Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1897-10-28
"For you-to save Won for the cause. ,

For you-to save you for the cause"
"Faugh!" said /. 81 despise you for
a meddling hussy."
Yet thought afterward she indeed
had not betrayed me. That was certain.
I wondered what was the reason, dis
mayed over the turn of the adventure
For here was I, now bound for Vir-
ginia, as earnest q patriot us ever served
in the war, but in the uniform of an
English soldier and commanded by the
very Arnold whom had come to take.
In addition the weather turned dirty,
and I suffered the worst torments the
sea can infliot on those so indiscreet as
to trust to its flckleness. Let them be
sailors who will, would be content to
be the humblest landlubber rather than
to own all the fame of the most es-
teemed admiral.
remember it was week after we
had made landing before 1 recovered
my heart and was In some way able to
debate the chance Of escape to the
American lines. had become, with
memory of that wretched discovered
letter, as cunning as a fox. But, despite
all my cunning, the chance never pre-
sented itself. could not hope to abduct
General Arnold with now no man
whom dared trust with even hint of
my true mission of spy. How quickly I
should be worsted.
Strangely I did in my false position
Bingularly good service. was COM
mended again and again when least of
all did 1 want praise for part detest-
ed. That old saying of the mockery in
the way of the world came to me in
those days, "When you may be indiffer-
emit to success, 10, it comes to you.
AS matter of fact, we remained in
this inaction some three months, till
we Joined Lord CORVALLIS at Peters
burg. was then detailed to go with
division instructed to intercept some
reported foragers sent out by Major
Harry Lee.
I strained my ears as I heard. was
arrayed against Major Harry, whom 1
loved If ever loved man, both for
being most considerate of his interiors
and always the daredevil leader /.
laughed as thought of i'll against
Major Harry!
Yet it was not so comtcal an affair in
very earnest. Here in Virginia I was
known. One day an old woman who
had heard my history spat at me- ]
could not blame her.
But two persons hated, Benedict
Arnold and the meddling hussy ]
thought might kill him, and SO, al
though certainly should be hanged,
should be Landed by my old comrades
as a hero after all these days of appar.
emily deserved contempt
I thought, perhaps, of the meddling
hussy at the stair head. She had foiled
me, but in some curious way she equally
had made it impossible for me to kill
the man had the chance.
1t happened one evening at point
near the Carolinian line.
broke away much as had at Tap.
pan, but this time, knowing the coun.
try better than my pursuers, managed
8 to elude them with less danger to my
2 skin.
As was now walking my horse in
J the direction Of the Congaree, where
supposed Major Harry to have been,
stumbled directly on one of his pickets
) The man brought me in, covering mt
y with his musket And then suddenly hi
6 recognized me.
& Sergeant Major Champe, the desert
erl" he cried, at first incredulously ant
! then exultantly. "God, what bird
{ have brought DOWN."
z Others by this time had gathered, ant
; then an officer, before whom blacl
y carried lantern, approached over tn,
{ half frozen ground 1t was early March
& "Major Lee!' said weakly, for b,
; some chance had fallen in with II,
: less a parsonage. "Major Lee!' OH
z was then lieutenant colonel Of the dra
e goons though always ''major" to me-
81 "Where are your" he began, ant
s then, leaping from his horse, he cried
g taking my hand in his:
I'll "Champel"
y "Champe, who failed" I nodded
S shamefaced. The men stood about as
z founded. For was I not deserter? TIL
3 major knew their thoughts.
y Sergeant Major John Champe is thi
ST gentleman, who, like Captain Hale, t.
z serve his country took on the disguis
3 Of spy among the British"
y Then suddenly through that little de
6 tachment Of my old comrades chez
2 went up, and believe that, after all
3 had imagined and suffered, this seen
y In the Carolina swamp was the happies
& in my life
z "But how did you fail, MANI" tn
y major asked when we rode to his mai
y division IT really believed you woul
e carry it out We waited at Hobock un
& til too late for any possible hope of you
" appearance.
y Because of meddling hussy,"
. said, my heart bitter against her.
"a wench, Champe? thought nc
- that of YOU
~ "Eh, but you must" said I, and
10 told him the story.
/ 1T is strange" said he musingly
= "why she didn't betray you. can
., understand it unless
u "Unless?'
:. "Unless she were in love with you,
II said Major Lee.
u "Impossible" said I, forgetting t
:, | laugh Why of co1rsa III was absurd