The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-06-19
CHAPTER XVIII.
AN AMBULANCE.
HE is composed and framed of treach-
cry
And fled he is upon this villany."
.T. Shin kpSDerc

road and from our front-horscs, l
thought. Jcctcr also had heard it, and
had stopped short.
What is it, Jceter?' | whispered.
Horses he replied.
"MarchinS!'
mo. l think not. Seemed 10 be kick
! ing. Guess they are feeding
| | was very tired and very sleepy. and
! thought it was getting time for Jceter to
do something, so | asked him to creep
| cautiously on and try To learn what kind
of party we had stumbled upon.
If these people were ConfcdcrateS, we
could easily get around them and 20 on
north. But suppose there was a brigade
or two, with pickets thrown out. We
must he careful. Stuart was dead, but
Hampton was no less enterprising than
Stuart. Mostly had been recently reported
north of Fredericksburg: these people
were not Mosby's An attack on Fred
cricksburg. even, had been feared.
hoped that Lydia would soon be in Il place
more secure
Jccter returned.
'Wcll:' | said.
81 can't make EN- out" said he
big crowd!'
NO; only five, | think, but there were
seven horses. | don't know what to make
of en-
Go: q fire.
NE; but got near enough to see Il lit
tie. think there is an ambulance, or
something ike it,
An ambulance,
Yet there are many ambulanccs-many
in either army.
Were the Gscn Gn guard?"
Il couldn't tell. | counted seven
horses. and SUPPRESSED there must be five
men besides the driver"
Did you hear any talk
Yes: but couldn't understand what
was said
ambulance lin the woods, or in the
road:' .d
In the wnodS.l Everything in the
wcods. but there is. a WAY out to the biz
road L.4
How do you know"
Il got into it.. IL turns about. so that
they can't he ser: from the road
'Jeet"r. those eeple are Confederates."
Il give it up." he sad.
'Waat would a Federal ambulance be
doing hnrc: Are you sure it is an am
buance:' .=s-
1t looked like it. What bothers me is
that any ambulance, Union or rebel
si:Gul he here iii the woods
Maybe it's not an ambulance.
What else could it hei' asked .Iccter.
''Sure it's not I; waGon:"
IFS not any common wagon. II has
black top. with curtains all down.
How near to il did you get:'
'''Tcr steps, | guess
rs ii between us and the men:'
Eyes"
You could not see the men,"
NO.
Md where are the horscs:"
''All around the ambulance"
'Jcctcr. | must sec into this thing"
See into III. amhGlaGcet''
Il don't mean that exactly: mean the
whole affair."
Wed better let those fellows alone |
and get ba"k,'
''N'ha do yGu think they are?'
81 think they are bushwhackers. said |
he.
And the wagon is for carrying off
Il think they have captured one of our
amhulances," he replied gloomiy.
.Ieetcr had but given uttcrances to nv |
own fears. 1t seemed strange proceed |
ing, for Il few men with single ambu-
lance or single wagon TO halt in these
woods ut night. It was clear to me that |
they were hot FedcralS; our men would /
he in close quarters here. and would hide
far from the road; they wonld not be
encountered with Il vehicle Yet. if these
men were Confcdrratrs. why had they not
gone on. and entered their own picket line.
only mic or two away. instead of risk
ing themselves ont here?
They may he outEOstS.' said l.
What would they want with an am
huance:'
This ambulance, ambulance, ambulance.
irrtatcd me.
Cant we take the whole party.
Jeetcr?''
What would Gen. Hancock say?"
You are right. We must make our
report. But we have plenty of time yet
I'm going forward"
For WHAT
ITO find out something But I'm going
to try them from the north"
We led our horses in a sem-circlc
through the woods until Jeeter said he
was sure that the party was now south
Of us. If we must run we should be run
ming in the right direction.
Now, Jeeter. you must look and listen
toward the north" said l.
Think there is danger there?" he
asked.
Il don't know, but these men think
there is safety there. For people outside
their own lines they are very careless.
Look out TO the north"
/ left everything, gun. Announcements,
and all. in his charge, and crept south,
along the roadside. 1t would soon be day
These men before me would perhaps be
awake now, and be getting ready to leave
II they were alert, as men in such dan
ger should he, they would leave before |
could see their camp-and see the ambu-
lance; yet everything thus far had indi-
Gated sense of perfect security on their
part; no doubt they considered themselves
already within the Confederate lines; pos
sibly there was Confederate force of
cavalry even now between them and Bow
ling Green; this would explain their seem
ing lack of caution
Before l had gone 300 yards heard
again the noises made by restless horses.
seemingly very near me, and suddenly
ceasing. | got on my hands and knees.
and continued to advance. The night was
not very dark; | could see the trees dis
tinctly, and choose my line of approach.
Iester had said that the men were near
the road, and that the horses We're near
/ detected SO that /
should 60 to the left of the men. On
hands and knees, and even almost pros
trate, ! went forward inch by inch.
Now my head was almost touching the
ground. Some fallen and rotting timber
ay scattered here and there; the stand
ng trees were not so close together as to ,
prevent vision, but there were a few
'craggy bushes not more than two feet {
.all. 1 saw black objects among the trees
before me.
A little farther, and I knew that the
argest of the objects was an ambulance. 7
But what ambulance? / knew that it
vas DR.. Khayme's ambulance.