Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1912-01-18

fSSeAOASs
carry five days rations. You under
stand fully?"
Il do, sir; / presume am to start
at once?"
Your squad, under command of
Sergeant Ebers, Is already waiting out
side"
Are you all ready, sergeant?" 1
asked of the rather heavyweight Ger
man who stood fronting me, his broad,
red face as impassive as though carved
from stone.
We vos, captain"
Where is the guide?"
dot is him, nit der mule, amt 1t 2"
he answered, pointing with one huge
hand down the road
Very well. We will pick him up
then as we 60"
cared so little as to whether or not
he accompanied us at all, that we had
advanced some distance before the
thought of him again occurred to me.
| knew the gentry fairly we'll, and had
experienced in the past SO many evil
dences of their stupidity if not actual
disloyalty, as to prefer my own knowl-
edge of the country to theirs. My
thought, indeed, for several miles was
not at all with the little party of
troopers jogging steadily at my heels,
nor, in truth, was it greatly concerned
with the fate of the expedition. That
was but service routine, and l rode
forward carelessly enough, never
dreaming that every hour Of progress
was bearing me toward the most i'm
portant adventure Of my life. 1t was
the German sergeant who recalled me
to the responsibilities of command.
Captain" he exclaimed apologet-
tcally, riding up to my side and wiping
his round, perspiring face with great
energy, I'VE are riding too hard, amt
We? Mein Colt, but der horses will
give out entirely. already"
rs that so?" asked in surprise at
his words. A single swift glance
around convinced me he was correct,
for the mounts were exceedingly soft,
and already looked nearly played out
from our sharp pace. very we'll,
We will halt here"
With a sigh of relief he drew back,
and as he did so my eyes fell for the
first time upon the guide. AS live,
it was Jed Bungay, and when stared
at him In sudden amazement he broke
into broad grin.
"Durn if / didn't begin ter think as
how ye'd gone an clar forgot me,
Cap"
mot bit Of it. jed" and rode up
to him and extended my hand But
how came you here? Are you the
guide?"
"sure thing, cap; know this yere
kintry like bulk. faded horsemen
from the west at evening to the castle
pressed BY gum, you put Beelzebub
an me through blamed hard jolt of
it SO fur"
'Beelzebub?"
s'Ye bet, ther mule; reckon as how
ye ain't gone an forgot him. hev ye?"
"Bungay, what has become Of Ma
ria?"
The little mans eyes suddenly filled
with tears.
Il jist don't know, cap" he answered
mournfully "Whin l got hum Their
Oh cabin he'd bin plum burnt down,
nary stick O. 1t left, by gum! an Ma
rtar she wuz clean gone. Hain't seed
neither hide ner hair o. her since,
thet's fac. An | sorter drifted back
ter you uns cause didn't hev nowhar
else ter 60"
Did you hunt for her among the old
plantations along the valley?" asked,
deeply touched by his evident feeling.
"she very likely sought refuge in
some of those houses"
He looked at me in surprise. II
reckon, cap, as how ye don't know
much bout whuts goin' on in Their
valley fer Their las few months" he
said soberly, rubbing down his mule
as he spoke. Tell We what thar jist
hain't no plantation houses left thar
now, thet's fac, leastwise not north
O. Their lines we uns sorter hol' onto
VT. Sheridan he played hell with his
cavalry raids, an whut the blue bellies
left Their burned guerillas an BUSH
whackers wiped up es clean es a slate.
Durn II crow wudn't starve ter death
in Their valley now. Why, cap, them
thar deserters an SIGH truck is or
ganized now till they're. mighty nigh
an army, an they don't skeer fer nuth-
In les ner regiment. see more ner
a hundred an fifty in one bunch up
on Their White Briar two week ago, an
they're worse ner a parcel er pirates.
l reckon as how they got Marian, but
I'll bet she Civ 'em hot OIL time afore
she done quit"
Rumors of this state of affairs to
the north and west of our defending
lines had already reached me-indeed,
the verification had formed part of my
Instructions; but Bungay's homely yet
graphic description made the situation
appear terribly real, and my thought
went instantly forth to those knew
who might even then be exposed to
this great and unexpected danger.
The very conception of Edith Bren-