The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1911-12-14

E.opped Ee6ecnig with 90 Sx,SsratIcs
OF sjsgust Nothing could be Suin~s
by longer masquerade, sad I felt q
expressible shame at being thus a.
tired. Neither pass nor uniform
would sufice to get me safe through
those outer picket lines. and II should
fall In the attempt, OF 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 OF the gorgeous
trappings. flung them in the ditch be-
side the road, and pressed on, FEELING
like a 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
low eminence perceived before me
the dark outlines of trees which marked
the course of the White Briar, while
directly in my front. and half OBJ
scured by thick leaves OF the under
brush. blazed the red glare Of fre.
! knew the stream well, its steer
banks of percipitate rock, Its rapid.
swirling current which, was well
aware, was not a sufficiently expert
swimmer to cross. Once upon the
other bank should be comparatively
safe, but to pass that picket post and
attain the ford was certain to require
all the good fortune could ever hope
for.
But despair was never for long my
comrade. 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
position we'll within the dense thicket,
and could observe clearly the ground
before me and some of the obstacles
to be overcome.
AS supposed, 1t was cavalry out
post; | could distinguish the crossed
sabers on the caps of the men, al
though 1t was some time 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 Meu-
tenant In command, q middle-agsd
man with light-colored chin beard,
seated by himself against the wall OF
a small shanty of logs, a pipe in bis
mouth and an open book upon his
knee. His men were gathered close
about the blazing fire, for the night
air was decidedly chill as 1t swept
down the valley; a number were
sleeping, a 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 fame, 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 stan
officer sed ter ther leftenant? didn't
just git ther straight Of It"
The man, debonair youg fellow
stroked his little black mustaches re-
fiectively. t.
"Ther cove sed as how Coles d.
vision wud. be along here afore day
light, an tibet our fellers wud likely
be sent out ahead of EN-"
| ''Whar be they goin'?"
THE leftenant asked him. an the
cove sed as it wus a gineral advance
to meet oil Hancock at Minersville. ="
"Thet's good 'nough, lads" chined
in the sergeant, slapping his knee. 1T
means a dance down the valley after
Early. I'm a guessin' We'll have a
bang-up OIL fight fore three days
more"
'Pervidin' alters thet ther Johnnies
don't skedaddle fust,s commented an
other tartly. "Whut in thunder is
ther matter with them hosses?" he
asked suddenly, rising and peering
over into the bushes beyond the hut
where a noise of squealing and. kick
ing had arisen.
"Oh, the bay filly is probably 9"el
the rope agin," returned the ser
geant, lazily. "Sit down. Sims, an he
easy; you're not on boss guard teE'
night"
Il know thet," growled the soldier
doubtfully, but thet thar kid is nc
good. an l don't want my boss all
banged up just as we're goin' on
campaign. 'Tain't ne sorter way ter
hitch 'em anyhow, to picket rope
ruins more hosses than ther ReFA
dew"
CTo BE CoNTINJED.)