The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1912-03-05

prevent mo reaching Lee with my
message. Let what would happen, al
else could wait!
The CLEAN 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, AID l felt IL
expressible shame at being thus at
tired. Neither pass nor uniform
would suffice to set me safo through
those outer picket lines. aad II should
t3ll In the attempt. or DO again made
prisoner. | vastly preferred meeting
my fate clad In the faded gray Of my
own regiment. With odd sense Of re-
E-f hastily stripped OF the gorgeous
trappirgs. flung them IN the ditch be-
side the read. AID pressed on, feeling
like g new man.
There wss small need for caution
here, and for more than an hour I
tramped steadily along. never meeting
person or being startled by sus-
plc.oC7 sound. Thea, as l rounded q
low eriinonce / perceived before me
the darkoutliEes Of trees which marked
the cour.e of the White Briar, while
directly in my front, and half OBJ
scuTcd by thick leaves Of the under
brush. blazed the red glare OF fire
| knew the stream we'll, it's steep
banks Of percipitate rock It's rapid.
swirling current which, was well
aware. l was not a sufficiently expert
swimmer to cross. Once upon tina
other bank | should be comparatively
safe, but to pass that picket post and
attain the ford was certain to require
all tho spod fortune could ever hope
for.
But despair was never for long my
comrade, and l had learned how de-
termination opens doors to the coura-
Geous-it Is ever he who tries that en-
tors in. 1t took me ten minutes, pos
sibly, creeping much OF the way like
wild animal over tho rocks, but at
the end OF that time had attained u
position we'll within the dense thicEet,
and could observe clearly the ground
lciorc me and seine Of the obstacles
TO lie overcome.
AS | supposed, It was cavalry out
post; l could distinguish the crossed
sGbcrs On the caps of the men, al
though it was some time before was
able TO determine positively where
their horses were picketed. There
must have been al Of twenty In the
party. and could distinguish the lieu
tenant IN command, a middle-aged
m2n with hght-colored chin beard,
seated by himself against the wall OF
small shanty Of logs. o pipe In his
mouth and an open book upon his
knee. His men were gathered close
about tho blazing Are, for the night
air was decidedly chill az II swept
down the valley; number were
sleeping. a few at cards, while a little
group. sitting with their backs to-
ward me, yet almost within reach OF
my hand. were idly smoking and dig
cussing the floating rumoTs OF the
camp. l managed to make out dimly
the figure OF a man on horseback be-
You'd the range OF name, and appar-
emily upon the very bank of the
stream, when some words spoken by
an old gray-beared sergeant Interested
ne.
Bob" he said TO the soldier loung-
Ing next him. whit wus it tibet stan
/ officer sed ter Their lefteEsnt? / didn't
just git Their straight OF It,"
The man, a debonair yong fellow,
stroked his little black mustachee re,
fiecuvely.
"Thcr cove seA as how Coles d.
vision wud be aloxg hero afore day
light, an tlet our feliers wua likely
be sent out ahead OF EN-"
"Whar be they q goiR'?"
The lefteRaAt asked him, an the
cove sed as 1t wus q gineral advance
to meet Of Hancock at MlnorsVille. II
"Thet's good 'nough, lads" chimed
in the sergeant, shaping his knee I'll
means dance down the valley after
Early. I'm a guessin' wen have q
tang-up oil fight fore three days
more"
"Pervidin' alters thot Their Johnnies
don't skedaddle fust," commented an
other, tartiy. "Whut in thunder IL
Their matter with them hosses?" he
asked suddenly. rising and peeTine
over into the bushes beyond tho hut
where a noise OF squeallng and kick
Ing had arisen.
"Oh, the bay Ally is probably ovel
| the rope agin," returned the ser
y geant, laziiy. "Sit down, Sims, an be-
easy; you're not on boss guard ter
night"
Il know tibet" growled the soldier
! doubtfully, but tibet thar kid is M
good, an | don't want my boss al
, banged UP just as we're goin' OF
campaign. faint no sorter way tel
3 hitch EN- anyhow, to a picket rope
4 ruins more bosses than Their Rebi
/ dew"
This gave me inspiration, and be
fore the speakers sullen growl had
/ wholly ceased | was again upon hands
and knees, silently cropping my way
along the bank toward the rear OF thS
Z hut. It proved to be tiny structure
containing but a single room-prob
ably mere fsherman's shack, with
out windows, but possessing a doc
at either end. Meeting no opposition
] crept within, where I felt some
what safer from observation, and ther
! Teered warily forth into the darknosi
extending between Il and the river
( The picketrope stretched from ont
corner OF the hut. where II seemed {,
I be secured around the end OF a pro