The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1897-08-05
NearsA fet NothInk

The warst fright ever bad vss cause.
by = drove Of youpg males. s.id Ftaal
Jsmef, wbo was one Of Qasrtrell'a moe
dsfug uisbt riders, to = 81 Louys Rspul
/ 10 nat. A dtt.ohmeat Of Qasutrsil''
comus0d vas suddenly aud unexpected
/ y unboTsei 10 NosItra ksntucky shouI
+ Toe middle OF the var. | S.sone OF them
/ There wers ten Ut us 10 the party We
! hustled around 10 lively fashion ior neu
horses, snd could not sford 10 be very
/ squesmlsh about tho stflo Of animal OF
toe mesns employed 10 sUqnlrins them
TOT The enemy were close upon us aud pur
sung US holly. Along toward night we
came upon pasture ilied With . motley
srrsy Of horses aud We hslped ourselves to
them.
la the bunch was an old mare With q
bls b,ll tied around her neck, OF course
We Knew that this meant she was the lead
CT Of the drove Bot We pressed her into
service, shyway, aud away We struck dosn
rocky branch road, You don't know
what rocky brsnch road Is unless you
bsye mad TO travel over one 10 Western
Kentucky. 1t Is no road ct all, bat sim
ply level bank along braaoh or small
creek that toss through tue valley be
tween the high bills, which IN any other
county would be called mountains.
Well, We we're going liokily split down
tbis rocky brsnoh road teward our com
mand. 1t Was soon after dsrk, but 1t vac
ss black away down in that rsyine Ms the
lnnermost recesses Of the iuiernsl regions
are supposed to be-, Though We were
rldlEg iast snd making good deal OF
noise, We could bear tremendous oom |
motion 10 our rear We halted TO deter |
mine the nature and cause OF IT, The up |
roar sounded like whole divislon OF |
Federal cavalry pursuing us
We resumed our course under whip and |
spur and louder grew the noise ia our
rear, 1t sounded exactly ss II the enemy
Was gaming on Us 1t syery leap, aud 1
suggested that We shy uh into the bushes
and wait for the Ysnks to come up to us.
Then We could surprise and rout them.
On the mad rush came with . mighty clst
ter OF hools on that rocky branch road.
As the up roar grew louder aud more dis
Iinot. we knew The enemy was nearing us
and We threw ourselves ilto line Of battle.
Pretty soon we heard tue clstter lust
over the brow OF hill from our position,
nd cooked ouf guns ready to throw n broad
ide into the onrushiDg Ysnks as soon ss
hey showed themselves on the hiIls
,rest. In another instant q black mace
'ould be seen sweeping over the knoll.
Then we thought 1t might probably be
oEe OF Our own men, aud that before send
ng our deadly fire into the mass il would
70 best to find out what Gem posed it, We
houted HAIL Ut the top Of our voices,
'ut still the mass continued TO sweep
owsrd us. Then we fred voley into IL.
ne nash OF our guns made 9 brilliant red
freak 10 the inky blscknsss, and through Z
we saw lot OF young mules. They .
sd broken out OF the pasture when they
iscovered the absence Of the bell mare,
nd their instinct had guided them 10 our
ireotion in search OF her. i
| have no idea how many OF them We
illed, but ! do know that was mad b
ncugh when got over my fright TO
boot them oil down, and would probably '
ave done so il il had not been for the fear /,
bat the cannonsding we had all ready 10 4
ulged 10 had aroused the enemy and put v
1tm on to the direction we had taken. a