The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1899-12-22

THE LIGHT ON THE CLOUDS.

AlNs
THE LIGHT ON THE CLOUDS.
For an hour we watched the slowly
moving bodies of cavalry; then the
ranks began to grow thinner; detach-
ments were smaller; scattered wagons
appeared, numbered up the valley, and
passed out of sight far in the distance.
Ambulances, men supported in their
saddles by their comrades, evidently
invalids, followed, the distance between
them and the main body constantly in
creasing. The rear was brought up by
stragglcrs, with here and there groups
of army traders, the former devoting
themselves to plumber, the latter bar
gaining, cheating citizens and soldiers
alike NTH pinchbeck trinSets.
Whch PUNK was aroused and
learned that our object had been ac-
complished by n woman, his mortifca-
ton knew no bounds. lie went about
getting breakfast sullcnly, muttering
that II we ever got back to the com
mand he would give up scouting and
turn company cook. While we were
eating our breakfast we discussed the
matter of our return. Should we wait
till evening and skulk through under
cover OF the night, or set out boldly in
broad day? PUNK was strongly in IA
vor of waiting till evening, and Mar
garet was decidedly Of his opinion. I
would have declined to listen to PUNK,
but was persuaded by Margaret.
We spent most of the day in arrang-
ing the stories we would tell on the way.
At the outset we discovered one fact
| likely to cause trouble. PUNK was i'm
favor Of always making an explanation
that would involve the greatest I'M
TRUTH / was in favor of mild prevari-
cation; while Margaret would have
nothing but truth.
Lieutenant" said PUNK, 81 suppose
| must obey orders, but If this party
is to travel with no other ammunition
than the truth, I must ask permission
to go alone"
The generals statement that he had
gwen me PUNK to supply my own de
! ficiencies occurred to me, and | was
loath TO enforce my own plans in the
face of the corporal's opposition.
"lTow would it do" | suggested, at
tempting a, compromise, "for you to lie
like a trooper, and for me to travel on
n system of white lies, while Miss Beach
sticks rigidly to the truth?"
THAT responded the corporal,
''woud be like the cavalry charging,
the men seated with their faces to the
crupper, the infantry pouring yolleys
into the cavalry, and the artillery fir
ing at heaven
Margaret smiled. "T'l tell you what
we will do" she said to me. "Since
you command the party, the corporal
can conform to your stories, and I'll
keep silent"
Done" said I.
And now that we had gained all we
had hoped for. and had 's=fore MS the
peril of carrying back the news, we
made discovery that filled us with
| dismay. Private Mellodew was miss
ing. During the day he had seen the
rear-guard of the army that had passed,
and asked what it meant. When we
told him, l noticed a look on his face
that might mean incredulity or might
mean determination to be ncredulous,
but we cared nothing whether he be-
lieved or doubted. What he had gone
for none of us could possibly imagine.
We did not suspect that under the APP
parently simple, cowardly nature there
lurked Il malevolence that might be cX-
pected only under "A stronger exterior.
In our position we were vulnerable
even from crawling snake.
However, we wasted no time to see
If Enoch would return; when we were
ready PUNK brought the horses, and
mounting as the sun was setting we
descended the hillside we had come
up few days before, We were for
tunate in finding a ford at the river,
and in getting across the railroad with
out interruptions; il was later on, when
we were not looking for trouble, that
we received our first scare. Coming
10 a ridge, we were panic-stricken to
see each of the roads leading into
Georgetown filled with confederate cav
airy.
"By Jove, PUNK! that's going to
raise the devil with us. They are
sweeping along the refuse in the rear,
driving in stragglers."
Fright you are, lieutenant" said
PUNK, "and if we don't dodge them
theyll be likely to give us an enfilading
fire of questions worse than a volley
from their carbines."
We halted behind a clump Of trees for
parley. PUNK and | were for hiding
in the woods till they had gone by;