Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-19
CHAPTER XIX.
The Cavalry Outpost.

Sufed as TO her Safety, creeping closer IN
til l heard her simple story of the major s
fall from his horse, and then watched
through the night shadows while the little
squad bore his unconscious form over the
crest of the low hill toward their quarters.
Then turned my face eastward and tram
pied resolutely on.
The excitement of the night, and especial
ly the sharp fierce struggle with Brennan,
had reawakened all my old military en-
thusasm and / felt every nerve tingling
anew as 1 breasted the long slope before
me. Even the depression naturally result
ing from the unhappy parting with Edith
Brennan gave way for the time being to
this sense of surrounding danger, while the
ardor of youth responded joyfully to the
spirit of adventure. l simply would not
think of what 1 had lost; certainly would
not permit its memory to depress me. 1
was, first of all, soldier, and nothing
short of death or capture should prevent
me reaching Lee with my message. Let
what would happen, all else could wait!
The CLEAN of the stars fell upon the
double row of buttons down the breast of
the coat 1 wore, and I stopped suddenly
with an exclamation of disgust. Nothing
could be gained by longer masquerade. and
felt fnexpresstble shame at being thus at
tired. Neither pass nor uniform would suf-
flee to get me safe through those outer
picket lines and If 1 should fall in the at
tempt or be again made prisoner, l vastly
preferred meeting my fate clad In the faded
gray of my own regiment. With odd sense
of relief l hastily stripped off the gorgeous
trappings, flung them in the ditch beside
the road, and pressed on, feeling like new
man.
There was small need for caution here,
and for more than an hour l tramped
steadily along, never meeting a person or
being startled by suspicious sound. Then,
as l rounded low eminence 1 perceived
before me the dark outline of trees which
marked the course of the White Briar,
while directly in my front, and half OBJ
scured by thick leaves of the underbrush,
blazed the red glare of a fire. 1 knew the
stream well. its steep banks of precipitate
rock, its rapid, swirling current which,
was well aware, l was not sufficiently ex-
pert swimmer to cross. Once upon the
other bank 1 should be comparatively safe,
but to pass that picket post and attain the
ford was certain to require all the good for
tune could ever hope for
But despair was never for long my COM
rade, and had learned how determination
opens doors to the courageouS-it is ever
he who tries that enters in. 1t took me ten
minutes, possibly, creeping much Of the
way like wild animal over the rocks, but
at the end of that time l had attained a
position well within the dense thicket. and
could observe clearly the ground before me
and some of the obstacles to be overcome.
post; 1 could distinguish the crossed
sabers on the caps of the men, al
though 1t was some time before l was
the horses were picketed. There must
have been all of twenty in the party, and
1 could distinguish the lieutenant in COM
mand a middle-aged man with light-color-
ed chin beard, seated by himself against
the wall of a small shanty of logs, pipe
in his mouth and an open book upon his
knee. His men were gathered close about
the blazing fire, for the night air was de-
cidedly chill as it swept down the valley;
a number were sleeping, a few at cards.
while a little group. sitting with their backs
toward me, yet almost within reach OF my
hand. were idly smoking and discussing the
floating rumors of the camp. I managed to
make out dimly the figure of a man on
horseback beyond the range Of flame. and
apparently upon the very bank of the
stream. when some words spoken by an
old gray-bearded sergeant interested me.
| Bob" he said to the soldier Ieunging
| next him. ''whut wus 1t tibet staff officer
sed ter Their leftenant? l didn't just git
Their straight of it, -r
The man, a debonair young fellow, strok-
ed his little black mustache refectively.
Their cove sed as how Coles division
our fellers wud likely be sent out ahead
of EN-"
"Whar be they a goin'?"
1.-THE leftenant asked him, an the cove
sed as it wus a gineral advance to meet
OF Hancock at Minersville."
'Thet's good 'nough. lads" chimed In
the sergeant. slapping his knee. 1T means
a dance down the valley after Early. I'm
guessin wen have a bang-up Oh fight
fore three days more"
"Pervidin' alters that Their Johnnies don't
skeddadle fust," commented another, tart
| ly. "Whut in thunder is Their matter with
them hosses?" he asked suddenly, rising
and peerng over into the bushes beyond the
! hut where a noise Of squealing and kicking
had arisen.
"Oh. the bay filly Is probably over the
| rope agin," returned the sergeant, laziiy.
| ''Sit down. Sims. an be easy; you're not on
| boss guard ternight." p.
II know thet" growled the soldier doubt
| fully, "but tibet thar kid is no good, an 1
don't want my boss all banged UP jfst as
we're goin' on campaign 'Tain't 10 sorter
way ter hitch em anyhow to a picket rope;
ruins more bosses than Their rebS dew
This gave me inspiration, and before the
speakers sullen growl had wholly ceased
was again upon hands and knees, silently
cropping my way along the bank toward
the rear of the hut 1t proved to be tiny
structure containing but a single room
probably a mere fshermans shack, without
windows, but possessing door at either
end Meeting no opposition l crept within,
where / felt somewhat safer from observa-
ton, and then peered warily forth into the
darkness extending between 1t and the river
The picket-rOpe stretched from one corner
of the hut, where it seemed to be secured
around the end of projecting log, out into
the night, evidently finding its other ter
| minus at a big tree whose spreading top
could dimly perceive Swallowed against the
sky Along it were tethered the horses. a
pounding with their hoofs on the trampled
ground. but the majority resting quietly,
their heads hanging sleepily down. The one
nearest me appeared a finely proportioned
animal of dark color, and was equipped
with both saddle and Bride OF the soldier
IN charge l could distinguish nothing
doubtless he was lounging on his back. half
asleep upon some soft patch of grass
My plan was conceived instantly It was
desperate one, yet it alone seemed in the
least feasible. If by chance it succeeded it
would place me in saddle once more, and to
cayalryman that means everything; while
II 1t faiied-ah, well, 1t was merely a toss-up
OF the COIN turned, impatient for the
trial, when it suddenly occurred to me that
| the deserted hut might contain something I
could use to advantage firearm perhaps.
| or even stray box of Matches felt
about me cautiously, creeping along the
hard earthen floor until I had nearly
reached the opposite entrance. The light
from the fire without leaped up. and its
glow revealed saddle, with leather holster
attached, hanging to nail just within the
doorway. Moving noiselessly managed to
extract revolver, but could discover no
| cartridges.
| was yet fumbling in the holster pocket
when the lieutenant rose from his seat
without, knocked the ashes from his pipe.
yawned sleepily, standing directly between
me and the fire, and then, turning sharply.
walked slowly into the open door of the
hyJf 7 m he