The National tribune., 1897-12-09
CHAPTER XVII.

Warned by Capt sam Griggs's threat, and
the spoliatiOns upon his neighbors, Robert
b Inrule and his SONS began removing their
grain and provisions to hiding places at some
distance from the house. Their farm ami
mails being gone, they had to carry every
thing on their backs; though they would
have had TO do much of this anyway, since
horse-traeks would have betrayed their
secret stores. They built rail pen in the
woods for their corn, and put their wheat,
meat, honey, and salt and the apples,
peaches, and pumpkins that Miriam and
Sally had dried, in a large cave. Thither
Miriam and Sally also carried their extra
clothing, linen, and woolen cloth, and bed
ding enough TO make comfortable the father
and sons, for it was getting more dangerous
every night for them to sleep in the house.
Lastly. Miriam took thther, in many
journeys. the articles she had made fo2 Pol
locks aud her home She made one nook III
the cave sacred TO these, for hope had begun
TO revive that she would see Pollock again.
The war had already widened her world.
Kentucky did not seem TO te so far away,
after all Men-Unionists and rebels were
constantly going back and forth over the
mountains with news.
She had received several messages from
Pollock, brought by long-limbed, giant
mountaineers, who had left the Union out
posts but an astonishingly few days before
They had seen Pollock and talked with him.
They told strongly pEiseful stories of his
achievements, and the esteem in which he
was held by the Union commanders
One actually brought her a letter Letters
were the most infFequent incidents in the
lives OF the mountaineers. Births, mar
Tiages, sickness and deaths came much
oftener TO their little community than letters
There was something mOmentous TO Miriam
in getting letter, snd above all to get one
from Henry Clay Pollock.
She went of, out Of sight of all the rest,
sat down, lay the unopened letter in her lap.
and looked long at it. To her simple.
wonder-seeking mind there was something
: awe-inspiring about it, The' direction was
clearly in Pollock's handwriting. lie was
not at all given TO penmanship. One Winter
he and she had attended a writing school
set up by vagrant writing master Pol
lock main efforts IN acquiring the art seemed
to be in the direction oil being able to write
her name, and he scrawled it so incessantly
that she became pretty familiar with it,
The envelope was white "a jther strange
thing to her. The few that she had ever
Seen were in yellow envelopes, with a daub
o. sealing wax 10 hold them together There
was none on this. On one end, before her
name, there was briliant-colored picture
OF a zouaye IN blue clothes and red can
brandishiDg a red sword and unfolding with
his left hand the Stars and Stripes. Under
meath, IN bold type, were the words: "The
Union Forever Victory or Death ;,
She believed that 10 he a picture of Henry
Clay Pollock as he now appeared, and as she
kissed the picture, fondly tried TO realize him
IN that gorgeous blue-and-red apparel, main
tanning the flag with that terrible sword
Presently she turned her attention TO open
Ing the letter, and this was puzzle The
envelope was firmly and smoothly united
eveTywarTe. She mated 10 mar lis beautiful
symmetry. Finally. her anxiety 10 see what
was Inside overpowered her she found a tiny
opening at one corner, into which she thrust
knitting needle, and ripped the envelope
open.
The letter head inside was embellisbed
with picture OF an artilleryman, in blue
uniform. with a red cap, firing a cannon,
which was shooting torrent of red fire. The
Star-Spangled Banner foated proudly over
gunner and gun. Underneath were tn,
words, Death TO Traitors
Though the sentiments were analogous
MiIianl's mind found difficulty in connecting
Pollock with both employmcnts Then, the
faces were different. 1t did not seem that
both could 1be his. The brief scrawl had been
iaboredly written, and was almost as labor
edly read. 1t told her merely that he wa.
well, and hoped thst she was. He was doing
all he could for the Union, and had been yery
successful in whatever he undertook that he
was hoping that they would soon be bacl,
across the mountains with a force that would
overwhelm the rebels, when he would be with
her again never more to part.
The words were few, but inestimably
weighty and precious Though the firsi
reading indelibly impressed every one OF
Them on her heart, Miriam could not tire o.