The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1899-07-27

Of that officer may have Gained he1
fears for time but they did not re-
move them She believed it was the
same with myself. She ordered Pets TO
bring her horse from his hiding place
and to watch whether I attempted to-
leave secretly. If I did SO, he was to
place the animal at my disposal"
| This explanation Of what he had seen
was sc reasonable that the lieutenant
accepted it as the true one, even though
some Of its phases were not wholly
reasonable. ,*
Why did not the African 60 straight
up to the officer, when he saw him drop
TO the ground, and make the situation
clear, instead Of affecting all this mys-
terry! doubtless he was acting under
the orders OF his young mistress. But
why did she give such strange direc
lions, and why did she herself act so
whimsically?
The answer that Lieutenant Oakman
gave to these puzzling questions could
not have been surpassed in wisdom:
"She is woman
But he had put his hand to the plow,
and it was too late to turn back. He
had resolved to get out of the neighbor-
hood without delay, and, valuable as
heet horse would have been to him,
nothing could have induced him to &C.
cept the favor at the hands of Miss FL
bridge
Passing forward among the trees, he
made wide circuit beyond and finally
vaulted the low fence into the highway,
over portion of which he had ridden,
when he left General Sherman's army
to enter upon the most memorable ex-
perience Of his life
He was now in the vivid moonlight.
Looking up at the sky, he saw that the
ragged, teecy clouds had drifted past
and the orb was swimming through the
clear space. with it's rays free and IN
obstructed, as they promised to be for
several hours to come. The stiffness re-
NAMED as Impressive as before Not a
twinkle Of light cleaned in any direc-
ton, but from some distant point came
the faint growing Of cock, who, after
repeating the call several times, was
answered by another from a spot still
more remote.
Probably these fowls on awaking at
night recalled the fact that they were
still alive after the passage of Sher-
mans army near them and they could
not help "crowing' over their good for
tune
The officers pause at the side Of the
highway was brief. He struck off at a
swinging pace, but had gone less than
a hundred yards when he was checked
by ghostly:
Hello, dar!"
The voice was from the rear. In
stinctively drawing his pistol the lieu
tenant wheeled about to meet the new
danger.
Pete, the cid negro slave, was lead
ing a handsome notified pony, bridled
and saddled, through a gap in the
fence. Oakman calmly waited until he
came up, when he asked brusquely:
"Well. Pete, what do you want with
met"
"Reckon yo' knows, boss. Miss Adele
done send me wild her boss Jack a-sayin
dat yo' am to take him wild 20 an ride
like blazes, an 20 needn't be ticker to
send him back. bein as yo' may not hab
de chance
The animal was a beautiful pony,
and would have borne his rider with
the speed Of the wind He was beyond
value to the fugitive, who folded his
arms, looked sternly at the African and
said in measured tones:
''Give my thanks and compliments
to Miss Eldridge and tell her that, mas
much as Captain Trenholm expressed
his displeasure last evening at the idea
OF my using her horse, could not al
low her to run the risk of offending
him.
Pete stood a moment in silence, with
one hand holding the bit of the superb
beast. Then he scratched that part of
his crown which showed through the
opening in his hat
| II knows, boss, dat 20 hab said sum-
fin, but de debbil himself can't make
out de meanin oh it.
Lieutenant Oakman was too much in
earnest to smile. He simplifed his Ian
guage and made it clear that he de-
cllned to make use of Miss Eldridge's
horse, for reasons explicitly set forth.
Pete nodded his head and grunted.
Made angry by his own meanness the
officer turned about and strobe off with
out another word. He had gone but a
little way, when Pete called to him.
"Well, what is it7'' demanded Oak
man, turning impatiently around.
II forgot to tole yo' sumfn.'
''Be quick about it!''
"When dat Union army marched
trough Jawgy, it huff behind de all fired
est fool dat cher come out OBJ Yankee
landl Good night. bossl''
CHAPTER XII.
A HALT AT THE ROADSIDE.
When Lieutenant Oakman had walk
ed a hundred yards farther, he slacken-
ed his pace and looked back. The color
ed man, leading the horse was ius+ fod