The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-01-06
McELROY.

|
Much as she and her family had suffered,
nothing cut so deeply into her heart as this
sight. The rage of her stcrnly revengeful
race shook her being, and had she had the
power at that moment she would have sent
everybody connected with the rebellion to
everlasting torment She was too intensely
angry for that relief of women in smaller
| troubles-tears She could merely sit on heI
mare and let the whirlwinds of wrath sweep
| through her soul. AS she looked with biaz-
| ing ewes or the ruin, she saw three men ap-
proach on horseback. She recognized them
as Capt Sam Griggs, Big Bill Hoskins, and
| Pid Pancake Griags had been ordered TO go
through the country, gather up his men, and
bring them into camp. He had fastened
| upon the reluctant H0SiIins first and the still
more reluctant Pancake next 1t was in
vain that Hoskins pleaded his wound. and
| Pancake his floating kidney, which was sure
| to kill III, N both. If exposed TO the weather.
! GIiggs had recovered from his decentralization,
under the stern admonitions OF the rebel
| officers at Knoxville, and they had him
cut with strenuous orders that he felt he must
obey.
They halted at the site of the house to eat
their dinner. GTiggs ordered Hosl1ins and
Pancake TO roll some of the blacllened chunks
together to start a fire by which to boil their
coffee OF rarched wheat and broil their
meat
Miriam dashed down to them in fury.
on unhurg scoundrel, y she said to Griggs,
show dare you pollute this place with your
presa nee? This is your work, yo' vile off
scourin', yo' marcy hound, that barks and
bites at the command o. your rebel master.
Yo' burned these logs and destroyed this
~, IL. h.; 4
wipe his shoes on yo'. Yo' WIZ afeard t.
meet him face TO face. Yo' ran off like q
whipped dog from the fout, but like sneakin'
cur, yo' take advantage behind his back, an
burn his house It's Jest like all yo're cowardly
crew. But yore day'll come an that monty
soon. Clay Pollock1l soon be here, am
then NO he t. yo'"
TO away from here Miss Inrule, " said
Griggs, trying to assume the dignity Of an
officer ant a gentleman Il don't want Z
have nothin' t say & women; hits men that
we deal with"
Men," she repeated seornfully. "Yo'
deal with men! Yo' kin say that alter runnin'
a hundred mile t. git behind the mountings,
an hide from the fust Yankees yo' see Git
often this place at once, or I'll make yo'."
And she looked significantly at the light
squirrel life she carried.
go away, yo' Linconite hussy," said
GIigggs, losing his patience, and dropping his
pretense OF Manners $50 away, and
that quick. or I'll make yo' sorry"
She was so beside herself with rage that she
stepped back and put her hand on the hammer
of her rife. Just then her quick eye caught
sight OF group of five men on horseback
coming over the rise Of the hill, few hun
dred yards away. They were dressed the
most strangely that she had ever seen men.
They wore blue caps and blue overcoats with
capes The sight startled her, and she hest
tated. Pid Pancak, whose pale, watery
eyes had nery0usly watched every movement
she made, looked III the direction of her gaze.
a-massy-Yankees, +" he yelled, and
made dive for his horse. For man with
floating kidney, he showed remarkable agil-
ity. He sprang into The saddle like a boy,
and went galloping down the road Big
Bill Hoskins seemed to forget his lame leg
IN the haste he made to follow his example
Griggs was not far behind him as they dis
appeared over the hill.
The five horscmen in blue rode rapidly
forward. Miriam stood and looked at them
in a daze Were these Yankees, and what
sort of men could they be? How would
they act? What would they say and do 2
Had she not better herselffly? There flashed
through her mind the terrible pictures that
Big Bill Hoskins had painted OF the fierce
ness and cruelty of the Yankee soldiers She
kept her ewes fixed on them, but moved back
TO her mare, unhitched her and vaulted into
the saddle, keeping a close grasp on her gun
There seemed something familiar in the
carriage and manner OF riding of the fore
most man. She had never seen any other
man sit on horse so much like Henry Clay
Pollock.
She saw him pull off his cap and wave
it and shout.
What did that mean?
She heard the sound but could not distin-
guish the words. Then there foatcd to her
on the crisp, bright Winter air:
M-i-r-r-y-deari 600 M-i-r-r-y!n
There could be no mistaking the tones of
Henry Clay pollocll's voice In transport
of Joy she flung down her rife, struck her
mare sharply, and sped down the bill like the
wind TO meet him. Her mare was under
such Roadway that she would have passed
him. but he reached out his right arm lifted
her from her saddle, and set her on his own
in front Of him, pressing her to him in an al
most crushing embrace.
He carried her back to the site of the house,
set her down, and jumped to the ground be-
side her.
why, Clay-honey-whar - did-yo'-
come-irom 2" she gasped, kissing him
again. How strange yo' look in them
eloze. Is that the way the Yankees all
dress? Is this the Yankee army?n
IF yo'Il look a leetle keerfully, honey,
yo'll see that these air some o. your ole ac-
quaintances. Miss Inrule, 'Iow me III inter-
JUICE T. yo' Mister Web. Brainard.0
20, Web, " tie said Gelightedly, throwing
her arms around his neck and kissing him.
"Td never knowed yo' in the world in that
strange rig. How queer and line yo' look.
And this is True Westcott''
Yes, Mirry; an yo' must kiss me, too.
Web mustn't have anything t. brag On over
nc, said True.
Indeed / will" she replied. suiting the
action to the word "Clay don't mind on
this special occasion"
The other two claimed and received like
privileges.
"Whars the Yankee army?n she inquired.
"You'uns air not Yankees-only make
believes Whar air the rest ?''
The rest air the other side o. the mount
ings yit," answered Pollock gravely.
They uns can't come on fur the mud.
They'u I'll be here when the roads dry up
We'uns WIZ sent out on scout, and not
fndin' nobody t. stop weuns we jest kept
a-comin' till we got so near here that VIC
determined t. chance hit on a visit home /
wuz jest a-dyin' u see yo', honey. Web,