Putnam patriot., 1910-06-24

ceased to lake any further interest in
 me CT ny wherea bouts and. calling hts
 chief of staf. waved me back with the others
 Major Campbell rode with us-why
 I didn't kaew. for be was aet of the
 geuerars personai stan Judging from
 his interest in me. faneied that he
 might have been brought along fur the
 purpose of entertaining me. He kept
 calling my attention 10 this feature of
 the position and telling me things
 about the number and disposition of
 the troops. They would not have in
 tere~ted me tn the slightest had not his
 statement of the different divisions and
 hriya<ies he declared were on the ground appeared much overdrawn. But why should he bother me at all with theee matters. and why should he desire sc make it appear to me that the army was stronger than 1t really was. was citizen with no military
 knewlesige whatever and was content that these fiery soldiers should slaugh- ter one another ad lib. provided could make fortune.
 The general called Major Campbell to him and said something in an un-
 dertone. Then the major dropped back beside me. As he left the gen eral the latter said loud enough to be heard:
 That plan would never do In the world. He who has eyes 10 see can see fer himself. I'll Issue the order as soon as get back to headquarters" had ne idea what thls meant. nor did l lake any interest in IL 1 was getting disgusted at being kept idle ali this while by these anteeratic mill tary men. wauied to get at the auartermaster. since the general took no interest in my business affairs. and secure transportation for the last lot of cotton had bought
 But Il terrible surprise was in store for me. We had no sooner got back 10 camp than was placed under ar-
 rest, with two soldiers standing over
 me. ready to shoot me at the slightest prosocntion l was not only indig- nant-l WIS frightened No officer came near me so that 1 was unable to ask ans one what if all meant. ex- cept my guards. who told me that all they knew about 1t was that they had orders to shoot me if l made the slightest move to escape.
 The first information as to 1ly real position 1 received was when an oti cer approached me and began to read from paper he held in his hands. l was teo agitated at first 10 listen to or understand II. but presently l gath cred from 1t that l was charged with being spy and was to be tried for that offense by drumhead court mar tial that very evening.
 Everything now gradually became plain to me. On the snpposition that l had come into their lines for the purpose of gaining information the provost marshal had reported the fact to the general. leaving word that should not be permitted to go away. The matter of my Identity being sup positifious. l was not to know that was suspected until they were sure of their case. This accounted for the in- tercst had excited and for my tent mate watching me while took on my clothes. He wished to know If l was armed. Then while on the tour of In spection they had thought of permit ting me 10 go back to where l came from 10 report greater force than they mustered Bur ihe general had quashed this plan. saying. He who has eyes to see eau see for himself" The order he said he would issue was for my trial which also meant execu- ton.
 In the evening l was taken Into q large tent where a number of officers sat around Il pine table lighted with candies One of them stated that had been lurking about their camps and had been arrested. But before be ing placed in proper confinement had taken to my heels. tearing up paper as 1 ran had escaped. but the bits of paper collected had contained draw ings of their position and memoranda of ihe number of their troops. An officer acted as my counsel. but as he knew n9 more about me than the others his defense was worthless. Cn- fortunately l had recently sent lot of business papers north that would have proved my identity. As IL was l was mistaken for some one they had their grip si before and who they sup. posed was -till idyine his vocation as spy under the gui~e of a cotton buyer. oas condemned to be shot ip an hour Ten minutes before the time al .elnfed for my execution an officer rssf - u3 md called out:
 We've rsfaken that fellow who sol aws5s Iast week He's been concealed h. d -aiiillerner
 The mass.ent he looked II me he s.artees ts=sk in -tuul~hneaf i'd tv.. swofA. he said. .that ] left vaa atls fw minutes ago You must t,r hi. twin brother l was na ~his twin brother bot when -aw tim fhe next morning just before he sns ~hnt 1 SAW fhat his re ~embInese to me was remarkable | had had enough Of cotton buying coneiuded tp cn north and recover from rhe Shsk l had received