The Tupelo journal., 1905-06-30
PEN-PICTUREs OF THE OLDEN time
BY COL. w. I.

my ears. One of the men outran
the other from the beginning, and
showed no disposition to contest
the field with us. The other one,
very soon after the chase began,
droppen his bride reins, turned
as far back square in his saddle
as he could, and took deliberate
aim at us, but the gun missed
fire. Having in the meantime
dropped my rifle into my lap and
drawn my ready six. Twas shoot
ing at the rear soldier as fast as
| could, pressing my horse to his
and gaining constantly ON him,
and demanding his surrender
with every shot. When / had got
ten to within about five steps of
him, he again squared himself in
his saddle and took deliberate
aim at my breast. Here was no
time nyr chance to avoid the shot
unless by moving more rapidly
toward him, and closing my eyes
and slapping my spurs to my
horse, | dashed onward, heard
the snap of his of his gun again
falling to fire, opened my eyes
and saw | was in a few feet Of
him. still refusing to surrender,
and as a last resor t, thought |
would be compelled to shoot him
through. But for his safety Ihad
shot once too often, my pistol
snapped while held in three foot
of his back, and, knowing Unjust
have discharged all my loads
as | had loaded fresh only that
morning, / brought my pistol
down with all my power to knock
him from his horse, when he
sprung a countermine by bring
ing his gun with all his power
upon me, and then breaking the
force of my stroke. Immediately
as our weapons clashed, his horse
fell dead, shot through in two
places, landing the soldier how
ever on his feet. Although go
ing very rapidly, | refined my
horse at once threw him well on
his hounches, broke one stirrup
leath, came near being thrown
to the ground, but faced the
soldier with my empty pistol pre-
sented at his breast, and said
nov surrender or / will shoot
a hole through you the blackhids
can fly. l was playing a bluff
game, as my pistol was empty.
AS the collision took place be-
tween us, both our guns fell to
the ground and were lying at
his feet, seeing the stripes indi-
eating my rank, he said ":Lient,
do not kill me-. / told him by
no means if he surrendered all
right, and this he did, the tears
streaming from his eyes. He
remarked to me, you have two.
very good guns pointing to my
gun and his but which he thought
were his and his partners. Point
ing to my gun, | said give me
up that gum. Thinking he
might use the gun on me, | had
decided if he showed any fight
to endeavor to run over him and
crush him with my horse. But
he took the gun by the musel and
handed me the breach, and as 1
received it l said, this is my
gun and it is well loaded and |
am all right at the same time
slipping a couple Of loads also
into my pistol. In the meantime
Allin and Martin passed on after
the other man but, in the classic
language Of Capt. Allen, he
gathered up his horse with his
spurs, shook him well, and was
gone like a streak of light.
Now let us turn to a mother
picture. The devotion and con-
stancy of four women to the cause
of the South during the war is
proverable, and on the night af
ter the capture of the soldier re-
lated above, we had a striking
instance of it. Capt. Allen went
back to and brought up his beauti-
full white lame horse, and depos
tied him with a resident near the
the old camp, and we fingered
around there through the day
hoping to see some soldiers to
whom We could deliver our pris-
oner, so as not toreduce our little
force. During the day we made
the acquaintenanc of two families
of lonely women residing in the
neighborhood, and in about one
half mile of each other. 1.-THE
men Of both families were from
home serving in the Southern
army. We had arranged to re-
main with our prisoner at one Of
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