The National tribune., 1898-07-28
An Unexpected Marriage.

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turn of events with soldierly philosophy
Tuggers, captured in a blue uniform, saw
the ignominious fate of a spy loom up before
his eyes His face grew very white and set
lie sat down on q log, looked far away, and
seemed oblivious to everything around him.
jeff blackberry and Sol. Simmons were
frightened into nerveless terror and OCCASION
ally sighed and groaned audibly Their men
huddled together like frightened sheep, and
looked anxiously at every move of their
captors.
Squire Corson had ventured two OF three
remarks in judicial and advisory way, but
had been ordered by Capt. McGillicuddy to
sit down and keep quiet. He took seat on
stump, pulled large bandana out of
his beaver-crowned hat, wiped his bald head,
and anxiously surveyed the scene as If look
ing for an opportunity when the power and
dignity of the State of Tennessee might be
invoked to advantage.
Only Mrs. Bolster retained her aggressive
ness and her tongue. If anything, she
seemed to I've more savage and virulent than
ever She was wild that she had been out
witted, and particularly by 81, whose fluent
speech had returned the moment the fire.
crackers went off. She poured out volleys Of
scOrching epithets on all the Yankees from
President Lincoln down to Corp'l ST Klegg,
and fervently invoked for them speedy death
and eternal torment where the worm dieth
not and the fire is not quenched.
Capt. McGillicuddy rounded up his prison.
ers, took arms from those who still retained
them, had ST and Shorty do what they could
toward dressing the Majors wound, and then
began an examination of the house.
He found abundant evidence of all that he,
ST and Shorty had believed of it. 1t was a
rendezvous for spies, both great and small
both those, like Mrs. Bolster, who infested
our camps, and got news of whatever was
going on there, and those who operated on a
larger scale, passing directly from the Head
quarters of the rebels to the Headquarters of
ours, and to the rear, and the sources of in
formation at Nashville and Louisville. 1t
was an important station on the route for
smuggling gun-caps, quinine, medicines and
other contraband from the North. Quantities
of these were there waiting to be forwarded.
AS the source of the fighting whisky intro
duced into the camp of the 200th Ind. too
much was known OF it to require any further
information And it was more than probable
that it was the scene of darker crimes-Union
soldiers lured thither under some pretext,
murdered and robbed
"How in the world am / going to break
this internal nest up?" said Capt. McGilli-
cuddy, with puzzled air, after he had
ordered the whisky destroyed, and the other
things gotten in shape to send back to camp
" By rights, / ought to burn that house down,
but that would leave all these children with
out shelter By the same token, l ought to
shoot or at least send off to prison that old She
catamount, but that would mean starving
the children to death. / declare, l don't
know what to DO"
He had drawn apart a little with ST and
Shorty, to whom he spoke confdentially,
while casting his eyes about him as if seeking
some solution OF the problem.
g If you'll allow me, Captain" said Shorty,
"Iye an idee. Now that we've got the
trap, let's set it agin, and see if we can't
ketch some more"
''Splendid idea, Shorty" said the Captain,
catching on at once.
"And my idee,' said Shorty, emboldened
by the reception of his first suggestion, s. is
that You take all the company but me and
ST, and four or five of the boys back to camp,
leavin' US here until tomorrow at least.
TherelI probably some very interestin' men
what's happened, and Well jest quietly yank
'em in"
"That's good, ;" assented the Captain.
Gin the meantime" continued Shorty,
"you kin be considerin' what you'll do with
the house. 1t may be best to let it stand
and watch it. That's good way to do with
a bee-tree or woodchuck hole"
81 believe you are right. I'll do as you
say. 81, you and Shorty pick out as many
men as you want to stay with you. I'll
leave one of these horses with Won If Won