The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1911-12-21

crest of the low hill toward n
quarters, Then | turned my face
eastward and tramped resolutely on.
| was, first of all, a soldier. and moth.
ing 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 wore, and {,
stopped suddenly with an exclamation
of disgust. Nothing could be gained
by longer masquerade, and | felt In
expressible shame at being thus at
tired, Neither pass nor uniform
would. suffice to get me safe through
those outer picket lines. and if | should
fall in the attempt. or be again made
prisoner. ! vastly preferred meeting
my fate clad in the faded gray Of m
own regiment. With odd sense of re-
lief ! hastily stripped off the gorgeous
trappings. flung them in the ditch be-
side the road, and pressed on. feeling
like a new man.
There was small need for caution
here, and for more than an hour I
tramped steadily along, never meeting
a person or being startled by a sus-
picious sound. Then, as l rounded a
low eminence | perceived before me
the d%arkoutlines of trees which marked
the course of the White Briar, while
directly in my front, and half OBJ
scured by thick leaves of the under
brush. blazed the red glare of a fire.
| knew the stream we'll, it's steep
banks of percipitate rock, Its rapid,
swirling current which, | was well
aware. | was not a sufficiently expert
swimmer to cross. Once upon the
other bank | should be comparatively
safe, but to pass that picket post and
attain the ford was certain to require
all the good fortune | could ever hope
for.
But despair was for long my
comrade, and | had learned how de-
termination opens doors to the coura-
geous-it is ever he who tries that en-
ters In. 1t took me ten minutes, pos
s1bly, creeping much Of the way like
a wild animal over the rocks, but at
the end of that time | 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.
AS | supposed, 1t was a cavalry out
post; | could distinguish the crossed
sabers on the caps of the men, al
though it was some time before | was
able to determine positively where
their horses were picketed. There
must have been all of twenty in the
party, and | could distinguish the lieu.
tenant in command, a middle-ageG
man with l~ight-colored chin beard,
seated by himself against the wall of
a small shanty of logs. a pipe in his
mouth and an open book upon his
knee. His men We're gathered close
about the blazing fire, for the night
air was decidedly chill as it swept
down the valley; a number were
sleeping. a few at cards. while a little
group, sitting with their backs to.
ward me, yet almost within reach OF
my hand. were idly smoking and dis,
cussing the floating rumors of the
camp. managed to make out dimly
the figure of a man on horseback be-
You'd the range of flame, and appar'
emily upon the very bank of the
stream. when some words spoken by
an old gray-beared sergeant interested
me-.
Bob" he said to the soldier loung.
ing neXt him, whit wus it tibet staff
officer sed ter Their l%eftenant? | didn't
just git Their straight of it."
The man. a debonair yong fellow.
stroked his little black mustaches re.
flectively.
''Ther cove sed as how Coles di-
vision wud be along here afore day.
light. an thet our feliers wud likely
be sent out ahead of en-"
"Whar be they a goin'?"
THE leftenant asked him, an the
to meet OIL Hancock at Minersville."
'Thet's good 'nough, lads" chimed
in the sergeant. %slapping his knee. ut
means a dance down. the valley after
Early. I'm a guessin' We'll have a
bang-up OF fight fore three days
more"
"Pervidin' alters tibet ther Johnnies
don't skedaddle fust," commented an,
other, tartly. "Whut in thunder Is
Their matter with them hosses?" he
asked suddenly, rising and peering
over into the bushes beyond the hut,
where a noise of squealing and kick.
ing had arisen.
"Oh, the bay a1ly is probably owe
the rope agin," returned the ser.
geant, lazily. "Sit down, Sims, an be
easy; you're not on boss guard ter
night"
Il know thet," growled the soldier,
d%oubtfully, but thet thar kid is no
good, an | don't want my boss all
banged up just as we're goin' on
campaign. 'Tain't no sor.er way ter
hitch EN- anyhow, to a picket rope:
ruins more bosses than Their Rebs