The National tribune., 1903-10-15
OLD SQUIRE.

river bank. his position most distant from
the reserve being nearly POO yards away.
1t was the duty of this sentinel to watch
the river. and especially the far side of
the ford, which, however, would be utterly
invisible until daylight; his rear was pro-
tected by the company's vedets on the
road, and his TANKS by other guards-on
the east by the reserves themselves, on
the west by another sentinel beyond whom
a vedet had been posted perdu.
Squire was becoming desperate. Hours
had passed; he had confidence that his
friends were still waiting for him-wait-
ing. but almost hopeless. He knew that
unless they could cross TIE Potomac this
night, Stuart would SO far Outrde them
| that they would hardly dare to venture.
He fancied their suspense. comparing it
with his own; how long would it be be
fore they should decide that he was lost
to them. and cease to wait? The thought
caused sudden fear that they had al
ready gone. And the negro's small hope
was not in Mails Chahiey, but in Serg t
Morgan and Sency. He knew Armstrong
was rash. If at this moment he had heard
shout and shot, his surprise would not
have been great; but he knew that force
was not the means to use for success in
his own case, or in theirs, and he knew
that Sency and Morgan knew it. How
mucE zine did he have? Perhaps none
yet he must try.
Sitting there on the grass. his hand
touched a hard and uneven substance, at
first he knew not what. He had been al
most ar the point of springing to his feet
and running hard for the river. Squire
was an excellent swimmer, and. once in
the water. might laugh at carbines fired
into the night. Perhaps the Sergeant $
soliloquy concerning the ACCESSIBILITY of
changing his base had been concluded by
| the reflection that not one prisoner in a
thousand would run for deep water I'M
der the fire of the guards, and that if this
negro should do so, it would be for the
purpose not merely to rid himself of pres
ent small embarrassment. but ultimately
to escape slavery. But Squire had fully
made up his mind: lie would reach the
river. plunge in, swim far down, and by n
circuit reach his friends. The hard OBJ
Ject. however, had induced q pause: he
tried to lift it; it seemed a stump, immOva-
bic; in n moment he knew better; the
thing was of metal. embedded in the earth.
He pulled at it again. but failed. Then he
began carefully to scrape the earth from
its edges with his nails; he knew now
what it was-a little broken pot. left here
by some campers, no telling how many
years before. He continued his work I'M
til he was able to shake the thing. and
knew that at the Opportune moment lie
should have no difficulty in pulling it out.
Laffney was looking toward the r.ver:
Squire was looking at Laffney. Laffney
! left shoulder in that last mo-
ment the negro sprang to his feet, and,
| with the broken pot in his hands, was
speeding toward the bluff.
The guard turned at the noise, saw the
fleeing form. raised his carbine without 4
woodland fired.
At this instant the sentinel on Beat No.
1 had started on his tramp westward. He
| turned, and saw the negro just disappear
ing over the edge of the bluff; he fired.
| The sentinel on Beat No. l heard great
splash in the water.
| Laffney was running to the bluff. When
he reached it, there was nothing.
Great commOtiOn arose in the company S
bivouac; stampede threatened. many be
| lieving the rebels were upon them; men
were running to their horses; men were
shouting; horses were stamping and strug-
Cling.
Serg't Dow, however. had seized upon
! the fact of the escape, and speedily report
| ed to Capt. Freeman, who at once re-
stored quiet.
THAT darky must want to follow his
master very bad" said the Captain. Il
was right in believing that he had been
cut off"
Maybe he's running for freedom said
Brock.
mo. I don't believe it; he would have
had no excuse for not saying so. He'd
know very well that we'd send him along
"Hawley believes lie killed him. sir. y
said the Sergeant: says that when he
fired. the negro was in the act of spring
ing into the water, and that he never rose.
l heard the splash myself"
| "Hawley is n remarkable shot. and has
remarkable vision.' said Freeman, in
credulously. Brock, give orders for dou-
bling BOWS guards. We don't know a
thing: those shots may bring some inquis-
tive people upon us. Let everything be
alert. Wagon not come yet:'
| mo. sir
"AIore reason to be careful Brock have
all the men to keep awake and ready for
any emergency"
Squire had not felt the touch of lead or
of water. On the brink of the bluff he
had thrown the pot into the stream. and
at once had leaped, not outward. but down
ward, risking the typical place-under-
meath him narrow shelving shore from
which the waters had receded. He had
| landed safely. his feet deep in the mud,
and at once had crawled down the river.
keeping under the bluff upon which the
guards quickly stood. Soon there was no
need of crawling; and he rose to his feet
and climbed the bluff. He stopped. and
| looked up the river; he could see nothing,
but could hear the noise of the alarm.
Dem men not a-gwine to quit hunt'n'
feb dis ole niggeh." he thought. Il bet
teh be a-gitt'n' fuddeh: hit amt no sense
in ole Squiah stayin' bout sheah no
moe
He turned to 20 on down: before him
| he could see deeper blackness. which he
knew was a wooded hill; he would get to
the wood, then fetch bend and make
his way back to his friends, and report the
ford guarded: the little squad could not
cross. Suddenly he stood still on the
brink of n chasm; another step and he
should have fallen. He got down on his
knees, and could see the opposite wall of
the ravine. He scrambled to the bottom,
not more than ten feet, and bent his way
to the river, chuckling.
An hour later, almost exhausted. he
reached the spot where he had warned
Armstrong. He climbed the fence and
marched north, whistling low note.
George" said Morgan. interrupting
Squire's report that the ford was guarded,
do you know any other ford near by?"
"NOne nearer than the one just below
Edwards Ferry" said Sency.
''Too far up; eight or 10 miles. We
must risk it below"
| "Mahs Dan. dey's anotheh fohd down
dahl mos fell into de road, an den
didn't do nothin but go down de road to
de watch Hits fOhd feb true, Gaze
seed whah de people ben a-gwine acrowst
an knows dat eff dey kin go acrawst. we
kin too, leastways eff dat dab Cap'm Free
man an his men don't sheah us a-comin';
I II