The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-12-15
IContinuedl


 | climbed the few steps of the lad der. leaving the light below. and with out great effort lifted the door. turning it silently back until 1t rested securely axainst some obstacle. I could per ceive little outside the narrow zone of light radiating from below, yet the small room into which my head pro- jected appeared unoccupied. Satisfied as to this, I returned below, consid- erably puzzled as to how Donald was Co be got up the ladder. Water from the canteen applied externally, with the last dregs of the brandy flask as inward stimulant, brought the injured man once again to his feet buckled the sling strap of the carbine beneath his arms and led the way. O'Brien- boosting sturdily from below, and thus. aided a little by his own efforts. we succeeded in dragging his almost inert body up the short reach of ladder and out upon the floor above. The man tainted as his head fell back upon the blanks, and he lay limp and scarcely breathing.
 My own exhaustion, complete as 1t was temporarily, was not lasting. I held the lantern before Donald's face. bending down to make certain he still breathed, and then began searching for the door of the cabin. We were di- rectly to the rear of the house, another small cabin standing between us and the kitchen ell. Some ten or fifteen feet away l made out the black out lines of well curb with a sweep above it, and beyond. that rose the trunk of q large treA This comprised about all I could distinguish with any certainty. I called to O'Brien in a whisper.
 "See if you can d1i your canteen there at the we'll without making a noise" and I pointed toward the vague outline
 I clung watchfuIly to the doorway until the boy came safely back.
 "There was wather in the pail, sor." he explained. letting me feel the wet canteen, "an' there's two or three fellows sittin' there on the back porch"
 well, you go inside and remain with Colonel Donald. Don't permit him any opportunity to get away ol sound an alarm"
 crept cautiously forth, moving slowly backward down the short line of negro cabins, until I attained the edge of a small grove. Under this concealment I circled to the right, purposing to advance through the weeds along the east of the grape arbor. felt convinced that the force of attacking Confederates would be drawn as close in to the house as the shelter would permit.
 began worming my way in toward the grape arbor, discovering nothing to obstruct progress. The thickness of the vines finally prevented further advance in this direction, and I con. sequently turned more toward the front of the house. heading directly toward a great tree, at the north end of the arbor. The spreading branches cast so black a shadow that I was almost within arms length of the trunk before becoming aware that two men were standing there to- gether, their backs toward me. The sound of a voice first awakened me to the peril of the position in which I had unwittingIy placed myself.
 'Theilen certainly will be here by daylight, and then we shall have enough men to turn the trick. That was his messenger who just left"
 "How much of force will he bringY' It was Calvert Dunn who asked the question.
 "He should have a hundred men.