The National tribune., 1903-07-02

cotton into the legs of my breeches and
beneath my coat as l we'll could, White
declining that luxury. We were sight
to behold, being literally covered with cot
ton, which made us look as though we
had been treated to a coat of tar and
feathers
The pain had temporarily left my knee,
and we soon gained the river bottom,
where we found that the road ran along
beside the Coldwater River but we We're
not yet in sight of the bridge. Then we
began to look for a chance to get across.
There was some ice along the edges OF the
river, but nowhere was the river frozen
clear across. At length, after going down
the stream for perhaps a half mile (the
bridge was upstream), We came to raft,
which was formed by drift logs, and the
timbers of some old building which had
lodged The raft did not extend clear
across the stream, but nearly so. We now
gathered up some old slabs and pieces of
boards and timbers and pieced out the
raft, which enabled US to get across to
what we supposed was safety. However,
1t was not thought safe to get to the main
road Just yet, but to travel a parallel
route through the woods. The Winter
rise of the Mississippi River had not yet
commenced, so the lowlands were not filled
with water Although we were not very
hungry we would have stopped to make
n fire to warm ourselves, but still had no
matches The negro at the last house had
been unable to furnish us any.
As it was, we started off in the direction
+hA nrNnr
got along very well for several miles, but
at length came to a strip of canebrake
couple of rods wide that crossed our route
We got through this and soon came to
another and somewhat wider. and later
others were encountered, which caused us
considerable delay, as we had to crawl on
our hands and knees between the upright
canes and under the old ones, which had
fallen in past years. The thicket of canes
was so dense that it would often take us
five minutes to go 20 feet At length we
came to one that must have been lU0 rods
wide, which took us two or three hours
to get through. On reaching narrow oak
ridge in this brake, we came suddenly on
to a drove of wild turkeys which we esti-
mated to be I5 in number. They. at first,
did rot show disposition to yield posses
sion of the ridge. We, at first, thought
that they were tame or domesticated, and
that a house or settlement was near, but
they at length took fight and left US wish
ing we had one of them baked for n
Thanksgiving dinner
Soon after this incident we came to one
of those ''old river lakes so common in
the Mississippi Valley; that is, long sec
tions of the river proper which had been
cut off by changes of the channel ages
ago. This lake was a half mile wide and
several miles long. Along the banks
were scme plantations. Some of
these plantations were occupied, and we
selected one which we thought the most
isolated and advanced toward the "white''
house, trying to keep the kitchen between
US and it.
Visitors at the South will remember that
all kitchens there are detached from the
main building by several feet.
TAKEN PRISONERS BY A WOMAN.
We succeeded in getting to the kitchen,
and on entering it we found an old
NANNY" cook, whom we asked to get us
as large a lunch as possible. She ap-
peared to be very much frightened, and
while we were trying to pacify her, the
door was suddenly thrown open and a
double-barrelled shot gun was thrust with
in a few inches of my face, with the de-
mand, What are you doing in my
kitchen:" Behind the gun was a very
good-loOking woman of about 30 years OF
ago, whose eyes famed like those of q
maniac.
She was so excited that l felt certain
that she would shoot before l could eX.
plain, and l was not quite near enough tC
grab the gun. However. l told her We
were escaped prisoners of war, and were
nearly starved, and did not think it safe
to approach white people, under the cir
cumstanccS.
She then stepped to one side and ordered
us to march ahead of her. which order,
nnt GOV Nx-nn oh Cla l,,nI
into the white house and into the parlor
where We found her husband, a rebel Off
Ger. in full uniform, with his sword on 9
center table near him. He addressed US
pleasantly, made us be seated, and theI
inquired of us who we were and where
from. We told him the truth, and ht
asked us why we did not come to the from
door, like gentlemen, and not come il
the back way, like negro or a thief. w,
gave him our reasons, and he said, Here
after, wherever you may be, and unde
whatever conditions or circumstances, al
ways go TO the front door of a gentleman,
house when you have occasion to enter.
HOSPITALITY OF REBEL OFFICER.
While he was giving US this lee
ture his lady had retired ard soor
returned and invited US to repai
TO the dining room, where she hat
had the cook set on such cold victual
as were on hand. l can remember colt
ham, cold biscuit, milk, butter, besides sew
eral other things that / cannot now recall
She told US to sit down and help our
selves, which we did. she sitting mt th
foot of the table and pouring milk ant
carving meat for us. / think that neve
did food taste so good to me as then, an,
j am certain that our Yankee appetite
surprised her.
We, of course, expected that after on
dinner we would be marched by the Office
to rebel force and taken back to til
hills, but imagine our surprise when ol
again entering the parlor we were offere,
pipes and tobacco, and told that we wer
at liberty to depart. On our expressing
surprise, at what we termed his liaerality
he replied to the effect that his sense 0
honor would not permit him to interfer
with the comfort or pleasure of his guests
that we were noy his guests, and he MUS
be governed accordingly. However, W
later came to the conclusion that he ha
more sinister motives than that of hi
sense of honor" But let that be as
may, we will give him the benefit Of til
doubt.
He told us TO follow up the lake frcn
for half u mile, where we would find th
main road, at point where the lake wa
narrow, and bridged, and that we coul
follow the road into Austin without nc
leStatiOn IL heiup hut ciy mil,