The Clovis news. [volume] (Clovis, N.M.) 1907-1929, 1912-01-04


quarters. Then turned my TACO
eastward and trampod r~osoluteiy On.
was. first Of en-. a soldier. and moth.
ing short of death or capture should
prevent me reaching Lee with nay
message. Let what would happen all
else could waltz
The CLEAN Of the stars fell upon the
double row Of buttons down tho
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 suffice 70 get me safe through
those outer picket lines. and II / SHOULD
fall IN the attempt. or be again made
prisoner. ] vastly preferred me- citing
my fate clad IN the faded gray d my
own regiment With odd sense u re-
lief I hastily stripped on the gorgeous
t%rapDings. flung them IN the ditch be-
side the road. and pressed on. feeling
Ike a new man.
There was small need for caution
here. and for more than an hour &
tramped steadily along. never meeting
a person or being startled by a sus-
picious sound. Then, as rounded a
low eminence I perceived before me
the dark outlines of trees which marked
the course Of the White Brian, while
directly in my front. and half OBJ
scured by thick leaves Of the under
brush. blazed the red glare Of a fire.
| knew the stream we'll. its steep
banks Of p%ercipitate rock, It's rapid,
swirling current which. / was well
aware, I was not a sufficiently expert
swimmer to cross. once upon the.
other bank I should be co~mparative
safe, but to pass that picket post apd
attain the ford was cataR require
all the good fortune 1 could eyer hone
for.
But despair was never for long my
comrade. and I had learned how de-
termination opens doors to the coura-
geous-it is ever he who tries that en-
ters in. It took me ten minutes, pos.
sibly, creeping much Of the way like
a wild animal over the rocks, but 1T
the end Of that time had attained a
position well within the dense thicket,
and could observe clearly the ground
before me and some Of the obstacles
to be overcome,
AS supposed, it was a cavalry out
post; I could distinguish the crossed
sabers on the caps Of the men, al
though 1t was some time before I 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. 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 upon his
knee. His men were gathered close
about the blazing fire, for the night
air was decidedly chill as ii swept
down the valley; a number we're
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 dis
cussing the floating rumors Of the
NAAAk a AAAAA6N4 ~ nA4A0 Jul AAAAAN
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 ne1t him, "whut wus It tibet stan
officer sed ter Their le~itenant9 i didn't
just git Their straight OF IT."
The man, a dsbonair yous fellow.
stroked his little black mustaches re-
%hectively.
Their owe sed as how Coles d..
vision wud be along here afore day
light, an thet "a fellers wud likely
be sent out ahead of EN-"
fWhar be they a goin'?"
The ~leftenant asked him, an the
owe sed as It wus a gineral advance
to meet OF Hancock at Minersville.
"Thet's good 'nough. lads chimed
In the sergeant, shaping his knee. 1T
means a dance down the valley after
Early. I'm a guessln' wen have a
bang-up Oh fight fore three days
more"
"Pervidin alters thet Their Johnnies
don't skedaddle fust, commented an
other. tartly. Whut in thunder Is
Their matter with them hosses?' be
asked suddenly rising and peering
over into the bushes beyond the nut
where a noise Of ~squealing and kick
ing had arisen.
oh, the bay hlly Is probably over
the rope agin, returned the ser
geant. lazily. "sit down. Sims. an be
easy; you're not on boss guard ter
night"
u know thet." growied the soldier.
doubtfully. but thet thar kid Is no
good, an ! don't want nay boss all
banged up just as we're goin ga
campaign. Tain't no sorter way ter
EN- anyhow. to a picket rope.
more bosses than Their Rebs
cTO BIZ c~ONTINUEDl
STANDARD Of colors.