The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-15
CHAPTER VIII.
A BADGER IN THE Tolls.

eli Benton
ttion of a furious struggle. Of trampling
horses. of shining, whirling saber blades,
sof leap to saddle and frantic effort to cut
shis way through circling foes, OF riders
shouts. a woman's scream, crushing blow
shat nearly split his skull. and then-obliv-
5On until morning; and the face bending
fondly. anxiously over him as he opened
his eyes was that OF Paul Ladue, and the
first words that faItered from his lips were:
Paul. poor old boyI How sick you must
have been!" for. white and haggard and
distressed. the winsome features Of the
year gone blythe dream face OF his chosen
friend. seemed aged and worn almost be-
zyond recognition.
Then there were hours of trundling over
rough. half-frozen roads. with a racking
Spain in his fevered head and incessant
thirst. Bearded faces came and peered at
him from time to time, not In enmity
hate. but almost in soldierly sympathy, and
one young fellow in a gray jacket and cap
three sizes too big for him perched on the
back step OF the ambulance I'm which he
rode and gave him frequently cool water
from his canteen. The letters u. S., in
black, were on the white canvas cover.
and the letters c. s.. in gilt. the clumsy
gray forage cap, and Fred dreamily sought
TO reconcile the discrepancy until his boy
attendant OWNED his thoughts, and with
an embarrassed laugh explained that this
was lone OF the wheeled things left behind
j. at stone bridge last July" From time
10 time, too. DR.. Chiffon came and minis
= tered to and comforted him. Its the
: fotune of wah. my deah suh." said he.
: "Yes'dy my boy, my daughter and young
(. Ladue yahnduh were all in your hands.
: Now it's just the other way. Be patient,
sub. Once across the Rappahannock we'll
take TO the cyahs. This side the river the
:. railway Is all ripped up"
Four patients had Chiffon 20 care for
now. it seems. and by General Johnston's
orders, fast as they could possibly be
transported. he was conveying them under
cavalry escort beyond the river. In very
serious plight was his own gallant boy, the
lieutenant OF the First Virginia Cavalry, to
rescue whom his comrades had made that
wide detour and sudden and surprising
swoop from the northward side OF the pike
:; Consciousness had returned to him after
the long sleep OF the previous evening, and
(: now the tossing OF the light, springy am
! bulance over the rough. rutted pike gave
: him torment unspeakable. Reclining in the
: second ambulance throughout the morning
hours was Miss Chiffon, suffering both from
shock and partial collapse, for she had
/; been knocked down by rushing, riderless
horse in the midst OF the melee in front of
the stone house and severely bruised and
F.. shaken Yet was that young woman brim-
: ming over with indignation at her father
because he would not let her rise and nurse
; her brother. and at every halt for rest or
repairs. food or water, her voice could be
!. heard In emphatic protest and appeal.
Third on the list OF invallds, but insisting
on remaining In saddle. was Lieutenant
Paul Ladue-the unhappiest man in the
party worn down with grief and anxiety.
Fourth and last was Fred Benton, with a
pandaged skull and broken arm-captured
In the moment OF supposed victory.
In the gray Of the dawn that followed the
fight stuarts troopers had been able to
bring forward three ambulances, to give
the doctor and his party a soldier breakfast
and start them westward along the pike.
AT Gainesville they had been Joined by
Judge Armistead. an honored and beloved
neighbor, who, since the outbreak of the
unhappy war had retired to his old coun-
try home near Hopewell gap, and with the
judge, or. rather. in one of the houses of
the little hamlet at the forks OF the great
highway was Lieutenant Paul Ladue self
incarcerated until he could exchange the
garb In which he had made his escape from
the Henry house the previous evening for
the stunning regimentals still in possession
OF Resale Chiffon.
Already the story OF that romantic and
stirring episode was going from bearded lin
TO lip among the riders Of Stuarts Horse
and before the second sunset following
EFeo Bentons capture he had heard almost
every word of IT, so what was so widely
known may just as well be told here The
dark night OF the 4th OF March had been a
sorry one for Paul Ladue. Ever since the
previous week he and his comrades had
peen looking for the second coming of the
Yankee columns from the forts in front of
washington Day after day, armed with
heid glasses, IN belfry, tree or steeple.
1ohhstons Iookouts watched for the first
sient OF screening cavalry. Night after
night eastward along the pike toward
FAIRFAX and northward along the wood
Aodos' quarts patrols secured the an
proacnes, eager for chance to show their
mettie and gather In the venturesome adj
vance guard OF the Union force. They were
al green at such work, North and Soutb
ootn- Already had the Northern volun-
teers' marching by night on convereinS
ROADS, twice opened fire and killed or
wounded several in each party before die
covering their blunder. 1t was all nervous
business for new and inexperienced officers
and as luck would have IL, Paul Ladue.
only Just up from a facilitating fever
found himself commanding an infantry ont.
post north OF Bull run. heard afar out at
the 'front.' the neigh OF horses, and presently
the dull ramping OF hoofs. He was at the
moment accompanied only by a Httle picket
guard of corporal and three men. The
skies were overcast, the gloom intense. and
the wind at intervals was swayinr the
boughs and rustling the dead leaves in the
thickets by the roadside. No cavalry had
been In their front al sunset None had
passed out that way. and when, at brisk
trot, all ignorant OF their proximity to the
pickets, the troopers came surging down
the lane. never hearing. probably. and GER
tainly never needing the order to halt. La
due shouted fire, and. sorely wounded
young Chiffon fell from his horse.
Five seconds more and the error was dis
covered Chiffon and his platoon had taken
the wrong road somewhere south OF Chan
tilly, and. instead OF rejoining their SQUAD
had