Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1912-03-22

stopped suddenly with m lion
of disgust. Nothing could b" gained
nv longer masquerade, and lelt H.
expressible shame at being thus a.
tired. Neither pass nor UNIFORM
would suffice to get me sale through
those outer picket lines. II II shouid
fall In the attempt, or be again made
prisoner, | vastly preferred meeting
my fate clad In the faded gray OF my
" regiment. With odd sense OF r.
lief I hastily stripped off the gorgeousy
tr~appings, flung them In the ditch be-
side the road, and pressed on. feennS
like a new man.
There was small need for caution
here, and for more than an hour I
tramped steadily along. never meeting
a person or being startled by a sus-
picious sound. Then, as | dundee d
low eminence l perceived before me
the dark outlines Of trees which marked
the course of the White Br1ar. Wnlie
directly in my front, and nall oo-
scured by thick leaves OF the uhoer-
brush, blazed the red glare OF a nre.
knew the stream well, its steep
banks of percipitate rock, its RAPID.
swirling current which. | was we'll
aware, l was not a sufficiently expert
| swimmer to cross. Once upon the
other bank should be comparatively
safe, but to pass that picket post anu
attain the ford was certain to require
all the good fortune l could ever nope
for.
But despair was never for long my
comrade, and l had learned how oe-
termination opens doors to the coura-
geous-tt is eve hs who tries that en-
tiers in. 1t took me ten minutes pos
sibly, creeping much Of the way IKE
q wild animal over the rocks, but at
the end of that time l had attained q
position well within the dense thicket,
and could observe clearly the ground
before me and some Of the obstacles
to be overcome. =
IS supposed, it was a cavalry out.
post; I could distinguish the crossed
sabers on the caps Of the men. al
though it was some time before was
able II determine positively where
their horses were picketed. There
must have been all Of twenty In the
party, and l could distinguish the lieu
tenant in command, a middle-aged
man with light-colored chin beard.
seated by himself against the wall OF
a small shanty OF logs, a pipe in his
mouth and an open book unon MS
knee. His men were gathered close
about the blazing fire. for the night
air was decidedly chill as it swept
down the valley; a number were
cloopjrO n faw at oqr6G while a nttl0
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 dlmly
the figure of a man on horseback be-
yond the range of flame. 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 tibet stan
officer sed ter Their l~eftenant? ! didn't
just git Their straight OF it."
The man, a debonair youg fellow.
stroked his little black mustaches re-
flectively.
Their cove sed as how Coles di-
vision wud be along here afore day
light, an thet our fellers wud likely
be sent out ahead of EN-"
"Whar be they a goin'?"
1.-THE leftenant asked him, an the
cove sed as it wus a gineral advance
to meet OF Hancock at M~inersville."
"Fhet's good 'nough, lads" chimed
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 OF fight fore three days
more"
"Pervidin' alters tibet ther Johnnies
don't skedaddle fust," commented an
other, tartly. "Whut in thunder is
Their 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 FLY is probably ove
the o p agin," returned the SER
geant, lazily. "Sit down, Sims. an be
easy; you're not on boss guard ter
night"
Il know thet," growled the soldier.
doubtfully, but tibet thar kid is no
good, an / don't want my boss all
banged up just as we're goin' on
campaign. 'Tain't no sorter way ter
hitch EN- anyhow, to a picket rope:
ruins more bosses than Their Rebs
dew"
(TO BE CONTINUED.)