The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1911-09-22

Very well. The fate of this army.
the success OF the Union arms in the
west. perhaps the p~rolongation of the
war. depend upon you"
The young man bowed, but said moth
ing.
You will need a pass to get beyond
u nickets." The general drew a camp
chair beside q pine table and took up
a pen. How will you have it writ
ten?"
Pass Private Mark Malone'-that
name will do as well as any-'beyond
u ines at will"
The general wrote the pass and
banding it to Private Malone. go. and
God bless YOU he said. He took his
emissary's hand and pressed 1t heart
lily.
As the words. eco. and God bless
you" rang again IN memory the soldier
touched the tanks Of his horse lightly
with his great brass spurs and began
to descend the mountain.
An hour later he entered the little
town Of Jasper. Riding up to the tav
ern he refined in his horse and let him
drink at the rough wooden trough in
front. A number of country people
were sitting on the veranda. and every
n fixed his eyes on the soldier. who
sat on his horse looking about him
with as much apparent Indifference as
il he were within the Union lines
When he animal had drunk his fill
his rider cast the reinS to q negro and
dislnounted Then, detaching his car
hine from where he bad hooked it to
his saddle. he took it in his hand and
tramped INTO the house to the jingle
of his spurs.
Not a word was spoken by those
watching in admiration the strapping
young fellow with SO young a face set
on so stalwart a frame. He paid no
attention to them, but walked into the
dining room and called for supper.
After devoting himself TO a plate of
bacon and corn bread. with a cup of
chickory in lieu of coffee for the
blockade of the southern ports had
stopped the flow of the coffee bean
from foreign countries). he walked out
on the gallery. and seating himself on
a wooden bench took a brierwood pipe
and began to smoke.
Jasper was. n mans land" The
people living there and ~thereabout were
nearly all Confederate sympathizers.
but had learned to look for Union or
Confederate troops with an equal
chance Of either. From the moment
of the soldiers arrival they had dis
cussed his coming in whispers. Sol
diers Of either side usually came In
numbers. 1t was seldom that a single
trooper had the hardihood to enter the
town Of Jasper alone. especially nj
wearing the blue. Presently an old
man dressed In "butternut" got up
from his seat among the loungers and
approached the stranger for the pur-
pose Of recOnnOiter:
Reckon y come from Decherd.
Yank?"
"Thereabout."
"You uns got many soiers over
thar?"
"Where?"
AT Sparty."
"No."
"MurfreesboroT
II don't know"
Reckon thar's a powerful sight at
McMinnvilley"
"A division perhaps"
"Thet's an all fred pert rife o.
yourn. Wouldn't mind letten me han
die it. would W"
Mark cooked the piece, took OF the
cap and handed 1t to his interrogation.
He still had his revolver, while the
man had a weapon which could not be
fred without a percussion cap.
"Waal, now. thet's quar-"
The man looked from the rife to the
soldier. not knowing which to admire
most-the mechanism Of the former or
the GOODNESS Of the latter. Then he
handed 1t back.
You amt no Yank."
why not?"
"Yanks don't come down hyar all
alone. Besides a Yankee sojer wouldn't
ride n blooded rare like that ACNE.
Morgan's men rides them kind o. crit
ters and wears them uniforms some
times"
Mark smiled knowingly.
"You think I'm one of Colonel Nor
gan's men. do your"
Reckon yer one o ourn anyway"
And the man walked away well sat
isfied with his penetration.
The soldier got up. went into the tav-
ern and paid for his supper with one
OF the postal shinplasters used at the.
time in lieu of silver: then he came
out and called for his horse. While
waiting he stood leaning against q post
OF the gallery. maintaining the same
easy confidence that had characterized
him since his arrival. Presently a ne
gro came around from the barn. lead
Ing the slender legged mare. and the
soldier. sauntering up to her leisurely,
stroked her neck; then mounting. with.
out once looking 1t bis Observers. he
rods away.
But Private NaloosAs coa11ence was
= II A.