The National tribune., 1898-02-03

"Back ALL" But it was too late, and they
landed pell-mell into its top.
Extricated from this they were after them
again.
Now the Signal had come near again a
sharp fire from q half-d0zen muskets had been
replied to- but before we could Overtake them
the ferry had been beached and everything
having life had vanished out of it.
Our loss was two darky oarsmen, a lady
and child, horse-cut loose from its buggy
! three rebel Generals, and three or four minor
officers
We leisurely resumed our anchorage :" at
the old stand" and inventoried our gains.
They were Il buggy, a lady's trunk, several
other trunks and boxes, containing several
brand-new suits Of clothing, with stars
and tinsel arranged to denote high rank, an
1S-ioot Confederate flag of beautiful silk,
Is. 600 Confederate dollars rebel mail,
containing important correspondence with
jeff Davis relative to blowing up all our
Western gunboats by torpedOes of imitation
COAL officers sidearms, and several muskets,
still warm from practicing on us, were also
ours.
Our spacious warCroom was Uttered with
our captured articles. and an hour was given
up to revelry. Officers arrayed in the habili
ments of rebeldom marched up and down i'll
mock dignity, while others saluted them in
ludicrOus imitation of the untaught and I'M
kempt pomposity of many Western examples.
A few ''Old scores" were sought to be squared
while Confederate money was plentiful, and
the merest trifie freely commanded Sl0O
But amid all our hilarity we hesitated to
attack the lady's trunk. Would you antici-
pate that under the circumstances reverence
for woman, in the abstract, would satiate
curiosity?
''Sse is rebel" urged one "This trunk
may harbor some vile plot against our flag"
The lid was thrown back. A lady's dress
was lifted ont, then another. Handkerchief,
hosiery, then a little girls skirt. The last
'broke us all up"
was unanimous. " This lisa precious proof of
back and the trunk closed.
The next morning q small party took the
mail from the river under white flag, fol-
lowed by four brawny sailors transporting
the sacred trunk.
Instinctively las the lowing oxen trans
ported the sacred ark the party was drawn
to house in the distance. The mother and
lid were there. With the pent up gallan-
burden at her feet, offering the lady safe con-
duct and free passage up the river to God s
Country" which she subsequently accepted.
The party returned to the ship.
Six weeks later, having fought gallant
engagement of five and half hours, the
battered hulk of the Signal lay sunk as an
obstruction across the bottom of Red River,
lao miles from its mouth. After two days'
march, dusty and sore, one mid afternoon,
amid the gloom of over-arching trees and
thick underbru>h we were nshered into the
headquarters of the rebel General, command
ing somewhere in the rear of Alexandria. La.
While our captors reported, a party OF rebel
officers approached US. One asked:
:" When were you captured? What boat?"
1.-THE Signal
"What the No. 80"
Yes
Turning to his associates, he said "That
is the boat that so nearly captured us at the
crossing"
A week later, one sunny afternoon, / sat
on the deck of the steamer l.. ID. Hine, near
Grand Ecore, bound via Shreveport to Ca mp
Ford, whence those two soldiers whom we
rescued had escaped. Deiectedly and aim
lessly, ] was inspecting my purse (which /
still retained), when drew forth 500
Confederate bill could not recall whence
it came but as / disgustedly contemplated
its wOrthessness had vision.
Calling to Mr.. Loan, 1 said: ~ notice that
you are very thick with that rebel steward
| want you to tell him that we six officers of
the Signal are gentlemen, If we are dirty and
footsore; that after that old Confederate Gen
eral has disappeared from his meals we want
to come in and pick up what is left of hoe
cake, moasSes. and sassafras tea, and that
when night comes we want to slip in and
sleep on the cabin floor Here's a hundred
dollars; never mind the change"
Loan saw the point and negotiated the
exchange. That 500 bill was part of the
S1S 200 captured on that serio comic night
down at the crossing on the Mississippi
Wideawake dealers consult the wishes
of customers. and do not offer " something
just as coed" when you ask for an adver-
tispd article