Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-08-28

4
The captain frowncd when reported
my failure. So did the colonel. who,
with the captain. had been awaiting
the result of my effort.
I'm try still another man, il you
think best" said the captain.
TRY me. captain" said Brnlnard.
who was always among the first to
greet me when | returned to camp.
You" asked the captain, looking
quizZically at the little follow.
Yes, SIR" said Brainfs.i. you see,
I'm so small that it would be hard for
a marksman to hit me, even by day
light"
This remarl; made both officers smile.
and l was told TO give my dispatches to
Brainard. The little chap was on his
horse in an instant and, taking straps
from his sddlebow. bound his legs to
the tops Of the stirrup straps.
What is that for!" asked the cap
tain.
80" said Brainard, that If I'm shot
l can't fall out Of the saddle. The
horse will be sure to hurry back to
camp, and the enemy won't get the dis
patches, as they might If l were to
fall"
The captain nodded to the colonel,
who raised his eyebrows, and Brain
ard hurried out the road at an easy
gallon. l walked a little way in the
same direction and strained my ears
for shots, but heard none | did not
sleep much that night. Should Brain
ard be killed | would always feel that
l had sacrificed his life TO save my
own; should he succeed why. confound
him. | would again have to feel as un-
comfortable as | did when he did the
work and got the glory OF our rescue
when we were made prisoners. | did
not feel any easier at learning that
about an hour before | had started a
man on a harnessed horse had come
and hurried to the rear. Until tattoo
l paced the ground on which our troop
was campcd. After tattoo resumed
my tramp. The guards were changed
at 10 o'clock, midnight in the morn
ing. and | was still awake. for Brain
ard had not returned. The captain,
who felt responsible for the safe delv-
cry of the dispatches, awuhe. Joined
me and said he hoped my chuIn had got
through all right; then he also began to
pace TO and fro, which increased my
anxiety. Toward dawn | fell asleep
through sheer exhaustion. Just after
sunrise ! was aroused by being shak-
en-. When | opened my eyes. over me
bent Brainard, very pale Of face, but
wonderfully bright of eye.
Tell me about it," | demanded.
ooh" said Brainard Il never was so
frightened in my life. After Looping
along a few minutes 1t occurred TO me
that ! had better know my way before
trying it, so dismounted and hid my
horse in the woods beside the road
leaving my sabcr there also. Then
sneaked down the road, with MY re.
Volver in my hand and my heart in my
mouth, to find out where and what that
/ cavalry was. 1t might have been some
of our own men. you know. Pretty
! soon | heard the clauling you spoke
of. Didn't ii sound dreadful in the
dark. though? | crouched and sncaked
from one tree to another, and the noise
grew louder, but not q human voice
could | hear. nor was there any odor
of tobacco in the air. These two facts
bothered me greatly. for when soldiers
who are awake cease talking and smok
Ing there's something serious on hand.
Pretty soon | heard splash. Aha
thnllUhf | 'Snnlpbn1C
horse in a brook or pond | crept still
closer The ground became lower, a!
if there might be brook there. ! go
nearer still until ! made out bridge
at my left. hut not trooper could
see, began 10 SILVER and recall ghos
stories. | don't believe in ghosts, you
know, but the dim light and mysteriou,
noises made me think of them ia spit,
of myself Finally | got right on tn,
bank OF the brook and looked, over
Then ! was more surprised than scared
for could make out three horses with
ont riders and something that looked
like n tent, but all in the water.
made bold to challenge, but there wa
no reply Then | became so excite,
that ] thought | might as well be sho
as die through bursting a blood vessel
so | got some matches out OF my jack
ct, struck a light and made little liz,
of dry leaves and twigs, and what d.
you suppose | saw? An ammunition
wagon lying on it's side and three Of ii
four horses partly hitched. APPARENT,
IT had fallen from the bridge, which
was very narrow and had no rail. |
was the rattle Of the chains Of the har
ness that made the noise you and | am
the other fellow had mistaken for tn
clank of saber scubbards. But WASH
provoked with myself for haviEi
been frightened"
"No worse, III bet, than am at hav
ing been scared back to camp by sucl
bogy."
81 felt so asian med" continued Bra in
ard, that ! really wished there nigh
be soldiers somewhere in the neigh
borhood to give me some honest eX
cuse for being frightened. My wisl
was gratitiod pretty soon, for after go
ing along pretty lively for a few min
utes | heard Halt" right in front o
[ me as n couple of men sprang from
: fence corner Awfully hard to swal
low ones heart sometimes, isn't it?
) soon saw, however, in spite Of tn
semidarkness that they weren't dresse,
/ like Johnnies 80 swallowed my hear
and gave them the countersign. Thel