The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1906-05-25
CHAPTER ".

but he did not shrink. So long as
i his provisions lasted N pushed
forward. stopping only in the wood
lands or by the wayside for sleep and
for eating. BY the time that his pro-
visions were exhausted he had passed
the valley and had crossed the crest
OF the Allcghanies.
He was now in a country that had
not been wasted by war. country in
which men of every class seemed to be
reasonably prosperous and hard at
work.
There. by way Of replenishing his
commissariat. he sold the saddle he
was carrying on his back, and thus
lIgttened his load.
Fortunately it was specially good
saddle. richly mounted with silver and
otherwise decorated TO please the fan
cy of the dandy Federal officer from
whose dead horse Duncan had cap
tured IL after its owner had been left
stark upon the field in the Wilderness.
It brought him now a good price In
money. and TO this the purchaser gen
erously added little store of pro
visions. including, for immediate use,
some fresh meat. the first that had
passed Duncan's lips for more months
past than he could count upon the fin
gers Of one hand.
A little later the young man sold his
pistols, but as he pushed onward to-
ward tie Ohio river he found that both
travelling and living in a prosperous
country were far more expensive than
travelling and living in war desolated
and still moneyleSs Virginia.
His little store of funds leaked out OF
his pockets 50 fast that. economic rs
he might, he found it necessary TO ask
for work here and there on his jour
ney 1t was springtime, and the farm
ers were glad enough TO employ him
for "a day OF two each. The wages
were meager enough, but Duncan &c
cepted them gladly, the more so be
cause the farmers in every case gave
him board besides Now and then he
secured odd jobs as an assistant TO me
chanics. In one case he stocked the fur
naces OF a coal mine for a week.
But he did not remain long in any
employment As soon as he had q
trifle of money or a little stock of pro
visions TO the good he moved onward
toward the river.
His one dominating and ever grow
ing purpose was to reach Cairo. What
fortune might await him there he knew
not at all, but since he had scratched
that address on the butt of pistol the
desire to reach Cairo had daily and
hourly grown upon him until it was
now almost passion. The name
Cairo in his mind had become &
synonym for opportunity
1t was about the middle of May wher
the tolsome foot journey ended a
Wheeling There Duncan, still wearing
his tattered uniform, made diligent in
quiry as to steamboats, going down the
river He learned that one of the grea
coal towing steamers from Pittsburs
was expected within a few hours, push
ing acres of coal laden barges befor,
her. and he was encouraged by the In
! formation, volunteered on every hand
that the work Of firing up" under tht
! boilers Of these coal towing boats wa
so severe that goOdly number of tn,
stokers always abandoned their EN-
/ ployment in disgust of it and deserted
/ the boat if she made a landing a
/ Wheeling, as this approaching on,
/ must do for the reason that a numbe
/ of coal laden barges had been lef
/ there for her to take in tow.
! 1t was Gulford Duncan's hope to Sc
cure a place on her as a stoker or Goa
| passer, to take the place of some on
of the deserters. This might enable
! him, he thought, to earn a little none.
on the way down the river instead o
depicting his slenderly stocked purs
/ by paying steamboat fare.
With such prospect in mind he ven
! tured to go into the town and purchas
a pair Of boots and q suit of clothes ii
to wear when he should reach Cairo
His wornout uniform would answer al
his purposes while serving as a stokeI
When the steamboat, with her vas
| fleet OF bargeS, made landing Gul
ford Duncan was the first man TO lea
aboard in search of work. Unfortu
nately for him, there were few or n
deserters from in front of the furnace
on this trip. He could not secure en-
ployment as a stoker earning wages
but after some persuasion the steam
er's captain agreed to let him "wor
his passage" to Cairo-that is to say
he was to pay no fare. receive n
wages and do double work in retur
for his passage down the river and 70
the coarse and unsavory food nece:
sary for the maintenance OF hi
strength.
CHAPTER V.
vt uaa LITTLE after sunset on Ma