The National tribune., 1902-06-26

| road, without saying word.
l was now a few miles nearer White
| House than l. had been when l started,
and my course was comparatively straight,
il l could but find it. There would yet
be some hours of daylight, and l resolved
to make the most of them. According to
| Col Sharpes information l was not more
| than five miles from Showalter. 1 knew
not whether 1 was on the right road, but
/ knew the general direction, and knew
that l could keep it unless hindered by
| water or by men. Yet did not intend
calling upon Showalter. l would so be
yond him if strength and good luck would
let me- and rest in the woods. No doubt
the messengers sent out by the Southern
routes would reach Gen. Smith early to-
morrow. | did not fret on that account
| knew that | was being used only rs a
reserve If | should reach White House
| at all. | should be doing all that was re-
quired Of me.
| soon came to a fork of the road. The
two branches were as nearly equal as pos
sible. Neither branch showed signs OF
recent travel. either being Uttered yet with
the leaves of last Winter.
1t was Hobson's choice. / had pre-
viously decided to take the right IN every
| case of extreme doubt. simply because the
river was at my right: Gen. Smith would
come UP tile TlNtT- just as ""F
to go forward to the right. | saw III the
| left-hand road Il green pine bough. and
stepped to it. and picked it up. and exam
| med it. 1t was very small: it would have
weighed an ounce. perhaps. l turned II
one way and another. and found that 1t
had not been broken from the limb. but
had been cut. The sap had thickcncd on
the surface left by the blade. showing
the work of seine days ago. That the
| Il had V,ttIf Inf
of what? You may think it strange. but
| now changed my mind: put back the
pine in the place where ] had found 1t.
and began to go forward on the lcft-hand
road Perhaps curiosity had some share
in the matter, yet reason also had some.
for n signal from Il Confederate to Con
federate in these parts did not seem nee
essary The pine bough had been lying
there three or four days no doubt. The
Confedcratcs knew the region: they would
need no signal. Possibly the sign had been
given to Southerner closely following
but in that case it had already served its
PURPOSE Yet | confess that / went on
now more cautiously, keeping out of the
road for the greater Fart of til" time. ana
locking carefully about me before ventrr-
ing into open spaces.
In about half mile IN" road forkod
again. and here, in the right-hard branch.
there was u pine spri@ similar tn the first.
After closely looking at IT. and seeing that
it also had been cut. | threw it by mo-
mcntarr impulse to the side Of the road
amongst the leaves: then. thinking that
had acted iinnrudrntly. ! stepped To If to
replace it. ard saw living near il Il similar
Sprig. hut older. Now came the cnnclu-
sion .h~t the" zine branches. placed and
removed at intervals. wer" intcndnd as
more or less permanent signs OF some
thng-sudes. perhaps. to direct the
doubling to some place they were seeking.
The elder snrig was changing color; rad
the wind blown it away! No matter:
whether its removal had lcer owing TO ac-
cidcnt or to p',.- nso. its having h en- sac
cccded was proof of intention and of per-
sstcnce. ~ -
Had Showa!ter placed these signs? Two
mysteries word before m2-Showaltcr ard
these sicnals-s>was there not some rela-
ton? Gel.
Now in tn" distance I saw a horse
mamie was appr"ac hing: where he was
the ground was OXEN: where / WAS there
we're trees: | hid and waited Cor him TO
pass He Was riding alcwlr, his horse ut
IL gentle pace. 7 saw that he was armed.
and nearer knew that shotgun was
across his lap. He was Il man under mid
die age. q common ccUntIvman. II" pass d
me with his lChd bent down, 10 liking re t.
er 10 the right nor to the left. Why was
this nan armed? Was he homcgaard?
went on. Night was coming. | was
Getting weary. had found that was
not now so used to marching as | had
been when under Stonewall jackson. Be
sides. | had been awake almost the whole
IF the preceding night. | must soon have
sleep and rest. Showaltcr ard the pines
Interested and mystifed me. Showalter-
ShOwalter-Show-all-t Showatcr! But
this was fanciful; the similarity of sound
in the surname and the three words was
only coincidence: what did the nine sprigs
mean? Yet. having one started. my mind
kept calling Showalter. and kent trying to
fill the word with meaning. Showalter-
Show all to-Showaltcr-Show alter
Show another, Could there he anything in
tlat? ! could not believe it, yet it was
possible. Whatever else was true. it was
certain that my mind refused to attribute
the signals to any other than Showalter.
AT my left the forest became denscr
| thought that | had come far enough to
be near the deserted house, and at every
step took kept watching the ground for
signs of an old road leading north. At
last ! saw it.
Years Of travel had worn the soil where
the two ways met, and the leaves of many
Winters had failed to cover entirely the
ancient traces one might have looked long
and in vain for what | had sought-therc
was no vista; the disused carriageway WAS
.ircUitous and had been oyergrown by the
invading forest. At the spot paused
and hesitated. Ny curiosity in regard to
Showalter-man and place-did not grow
20 keep on $ EN- d b s. / could yet make
/ mile-perhaps two-and every mile
counts. | turned away from Showalter
and went on.
The light was dying, and l knew the
night would be dark, for the moon would
not rise until past midnight If the road
should fork again. my further progress
would he all guesswork; / might never see
the fork. But | went on, and in a little
while saw light through the woods, and
came to n wide road running directly
across my path. The light, | thought.
came from a camp-hre perhaps the woods
Gerc Burning. but | had seen no burning
woods on that day, and saw no reason
why the woods here should burn. The fire
was on the other side of the wide road
and | was afraid to venture across it, for
fear of being seen or to take down it or
up it, for fear of going wrong. AT any
rate, ! could not 90 much farther; must
soon stop fer the night my strength must
not be tritied away III plunging through
bushes without purpose; my strength must
be saved for the day to come. | sat down
ard thought awhile Voices came to me
from the other side of the road but |
could not tell the words. This was
camp-what camp? \ camp of bush
whackerS? g"
After a-Iitfla titpeI bnd M SSed-o tima of