The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-09-19

~ ""t "'C DoN tfNhtHD uDpUt1 USkI(I.
without any one SuSpccting you were
going OH my account"
"Wcll, now, why don't 80 give me
somct'n hnrd?"
"Go and get me Il newspaper or m
almanac"
He was out OF the room and back in
moment with Il Huntsville paper Of
that mornings issue. scanned Its
columns before looking Mt the date and
noticed this item:
The main body OF tho Yankees are marching
from Nashville to Columbia ell route. 1t Is sup.
posed. to Pttsburg Landing, where they will
doubtless join the Federal General Grant
Looking Mt the heading, | saw that
the date was the 1st OF April.
"Now. Buck" I said. get out your
pony; then come to me for nstruc-
tlons"
Look a-hyar. Mr.. Brandy-Brandy-
stone"-
"Rrandcrstanc."
well, Mr. Brnndinstane, If yo' got
any 'structions l reckon yo' better give
| 'em to ME now. Mcbhe If come back
hyar that doggonc ole I.ibll come In an
yank me out"
"Iou're right Reach NE that sheet
OF note paper and book to write on -
that thin one; now a pencil. All right.
Don't say word till l have finished"
| wrote message in rs intintesmal
| characters as | was able on third Of
n sheet Of paper:
Machine shops at Huntsville In good order. Fit.
teen to 70 locomotives Nearly a hundred cars
No force in the town. To the at road rupa
parable! with and near the pike for several miles
| and Is handy to cut. To the west party to cut
| the 7Had must pass round the city on the north
Enemy gathering all possible forces at PittsburK
| Lan''.7S. but several thousand men at Chatta
| nooSa.
put neither address nor signature to
II, as none was necessary, and they
would be conclusive evidence against
ME II the message should fall into the
wrong hands.
Buck" l said, mount your pony
and ride to Huntsville. a few min.
utes before II o clock go into the Hunts.
Vile hotel; You know-the big brick
house on the square. Go up stairs and
out on the front gallery. At IL o'clock
man with black eyes. long hair and
pointed beard will walk out on the
gallery. Don't say anything to him.
| Wait, and after awhile he'll say some.
| thing to YOU"
"Win hep asked the boy, his eyes
full Of wonder. "What'n he sayr"
Hell say, It's fine day."
What. Il It's ra!n!nT'
"ies; rain or shine, If he's the man
you want. he'll say. It's fine day.
Then you must say, Reckon you're
weather wise. stranger To that he'll
reply by asking you what kind Of
| weather 1t was the day of the massa-
| Gre"
What massacre7 What's a massa.
Never mind that Stick to the les
son I'm teaching you. You must say
Black as night Then he'll say
What's the wordT and you can hand
him this note. Now, suppose I'm the
man with the pointed beard and you
90 through the dialogue with me-"
put him through his lesson till he
had learned IT perfectly. Then l sent
MN away with the injunction chat. in
case anything should go wrong with
MN, rather than part with the paper he
was to swallow 1t. / rolled II into a
ball and put 1t into the lining Of his
hat. Giving his little hand a squeeze,
| badc him 60. and he marched out as
proudly as II he had been appointed
military governor Of Alabama. had
no doubt he would execute his mission
to the best Of his ability, but he was
very young, and feared he would
make some blunder.
| What a fool amp exclaimed as
soon as he was gone. IT should have
rallied to communicate rather than I'm.
trust SO important a matter to a bow.
However, I'll leave here tomorrow
morning, and. If my message mis-.
carries, by the timo it's discovered I'll
be somewhere else."
Helen came in soon after Buckts de.
parture and began to set the room 70
nights. She attended to her work al.
lenly and did not even look Mt me.
watched her as she moved about. ar.
ranging a curtain here, moving q chair
there or pillng books on the table more
neatly. She was true type OF n
southern woman-tall. willowy. n head
set on her shoulders in way to make
an artist involuntarily reach for a
| brush. Her hair and eyes were as
black rs night, while on her cheeks was
a bright color. There was something
on her mind. l could see that plainly.
! fancied If / gave her time It would
come put. At last she dropped her
work and stood looking out Of the win.
dow.
What are you thinking aboutT l
asked going Mt tho subject with
bruSQue directness.
The man you came to Alabama to
kill"