The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1898-01-21
TAKEN BY A GIRL.
GY c. u. LEWIS.


had settled his plans in a general way,
but wanted more details and particulars,
ana of the 36 scouts and spies ordered to
report at headquarters I was one. Each
III turn as he arrived was taken to the
generals tent for instructions. These were
more often given by our chief of scouts
after he had thoroughly posted himself
but now and then General Grant insisted
on talking with each man in person.
On this occasion no briefly but plainly
instructed each man. Ten Of the So were
to go as spies, the remainder as scouts. 1
had been put Gown among the latter to
my great satisfaction. Not that l would
have hCsitated 10 disguise myself and at
tempt to penetrate the enemy camp and
taken the chances, but soldiers did not
take TO spy work. No army could get
along without them, and as u rule they
are the bravcSt men, but spy work has al
ways ,keen and always will be considered
degrading. Asa scout ono wears his own
uniform and is provided With a.Fass and
in case of capture is treated as prisoner
OF war.
You will leave camp as soon as 1t Is
dark and take this road" began the gen
oraI as he pointed &c the map on the table
before him. when you reach this cross
road, turn to the left. At this road turn
to the right. Get rs close 20 their picllets
| and camp as possible and hear and see all
you can. Noto which WY any forcc may
b. muginG, and if re-enforcements are
coming up t;- to ascertain their strength.
Scout the country thoroughly along tho
| roads and try To DC back within four days.
You are pretty young for this business"
Il have r2n:' q i Il year, general"
n
about il b. this time, then. Carry out my
Instructions as faithfully as you caH and
as soon rs possible
was not going to detail all the Incl
dents of the next two days, though all
were interesting and some of them full of
peril. So far Is l could make out, Lee was
not being re-cnforced, though he was
changing the position of some Of his troops,
throwing VI, field works and evidently on
the alert for an movement on the part OF
Grant s army l had secured all the in
formation I could hope f0c under the cir
cunlstanceS and had set out on my return
when | had q close shave frGrn capture OF
death. An hoGr after daylight, as l was
crossing n highway in the thici. woods, l
was observed u :: detachment Of cavalry
whose approach l had not heard. As
| left cover and stepped into the open road
the head Of the column was not pistol
shot away. \ dozen voices called " HAITI
and as 1 boiled across the road and ran
| into tho thickct score of carbincs and re-
vuivers We're turned loose on me. ran rs
| fast AS I could, but l believe that y hun
lrcd bullets were sent after Inc before the
firing ceased. Three Of them cut my
| clothes, while q third went through my
| mp and others cut of twigs and limbs all
ar1and l.lc. Some Of the men diSmounted
and pursued E:r, and. though they did not
again get sight Of Tic, l knew that gem
raj alarm WuGld be raised, the roads pa
rrollcl and l must go into hiding for the
day. Attora run Of mile or mere through
| the woods l came upon n clearing and
| farmhouse. / found q hiding place in Il
| bod OF weeds, and during the next two
hours ! pCCr&d out ut intervals, but failed
| 10 see any one moving about. Everything
went to show that the place was deserted,
and ut length ! decided To make a move
| which turned out TO be a very foolish one.
| had passed the previous night in tie
| woods and with scarcely Il wink of sleep
and was also th;rs; and hungry. ! should
/ find water at TIC well, something TO eat
perhaps. ana the L1cr would do me for a
| bed while caught a few hours sleep.
| When had made mp my mind about it, 1
| to the house. The front door stood partly
| open, and that was one Of Ivy reasons for
| believing the place deserted. As 1 reached
the door l looked in and saw furniture
| and realized that the people must be there
still. l was hrsitaJing what to do when
the door was pulled wide open and Il girl
| about II years Old stood before me. She
was poorly clad, and hands and face were
| not oycrc!can, but her eyes shono 1ith
| Intelligence, and her face was pleasing.
what DO yOu wait she asked after
! we had surveyed each other for Il minute.
II want something to cat and will pay
you for it, u" I replied.
Father is away, and I'm all alone, and
| you are Yankee
well, what Of it,
She looked me over again from head to
| foot aid no doubt wondered how l got
| there and what my GRAND was. | leaned
against the door and smiled at her, but
| the pleasant look left her face and her lips
| frightened as If she had come To some dc
| cidcd conclusion about something.
| thought she was going to turn me away,
| but after awhile she slowly said:
You will find ii gourd at the well, and
| I will get you something to cat.
l went to the well and satisfied my
| tLirss and then entered the house and sat
| dD.vn at the rude table in the kitchen
! Whgr1on til" meals were served. She put
on Il plate, knife and fork and IL cup of
| milk and then brought me some corn
| bread and cold meat. l tried my best to
| engage her i'll conversation, but she either
| ausv cred il monosyllaElCs or was silent.
| She knew all about the war, of course,
| and being southern horn she had no love
| for the blue. l could and did make allow
| ancCs for this, and when l found that She
| was sUllen and unCOmmunicatiyc | ceased
to annoy her with questions. When my
rup was empty, she took it and went down
cellar to refill it, l heard her down there
| and heard her ascend the stairs, and,
! though she did not Immediately appear, l
| did not raise my eyes. a minute later she
spoke, and my eyes lifted fast enough. She
was standing i'll the door between the
| Kitchen and what farmers call the front
| room, and she had a shotgun lcvcled at
my breast from distance OF only ten feet.
Yankee you are my prisonern' she
| quietly said
''What do you mcan?' asked rs I rest
cd my elbows on the table and stared at
ECr in surprise.
Just what I said, sir You are my
| prisoner, and if you don do just as l tell
you ii SEOOt. stand up!
| Don't be foolish, child, said as
| stood up and smiled mt her. THAT gun
| ism t loaded, and even if it was you would
| rot dare fire it oil. Put it away and hrin|
JnC mix.
THE gun is loaded, and I'll shoot!' she
| exclaimed, though her voice betrayed that
| she was frightened. do as tell you or
will fire. Go into the pantry"
| ! l;td il revolver in my holster under my
coat, but as l looked into the girls face
| knew that she would pull trigger if i
| made Il motion to get my weapon. 1t was
absurd to let child like her make me
| prisoner, and yet l was forced to realize
| that She was as dangerous as man-per-
! Eaps more So. The result was that backed
| zap to the open door of the pantry, and as
she advanced upon me l stepped into the
| little room and she closed the door and
| fastened it with IL button. My idea was
| to escape by tho window before she could
! get out and around tho house, but found
| the opening small one, with wooden
| bars across the outside. l could not have
escaped that way had 1 been alone in the
| house Drawing my revolver 1 fired
through the door and made threats. but
! the girls voice was firm and determined
! as she answered me:
'If you fire again, I'll shoot through
| the door, and there is a big load of buck
! shot in this gun.
l ooazcd and attempted to bride, but she
! refused to hold any conversation with me.
l hoped that she would leave the house, in
which case couple of kicks would have
sent the old door flying, but she sat down