Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-11-01

skirmishers. Halt the rest of the brigade here. Good afternoon, MT. 1 Jennings" he continued, in civil ac- Acknowledgement of the Virginian's sa- ] lutation. "I thought you were home ] by this time.'
 General" said he, coming along 1 side, T want to say one thing, suh. ] and it's this-that young gentleman of
 your staff was so kind to pr. Chiffon
 that it completely staggered the doc l tor to have him knocked down and
 captured. He's bound to take the l best of cayuh of him till he's well
 enough to take cayuh of himself i then--''
 ] Well, ands then, MT. Jennings?"
 asked the general impatiently, for he ! was eager to get on ahead.
 1 You look out for his turning up any day! If he ain't exchanged, I'm bet 1 tin somethin' else will happen My understanding is that Dr. Chil- i ton has made himself personally re- sponsible for MT. Benton's safekeep-
 ing so long as he's allowed to remain | with him"
 l That's true, reckon" answered l Jennings. "But," and here his lan- | tern jaws relaxed in whimsical grin,
 sthe doctor ain't the only brainy one l in that family. general. The girl that I planned young Ladue's escape from 1 your fellows at Henry house may play
 1t on Ewell's folks at Gawd 'nsville just
 as easy
 "So you know Ewelrs at Gordon ville!" said the general, whirling sud- l denly on the speaker. And you know the lady who got MT. Ferguson into
 his scrape, do your"
 1 "Gettin' another fella out O. one l yes-suh," answered Jennings, un-
 f1inchingly. And she made a big play that night to get still another out of bad fix-'less I'm mistaken. Why, 1 general, you jus ought to heuh Judge l Armistead talk about that girl. He 1 says half the men in Albemarle, uni- versity and all, were in love with her when the war broke out, and the judge has a mighty pretty daughter of his own, too. rather hoped some of our cavalry might be pushin' out toward Hopewell tonight. Amt Col. Bayard
 somewhere out that way? Hu1lo! There's sh9t!"
 Not one sD4 :, but two, three, in quick succession. omewhere ahead among the patches and thickets of scrub oak
 and pine the scattering advance guard
 had suddenly met swift galloping lads in gray. Then came the distant sound
 of half dozen shots-carbines-an the answering sputter of a ragged vol ley. We'll out to the front bugIe sounded some lively call, and, spurring full gallop from the rear, the tall adjutant went bending and twisting away among the trees until out of sight ahead and then his powerful voice came ringing back: "This way, captain-livelyi Double quick!'' Evidently Haskell had sighted some of the quarry and closer at hand than those ahead along the roadway, for there came a crackle of shots-the bark of the cavalry weapon, the saucy pop of a revolver somewhere among the thickets to the left of the column; then shrill burst of cheers from the
 deploying blue coats on the westward flank. All of a sudden through the
 bushes tumbled little squad of troop
 CTS in gray, making heroic effort to carry off a helpless comrade. The gen. eral and his aides had spurred in with
 the skirmishers, and were just in time to see two riderless horses tearing away among the trees across an open glade, while half dozen daring, de-
 voted fellows in saddle were stoutly in-
 terposing between the forward rush of the excited Badgers and three of their
 number surrounding and supporting a tall officer who had been lifted side-
 ways sa the back of g plunging steed.
 "Halt!" "Halt!"- t'Dismount!' Sur
 render!' rang the hoarse shouts of
 the dozen bluecoats, dashing in pur-
 suit Bang! Bang! came the defiant
 response of the few defenders. Bang!
 Bangl beloved brace of Springfelds
 in reply. Don't shoot!" Hold your
 fre!" yelled the general. Don't shoot!" Don't shoot!" echoed the
 staff, for the luckless cavalier, reeling
 in his seat, went sliding into the arms
 of his loyal followers, while the devil
 of a horse whirled round, tugging,
 straining at the reins and striving to
 break away. "Dismount!'' Down
 with you!" "Off with you!" cried the
 pursuers, officer and man. as another
 terrified horse tore, wildly neighing,
 in chase of the foremost. It was
 desperate effort on part of the grays.
 Their comrade troopers were too far
 off to help them, even could they drive
 through the stout skirmish line al-
 ready far flung across the field beyond.
 With last wave of his white hand,
 the officer seemed ordering his de-
 lenders to save themselves, and those
 in saddle, with parting shots and def-
 ant yells-one of them even hurling in
 rage his emptied revolver at the tall
 adjutant, the foremost man in the rush-darted away, bending low over the streaming names, with the bullets of half score of Springfelds whiz-
 zing past their ears.
 The adjutant was off his big, raw
 boned bay in an instant and, bending
 over the fainting man, unscrewed the cap of his flask and held it to the pale