The National tribune., 1902-05-08
A FRIEND WiTH THE
COUNTERSIGN
Germanna; 1 guessed it was past mid
Continued from first page.)

Germanna; guessed it was past mid
night.
l crossed the Germanna road, leaving
the Spotswood clearing on my left, and
keeping well within the forest. Weari'
ness was telling on me. L had begun 10
doubt that | should be able to reach the
river, and to doubt still more my power
to cross it, but l kept on. Once l heard
the sound of horses hoofs along the
Germanna road, but at the time my way
was through such a dense tangle that
could see nothing. Again | crossed TO the
west of the road. Once an animal crcpl
along the branch of tree almost over
my head; | supposed it a wildcat or 4
raccoon. l crossed small streams, get
| ting my feet wet, and my wet shoes
caused increased difficulty i'll walking
My progress became slower; | rested fire.
quently. At last temptation was too great
l had found some loose matches i'll one of
my pockets, the only possessions remain
ing to me except my garments. In a
thickly wooded hollow I raked together
some leaves and dry sticks and lighted a
quick fire; before it had burnt out | added
just little more fuel, and thus | kept the
fire from going entirely out for an hour,
perhaps, and until | had managed To al
most dry my feet. When l determined
to leave this spot | could hardly stand;
my joints were stiff, and my whole body
WAS i'll pain, and ii was only for the fear
that worse would come that enabled me
to walk. | staggered on in anguish, recoy-
ering slowly; l saw that l must not stop
again, lest / stop forever; yet | had
gained by resting, for my progress now
was better than before, and l soon knew
that the river was not far.
Flat Run was almost 4 mile behind
me. | was passing near garden where
little new grave had been made.
kept on down the road; it was now but
two miles TO Germanna. Through the
woods it could be only mile to the bend
in the river. One mile more, and then
the fearful repetition-no, not repetition,
but multiplication-of the torture | had
gone through "a hours ago! Yesterday
morning / was strong and well and I'M
wearied-now what am |? / am worn out
with fatigue and watching and anxiety
and fear and hunger. Can L bear it:
Shall | not sink in the effort, and find
my last resting place beneath the cold wa
ter of this barrier impossible? No mat
ter. / am little more than dead even now.
/ cannot lose by keeping on. In tent
far away-not far i'll distance, but unat-
tainable-Lydia is now quietly sleeping,
while |, n wanderer. cropping in this will
derness, fear for very life which yet seems
worthless if to be prolonged through the
certain terrors that / must endure. Those
know not the immense good they enjoy;
even soldiers bivouac fire is paradise.
At last | came where Il stretch of the
Germanna road allowed me to see n light.
A long way off ii was, and / knew that
the Confederate pickets were there, but
it acted hopefully on me; degree of
courage revived.
/ DETECTED to the left, and went slowly
on, making for the bend. And now a
great fear came on me. / imagined /
could see daylight at my right hand; GER
tainly there was light there. Had !
rested so many times and so long that the
night was already spent. and must /
reach the river too late: To cross by day
light would be impossible. / would NOT
venture to begin ii, for the Confederate
videts no doubt could see all the surface
of the river at every possible crossing
place. No: if this light betokened day !
could do nothing more. ! would lie in the
woods until another night. and Starve and
suffer-and then my limit would be pass
ed, and my report be made too late. Yet
I kept on. and the light in the east did
not grow. but overhead the sky was clear
ed as the northeast wind swept the
clouds away before the coming of the
morning, and / saw the stars come ont.
and knew that ] yet had time. and / went
for joy rs / went. and wished for the
river, and supernatural strength came
upon me, and unnatural courage, and ]
made my way rapidly across the patrol
road of the Confederate picketS reached
the stream at the very spot where / had
fOrded; and without fear or haste or any
thought / waded boldly in and went on
across-and best it was that / went
through the water in my clOthing-and
then / gathered all my strength and ran.
and ran. and fell before the bivOuac fire
where Lieut.. Hassett was standing.