian, "but the lieutenant has had
these sentries posted 40 minutes and
there hasn't been n sound. l don't
want any searching of a house that
holds nothing but women, because you
think some of your jail birds are
there"
II 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, I'll bet
a hat"
81 don't believe it," sturdily answered
Close. 'Only last August she turned
Walton Scroggs away from her door
with such a tongue-lashing as | never
heard; an that's saying good deal
She forbade him ever setting foot with
in her gates again. / heard her; so
did half the men in this company"
81 know all about that. He has been
e. L.. &c 4ha a11a,- o. ho
Walton girls, as long as l can remem-
Der, 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 bride him twice to tell where Wal
Scroggs was hiding, but the old nigger's
n damn fool-with a starving wife, too.
They tell me he was seen round here
a 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 if she
wouldn't. Esther Walton would. tell
you they're there, captain, and they'll
be off and out of our reach this night if
you fail to take them now"
Close was pulling on a soldiers over
coat at the moment, and stopped to
listen to some sound down the dark re-
cesses Co the bottom" along the wind
ing stream.
"It's the mules now!" began Parme-
lee. excitedly, but Close held up warn
ing hand.
eff it is, my men will nab EN-, that's
all. Now you've been the means OF my
takin' the men on more'n one long wild
goose chase afoot-that telegram of
yours was enough TO give the whole
scheme away-and of my 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 90 out and I've shot because I pre-
ferred to satisfy myself Mr.. Wal
Scroggs wasn't in the old Gibson place,
stead Of talIin' their word of honor for
il. There's a sick lady there who was
scared of Yankee uniforms; but I'd
rather search all Tugaloo and Qutman
and hell together than rout out old Mis-
Walton tonight. They can't get out
past my sentries. They're sure TO be
nabbed If they try. Let 'em try, say.
It's the easiest way TO settle the whole
business. Then they can be arrested
without disturbin' anybody in the
house."
But Parmelee was dissatisfied. He
had been chaffed. jeered at, maddened
over the escape of his prisoners. Two