The San Francisco call., 1898-06-05

hourly simple tests of my hearing, or rather my non-hearing faculty. 1. 1 was almost on the verge of nervous prostration from the strain of ceaseless precaution I had to exerclse lest I re- veal my hearing.
 l was standing in the door of a shanty cookhouse in a camp, and, without moments warning down came about five gallons of cold water over my head and shoulders. I shud- der now when I think how near I came to cussing the Confederate soldiers who stood about to watch me.
 Instead of saying a word I gurgled lot of inharmonious sounds of fright, and looked the more like thing of wood.
 In another camp I was squatting on the ground, mechanically showing my soaps and tobaccos. and playing deaf to the thousand and one questions art fully put to me. when I saw by a sol dier's eye that some test of my hearing was to be made
 That moment I heard the click of pistol being brought to cock The weapon was discharged within three inches of my ear.
 1 never had to hold myself together more than then. I slowly turned my head and looked inquiringly about at the smoke Of the discharge.
 When I reached General Johnstons main camp about Jackson, I knew that crucial tests would be made. I had by that time gained nearly all the in formation I wished for General Grant, and my plans were how to get back to the Federal lines.
 I slept in barn one night, remote from any camp, where I could have at least partial peace from the fear of soldiers watching to entrap me to my death. It is marvellous that I was not stark mad by that time. The next morning as I was getting out of the foraging. My actions had reused their suspicious.
 I wrote on my slate that I was Confederate peddler named Freeman on my way to Jackson to get new goods for selling to the boys in gray.
 "Oh. that won't do.' said one of the soldiers. ''Ill bet he's another Tank spy"
 Then learned from the conversation of my captors that two of the spies sent out from Grand Gulf at the time I was had been caught and hanged two days previous.
 Try and imagine what my thoughts were as the soldiers marched me across a cotton field to the headquarters. In my four years of warfare that was the nearest I ever saw death before me It seemed perfectly hopeless to brave out the ordeal would have to undergo in the enemy's lines, without a pass in my pocket and no one to vouch for me.
 1 was taken to General Kirby Smiths tent. The general was informed that 1 had been arrested without pass, and that l was suspected of being a spy in the guise of a deaf and dumb peddler.
 General Smith said nothing.
 Two or three officers in his tent went and whispered to him. I knew they were devising schemes to catch me if I were spy in disguise.
 I pulled myself together and looked absently about, as if l had never seen the interior of a tent in time of war fare. I knew that I was thoroughly suspected by all present.
 One of the officers wrote me a mes- sage on a bit of paper. While I was writing an answer, the man started and calculated, Look outi''
 I wonder now that my hand did not start involuntarily. The officers and others were looking at it closely.
 For some minutes there was con- versation on my slate concerning why I had no pass in the Confederate lines, whence came and where I was go- ing. I could see it was all done to dis arm me of any fear I had.
 An officer came forward and said: This poor mute looks tired It is a shame to keep him here'' Then turn ing to me he smilingly said, Are you hungry?"
 It was a pretty ruse, but I simply stared af biG annuletS