The Lamar register., 1911-11-15
ohAPTRR XIX.

uH0 O1VntFy OutPose
fingered merely long enough to
fesi assured A. to her safety. creep
ing closer until I heard her simple
story Of the Majors fall from his
horse. and then watched through the
night shadows while the little squad
bore his unconscious form over the
crest of the low hill toward their
quarters. Then turned my face
eastward and tramped resolutely on.
I was, frst of all. q soldier. and moth
ing short Of death or capture should
prevent me reaching Lee with my
message. Let what would happen. all
else could waltz
The gieam Of the stars fell upon the
double row of buttons down the
breast Of the coat wore. and
stopped suddenly with an exclamation
Of disgust Nothing could be gained
BY longer masquerade. and | felt In
expressible shame at being thus at
tired. Neither pass nor uniform
would sufnce to get me safe through
those outer picket lines. and II should
fall in the attempt. or be again made
prisoner. I vastly preferred meeting
my fate Glad in the faded gray Of my
own regiment With odd sense Of re-
lief hastily stripped OF the gorgeous
,rappings, flung them In the ditch BE-
side the road. and pressed on. feeling
like . new man.
There was small need for caution
here. and for more than an hour Z
trampsd steadily along. never meeting
q mr. hAfn1 afo rtloA nv n n
picious sound. Then. as I rounded .
low sminence I perceived before me
The dark outlines OF trees which marked
the courss of the white Briar. while
directly In my front. and half OBJ
secured By thick leaves OF the under
brush. biased tho red glare Of . IRE.
I knew the stream well. its steep
banks Of psrcipitate rock. its rapid.
swirling current which. was we'll
aware. I was not q sufficiently expert
swimmer to cross. Once upon the
other bank I 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
comrads. and I had learned how de-
termination opens doors to the courar
geous-it IL ever he who tries that en-
tiers In. II took me ten minutes. pos
sibly. creeping much Of the way like
. wild animal over the rocks. but at
the end OF that time l had attained a
position well within the dense thicket.
and could observe clearly the ground
49, - ~ nhaf oil
70 b overcome.
As I supposed. It was . cavalry out
post; I could distinguish the crossed
sabers ON the caps Of the men. Al
though It was some time before l was
able to determine positively where
their horses were picketed. There
must have been all of twenty in the
party. and could distinguish the lieu
tenant In command. . middle-aged
man with light-colored chin beard.
seated by himself against the wall OF
. small shanty OF logs. a pipe in his
mouth and an open hook upon his
knee. His men were gathered close
about the blazing IRE, for the night
air was decidedly chill as It swept
down the valley: number were
sleeping. = 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. I managed to make out dimly
B the figure Of a man on horseback be-
| yond the range Of flame. and appar-
entity 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
ofncsr ssd ter Their leftenant? didn't
Just git Their straight of It."
The man. q debonair youg fellow.
stroked his little black mustaches re-
hectively.
'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 a goin'f"
The leftenaht asked him, an the
cove sed as It wus a gineral advance
to meet OIL Hancock at Minersville.
"Thst's good 'nough. lads" ehimsd