Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-10-17
N1HE D[BAIAaE LAND.
By EDWARD & ELLIS.
CHAPTER I.
HyERAL eIoNAIA

CHAPTER !.
| sEvxRAL sIaNAIA
General Sherman was In the ful
swing Of his colossal picnic, consisting
Of the promenade Of go. 900 Union vet
erans from Atlanta through the cor,
of the Southern Confederacy, 500 miles
eastward to the Atlantic coast, wher
Lieutenant Ledyard Oakman Of thu
- Massachusetts, cavalry. accom-
panied by the scout Sam Borland, reined
aside and started of on q little cam
paign Of his own.
They were far over In eastern Geor
gia. near the South Carolina line,
through which the mighty army was &c
sweep facing northward to unite with
the legions Of Grant. and stamp out the
last embers Of resistance. And what a
wonderful march that was, the vast
host advancing in four columns. with q
cloud Of skirmishers and cavalry In
front TO veil its route, and foraging on
the country through which the army
passed
The Autumn was drawing to close,
and in the north the frost Of the COM
ing winter was in the air. while the
soldiers in the Virginia camps drew
around their blazing fires at night and.
a. they talked Of the great war and
wondered how soon IL would end, wrap
| ped their overcoats closer around their
shivering forms. Eut nature sways a
gentler hand and her breath has soft
fragrance II It's own in the states farther
south. The mornings were crisp and
bracing. but something Of the summer
fervor fingered in the sunshine, and the
hundreds Of campfres that twinkled at
night were needed less for warmth than
for the cooking Of food and the pleasure
Of comradeship.
II was on the afternoon OF one OF
those perfect autumn days that Lieu
tenant Oakman drew rein st the edge
OF a piece Of wood fronting on the
broad, sloping cotton fields, which had
yielded up their meager harvest but a
brief while before. though here and
there the snowy fecks On the stunted
brown bushes showed where the deft
fingers had failed to garner the after
math.
The lieutenant and his scout had
parted company couple Of hours pre-
vious. and the attractive countenance
Of the young officer betrayed his mental
concern. His black. blooded mare, that
had carried him safely through the
fame Of more than one fierce conflict.
stood motionless. with the reins lying
loose on her neck, while her rider locked
and wondered aud fretted. The most
that she ventured TO do was TO thrust
forward her silken nose and. with tho
aid Of the flexible upper lip with which
her species IL provided. draw in some
Of the neighboring twigs and MUNICH
them despite the interference Of the
steel bit
The food was neither tempting nor
nourishing Perhaps Fanny INDUCED to
this gentle extent the better TO pass
away the time while her rider rumi-
mated, but master and beast had long
been accustomed to ''hard tack. y
The attention Of Lieutenant Oakman
was divided between q point on the
fringe Of the curving wood fourth OF
mile away and the old mansion OF
the plantation, which was less than
half the distance named. II was q typ
ical planters home. low Of stature
broad. roomy and whitewashed, sur
rounded by wealth OF shade trees. di.
vided near the middle by a rooted pas
sage, with wide porch extending in
front, numerous outbuildings and the
row Of cabins near by where the slaves
were comfortably quartered until most
OF them were brushed into the current
that came with the "day Of jubilee"
and fioated them into the promised land
Of freedom.
The officer turned the small spyglass
suspended from his neck bya string
toward the point Of wood which, it has
been said, attracted his attention. The
result was satisfactory. Sam Borland
was there. standing beside the trunk Of
a huge cottonwood. his horse so far in
the timber az to be invisible. Evidently
he was on the alert, for scarcely had
Oakman located him when he took of
his cap and swung 1t. The lieutenant
whipped ont his handkerchief and with
. single wave replied. That was suffi-
cient They understood each other, and
the officer turned his head part way
round without shifting his position in
the saddle and fixed his gaze upon the
mansion, or rather upon 50 much Of 1t
Is the shading branches permitted him
70 see.
The result Of this scrutiny was disap-
pointing The cavalryman perhaps was
looking for some person or signal, but
failed to catch the first sign Of either.
When he grew weary Of the work. he
lowered his binocular.
81 wonder whether there's living
creature in that house." he muttered.
"It looks as il II were an empty shell
or huge coffin. This is the first time
that red war has crossed the thresholds
of these southern homes Until now not
the boom Of a cannon nor the crack OF
q hostile musket has startled the women
and children, but the terror is upon
them at last. F"
A feeling Of pity and wonder came to
the gallant officer. His thoughts took
the same trend they had taken scores Of
times before, and not only with him,
but with multitudes Of those who wore
the blue and the gray.
"Why are we fighting each other =
Why is the earth wetted with the warm
blood of the bravest, the noblest and
the most gifted Of meni In the years to
come, when the Union IL restored in all
its strength and grandeur and the vet
erans Of both sides sit down TO talk over
old times, their wonderment will be
why they tried with such unsurpasable
bravery to take each others lives. II
passes my comprehension.
He was silent a moment. and then
added in an awed undsrtone. lit IL the
hand Of God, and his ways are past
finding ont"
But IL is . perilous thing for q soldier
to indulge In reverie when on duty OF
In the euemy's country. Recalling his
straying thoughts Lieutenant Oakman
once more leveled his glass at the old
mansion. but with no more result than
before.
M must ha enacted be said.