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

glOW guy Over 3DOut III. Men mONeu
here and there in ragged clothes, that
bore but pitiable resemblance to uni
forms, and wherever l got a glimpse
into a hut or a tent, only the bare neces-
stiles of life were in view. As | walked
along between two soldiers, there came
TO me the two men, Acton and his
friend, who, whether according to the
o 4 OF discipline or not l cannot tell,
walked by my side.
The jovial Acton thanked me in his
own way for the little service chance
had enabled me to do him, n pre-
scented me to his friend, Robert Curtis.
From the time l had heard the mans
voice he drew me to him. and now that
| saw his serious face, marked by the
lines of some sorrow or care, l took
more and more to him.
These two men spoke to me each In
his W way as we walked across the
camp. And each in his own way gave
me the encouragement that two manly
beings can impart In unaffected ways.
There a little said, but l knew that
here were two men G as l A not
yet met in my short life.
So we came to the country mansion
that Livingstone used as his headquar-
ters, and l was ushered into the IL
brary, or office, where / stood before the
commander of the NerplanCks detaCh-
ment Of Washington's thin line that
ran from Philadelphia, by way OF Nor
ristown and West Point, into New Eng
land. 1t was q detachment ever ready
for a movement Of ClintOn'S ever
Watching; but to a close observer, al
most hopelessly spread out, and by
three quarters less than what Il should
have been in numbers.
You have been insulting my officer,
sir, l see" said he, after questioning
me as to my station in life.
You are mtsinformed, sir" 1 ans
wcred.
How so? I am reading here"
ANY of the witnesses will tell you the
facts" and | repeated them.
He sat a moment, looking out of the
window in some thought, and then o II
tinued:
YOU fired on a picket. That IS severe
ly punishable in martial law"
II realize that fully, SIR" l said. But
I was hurrying in the dark
ness. and saw the muhIle Of a
gun suddenly thrust before ...e. IT was
instructive to defend myself"
These letters, what are they?"
"As you see, sir. One to me from
General Putnam. The other to General
well as l."
1T is In cipher. Read 1t to me-"
Il do not know the code"
Then l can send II on to him."
I'm hat case t will mean little, as
l am instructed to add certain details
to It,"
You can tell them to me-"
with your pardon, Colonel Living
some, / can tell them to no one but
the Commander-in-Chief. And, sir,
these reports are of such Importance
that 1 urge you to send me on to him,
under guard If you choose, as soon as
possible. TT will work little HARM" l
added, smiling, even should l prove
to be a spy"
Again he sat for some moments pom
dering. Then, rising, he rang a bell,
and, bidding an orderly call a Captain
Burton, he gave hat officer orders TO
have me taken to General Arnold.
General Arnold" cried l ~involun-
tarily.
And why not, sir?" demanded he
sharply, turning suddenly upon me and
fixing his clear eyes on my face.
why not, indeed. except that 1t will
cause unnecessary delay"
: THAT is for me to decide" he an
swered ~haughtily, and turned away
without more ado.
"Ah, friend B%alfort, 1 am glad to
see you again." cried Acton, as l left
the house with the sergeant some mo-
ments later. But / could say little to
the two who stood waiting for me, and
within a short time l was riding north
between two other horsemen-a ser
geant and a trooper-having silently
shaken these two new friends by the
hand and nodded my farewell to
them.
Arnold's headquarters I knew to be
in the house once the property of q
tory named Robinson, situated just
across the Hudson from West Point.
Fishkill lay beyond, 1 knew not how
far. At this point 1 got my head to
thinking how / might rid myself of
this escort and ride, or walk, past the
traitors house to the commander-in-
chief.
1t was now come to 4 in the after
noon Of the 22d. The attack was for
the 2Sth. Here lay six days. 1t must
be done. Aye, and lone quickly! And
then my thoughts turned to the two
escorting me. Neither had any bril-
liancy sitting upon his brow. The ser
geant, upon my right, carried the two
papers. Ever now l could see them,
with Livingstone's dispatches, bullying
from his pocket. The men had pistols
in saddle-holsters, and | had none.
Then OF a sudden came to me an idea,
l have to this day never discovered
how 1t turned out so we'll; for, to tell
oneSt fact, { was as wild Il scheme
as ever entered my poo head.
1t was just after this tina my two
companions began to discover that
their prisoner was, of q surety, ne
horseman. He often grasped the sad
die roughly; when the beast trotted q
bit, the humping of the captive was
~disgraceful; in point of fact, 1t APP
peared hat this prisoner could not
ave ridden a horse six times in his
life.
1t tickled the soul of the cavalry ser
geant beyond measure. The tedious
ride contained possibilities Of amuse-
ment.
"Ye amt got none too much of the
horseman In yer bones, have YEP"
laughed he presently. There We go
agin-ho! ho!" as the prisoners horse
SHE'D and bumped his own good steed.
"Ye must hold firmer by the knees.
So! Sit SO! straighter!" and he leaned
over and put his hand on the others
shoulder.
1 will not deny that a certain CLEAN
appeared in the prisoners eye.
II see! II is simple, too,' said the
latter. But the beast sided up to the
third horseman of the party and
pushed him to the side of the road.
Have a care, here, my sportsman"
cried he, laughing good-naturedly.
Now, by chance, the road became
hilly, and curved through the trees and
open fields; when, without warning.
the foolish prisoner let go Of the reins
and grabbed his saddle with both
hands, and the Disguised animal under
him went here n there, amidst the
laughter of the sergeant, who broke
into a brisk trot, thus adding to the
amusement Of himself and his friend.
He drew a few yards ahead Of the
other two. Another turn of the road
was in sight, when the prisoners horse
gave a prodigious leap towards the
trooper near by, and there was a grab
at his saddle pistols. A report rang
out before either he or his sergeant
could stop laughing. The troopers
horse turned a somersault inc rolled
over in the mud with its rider.
Az the cAnnnnnt tnrnnL In hin cnlll