Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-06-08
VIII.
A BADGER IN THE TOLLS.

A BADGER IN THE TOLLS.
The rest of that night was long a
blank in Benton's mind. He had vague
recollections of a furious struggle, of
trampling horses, of shining, whirling
saber blades, of a leap to saddle and
circling foes, of riders shouts, a wo-
mans scream, a crushing blow that
nearly split his skull, and then
oblivion until morning: and the face
bending fondly, anxiously over him,
as he opened his eyes, was that of
Paul Ladue, and the first words that
faltered from his lips were: Paul,
poor old boy! How sick you must have
been!" for, white and haggard and dis
tressed, the winsome features of the
year gone blythe dream face of his
chosen friend, seemed aged and worn
ALMOST beyond recognition.
Then there were hours of trundling
over rough, half frozen roads, with a
racking pain in his fevered head and
incessant thirst. Bearded faces came
and peered at him from time to time,
not in enmity or hate, but almost in
soldier sympathy, and one young fell
low in a gray Jacket and cap three
sizes too big for him, perched on the
back of the ambulance in which he
rode and gave him frequently cool wa
ter from his canteen. From time to
time DR.. Chiffon came and ministered
to and comforted him. tits the To-
tune Of wah, my deah suh," said he.
"Yes'dy my boy, my daughter and
young Ladue yahnduh were all in
your hands. Now it's just the other
way. Be patient, sub. Once across the
Rappahannock We'll take to the cyahs.
This side the river the railway is all
ripped up"
-Four patients had Chiffon to care
for now, it seems, and by Gen. John
ston's orders, fast as they could pos
sibly be transported, he was conveying
them under cavalry escort beyond the
river. In very serious plight was his
own gallant boy, the lieutenant Of the
First Virginia cavalry, to rescue whom
his comrades had made that wide de-
tour and sudden and surprising swoop
from the %northward side of the pike.
Reclining in the second ambulance
throughout the morning hours was
Miss Chiffon, suffering both from shock
and partial collapse, for she had beer
knocked down by a rushing, riderless
horse in the midst of the melee in front
of the stone house and severely bruised
and shaken. Third on the list of in
valids, but insisting on remaining in
saddle, was Lieut.. Paul Ladue-the un-
happiest nan in the party, worn down
with grief and anxiety. Fourth and
last was Fred Benton, with a %bandaged
skull and a broken arm-captured in
the moment of supposed victory.
At Gainesville they had been joined
by Judge Armistead, an honored and
beloved neighbor, who since the out
break of the unhappy wal had retired
to his old country home near Hopewell
Gap, and with the judge was Lieut..
Paul Ladue, who had been self-incar-
cerated until he could exchange the
garb in which he had made his escape
from the Henry house the previous
evening, for the stunning regimentals
still in possession Of Rosalie Chiffon.
Already the story of the romantic
and stirring episode was going from
bearded lip to lip among the riders
Of Stuart's Horse, and before the Sec
ond sunset following Fred Benton's
capture he had heard almost every
word of it.
The dark night Of the fourth O!
March had been a sorry one for Pau.
Ladue. Ever since the previous weeb
he and his comrades had been looking
for the second coming of the Yankee
columns from the forts in front Of
Washington. Day after day, armed
with field-glasses, in belfry, tree or
steeple, Johnston's lookouts watched
for the first sight of screening cavalry.
They were all green" at such work,
north and south both. Already had
the northern volunteers, marching
by night, on converging roads, twice
opened fire and killed or wounded sew
eral in each party before discovering
their blunder. 1t was all nervous bust.
ness for new and inexperienced officers
and, as luck would have it, Paul Ladue,
,.niy just up from a facilitating fever,
found himself commanding an infantry
outpost north Of Bull Run. No caval-
~ had been in their front at sunset.
None had passed out that way, and
when at brisk trot, all ignorant Of their
proximity to the pickets, the confed-
crate troopers came surging down the
lane, never hearing, probably, and
certainly never needing the order to
halt, Ladue shouted fire and, sorely
wounded. young Chiffon fell from his
horse.
r., Be Consnued1