The record-union., 1898-11-13
IF THINE ENEMY HUNGER.

fSu up 10 the porch Con1eu6rale SOL
der. For moment she shrank back,
and then drew near, for she saw that
I the man was not drunken, as at first
she had thought, but wounded and had
tainted.
She drew him into the house and
dashed water in his face, and as he be-
gan to show signs of returning life she
gave him stimulants and got him upon
the bed. All the time it seemed TO her
she knew him, but who he was she
could not remember.
Give me something to eat he plead
ed. m most starved
She made him some Cruel, and he
took it and fell a-leep. That day and
the next she kept hiI-1, allowing him to
talk little, caring for his shattered arm
and nursing him back to strength.
i don har'ly know as / ought to do
1t" she said; but pore boy. eff he is a
rebel, he's got ma
On the morning of the third day he
raised himself in bed and said
I'm goin' to dress me an go home
You've saved my life, and I'm mighty
thankful"
Don't go till yer able" she said BE
''ANS7, HoAil yOu 10 tell lie dDOul luS
war You come from Kaintuck? Has
they been a fight?"
Yes, they has, said he. "They was
big fight at Mill Spring"
Tell me about it." said she.
We got licked" said he- Thomas
licked US awful. We had to leave our
dead an wounded an run. Zollicoffers
dead. Our boys are scattered all the
way from here to the Kentucky line
The most have gone to Knoxville, but
Knoxville has got to go now. There
WaIn't no use o me goin, there, SO
started this away toward home. I live
about six miles across the Holston from
here. | ought to know you, but I amt
5eep in this cove often, though known
a right smart o. people over this away
Il thank God ye got licked said she
I'm heart an soul agin this wicked re-
bellion. I hope this is the end o. it,"
You're Union?" he asked. You're
kid, though. I've passed some houses
where they set the dog on me because
l was a reb They'd have taken me
prisoner, eff they dared, and give me
up to the Union army"
You needn't have no fear O. me,
she said. There hain't no Union army
here to give We up to. I won't do We
no harm. I'm bein' good to ye fer my
boys sake that's in the Union army
Mebby some rebel woman that's got a
boy in the war mought be good to him
some time for her boys sake. Now
you mustn't talk no more. Jes' lay
down an rest to-day an tonight
'"Ill rest a spell this mornin'," he said.
Il amt har'ly able to get on But be-
fore night can get over to some friends
O. mine that live less'n two miles from
here, an stay there tonight, an, by
mornin' / can git home.''
He rested that day, and toward even
ing rose and found himself able to
stand and walk little
'I'll be a-goin' now" he said. 'I'I
take it easy, and git across to my
friends by dark. God bless yer for what
you've done for me. You've saved my
life. We must be friends now, eff we are
on different sides. I'll have to be round
home a spell now. Some day I'll ride
over when l get strong. Seems like /
ought to know you, anyhow"
Pears like ought to know you, too -
|isaid she, "but 1 can't somehow place
we. I'm right sure I've seed you afore
We had a beard, an when you wasn't so
pale. That makes a right smart O.
difference"
My names Marshall" said he, ''Dr.
Sam Marshall"
Sam Marshall!" she cried. "Be YOU
the man that got some one to swear
away the life O. my boy? Be you the
man that sent my boy South to die?"
he cried, suspicion of the truth cross
ing his mind
I'm Elizabeth Casey, Jack Casey's
mother. An you're the man that got
old Pete Stevens to swear that my boy
! helped burn the bridges. You villain!
You perjurer. You lynn scamp! l
wisht I'd left We to die on my doorstep
afore 1 saved the life o. the man that
tried to murder my boy!"
Sam steadied himself by the post OF
the porch, and began speaking thickly:
III tell yoo two things, Mis- Casey
One is, [ didn't git no one to swear
false against your boy. Leastwise. not
as | know of. 1 hunted up what evi-
dence could find, and when Pete Stew
ems said he seen a man near there that
favored the man 1 described as Jack
l had him taken to Knoxville. an lie
identified Jack as the man. I hain't
a-sayin he was right or wrong. ]
halnt a-sayin' / wasn't glad to find
him an git his evidence But I swear
on the holy Bible never bribed no man
to swear a lie. That's one thing I cot
to tell you. There's another thing
Yer boy amt South in jail. He's got
out. l don't know how, and I don't
know when. But I seen him plain as
1 see you, in the battle O. Mill Spring
He's the man that broke my arm, an
I've swore to have his life for it.
I'll tell you another thing. Eff I'd a
knoWed you lived here, I'd a died afore
I'd tuck a crust from you, or crossed
the threshold O. this door. I was SC
weak an faint night afore las, hard
~ knowed where 1 was at an amt
right we'll acquainted over here any
how. l knowed 1 mus be nigh the
Hanson's, an / didn't dast to go there.
1 tried to git two miles furder to
where / know some folks that would
have taken care o. me. l knowed
they'd see ne five miles furder an at
home as soon as I could go. But give
out, an had to stop. I'd a died afore
I'd a taken a pinch o. yer salt. But
that can't be helped now. As to yer
boy, I've swore to God I'll kill him
when I see him, an never broke no
promise l ever made, an / hain't a.
goin' to break one swear to-
Weak as he was, his cheek flushed.
He gathered strength and started
toward the road Elizabeth ran back
into the house and pulled up loose
board in the floor. From a hiding
place below she drew out Jacks long