Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1912-04-17

HNNNHNN HAANfNif WIN IN HAAnNnatANA
OF disgust Nothing could be gained
By longer masquerade. and telt m
expressible shame az being thus at
tired. Neither pass nor uniform
would suffice 20 get me safe through
those outer picket lines. and II should
fail IN the attempt or be again made
prisoner. I vastly preferred meeting
my fate clad IN the faded gray of my
own regiment With odd sense OF 70
lief | hastily stripped on the gorgeous
trapplngs, flung them IN the ditch be-
side the road. aud pressed on. feeling
like a new man.
There was small need for caution
here and for more than an hour
tramped steadily along never meeting
person or being startled by a sus-
picious sound Then. as ! rounded a
low emlnence / perceived before me
the darkoutlines OF trees which marked
the course OF the White Briar, while
directly in my front, and half OBJ
secured by thick leaves OF the under
brush, blazed the red glare OF a IRE.
! knew the stream well, It's steep
banks OF percipitate rock, It's rapid.
swirling current which. | was well
aware, | was not a sufficiently expert
swimmer TO cross. Once upon tho
other bank ! 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
comrade, and | had learned how de-
| termination opens doors to the coura-
geous-lt Is ever he who tries that en-
tiers in. II took me ten minutes, pos
sibly, creeping much Of the way like
a wild animal over the rocks, but at
the end OF that time | had attained a
| position we'll within the dense thicket,
and could observe clearly the ground
before me and some OF the obstacles
10 be overcome
AS | supposed. II was a cavalry out
post: ! could distinguish the crossed
sabers on the caps Of the men. al
]
able to determine positively where
their horses we're picketed. There
must have been all OF twenty in the
party, and ! could distinguish the lieu
tenant in command, a mlddle-aged
man with llght-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 1t 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 oil
my hand. were idly smoking and dis
cussing the floating rumors OF the
camp. | managed to make out dimly
he figure of 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 stat
officer sed ter Their leftenant? didn'
just git Their straight Of IT,"
The man, a debonalr yong fellow
stroked his little black mustaches re
nectively.
"Ther cove sed as how Coles di
vision wud be along here afore day
light. an tibet our fellsrs wud likel!
be sent out ahead OF EN-"
"Whar be they a goin'?"
The leftenant asked him, an tn
cove sed as It wus a gineral advanc
to meet oil Hancock at Minersville.
"Thet's good 'nough. lads" chimes
in the sergeant, shaping his knee. 81
,, means a dance down the valley ate
Early. I'm a guessin we'll have
bang-up oil fight fore three day
more"
"Pervidin alters tibet Their Johnnie
don't skedaddle fust," commented al
other. tartly. "Whut in thunder
Their matter with them hosses?" b
0 asked suddenly, rising and perrin
= over into the bushes beyond the hu
e where noise OF sQuealing and kicl
5 ing had arisen.
"Oh, the bay Ally is probably owe
d the rope agin," returned the Sc
Q geant lazily. "Sit down, Sims, an
T easy; you're not on boss guard tel
g night"
|. Il know thet," growled the soldie
l. doubtfully, but thet thar kid is n
d good, an | don't want my boss a
y banged up just as we're goin' o
u campaign. faint no sorter way te
hitch EN- anyhow. to a picket rope
g ruins more bosses than Their Ret
Q dew"
| CTO BE CONTINUED)