The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-09-02

down under one of the benches at the
far end of the room, while two or three
OF the girls sat directly over him and
spread their voluminous skirts so as to
completely hide his recumbent figure.
In a short time several Yankees came
in and stood talking near the door.
There was nothing in the appearance Of
the room to Indicate hat there wasa
spy concealed. Two sets of young
folks were going through the stately
measures Of the ~lancers. with the little
Frenchwoman, who was the teacher,
at the piano, noddins and calling the
figures to them. Down at the end Of
the room was a group of girls laughing
and talking. The music came to a stop
and the dancers crowded around the
girls at the far end of the room. The
Yankees left, as the lesson was over.
Then Sue Mundy came from his hiding
place. Several Of the girls took off q
skirt apiece and rugged him out. With
cloak and f~ascinator he passed the Yam
KEGS at the foot Of the stairs, got in
safety to tie home of Il friend and in
the early morning cluded the pickets
and started on his ride for Louisville,
where he was captured and hanged as u
spy.
1t was, l believe, some time after
ward that this apron again met With an
adventure. One day two ragged, foot
sore Confederates came to grandmoth-
er's seeking food and shelter. They had
been cut off from their company, which
had passed through the adjacent coun-
try a few days before. OF course they
were fed and were lodged in an out
house.
They had not been long concealed
when grandmother got word that u
squad Of cavalry who had been securing
the country for stragglors were headed
for her place. 1t was too late for the
Johnnies to escape. Clearly something
had to be done at once. The Johnnies
would be found, and grandmother and
the girls would be arrested probably.
Grandmother went to the clubhouse and
laid the matter before the two men.
They were unarmed, while grand
mothers arsenal consisted of q rusty old
musket.
Mother proposed a plan, which was
carried out successfully. She and her
younger sister had often mustered with
their cousins and other neighbors' boys.
They had always been the fife and drum
corps.
There was a dense plum thicket not
far from the house. A queer procession
headed for it in a little while. There
was grandmother, my two aunts, moth
er, the two Johnnies and the negro
cook. Mother carried her fife in one
hand and this apron in another, while
my aunt had a drum. Mother tied her
apron to a stick and hoisted it above the
! plum trees.
In a few minutes the Yankees came
in sight. Mother says at sight of tho
uniformed men, mounted on splendid
horses, her heart bounded and that her
sister trembled SO that it was a second
or so before they could command cour-
age enough to carry out their part Of
the programme.
The Yankees came to a halt at sight
Of the red, white and red flag. Then
came the shrill notes of the fife and
steady beat of the drum. Then "Dixie'
came floating over across the meadow
to them. They came closer. What
meant the ominous silence so far as
shots went? The Johnnies had not fired
a single shot. The plum thicket was
large enough to conceal a goodly body
of men. They approached the thicket
and fired. The only damage done was
these bullet holes in the apron. Panic
seized the advancing men, and wheeling
their horses they went heller SHELTER
across the meadow and in the direction
Of their camp.
When they returned, a short time
later, they had been heavily re-enforced.
They found the farmhouse in the pos
session Of two women and three girls
and not a trace of Johnnies anywhere.
Not long after. this the war was over.
A young Union officer called at grand
mothers one day and asked for mother.
He was the sergeant who had christen-
ed her apron. The call was followed by
many others, and the following year
mother and father were married.-St.
Louis Republic.
Defend scar institutions.