The National tribune., 1903-10-15
heard. Squire halted, and his follower,

heard. Squire halted, and his followers
closed up.
"Mahs Dan. hits dat Wagon a-comin'
now. Dent shu heah de whee,s?"
Yes" whispered the Sergeant. land
| that wagon ought to be ours; but we can't
| spare the time
The noises came nearer They could
hear the tramp of squad of cavalry, and
| voices. and the numbering of the wagon
i'll the rear. They still waited. for fear of
a rear-guard: but soon all sounds ceased.
and Squire started again, the soldiers rid
| ing silently one by one.
At length. past midnight. they halted on
the river bank; at once Armstrong dis
| mounted.
Boys. it's MY time now" he said, TAX
ing his picket rope from his saddle.
BETTER strip. Charley" said Sency.
That's just what I'm going to do"
Morgan walked up the river bank to re-
connoter; when he returned he found
Armstrong ready to lead the way into the
water. The ford was unknown; the
stream was wide and deep; any misstep
might be fatal.
Charley" said the Sergeant, don't be
in haste. Those men back there are as
busy as bees. The wagon has come up.
and they are feeding. Take your time,
now"
Armstrong walked into the water. He
had in his hand slender pole. more than
| 10 feet long: to his body was tied his
| picket rope, the other end fastened to Nor
gan's arm. Following Morgan came old
Squire. while Lewis. leading Armstrong;
horse. brought up the rear.
The moon had gone down, but the sur
face Of the river could be seen. Arm
strong slowly waded on with the water
| constantly deepening until it was up to
his armpits; moment more and he was
swimming.
| Morgan had halted. He felt the rope
get taut; then he pulled steadily and
brought the swimmer back to. standing
ground.
Now Armstrong waded to the right as
far as his rope would allow. but found
deeper water. He came back and waded
to his left: here the water still took him
almost to his shoulders; but he moved on
some 40 yards. Morgan following.
Again the leader struck straight for
ward. the water lessening in depth. He
was beginning to believe that he had
| found the right way; yet again the water
deepened. and ne paused. The rapid river
was hard to withstand-not only was
strength required 20 force his way for
ward, he must also resist the downward
rush of the water; he would take breath.
AS yet not word had been spoken.
The nearness of the Federal cavalry was
such that over the surface of the river
sounds might easily reach them. At
length Armstrong, feeling rested, decided
that he must make another advance. He
would try the right again; he leaned his
body in that direction; he struggled to
move, but could not; he felt himself sink
ing fast, his feet embedded in quicksand;
he struggled again, but could not move his
feet: he shouted, and Morgan pulled. but
seemed to pull against rock. His horse
was stiff in his tracks on a bottom fairly
firm, but the body of his guide was i'm
movable. Again Armstrong shouted, and
at the instant shot was heard on the
river bank above them. and then loud
voices, and the sound of running, and an
other shot.
us a-comin'. Mains Chahley." cried old
Squire, making his horse plunge to Nor
gans side.
Hold on there. sir. What do you mean
to do:" asked the Sergeant.
''I's a-gwine to my Mains Charley"
'No: just take hold here, and help pull"
The strength of two arms, speedily drew
the exhausted man back to safety. Mean
time, in their rear. the noises had in
creased. and they knew that men were
running down the river bank.
I'm a-thinkin' w'd better so ahead"
| said Joe, from the rear.
"Silence," said Morgan. He had no
thought that they should be pursued into
| the water, and they were already too far
to be seen; all he feared was some shot
| fired in the darkness at Il noisy target.
| Armstrong was too weak to continue:
he stood in the water, leaning against
Morgan's horse
go back and tell Mr.. Lewis to bring up
your Mahs Charley's horse" the Sergeant
whispered to Squire.
"Yassah. an den wat shu gwine to do,
Mains DAMP
I'm going to lead, just as he was do
ing"
mo, sab. you dess lemme lead. Alahs
Dan. De good book hit say de las gwine
to be de fust an / knows l amt high. an
l can't do nothin' in de watch: but rs dess
a-gwine avn dry so widout gittn' awff o
dis boss, Mahs Dan" 4s -,
Now there was great uproar-men
shouting on tire bank directly in the rear.
Morgan felt that Squire was right-some
| thing must be done Mt once, and the least
to do. Squire was lightweight. and his
horse could therefore lead with the mini
mum of peril to all.
| Lewis ranged alongside and helped
Armstrong, naked, to mount.
Then Squire forged ahead, giving his
horse the bride.
ibis sheah critteh mought ha' ben
dcTdNSl SHeiH Delo T. HOW, Unultereu the
old man to himself, IAN den ag'in he
moughtn't: but l knows he got he haid
down clost whah he kin smell de bottom
an eff he amt got 'nough sense to keep he
foot out o de bog. he amt fitten feh dawe
meat. De good book hit say de boss got
lots o. sense; leastways hit don't say he
amt got none"
| Whether it was that Squire's trust in
| instinct was more accurate than his knowl-
edge of Scripture. or that accident fav-
ored him, his beast turned to the right at
Il sharp angle and was soon on better
ground for depth, and though the passage
now was full of jagged rocks, they were
making good Roadway in the middle of
the stream. The noise in the rear con-
| timed, and scattering shots warned them
to hasten. Morgan feared that the north
ern end of ROwser's Ford was guarded
and that the guards there. hearing the
shots, would come down the river and
| head them off; so he rode almost BY
Squires side, urging on. The water again
became very deep. Once Squire felt that
his horse was swimming, but in an instant
| bottom was touched. and then the shore
doomed close at hand.
Morgan ordered Squire to halt, and all
the party ranged alongside in the water
They listened intently, fearing foes on the
bank; but in their front, and now at the
south as well, there was no sound. Yet
| the Sergeant would be prudent. He could
not know whether the exit was strongly
guarded, but he was going to take the
venture. They could not now return, and
he gathered his men and prepared to force
the passage He made Squire take the