Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-05-06

other station This one was open /
slowed up and called to a man inside:
Bring me a time table. quick
"He took a soiled table from his
pocket and handed it to me.
Anything comingT asked
"'You'n meet No. 5 at b. he replied.
Next statfonT
Next but one
"'Any side track at the nextT
Eyes. What you dom runnin' wild
this wayT
Government business was my re-
ply as I rolled away.
81 glanced at the time table and
found the man was right In two
miles there was Il station. Three miles
further on was B. 1 resolved to go TO
the next station. get on a side track
and wait / soon covered the two
miles separating me from It, got on to
the switch and In ten minutes a pas
senger train went by. / saw the con-
ductor leaning out and looking back
at me, but he didn't seem to think It
worth his while to inquire what / was
doing there
"Of course couldn't get on this way
very long. I was sure to be stopped in
time and called upon to give an &C
self what story would tell. might
say I was bearer OF dispatches from
one general to another, but I knew
nothing about the southern command
ers OF that region. While was think
ing I passed another station. A man
was sitting on a box reading a morn
ing paper. I slowed down and asked
him the news.
"Thars been a fight on the Charles
ton and Savannah railroad at POGO
talego,' he said
who's In command Of our fellowsr
asked. ~s..,-..s
General Beauregard'
This was enough. for me. would
pretend 70 be going for ammunition
It was well that had found some
story 90 tell, for ut the very next sta
ton reached found a freight train
standing on the track stopping my
way. I pulled mp in front Of the loco
motive. The engineer OF the freight
was sitting in his cab reading about
the battle the day before. yelled to
him to back up and take the siding
He called the conductor, who asked
who was
You'd ought to know by my uni
FORM said, that I'm a Confederate
soldier. You get your train out of my
way pretty quick
"What right have you to order me
aboutT
"what right? I'm making a quick
run for ammunition by General Beaure-
CARDS order. If I'm delayed I'll let
the general know who delayed me-
"That was too much for him. He or
dered his engineer to back up to the
siding, and 1 started putting on full
speed as proceeded
81 was in such luck about the battle
having occurred Just in the nick of
time and in thinking Of my ammuni-
ton scheme that considered It prob
able might get through the network
ahead of me. knew that certain
parts OF North Carolina were full Of
Union people who would hide me and
help me get on nortbward.
Fortunately for me there wasn't
many trains coming southwark, and
by working the ammunition story
managed to get on till noon without
being stopped. Then 1 saw by smoke
ahead that l was coming 10 q city,
which by my time table / judged to
be Raleigh. It was one thing to pass
small stations. where the agent had
little TO do with the running Of trains,
and another TO get through city
where the dispatching was done.
While the country was yet open
pulled up at station. The agent was
sitting at a telegraph machine with
the window open, and he hailed me.
"'Say,' be said, I just got word over
the wires that there's a wild locomo-
tive cavortin' over the road, and I'm
ordered 10 stop it. Are you the fellow
that's running itY
"'Yes. I'm after ammunition for the
troops below. I've got to git into
Raleigh right or
with that I opened her up, and
away I went. Looking back. saw
the agent standing on the platform
gaping at me.
81 knew now that my run was ended.
But / wouldn't leave my locomotive
until had put It on a side track.
since l didn't wish to be the cause OF
an accident But near the city SIDE
tracks were more frequent. and, com
ing to one of them, put the machine
on It and took to the woods.
my Confederate trappings were a
protection to me, and / felt compare
lively safe. told a boy / met that
] was looking for a Union man whose
name I couldn't remember. and hq
told me TO go into the next hamAt
and inquire. He said they were all
Union people there.
II went to the house. found the own
er and. having made sure that he was
on my side. told him what had been |
doing. He took me out to a deserted I
bakery and hid me in the ovens.
remained there TIL my friend told me
that 1t would be safe to 20 farther. |
and then I worked my way. travelling |
by night and hiding by day. over the /