The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1911-12-21
CHAPTER XIX.
Tho Cavalry Outpost.


fingered merely long enough 70
feel assured as to her safety, creep
ing closer until I heard her simple
story OF the Majors 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 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 waitl
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 my
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 new man.
There was small need for caution
here, and for more than an hour
tramped steadily along, never meeting
person or being startled by a sus-
picious sound. Then, as | rounded a
low eminence | perceived before me
the darhoutlines OF trees which marked
the course Of the White Briar while
directly m my front, and half OBJ
scured by thick leaves of the under
brush, blazed the red glare OF fire
| knew the stream well, its steep
banks Of percipitate rock, its rapid,
swiIiing current which, | was well
aware, was not a sufficiently expert
swimmer 10 GROSS. Once upon the
, Other bank | should be comparatively
safe. out 10 pass that picket post and
attain the ford was certain TO require
all the good fortune gould ever hope
for
But despair was never for long my
comrads, 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
sibly, creeping much OF the way like
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, II was a cavalry out
post; | could distinguish the crossed
sabers on the caps OF the men, al
though 1t was some lime 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-aged
man with light-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 were gathered close
about the blazing fire, for the night
air was deciGsdly chill as 1t swept
down the valley; number were
sleeping, few at cards, while 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
yond 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, "whut wus 1t thet stat
officer sed ter ther leftenant? | didn'
just git ther straight of IT,"
The man, a debonair youg fellow
stroked his little black mustaches re
fectively.
"Ther cove sed as how Coles di
vision wud be along here afore day
light, an thet our fellers wud hkel!
be sent out ahead OF EN-"
"Whar be they goin'?"
The leftenant asked him. an tn