Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-10-06

cellar to refill 1t. l heard her down there
and heard her ascend the stairs, and.
though she did not Immediately appear, l
aid not raise my eyes. A minute later she
Jpoke, and my eyes lifted fast enough. Sho
was standing in the door between the
kitchen and what farmers call the "fronu
room, - and she had a shotgun leveled at
my breast from a distance of only ten feet.
Yankee, you are my prisoner ~ she
quietly said.
what do you mean?" | asked as 1 rest
cd my elbows on the table and stared at
her in surprise,
just what I said, sir! You are my
prisoner, and If you don't do just as 1 tell
you III shoot! Stand upl'
"Don't be foolish, child" I said as /
stood up and smiled at her. "That gun
isn't loaded, and even if it was you would
not dare fire it off. Put it away and bring
the milk"
'The gun Is loaded, and I'll shoot" she
exclaimed, though her voice betrayed that
she was frightened. "Do as l tell you or
l will fire! Go into the pantry"
1 had q revolver in my holster under my
coat, but as l looked into the girls face 1
knew that she would pull trigger if l
made a motion to get my weapon. 1t was
absurd to let u child like her make me u
'prisoner, and yet I was forced to realize
that she was as dangerous as a man-per-
haps more SO. The result was that / backed
up to the open door of the pantry, and as
she advanced upon me l stepped into the
little room and she cl,sed the door end
fastened 1t with u button. My idea was
to escape by the window before she could
get out and around the house, but | found
the opening 4 small one, with wooden
bars across the outside. / could not have
escaped that way had l been alone in the
house. Drawing my revolver l fired
through the door and made threats, bat
the girls voice was firm and determined
as she answered me:
IF you fire again, I'll shoot through
shot In this gun"
l coaxed and attempted to bride, but sho
refused to hold conversation with me.
l hoped that she would leave the house, in
which case q couple of kicks would have
sent the old door flying, but she sat down
In the kitchen to guard me and wait for
some n to come along. 1t was almost
noon before any one arrived, and then it
was a guard of cavalry beating up the
country in search Of me. They were pass
Ing the house when the girl called them
IN, and as the leader opened my prison
door and commanded me to step forth sew
en- or eight soldiers had their carbines lev
eled at me. They joked NE and said
much In praise of the girl, but she scarce
ly uttered a word in reply. / was first
taken to General Lees headquarters to
be questioned and later on was sent to
Richmond, where President Davis did me
the honor to confine me In a dark cell of
the city prison for two weeks as a spy and
to inform me that I should eventually be
hanged. Byand by I was transferred to
Libby prison, and later on to Anderson
vile, and it was within a few weeks Of
peace before I recovered my liberty. Long
after the war I revisited the farmhouse
where I was so ignominiously captured.
I found only an old man about, and of
him / queried:
"You lived here during the war;"
"Yes."
"You had a daughters"
eyes, Nancy. She married two years
ago, but has been dead for six months.
She was a good girl-Nanoy was. She was
also brave. Right yers in this house, when
she was only ~ years old, she captured the
most daring spy in Grants whole army"