Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1899-07-26

watermelon. ne surprise OF the three
when we sep, ed mo the con, ersation,
with guns level.d, ana ordered them to
surrender was laughable, but none Of
them lost their wits.
"Don't FIRE, Yanksl We cave" call
ed one.
"Sit still, or you're corners" said
Willis, as one of them attempted to
rise. Then we secured their guns, and
after smashing them, stock and lock,
ate up their stew, which they seemed
to regret quite as much as their cap
tiyity.
(which way does this road runi"
asked Willis.
"Runs to the river that way; runs
into our lines that way" one prisoner
answered. / am not sure that he knew
he made two false statements.
"Well, we must be of. Come along,
johnnies; right--forward march," Will
lis went ahead, Bradley and ] brought
up the rear.
Thus we had marched for half mile
or therSabouts, when. hearing voices
and laughter ahead, beyond one Of the
numerous short turns Of the road, We
put our best feet forward to reach our
comrades, and came plump out upon
company OF fully 100 cOnfedsrAtss.
"HeIlo, YAnksl" cried one of our
prisoners, in great apparent surprise,
"who's on top nowi"
Gust 30. See you later. Johnny"
said Willis, and instantly lodged into
the woods. He was followed by Brad
ley. I, who had been ra'her in the
rear, and partly sheltered from view,
lsAped into the bubh on tie other side
Of the road. How it happened that I
completely escaped notice / do not un-
dcrstand, but while many Of the Con-
fedcrAtes, shouting and shooting, ran
after Willis and Bradley, / got away
without any pursuit.
As soon as I was convinced Of this /
cautiously worked back to within sight
OF the road and then moved parallel to
il toward the place where we had cap
tured the Confederates. Once there, /
thought I could find my way back to
the Worm Fence and then into our
line.
But 1 have always been inexpert as
. woodsman, and ] lost my sense Of di-
reotiop, and could not find the road
when I again tried to do so. But at
last, somewhat alarmed and moving ex-
citedly, though with my gun ready, I
stepped suddenly out on the road and
found myself face 20 face with Con-
federate soldier. He had jumped up
hastily from resting his back against o
roadside tree which had hiden him
from me. Afterwards learned that
he had been doing.
This young man was Is much sur
prised as 1, andas instinohvsly com.
Blatant ct the sight of the hostile uni:
form and the fixed bayonet. Up went
his gunj be cooked il in the same mo-
ton. In this he had q fraction Of tec-
onj the start oime, and 80, a. ! cooked
my Springfield, I thrust out with my
bayonet to knock his muzzle aside. The
guns went Of ct once, harmlessly, and
in the next instant he came out Of the
smoke at me with the bayonet. Steel 10
steel, eye to eye, without Z woid we
were trying to kill one another, for
neither Of us could see any other way
to save himself. yrs asi'Gh5-d,s
When I think Of it now-Of the
peaceful road, the quiet woodland, and
sunshine on his gun and face, Of his
lunging at me with the same fear in
his heart that was in my own-ths
fear Of having the hard steel in my mid
ria-when ! think how furious and for
midable he looked, and how inevitable
it seemed that I must kill or be killed,
il seems more unreal, more incredible
than anything else in my Life. Yet l
can now vsritAbly hear the cla b and
chatter Of our bayonets and gun bar
rels as met his expert lunges with
the regular parties and still stood on
my guard.
At first had been fighting as an Au-
tomston, and even my fear Of his s,eel
Was a. if mechanical and forced; but
rue btrAngenesH Of it came lit, my
mind after dozen passes. 10 be
poking at one another's hearts there
without any reason. under no order
We two strangers, in no battle and With
no witness, stabbing Asd warding with
ali the weight Of our guns!