Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-01-16
The Argus Daily Story
Molly-By George Arnold Welsh.
Copyrighted. 1911. by Associated Literary Bureau.
done. I'm Captain Robbins Of the
general stair"

mat settled the matter, and Molly
went on. Robbins walking his horse
beside her. Picket posts are usually
placed at points where the road is visi-
BILE for some distance ahead, and 80
long as they were In sight Captain
Robbins was not 50 gallant as to give
the girl his horse, but when they had
passed over a crest he dismounted and
assisted her to his place, which she
accepted with alacrity. For q time he
made no mention Of the distance they
must go to reach her farm, for he had
taken a desperate fancy to the blue
eyed beauty and was pleased at being
in her company. But after the vedettes
were passed and he was In debatable
territory he began to think that he
might come upon some bluejackets
and he was not safe. He asked Molly
IL her home was not near, and she re-
piled that II was just beyond the next
turn in the road. When they reached
the turn she told him 1t was Just over
the next crest. When they were de-
scending from the crest she pointed
ahead. telling him that he might see
an cave of her home Just above a ciump
Of trees. While he was peeriug to dis
cover IT Molly refined in her horse so
as to drop a little behind him. Sud
denly he heard a click. To a soldier
in wartime a click means a good deal.
The officer turned and saw Molly point
ing revolver at him.
Wharf do you meanP" he STAN
mered, puzzled.
To
The voice. which had been skillfully
modslated. had now the hoarseness Of
a mans. 1t flashed across Robbins
that he had been sold. He started to
put hand to his hip. but was deter
red by an order:
'Stop that! Hands upr'
1t was plain from the tone IN which
the words were spoken that any fur
Their movement in the direction Of the
revolver would be met with a bullet
before the weapon could be reached.
Robbins desisted, raising his hands
above his shoulders.
"Now you face about and march
mighty quick~ came a second order.
There was nothing for it but to
obey. Molly had drawn him to a
point well beyond the Confederate
picket line. and there was no assist
ance to be expected. They were on a
strip of territory free from either ar
my, inhabited by Confederate sympa-
thizers and rowing bands Of guerrillas,
who usually sympathized with the
southern side. Therefore the danger
was far greater to the Federal than
the Confederate soldier, and the pen
atty If captured was infinitely more.
terrible to the former than to the lat
ter. His landing within the Union
lines would be humiliating. but moth
ing more than serving a term as pris-
oner Of war. But If Molly were cap
tured-a Federal soldier In disguise
with information of the Confederate
forces on her person-the inevitable
result would be a hanging
Only the keenest watchfulness and
a cool head enabled her to drive her
captive over the considerable distance
that lay between her and the Federal
lines. Once she saw half dozen
horsemen ahead, and since they looked
brown rather than blue she knew they
were not Union troops. She drove the
man in front of her into a wood and
waited till the coming men had pass
ed. Again she saw a house ahead,
around which several persons were
lettering. She made a detour. but in
doing so was obliged to leave her
horse.
Being now on foot. she disarmed
Robbins and had two revolvers instead
of one. But 1t was not weapons she
needed; it was to escape wayfarers.
Now and again she would stop to lis
ten. The distant creaking of a wag.
on, the thud of horses hoofs, would
drive her, she still driving her captive,
into cover. At last she heard a dis
tant shot A soldier In that country
at that time knew a picket shot by in
stinct. This one must be from Fed
eral musket. The northern picket line
was not far distant.
The last scare Molly had was when,
crossing a road, she saw on her flank
a cloud of dust. Not stopping to salts
~ herself who caused it, she pushed
her prisoner on. A ridge was In front
OF her, which she recognized as one
favorable for picket line. Then from
field before it came:
Halt there~
Molly cheerfully obeyed the order.
for she knew that the man who halted
her was no southerner, since he spoke
with German accent. She told her
story, the man called for the officer
Of the picket. and the goal was won.
Captain" she said as coon as the
race was finished, 1T has been a aues-
ton of capture for you or a rope for
me-"
The. captain made no reply.
Molly went, dressed as she was, to
the generals headquarters. reported
the success of her mission and furnish
ed the information she had been sent
to get The next morning commenced
that movement which. though COM
paratively bloodless. was one of the
most trying of The Wharf.-The Tullahoma
samDaign.