The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1911-11-24
CHAPTER XIII.
A Strange Way Out.

Cation came in once more about the
middle of the afternoon, bringing me
some blankets; but he had no news,
and his boyish face was 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. Sher-
idan expected to return to his head
quarters that same evening. as the
officers of his staff were to give a
grand ball.
| felt no inclination to partake Of
the ruds supper left me, and just be-
fore dark | was lying upon the bench
idly wondering If 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 noisily to the
floor The fall was SO unexpected, and
my escape from injury SO narrow, that
| lay almost stunned, staring up help
lessly at the dark hole thus left bare.
AS / gazed. a face framed itself in
this narrow opening, and two wary
eyes peered cautiously down at me.
There was no mistakir~ that counte-
nance even In the fast waning light,
and | instantly sat up with an ex-
clamation of surprise.
Jed Bungay, as | live!"
The puzzled face broke into a grin
of delight.
Holy smoke, Cap" he calculated.
with deep sigh of relief, "is thet you,
suah? | wus so burned skeered I'd
made a mess O 1t whin thet thar iron
drapped thet near died. Whut be
they a goin' ter dew with ye?"
Il have every reason to believe it is
their purpose to shoot me at day
break tomorrow"
"Shoot?-Hell!" He stared at me as
II he had just heard his own death
sentence pronounced. and his little
peaked face looked ghastly in the dim
light. Shoot ye? Good Lord. Cap,
whut fer? Ye amt done nothin' as
l knows on. 'cept ter scrap bit with
thet blasted Yank, an sure thet's no
shootin' matter er else I'D a bin a
goner long ago."
That 'Yank' has seen fit to charge
me with being spy; and as l was
foolish enough to insult General Sher-
idan last night. my fate is probably
scaled"
This somewhat complex statement
seemed to be too much for Jed to
grasp promptly.
Gosh, ye don't say" he muttered.
Then. durn 1t, I'm in luck. fer all
they've got agin me is pot-shootin' at
niger soger up II ther mountings;
en- thet amt much, cause J didn't hit
ther burned cuss.'
Jed was carefully covering every
inch of exposed wall with his little
shrewd. glinting eyes.
"Ain't much show ter work out o
yere, is thar, Cap?" he asked at last
reflectively; "leastwise l don't see
none, less them thar dark corners hes
got holes in EN-"
"The wall is entirely solid"
so l sorter reckoned. But If yen
crawl through yere inter my boodour,
thars place whar l reckon ther
tew Of us tergether mought make a
try fer G. It's too durn high up fer
me ter git at alone. l reckon, Cap,
II ye cud manage ter git out o yere
ternight, an take some news ter Lee
thet I've picked up, he'd bout make
both of us ginerals."
News for Lee?" l exclaimed. star
ing eagerly at him through the now
darkened room. "Do you mean it!
What news?"
Thought maybe thet wud wake ye
up" he chuckled. This yere's gospel
truth: Sheridan hes started his in
fantry on a half-circle march fer Min
ersville. Their first division left et
three o'clock. an thar won't be nary
Yank loafin' on ther valley by noon
termorrow. An more" he added rapid
ly, his eyes dancing wildly with sup
pressed excitement.-"Hancock is a
.ingin' of his corps west ter meet
'em tha., an I reckon. as how thar'l
be hell fer sartin up ther Shenandoah
in less ner week"
But how do you know all this?"
questioned incredulously. as the whole
scene and its dread possibilities un
rolled before my mental vision.
"Ther niger l held up he'd a de
sratch fer Heintzelman over on thel
left, an then Mariar she sortel
pumped a young fule staff officer fel
ther rest O. It," he replied promptly
"Oh, it's a sure go. Cap, an I reckon
a. how maybe Lees whols army hangs
on one of US gittin' out O. yere ter
night"