Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-31

cared even less: yet I had ever since
blindly followed the faded, tattered
nag of my native state with the
same passionate devotion that possessed
thousands of others, and with no clearer
thought than to remain beside it to the
bitter end
What strange. exciting years those had
been; how filed with adventures. Like
pictures painted on screen there flashed
across my memory in Vivid colors the
camps and marches, the long night viglls.
the swift sweep of the charging squadrons.
the deadly shock of battle the scouting
across unknown country. the hours of pain
while the soft moon smiled down upon
stricken field, the weary weeks in the low
rooted hospital at Richmond. II seemed
hardly possible that / could be that same
slender untried lad who stole forth with
quaking heart fearful of the very shadows
of the oaks about the old home What
centuries of experience lay betweeni The
same boy, yet nodded now into a man: into
the leader of a troop of fighting men, hard
ened 10 steel by service, trusted by one
whom the south most revered and loyed-a
veteran soldier in the ranks of the hardest
fighting legions our world has ever known.
Yet such has been the magic touch of war.
so deeply had my every thought become
merged in these musings that Craig slip
ping silently a ghost from out the en-
gulfing darkness, laid hand upon my bride
rein before became aware of his ap-
proach
Il got 'er all right now, Cap" he an
nounced quietly, peering up into my face
we uns are not more nor a hundred yards
ter the right of the road, but 1 reckon
you'll find Their way a bit rough
He led both ho- ses forward moving slow
ly and with that silent caution so char
acteristic of his class. With scarcely the
scraping of hoof on the fiinty rocks we
came forth in safety upon the defined
hard-beaten track.
The south is over yonder ter the left"
he whispered, as he swung up into saddle
an the trend of the road Is mighty nigh
due west"
But in which direction does their main
camp lie, sergeant"
He shook his head gravely
'Durn it; thet's just what I can't quite
inquire out, sir-whether we uns be to Their
north or south of Their white church. Then
somehow or other. it seems like TO me as
II this yere road lay bit too close ter the
edge of Their plateaus ter ever be the main
pike what the feds marched over / reckon
from the direction it runs that maybe it
might be branch like. or a wood road
1t is, then them felers we uns is tryin' ter
dodge ought ter be down yonder ter the
left somewhat
L gaZed vaguely out into the black va
cancy TO which he pointed.
well, If we should chance to rim I'm
against one of their picket posts we shall
be soon enlightened" 1 returned urging
my horse carefully forward But we
shall nave to take the chances for it
would not prove healthy for either of us
to be caught here by daylight"
L heard Craig chuckle grimly to himself
as If he found humor in the thought, but
without other attempt to give utterance to
his feelings he ranged up close to my side.
Not daring to venture on any gait faster
than a walk along this unknown and i'll
defined mountain trail. we slowly and
cautiously worked our way forward for
more than an hour, meeting with no
human obstacle to our progress. yet feel
ing that each step forward was surrounded
by imminent peril. That We were now
well within the guarded lines of the
enemy we were both assured, although
where or how we had succeeded in
penetrating the Gordon of picket posts I'M
observed we could only conjecture The
darkness about us seemed intensified by
the high, overhanging bank of rock at our
left; on the other side, and but dImly re-
vealed against the skyline, l could per-
ceive Craig's gaunt figure as he leaned far
over the high pommel of his cavalry sad
die, his short carbine well advanced his
trained eyes seeking vainly to pierce the
mystery in our front.
Go be continued Monday)