The National tribune., 1901-05-02

Go ahead, boys" said 81. BE care.
Hello, boys. Come out. It's all
reached the point where Hannibal % Il had had
seen the man disappear. Were Yam
KEGS. Hooray for the 20Oth Indiana
Six feeble, gaunt boys rose from be-
hind logs where they had been crouching,
and ran into the road, trying to shout
We got so hungry that we were des-
perate, said the leader, as he recovered
from his motions sufficiently to talk. and
was walking down beside Sandy toward
81. The negroes didn't come with food
as they promised, and finally we got up
and started. We thought we might as
well be Tecaptured as die of starvation,
though it was almost toss-up to decide
which was better. / saw the commotiOn
in the road, but couldn't make out what
it meant"
In spite of their famished condition the
newcomers were in far better physical
condition than the ones found in the
cave, and walked along quite briskly I'M
! der the stimulus of their newIy-acquired
/ freedom.
ST had them pick up the arms the rebel
deserters had thrown down. and then
| they all marched back along the road to
| the Sutton house.
Miss Sophrona was like a fury when
she saw Zeke. and overwhelmed him with
a torrent Of abuse. She snatched up the
poker and would have attacked him had
not 81 and the Elder restrained her. Zeke
merely grinned at her. He was conf
| dent that the deSerter plea would avail
him, and that he had nothing to fear.
''We'uns's playin' in great luck, arter
| ALL" he cOnfided to his followers. They
| 'unsll turn us over L the Provo-MarShal
| ter-morrer, we'uns'H take the oath, an be-
sOt free, an we'uns'll jes' go through that
thar Yankee army fer all hits wuth. Them
Va n md
| Why, 20 recOlleck Josh DOOdelpeas-him
that the kunnel had shot back thar at
Lickskillet; He desarted t the Yankees,
got S25 fer his gun, took the oath. an
stayed with 'era bout two months. Then
hit got too hot over thar fur him, an he
slipped back { we'uns, playin' off escaped
prisoner. He had more'n $1,000 in green
backs, and watch in every pocket, be-
sides lots of other things. He lost hit all
at keardS in week or two, an then tried
t git back t the Yankees agin, but they
cOtched him, an the Kunnel made an ex-
ample of him, as he done called hit"
81 added to Miss Sophronias indigna,
ton by drawing on her stores sufficiently
to give Zeke and his gang good supper,
which he issued to them in negro cabin
he had made their prison, leaving them to
cook the stuff as best they could by the
open fireplace. He stationed a guard
over the cabin, and took the rescued pris-
oners to the waShhouse, where their hair
was cut and burned: they gave themselves
a good washing, and such of their clothes
as would do to wear longer were boiled.
81 hunted through the house for mems
clothing to supplement these, and again
| thrust the iron deep into the women's
souls by taking garments that had family
and historic associations
A little after midnight he sat down on
the porch with Shorty to smoke and dis
cuss the situation.
poOd day'S yyork hYYf -bak
in Sam Hill are we going to do with Zeke
Baekhouse and his caboodle? 1t would've
been better tO've shot 'em down instead
of allowing them to surrender. But we
have done it, and we can't very well shoot
them now. We shouldn't turn them over
to the ProvONarshal, because he don't
want them. and they'd play off deserter
on him, and he'd likely turn 'em loose in
camp, whichd give them chance to do
no end of harm"
might give Miss Sophronia a butcher
knife and turn her loose in that cabin.r
yawned Shorty. "All that'd be needed af-
terward would be to dig holes to put them
in
'Say," whispered Pete, bustling MP
full OF news, Miss Sophronia's back
there in the ell with the Elder, trying to
fix up a comfortable place for him to
sleep. She's awful mad because we've
taken all her best beds for the boys, and
left none for the preacher: but he's made
her happy by telling her that her brother
Albert's been exchanged, and's back in
command of his company, on the other
side of the Ogeechee. He's watching our
front out there. But he can't come home
because this is inside our lines, and he
daFesn't leave his company, anyway, now,
but she's going to write letter, and FIX
up a bundle of things to send to him by
the Elder, if he can get away, and she's
awful mad because Brady Stevens is
baGT
Serg't Walsh his coat, and she can't send
'em to him. l overheard it all when L
went back there to look after Abednego."
Too bad about the Clothes" comment
ed 81. But, then, our folks have given
him better ones while he was in prison."
81 smoked thoughtfully for few min
utes. and then said:
Shorty, Eve an idee''
'.Out with it May possibly be a good
one"
Wen let the Elder go on his way re-
joicing in the morning. Wen follow after,
giving him time to reach Brother Albert,
and tell his little story"
Yes" said Shorty. catching on. "And
we'l drop Zeke Backhouse ct al, where
they can pick 'em up?"
Precisely! Well, let's take a look
around, and then lay down. Pm awful
tired
.'So'm 1. We'd better let serg't Water.
denee.''
"All right. You see that the guards
all right, and I'll take a look at the boys
upstairs
The tip was given to the rest of the
boys. and the next morning they were all
so busy caring for their horses, for the in
valids, for the newly-rescued, getting
breakfast, etc, that none of them noticed
the furtive preparations made for the Ei
der's escape. They did not seem to see his
horse cautiously led out by a negro to Il
willow copse, and shortly thereafter
bundle carried thither by another negro.
nor the expounder of Jeremiah presently
wander carelessly in the same direction.
They all kept carefully away from where
they could see any of these things. 81
and Shorty suffered themselves to be be-
guied by Miss Sophronia, who was yisi-
bly, nervous, but unaccountably complaiS-
ant, into q long conversation, on the op-
pOsite porch, while the Elder mounted and
rode away. Serg't Watersmith had also
by the time that 81 deliberate
ly assembled his squad, mounted them,
and got his prisoners out, who were to
march on foot. Zeke tried to be communi-
cative, but 81 discouraged his advances,
and finally fatty ordered him to keep si-
lent.
Zeke looked little disappointed when
the column started toward the Ogeechee,
instead of back toward the army. He