The National tribune., 1903-11-26
wills HoicomS and Larry Have a Lively
Night in the Rebel ,camps-captured at

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| Last
"As told igou,". continued Wills Hol-
| comb, I'VE got inside the picket-line of
| the 1st Ga. Cav. NIL right, but then it be-
came like walking through a powder
mill with your pocket full of matches. We
had to go through rebel camps probably
| for miles. Every minute We should be as
| icy pavement.
First of all, and right away, that in
fernal reserve guard post had to be reck-
| oned with. In addition to the two re-
liefs off post, there were there, probably,
| a Corporal, Sergeant, and likely che Off
Ger of the Guard, with maybe the OIL
| Ger of the Day, all likely to be more or
less bothersome. If we were only past
them, we would haye-a show of getting
through the camps, by presence of mind,
| and careful, cool-headed lying. The more
l studied the guard-post the more diff
cult it seemed.
1T didn't take me long to find out that
the fire around which the reserve guards
lay was built at the bottom of cliff
forming one side of a gap at the top of
the hill, just before the roads forked to
run down through the valley. The Off
Ger Of the Guard was probably lying un-
der shack on the other, side of the mar
row gap. L looked up Kopelessly at the
tall cliffs, towering into the black dark
ness, for some way to get around. There
was not the slightest chance apparent any
where, and we must so ahead, for the
night was passing, and we could not af-
ford to daily there. We must take our
chances of encountering some Sergeant or
Lieutenant too smart to be deceived, and
| having to shoot our way through.
SOLDERING Swackpammer had disap-
peared from my front, and l supposed he
had been frightened into sinking behind.
Presently 1 felt Kim give my overcoat
twitch. Turn you critter round, an
foller me- he whispered. Make no noise.
I've done found way. Be monty keer-
full
Il turned and went back to where l
could make out through the darkness
rift in the cliff filled with whitish yellow
clay and gravel which had been washed
down by the Winter rains. Only its
lightness made it visible in contrast with
the blackness of the rugged cliff.
"'Never can get the horses up there in
the world l said, for the rift seemed only
a little less steep than the cliff.
Eyes We kim he whispered confidently.
Hoses kin go anywhar a man kin climb
on
II now saw a use for his white-hanched
old crow-bait. 1t became night-1ag for
my horse and me to follow. He started
straight up the rift, and my horse fol-
lowed without hesitation. OF course,
Larry's followed mine, and very queerly
they became as sure footed as their leader,
climbing the steep ascent without slip
or misstep. At the top Of the cliff we
came upon.a sort Of hog path running near
the edge of the rocks. How in the world
we made our way along there without a
stumble which would have sent us tumb-
ling down into the gap don't know. Our
uninterrupted leader went right along, as
surely as if travelling a beaten road, and
our horses followed. Only at the last
minute. Larry's horse, who had feet some
thing like his master-you know Larry
would always kick against the fence-cor-
ners on both sides Of 20foot lane as we
marched alongA-well, just as we were
passing over the highest part, and could
look directly down on the fire below, and
the men sitting around smoking, or lying
asleep, one Of them seemed to hear some
thing overhead. spoke of it TO the rest, and
took his pipe out to look up and listen.
Larrys horses hoof struck a bowlder,
which imagined at the time weighed not
less than ton. and knocked it over the
edge of the cliff. 1t fell with crash on
the shack in which the Officer of the
Guard was lying, and bounded across the
road into the fire around which the. men
were sitting and lying, badly bruising one
mans leg, scattering the fire and Knock
ing two or three over. The Officer Of the
Guard, who probably was not popular
with his men, jumped out Of the ruins of
his shed, revolver in hand, to kill the men
who he believed had tried to murder him
while asleep. The men were too startled
by the sudden apparition to defend them
selves against his accusations, and those
who had been hurt by the stone were
yelling with pain. Larry wanted to fire
few shots into the fracas, to add to the
interest of the occasion, and had already
drawn a bead on the Officer of the Guard,
but I stopped him. We had too much
urgent business elsewhere. We hurried
off after Swackhammer down a side path,
and reached the forks Of the road.
Let me seeY said I, halting moment
to survey the landscape ahead and COM
mune with Larry and Swackhammer.
That fellow said that Col. Jim Strick-
lands 1st Ga. Cav. was camped on the
left. That must be that first bunch of
fires over there
eyes, that's Cunnel Jim Strickland's
rijimint over thar an that thar's Cunnel
Phil. Davant's battalion over thar on
'tother side of the valley said Swack-
hammer.
"'Well, as am Lieut.. Tom Wilkins, Of
Col. Strickland's regiment, and 1 seem
to have misfit voice. said l, I guess it
would be safer to play that racket over in
Col. Davants battalion. Well go to the
right
1--WE heard horseman come trotting up
the road.
"Halt! Who comes thereT challenged
boldly.
"'Lieut. Wilkins Officer of the Day.
answered thin, high voice. No wonder
mine had not been recognized.
Advance, Officer of the Day, and
give the countersign,' l answered, with
my carbine at my face.
"'Chaplin's Hills he said In q low
voice over the muzzle.
'Countersigns correct said I, lower
ing my gun. L didn't recognize your
voice. Lieutenant What's up?
"That's just Whit I'm goin' for to see.
What's all that. racket up at the gyard
post aboutY
Don't know. Jest wonderin' about
that ourselves. We all come down the
other way n
kins inquired, in turn; This was poser.
l certainly could not be Lieut.. Wilkins
of the LIST Ga. Cav. any longer. I hap.
pened to remember about having heard
Of Col. Spriggins, who commanded a regi-
ment Of Gov. Joe browns Georgia Re
serves, and it fasheff upon me that would
he the game TO plaY.,nI could assume that