Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-01
CHAPTER xxx.
A Mission for Beelzebub.

A Mission for Beelzebub.
AS we picked our way slowly forward
through the gloom I CLEANED from Cation
all he knew regarding the situation before
us. My own knowledge Of the environ
ments of the Minor house helped me great
ly to appreciate the difficulties to be sur
mounted. He had succeeded in his escape
by lodging among the negro cabins where
the attacking line appeared weakest, but
expressed the conviction that even this
slight gap would be securely closed long
before we reached there.
Have they sufficient men. then. to cover
thoroughly all four sdes?'' asked.
ITO the best of my judgment there must
be fully two hundred and fifty in the gang,
and apparently they operate under strict
military discipline. 1t is a revelation to
me, Wayne, of the growing power of these
desperate, fellows. 1 knew they were be-
coming numerous and bold but this sur
passes anything I-could imag CINE. More,
they are being constantly recruited by new
arrivals A party of at least a dozen came
In while 1 was hiding behind the stables.
heard them asking for the leader"
What did they call him?"
'Lory, or Laurie, something like that
They claimed to be deserters from Lees
army, but two or three of them wore our
uniforms
ITS Red Lowrie." I said gravely. more
impressed than even with the seriousness
of the situation. Al heard of him two
years ago-he kill&1 man in the 9th
North Carolina, and took to the hills Since
then he has developed into quite a leader
for such scum, and has proven himself
a merciless monster You have no sugges-
ton to offer as to how we had better at
tempt to get in?"t
He shook his head despondingly.
What station does Brennan defehd?' L
asked.
THE front of the house; the main point
of attack has been there"
We could distinguish the sound of firing
by this time, and It's continuous volume
convinced me that Caton's estimate of the
number engaged was not greatly over
drawn. AS we we topped the summit of the
hill a great burst of red fire leaped sudden
~ high into the sky
Great God" Wayne. We are too later'
he cried wildly. Those devils have fired
the house, '''''' "''"
With fercely throbbing heart gazed
down at the flames far below in the black
valley.
No" said, with eager relief. 1T is the
stable which is ablaze. See the light falls
full upon the white sides of the house.
THANK, hea ven. are not too late"
AS l sat my horse there, gazing down
upon that scene, of black rdpine, unwilling
to venture into its midst until | could form
ulate some definite plan of action fully a
dozen wild schemes thronged into my brain,
only to be cast aside, one after another as
thoroughly impracticable.
I'VE Shall have to ma Ike a dash for It, and
trust in God said Cation, guessing at my
dilemma
No l answered firmly. there would be
no possibility of success in such a course.
Those fellows are old hands, and hare
pickets out. See, Cation. that is certainly
picket fire yonder where the road dips
Every man of us would be shot down be-
fore we. penetrated those guard lines and
attained the house. We have got to reach
their inner line some way through strategy
and even then must risk being fired upon
by our own people before we get within
cover
Even as 1 was speaking I evolved a plan
of acknowledgements it certainly was, yet
nothing better occurred 70 me, and time
was golden.
"Ebers," L said, didn't I see an extra
jacket stra pped back of your saddle?'
1T is no good he protested, vehemently
1T Ses for der ran~eome."
IAN right; hand it over to the lieutenant
here" Cation. throw that uniform coat OF
yours into the ditch, and don honest gray
for once. Sands, come here. Take your
knife and cut away every symbol of rank
on my jacketi'teaE it off, any way you can"
In another moment these necessary
changes had been accomplished.
Now ordered, pile your sabers there
with mine beside the road; then hobble
your, horses, all but the mule; shall want
Does we &c. der rest of der way on foot?"
questioned the Sergeant, anxiousy
Certainly; and l desire you to remember
one important thing-let me do the talking,
but if any of you are asked questions, we
are deserters from Hilrs corps, tired of the
war"
"Mein Gottr' muttered the German, dis
consolateiy. Il hope. lit vos not long off,
captain; am no good on foot in der dark,
by Chfminy." '"-@
-, You Y .t,,,d had better manage to keep
ing to commit suicide. Now, men. mark
me carefully! Load your carbnes are
you all ready? Sergeant, see that each
man has his gun properly charged and
capped Yousare to carry your arms IS
thoroughly concealed as possible; keep
close to me always: obey my orders in
stantly, and to the letter. We are hut
twenty men pitted against over two nun
dred, remember and when we strike 1t
must be both quick and hard
l mounted the mule, counted the dim
figures in the darkness, and then gave the
order to march. AS We moved slowly down
the hill l was aware that Cation walked
upon one side of NE, while Bungay plodded
along upon the other: but my mind was
so filled with the excitement of our adj
venture and all that depended upon its
successful elimination as scarcely TO real
lie anything other than the part | must
personally play. Good fortune and audacity
alone could combine to win the game
were now engaged upon.
A tall, heavily bearded mountaineer stood
squarely in the middle of the road to
the north of the p.cket-fre. I could
excepting that he wore a high coonskin
cap and bore a long rife.
stop right thar, he called out hoarsely,
upon hearing us. Who are YOU uns?"
AS he challenged a dozen others sprang
up from about the fame and guns in hand,
came toward US on n run.
I'VE uns are doggoned tired O. soldierin',
an gittin nuthin' fer it, I said in the
slow southern drawl, AN wanter jine yer
gang pervidin' thar's any show fer it..
How many are ye?'' asked one OF the
newcomers, striding forward between US
and the sentry
"a right smart heap o. a bunch; bin a
pickin' O. 'em up ever since we left Char
lotte," returned evasively. '"They be dam
dies ter fight, an 1 reckin as how We kin
use 'em, can't YEP
maybe; who did We want ter see?"
''Wal, they sed as how Teller named
Lowrie wus a runnin this yere gang, an
If thets Their way o it. reckin how
it's Lowrie We're after Be you Lowrie?"
Nav.
The answer was so gruff and short. and
the fellow hesitated so long in adding
anything to it, l began to think it was
all off.
"Wal," he consented to say at last, un-
graciously; .'thar's "a. blame pile O. ye kim
in lately, an calculate We got boat