Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-08-02
VII.
GEORGE WASHINGTON,

CHAPTER VII.
GEORGE WASHINGTON.
1t was an hour later tina the horse
which had brought me from Yer
piancks carried me by the Robinson
house, filled now with so much more
vill3iny than could ever have been
there through n tory's principles. Rob
inson, at least, had stuck by his opin-
ions and acknowledged them, bad rs
they were. But here was one who was
processing patriotism and living q lie,
and who, If l did not hasten, would
endanger the existence OF the whole
country.
1t was a further spur to speed, and l
rode on the faster, urging the animal
night, with never a stop for rest or
food, we came up with the village OF
Fishkill. There was no difficulty in
finding headquarters; but there ano.h-
er disappointment awaited me. Gen
cral Washington had left a few days
before for Hartford. This was told me
only after l had satisfied an aide in
charge Of headquarters that | had
pressing business with the general.
How far may 1t b, to HARTFORD" I
asked.
Good Lord, man, it's a hundred
miles,"
1T matters not. must get there
as SOOIl as IIOSSlbtt, i Sdld. NOulu
you let me ave a good horse p
He looked at me for an instant. Then
i opened the letter from Putnam and
bad him read. 1t vas quite enough.
l had the horse in n few moments,
and was away again. The general had
gone by the lower road. which I learned
branched off the Hudson River road
just to the south Of the village, and
the clock on the meeting house in Fish
kill struck 8 as l finally made the turn
eastward.
The beast i had wos indeed tt good
one, and he carried me steadily and
we'll. 1t was futile 10 hurry him he
yond his endurance, Tor the good ami
NAL must keep me moving for two
days. l was cooling down gradually
n gaining my ordinary powers Of
reasoning things out, and there were
hours in which to reflect. At half past
. we pulled up at the Totteru Arms inn
for n few moments rest, for the good
horse had not dropped into n trot in
three hours and n half.
1t would seem aS If the devil had
his hand in his business; for | could
wake no one. But by dint OF much
humping and kicking on the door Of
the inn, and n vigorous bowling out for
some one, | got at last a nightCap out
Of the window, and no very Ctvil reply
TO my demands. Still, in fifteen min
ultS VI lllOIt, INC uOOE opened, ana L
asked for any food they had while I
put my questions.
How far to Hartford" cried the
tavern-keeper. BLESS my soul, l don't
know! Jennie, how far would 1t be
now to Hartford? What was that we
heard of Hartford last week."
why them big officers talked Of It,"
answered a in a short wrapper,
her nightshift showing beneath it.
"Who?" cried l. The dim old room,
lit now by q single candle, prevented
my seeing clearly, M l approached
the woman so suddenly, so intent on
what had caught, that she fed up the
steep stairway and could not be per-
suaded to come down again.
After much pleading, however, I
learned that several oficers-one of
enormous stature n great eyes, with
a wide mouth and white periwig-had
stopped there last Friday, six days be
fore. on their way to Hartford, evident
ly, from what they had said.
Good people" cried l, standing at
the foot Of the stairs and addressing
the woman above and the man at the
table, good people, that was General
Washington and his staff, and 1 must
catch them within two days."
mo! Ye don't say SOL" came from
the head OF the stairs. What said 1
to We, Henry? Did l not tell we, man,
t was a great company and you with
your dirty apron on at the time! Lord
in life with ye-"
My dear, good woman" cried /
again, said they aught else? Think!
Canst remember anything OF their re-
turn"
Not much" grunted the old lady.
TO think that Henry should have
talked with the great men in his apron
n his old breeks!"
What said they, madam? Tell me,
and Henry shall have a new apron;
aye, and another pair OF breeks!"
"Of good corduroy"
Yes, yes! And two pairs"
why little enough said they; but
seems to me that | did hear the big
man speak as how they'd come by the
upper road"
"Here-here, man. Here's that will
buy thee breeks with four legs, and
now, in God name, which way lies
the upper road?"
The horse was half lone up, but t
was little more than another quarter
OF an hour hen l had, by their direc-
ton, got into a small country lane
rutted as only such lanes in this coun-
try Of ours car be-that ran north
ward, and should bring me to the up
per road.
And a heartless ride 1t was to join
that highway. / love q horse, more
especially q good one, and always
have. And the pace l put that good
animal to had its effect on me. I
talked to him / let him drink at
every stream we forded. But so he
must, and did, at the lo~ng-reaching
gallop. And then, with q surprising
suddenness, we came out on the UNI
mistakable highway. Off to the east
ward struck the clang of a church
Observation-Disclosures l turned
that way n stopped under a creak-
ing sign in the mid of q village. Good
Esws this time! No doubt OF them;
they had passed here the night before.
Hour after hour we pushed on, till at
last we reached the great road running
up and down the Hudson. 1t was then
after 8 o'clock, and daylight had be-
gun to warm the morning air. Still
there gay ten miles to Fishkill. 1t was
done in less than an hour. The horse
grew into my heart with his steady