Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1911-11-23
CHAPTER Kill.
A Strange Way Out.

C0IOu ChLuo IN OuC0 uoEO oDOuI SuO
middle Of the afternoon, bringing mo
some blankets; but he had no news,
and his boyish face was Q picture Of
pathos as he wrung my hand good
bye. Sheridan. he said. had gone
down the lines, and both Brennan and
himself were under orders to follow In
another hour. What instructions, II
any, had been left regarding my case
he could not say, but he feared the
worst from the unusual secrecy. ShO1-
idan expected to return to his head
quarters that same evening. 40 the
officers Of his staff were to give q
grand ball.
felt no inclination TO partakO Of
the rudS supper left me. and Just bO-
fore dark I was lying upon the bench
idly wondering II that was to prove
the last vestige Of daylight should
ever behold in this world. when. with.
out slightest warning. the heavy iron
grating in the wall directly above me
fell suddenly, striking the edge Of the
bench. and clattered noiBily to the
floor. The fall was so unexpected. and
my escape from injury 30 narrow. that
I lay almost stunned, staring up help
lessly at the dark hole thus left bare.
As I gaEed. . face framed itself In
this narrow opening, and two vary
eyes peered cautiously down at me.
There was no mistakir= that counte-
nance oven in the fast waning light.
and I instantly sat up with "a e.
clamAtion Of surprise.
Jed Bungay. % l livOl"
The pushed face broke into Q grin
OF delight.
Holy smoke. Cap" he calculated.
with q deep sish Of relief. els thet you.
suah? wus 30 burned skoOrsd I'd
made q mess O. II whin thet thar iron
drapped tibet ! near died. Whut bO
they q goin' ter dew with YER
Il have every reason to believe It Ii
their purpose to shoot me at day
break tomorrow"
"shoot?-Helli" He stared at me -
II he had just heard his own death
sentence pronounced. and his little
peaked face looked ghastly in the dim
light. Shoot 70? Gooi Lord, Cap,
whut ierH Ye amt done nothin' a.
I knows on, 'copt ter scrap q bit with
tibet blasted Yank. an sure thet's no
shootin matter, er else I'd bin
goner long ago."
THAT 'Yank' has seen fit to charge
me with being a spy; and as was
foolish enough to insult General sher-
idan last night, my fate Ia probably
scaled"
This somewhat complex Statement
seemed to be too much for Jed to
grasp promptly.
Gosh, 20 don't say!" he muttered.
Then, durn It. I'm in luck. fer all
they've got agin me Is pot-shootin' at
a niger soger up II Their mopntings;
en- thet amt much, cause Adn't hit
Their burned cuss.'
Jed was carefully covering every
inch Of exposed wall with his little
shrewd. glinting Eyes.
"Ain't much show ter york out o
we're, IL thar, Capt." he asked at last
reflectively; ''leastwise ] don't see
none, less them thar dark corners hes
got holes in en-"
"The wall IL entirely solid"
$50 / sorter reckoned. I I II yen
crawl through yere inter my boodour.
thar's a place whar I reckon Their
tew Of US tergether mought make q
try fer II. It's too durn high up fer
me ter cit at alone. reckon, Cap.
II ye cud manage ter git out o yere
ternight. an take some news ter Lee
thet rye picked up. he'd bout make
both Of us ginerals."
'News for Lee?" exclaimed. star
ing eagerly at him through the now
darkened room. do you mean 1T
What news?"
Thought maybe thet wud wake ye
up." he chuckled. This yere'S gospel
truth: Sheridan hes started his In
fantry on q half.circlO march fer Min
ersviIle. Their first division left ct
three O'Clock, an thar won't be nary
Yank loaiin' on Their valley BY noon
termorrow. An more" he added rapid
", his eyes dancing wildly with sup
pressed excltement.-"Hancock Is q
8 ,Ingin' Of his corps west ter meet
EN- tha., an I reckon. as how tharll
be hell fer sartIn up Their Shenandoah
in less ner a week"
But how do you knew all thisr ]
questioned incredulously, a. the whole
scene and It's dread possibilities un-
rolled before my mental vision.
"Ther Niger I held up he'd . de-
sratch fer Heintzelman over on ther
left, an then Mariar she sOrteF
pumped 9 young fule staff officer Ter
Their rest o. t." be replied promptly
"oh. it's a sure 80. Cap, an reckon
n how maybe Lees wholS army hangs
on one Of us gittin' out O. we're ter
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