The National tribune., 1904-03-17

him up. I thought-eutI found thar II WAS
sheer will-power.
I began to loak around for . plas, -
spend he day. Dat whersf We hsl
would ind our trail again and soon run o.
DOWN. We must keep on.
a dog barksd some distance to the
northeast-an ordinary cur, however.
Presently we came to Q dirt road cordu-
royed IN places It was now light enough
to see fairly well. Halt Q mile north,
whence came the barking, we could hear,
to see who it was, and walked rapidly, In
side OF the fences. We saw a log cabin;
middle-aged colored man was putting
wood under q big, black kettle in the side
yard. My heart grew light for Joy.
wondered what he was going to boil
in the kettle on Sunday morning. / called
the man without hesitation-feeling sure
he knew my cause was his cause.
will you befriend Yankee soldierf"
asked, when he came up to the fence.
Deed, boss. I'll do dat!'
How far is it to the river"
Zen mile, boss"
How far to the creekT'
ing north.
take off your shoes" He did so. 1
pulled of mine and slipped his on easily.
Now put on mine" He tugged and
pulled-the great beads of perspiration
standing out on his forehead. / took ont
my knife and cut them down the front
and they went on.
Now run for the creek as fast as your
legs will carry you, along the inside OF the
fences. They have the dogs after us
Listen! There they arep Family the blood
curdling yelps were waited to us on the
calm morning air. when you reach the
creek sink the shoes under stones in deep
water and come back barefooted this
way" indicated a large circuit to the
right.
"You go up de hill, dah-strawstack."
The baying reached us again. He
turned fairly green in the face, and was
off like a fash. Never before nor since
have seen man run as he did. 1t was a
race for life with him; he certainly was
risking his life for our safety.
AS an extra precaution / put Jones on
my back and crossed the road a hundred
yards further on, where could step over
the fence without touching, on a section
OF corduroy road. / was careful to leave
no tracks in the soft dirt anywhere
Climbing the hill 1 put Jones down and
We burrowed into the strawstack. How
good it felt to lie at fun lengthl
Would the ruse work? That was the
absorbing, fearful question now. We had
staked all on it-would we win? Would
we lose?
The deep bass, whining yelps-growl-
ings-sighing for human blood, grew near
as the eager dogs pursued our advancing
trail. oh, how terrible it sounded The
icy chiils crept to the roots Of my hair, and
shook as with the ague. There they
come! We could see them, half q mile
away, emerge from a thicket beyond the
fields. With great leaps they plunged on,
only occasionally putting their noses to the
ground, for the scent was breast-high, no
doubt, and their voices weak, ringing in
the still morning air. Eager, ferocious, on
they came. Three rebel soldiers, mounted
on feet horses, were after them Now
they are lost to sight behind a hillock
now they appear again, in full cry-oyer
the hills and hollows, along the fence In
the tracks that we had made but a few
moments before! My God! how excited
and ferocious and eager they were. The
trail was hot-their quarry was near!
Without hesitating an instant, they
came bounding along-seyen OF them
1.-the, fearful beasts, some with red
tongues hanging out. They were now di-
rectly below us. They reach the point
where the exchange Of shoes was made
They stop! My heart stopped beating; cold
sweat stood out on my face and throat
No one who has not been placed in a SIM
liar predicament can understand with
what agony that moment Of suspense tor
tured me. Two OF them started across the
road, their muzzles to the ground, smelling
my tracks. The others were in q muddIe.
"Jones," said hoarsely, tits all over"
ITO be continued1