The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1901-08-15

have more patrols, by all means. They'll
be so useful"
Uncle Ephraim rode PAGER, which was
easly the fastest gOer in the squad. Per
haVs Uncle Ephraim's gladness at escap-
ing from the sea had something to do
with it-possibly he had more than his
share of eagerness to get back to the
| camp, and tell the glad news. At any
rate. he was so absorbed in the stirring
memories that he let his horse take his
own gait, and neither thought of keeping
the prescribed distance, nor maintained
his usual sharp lookout for lurking foe
men. He must have been a mile or more
ahead, when, at the entrance of dark
cut through swamp. he felt his bride
grasped from both sides at once, and his
horse refined back.
Hello. boy; who air yo,' an whar air
yo' a-gwine?" demanded surly voice.
Though his heart almost stopped, Uncle
Ephraim was quite equal to the occasion,
and replied biandly:
"Gemmen, Is Col. Palmer's Uncle
Ephum, an Is done bin t de font, fo' de
doctor, TO Mis- Palmer, who's monty
sick"
"Cunnel Palmer's Uncle Ephum," an
swered one of the men. Il don't recol-
lecl any Ephum bout Cunnel Palmer's
place"
20, yes" answered Uncle Ephraim,
with easy confidence, s'Ps 'longed dar all
my life" >,
"Singler that L never seed yeu,' said
the man, IAN | thought I'd seen all O
Cunnei Palmers niggers."
aspect [ must've bin wuktin' out in
de fields, or mindin' de bosses in de stable,
cherry time yo' was dar, den,' replied
Uncle Ephraim blandly. Il was most all
de time dar' std OBJ frolickin' round
"What're you doin' with that gun,
ca fridge box an belt, nigger?'
20, one OBJ de men in de font glib dem
t. me, t. tote out t. de place fo' him.
Dey's a-gwine to send him out ddr t'-mor,
rer He's powerful sick an rundown.
What's the name of the man what
| gin EN- to you|
Deed | doan' jes' recolleck his name.
He wuz a peaked-faced, light-complected
man, what seemed t be all rundown"
Likely, jeff Green, of Cap. Sales's
seemed disposed to believe Uncle Eph-
raim Hes bin ailin' powerfully fer a
long time, an nothin' didn't seem to do
| him no good"
Jeff Green-dat's de mans name. A
thin, runt oh man," said Uncle Ephraim.
so thin that it ,peared as if yo' could see
all he ct. Please le' me go, gemmen. Is
in a powerful hurry: Mis- Palmern be
The man had released his hold on the
bride, and Uncle EphFaim had begun to
wonder how he was going to turn round
and get back to warn 81, when the other
voice said:
Say, that's no niger from round hyah.
Can't yo' tell that by the way he talks!
Yo' never heared rice-country Niger
talk that way in yer life"
'And he's riding a soldiers saddle. y
said the first voice. Climb right down
out O. thar, an let we'uns have good
look at you.
Uncle Ephraim lifted up an internal
PRAYER as he dismounted, for he felt that
death was nearer to him than ever that
eventful night There was entirely too
many things about him to betray hisireal
character to make any hope of his COM
ing through an examination successfully.
Lets take him back ter the Cap'n,
said the first voice.
They caught Uncle Ephraim's arms,
and leading his horse walked him back
short distance through the brake to
where several men were slumherIng
around near a nearly-dead fire. The
chunks were kicked together, and some
pitch-pine thrown on, which leaped up at
once into a rudy blaze, and Uncle Eph-
rain saw that he was lost. A touch
awoke the Captain in a surIy humor.
''We'uns we picked up a niger, Cap,
that don't give a straight account o. his
self"
'.Whar d. yo' belong, boy" asked the
Captain, opening his eyes, and taking a
look at him. The light fiared up, and
showed Uncle Ephraim's blue blouse, the
U. s. on his belt, the Springfield rifle he
still carried in his hand, the Union hayer-
sack and canteen. He half started to