The National tribune., 1904-03-24
Eontinued from last weekly

others all follow at full cry.
Jones and / laughed or cred-hysteric-
ally-I don't know which. possibly both.
l may have laughed while Jones cried.
The soldiers appear over swell Ill the
ground. Thank God. they had not seen
this slight interruption.
Now our thoughts We're of the negro;
Would he make the creek! InwaruiS
kept saying Yes. no. Yes, no! unth
sank into a troubled sleep.
The sun was TWO hours high Wheh
was awakened with start. Inc g n
ming negro-Jim Waler-was Denalhs
over me- How glad L was to see the biack
fellow. Ae had stationed three %! OF MS
MANY children as lookOuts at dlHereht
points, and had brought food. saying we
were perfectly safe. L got up, leaving
Jones in the straw, fast asleep "a1'eu
him to get all the rest possible"
| asked Jim how III the Woflu nc e'.'
made the creek i'll time.
He said: Il >spect dem shoes CD your
mus er hard wings on EN-.
He not only reached the creek, anu had
deposited the shoes as dlrecteu, III
plenty of time, but had actually gone na h
a mile beyond, and was up a Tree "a'ei
ing developments when the dogs caihe ~
the creek. ,os ~,
After much nosing. the pack started up
stream. They were gone about an ho"i'
having gone almost to ITS SQUIRE.
when they returned to the starting pom.
on the opposite bank. Here they "t ere
diyided-three on one side, four on tue
other-and they struck out down stream
. Jim said they would follow Its course 10
tbe Stanton Rivers miles to the
soutbeast-and | have no doubt they diu
| rested easily now-having no longer
any fear from that source
Jones slept till the sun crossed the merl-
dian. and awoke much refreshed. we lay
here all day. Our clothes had DRIED.
was somewhat rested, but had not got
much sleep. About O'Clock detach-
ment of rebel cavalry passed south. lney
. stoned at the cabin below. jim carried
them a bucket of water and gourd dlp,
PASSED on. Several buggies and single
horsemen passed during this time, but we
were not disturbed.
Late in the afternoon Jim sent his Old
est son, strapping boy OF L., TOT my
shoes. They were somewhat dilaphated
but the soles were fairly good, ana Dy
wrapping cords around my instep the cuts
We're drawn together, ana couiu use
them without difficulty.
This was Sunday evening, July 10,
1864. l remember the date wellElt was
nv birthday was "A years old.
The thin crescent moon set early. and
the stars were shining again. We had eaten
some corn bread and bacon and set out
due north, Jim accompanying us. Jim was
/: NOT overly encoura ging He said l was
not the first "Linkum soger' he had helped
North He thought ''mebby" we'd get
through.
We were not rushing matters now: we
were going at an easy stride almost due
north, following partially-beaten path.
/ left-only too gladly-everything in
: .Iim's hands. His escort would cover
distance of FIVE miles.
An owl hooted overhead. Almost i'm
mediately afterward the distant, dOleful
wall. of whip-poorwill was heard. 1t
was the first time l had ever heard ones
, aiftoy the bushes Jim told rs to steop
: down and keep quiet. l had heard nor
seen nothing suspicious, bat l thought
= the negro had keen senses, and said
!, nothing.
: Ten minutes later two men passed us,
: going in the opposite direction. They were
engaged in quiet conversation. After they
had disappeared we resumed our tramp
and Jim remarked: Oats Mahs Mclean
and Mahs Thompson" -.
: We were now in Appomattox County,
20 miles from Lynehburg as the crow
flies, but we had come much farther. We
: crossed a railroad-the Southside Rail
length to wide valley. Far ahead came
the faint cry of a whip-pOor-will-then
!. another. Much nearer another whip-poor-
will cried out twice. Jim put his hands
TO his mouth and cried: "Whip-po'- will.
Whip-po'-will." 1t was all clear to me
now. | was on the famous Underground
railroad" Jim explained that the distant
double cry came from Unc' Joel, at Nc
Leans, signifying the coast was clear
The other cry was given by Jim's son.
who had all this while led our advance a
i. quarter OF mile away, unknown to me.
1t was he who had warned us of the ap-
proach of the two men.
Soon we came to higher ground: a set
Element Of barely half dozen houses
showed through the trees. We skirted
around to the left and entered n stable
yard in the rear Of a house-McLean's-
at the end of town, facing its single street
"Cnc JOEL was waiting for rs. He was
an old darby, and said he had "rumyticks
pow'ful bad
None of the Mclean family were a,
home. We entered the kitchen through
the back yard. Unc' Joers wife brought
us milk. biscuits, fruit and cold chicken
While we ate she wrapped up packag e.
OF food for me to carry. She also brough
me pair of discarded boots that be
Ionged to Mr. Mclean: they were fal
better than my shoes, and were goot
BIT. McLean's feet and mine were evi
IDENTIFY of the same size.
Little did / think. as I sat there, tina
the concluding act of the great drama
the civil war-would be enacted there in
the village of Appomattox, under tina
very roof. Yet that is true; Lee surren
dered to Grant in the front room Of thi
house. nine months later.
We were soon ready to start again. jim
and his son had already departed for thei
home. / babe them good-by and went OIL
past the stable and across the creek below
the house. Jones fingered awhile: / ha,
TO call him. He gave Une' Joel's wifi
something.
As guide we had Joers son with a
his name was also Joet-they called hin
"Young JOEL"
When we got beyond the first strip O
woods Joel gave the whip poor-wiIl cry
Answers came from right, left and front
safety was assured.
The night was cool and the sky wa
brilliant with stars. We made good tim.
single file. along the narrow path leadin
through the wooded and open countr,
away from the highways. For two hour
we travelled steadily, without encounterin
any thing more serious than a razorbac
hog. which shot out from a fence-corne
and made bee-line through the woods
We halted at JoeFs directions when "
came near a large white house that wa
surrounded by outbuildings.
IanaS and 7 Yoal 49,