Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1899-08-02


an advanced fedoubt rose against The din
sky, and OF the same instant there came the
ring Of q muslft and a voice called Haiti
Who's there? u
1t was nqt my pan to halt, or answer
either, for that matter. had located the
voice to the right, but could see no one, and
was fairly sure that only the noise OF mt
progress had been marked, and not myself.
Therefore swung toward the left and shur-
@ried along as rapidly and silently as could,
soon having the pleasure of hearing the SEN
tlnel stumble across my trail some distance
in the rear. .i1,t& {. =. !. s,. s-...s j.. =
had now the redoubt to flank, and, as the
woods had been cut down at it's front as well
as on either side, there was an open space for
me to traverse. Here I1owered my dignity
by getting on to all-fours, and, holding my
blade betWixt my teeth, crept slowly on.
ward, taking advantage of every stump and
fallen tree as post to halt and listen. But
these latter were none too frequent, and I
used at least an hour in getting the few
hundred feet which lay between the works
and the abatis protecting them. Having
gained the abatis, / rose and felt my way
through the tangled branches of the felled
timber, making a deal of noise / thought,
but finally got past and into the woods be-
yond. These woods proved to be but strip,
and narrow one at that, for I soon came to
road which served me only in showing my
location, as knew of one crossing from the
Kingsbridge road to another leading to the
village of Greenwich.
I was well satisfied with myself and my
progress, considering that the worst was
passed, but my pride underwent a sudden
fall when, as was putting my leg over the
snake fence, voice came out Of the dark
ness:
"Hat! Who goes there?"
"a friend, but without countersign.
Where are you?" returned, easily, though
made mighty start.
"Then stay where You be, or fire!"
Every good! Come to me-" answered,
swinging myself back and retreating to q
tree near by, and from that to another.
1t gave me infinite relief to hear the
tramp of horse, and know the man was
mounted vidette, and in the course Of few
seconds he went by me to where had an
swered him, though by then had retreated
along the line of the road and was 40 feet
away. Hating his horse, he again chal-
lenged, but, on receiving no answer, fired his
pistol into the woods and began cursing like
pirate.
l knew there would be trouble now, and,
indeed, the echo Of the shot had scarce died
away when heard galloping coming from
either direction as his fellows fastened to
join him. 1t would not do for me to linger
in the vicinity, SO l leaped the fence and
crossed the highway above him, gaining the
opposite timber just before another horse
man swept by toward the point of alarm.
At this juncture I thanked my stars for
three things: First, for the wet and black
ness of the night; second, that the lines l
had run We're the third or inner lines, COM
paratively lily guarded and but half
manned, established to be used only in case
OF the fall of the outer defenses; and, third,
that my present destination lay not beyond
the next obstruction. I never would have
dared attempt the passage of the Barrier
gates" as they were called, strong and
continuous work across the neck of land be-
low Fort Washington; and even had this
been possible, the outpost of the British
army at Kingsbridge would have foored
anything without pass or wings. There,
in the face OF the army of Washington, now
but few miles distant, it would have be-
come almost a matter of creeping betwixt
the legs of the sentinels.
l was not possessed with great curiosity
regarding the outcome of the trouble l had
raised on the road, and got myself away from
its locality as rapidly as was consistent with
rough ground, thiclzly growing trees and
underbrush and pitchy darkness. I felt was
safe at last, safe from immediate disaster,
and then awoke to the fact that, save from
being warm instead of cold, I was in about as
miserable position as any man unhurt and
shaking free foot could well be-. I had eat
en- but little during the day, and a man Of
my size and activity soon hungers, though
as yet my hunger had not become serious
matter. I was drenching, without shelter
and without prospect of shelter, and miles
from any possibility of a helping hand To
stumble onward might land me in some diff
Guilty from which could not easily recover.
was now at distance from the cross road.
and knew not if I was bearing out of my
line northward or toward one of the two
great highways, to approach either of which
was fraught with the greatest danger.
Therefore l determined to settle where
was until glimmer of dawn should show me
my way onward. I had no choice of spots,
and so sat me down on the stump I had but
just fallen over, and, drawing my cloak
about my head, emulated the EXTREMIST pa
thence of JOB, who, for all his troubles, had
never been beset as was T.
Not for an instant did nod or cease my
watchfulness through all the long hours.
The rain, noted for it's impartiality, seemed
to belle the adage and focus on me as though
I sat beneath gargoyle. Toward daylight,
which came none too early, the heat had
gone from my blood, and something like a
chill took its place, and with the first sign
of lividness in the clouds above I set out.
more from an instinct toward fight than
from any definite plan. The Dove was my
destination, but it was only to be an
preached by night, and it was scarce an
hours walk from where I sat. Nothing
could be gained by wandering aimlessly, vet
such was the spirit of fight within me that
even movement partook of the nature of
safety, and the loadstone attracting me Law
still to the northward. Toward the north,
then, turned. ;.:.' IT j.
The birds had begun to stir in their nests
and twitter sleepily as I came to the edge
of the woods and heheld the checker of farm
fields and woodland from the elevation on
which was standing, fne-drawn mist so
blurring the distance that it seemed in.
finite. l went on, and by sunrise crossed
the Minetta water, striking westward that
l might get into the wilderness above
Greenwich, reaching that almost primeval
forest toward noon. E - .s5;..,.; ,Gs.- )