Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1912-03-14

E6A
the rest
How kind you are.' exclaimed " u
ly in a burst of gratitude. and she pro
ceeded on her way, while the aid turn
ed off in another direction TO make !:
circuit. When Molly reached the pick
ct post and, having been refused al
exit. was beginning TO force tears into
her blue eyes the young officer rode
up. inspected the post, then asked whai
was the matter with the girl. Havin-
been informed. he said to the officer IL
command of the post:
"Ill take her home and see that she
is what she represents herself TO be.
If so I'll leave her there and no harm
done. I'm Captain Robbins of the
general staff"
That settled the matter, and MolI
went ON. Robbins walking his horse
beside her. Picket posts are usually
placed ut points where the road is visi-
BILE for some distance ahead, and 50
long rs they were i'm sight Captain
Robbins was not so gallant as to give
tut XIII lHH hoiNts u "hNh lhts h"'
passed over a crest he dismounted and
assisted her to his place. which she
accepted with alacrity. For a time he
made no mention OF the distance they
must 20 to reach her farm, for he had
taken a desperate fancy to the blue
eyed beauty and was pleased at being
in her company. But after the vedettes
were passed and he was in debatable
territory he began TO think that he
might COme upon some ~blueiacketS
and he was not safe. He asked Molly
if her home was not near. and she re-
Piled that it was just beyond the next
turn in the road. When they reached
the turn she told him II was Just over
the next crest. When they were de-
scending from the crest she pointed
ahead. telling him that he might see
an cave Of her home just above a clump
of trees. While he was peering to dis
cover ii Molly refined in her horse so
as TO drop a little behind him. Sud
denly he heard a click. To a soldier
in wartime a click means a good deal.
The officer turned and saw Molly point
ing a revolver at him.
''Wh-a-a-t do you mean?" he STAN
mered. puzzled.
''Face about and move on"
The voice, which had been skillfully
had now the hoarseness of
a mans. 1t flashed across Robbins
that he had been sold. He started to
put a hand to his hip, but was deter
red 10y an order:
'Stop that. Hands up!'
1t was plain from the tone in which
the words We're spoken that any fur
movement in the direction Of the
revolver would be met with a bullet
before the weapon could be reached.
desisted, raising his hands
above his shoulders.
Nov you face about and march
quick" came a second order.
There was nothing for ii but to
obey. Molly had dra Sn him to a
point well beyond the Confederate
picket line, and there was no assist
lnce to be expected. They were on a
strip of territory free from either ar
my, inhabited by Confederate sympa-
-hiZerS and rowing bands of guerrillas.
who usually sympathized with the
southern side. Therefore the danger
far greater to the Federal than
he Confederate soldier. and the pen
ilty if captured was infinitely more
,errible to the former than to dhe lat
His landing within the Union
ines would be ~humiliating. but moth
ne more than serving a term as pris-
,ner Of war. But if Molly were cap
.ured-a Federal soldier in disguise
with information of the Confederate
on her ~person-the inevitable
'esult would be a hanging.
Only the keenest watchfulness and
/ cool head enabled her to drive her
over the considerable distance
hat lay between her and the Federal
ines. Once she saw half q dozen
lorsemen ahead. and since they looked
rather than blue she knew they
we're no Union troops. She drove the
nan I'm front of her into a wood and
waited till the coming men had pass
I'd. Again she saw a house ahead
which several persons were
offering. She made a detour. but In
1oing so was obliged to leave her
horse.
Being now on foot. she disarmed
Robbins and had two revolvers instead
of one. But 1t was not weapons she
needed; 1t was to escape wayfarers.
Now and again she would stop to lis
ten. The distant creaking Of a wag-
on, the thud OF horses hoofs, would
her. she still driving her captive.
Into cover. At last she heard a dis
shot. A soldier In that country
at that time knew a picket shot by in
stinct. This one must be from a Fed
eral musket. The northern picket line
was not far distant.
The last scare Molly had was when.
crossing n road. she saw on her flank
a cloud of dust. Not stopping to salts
~ herself who caused 1t. she pushed
her prisoner on. A ridge was In front
OF her, which she recognized as one
favorable for a picket line. Then from
a field before it came:
"Halt there!'
Molly cheerfully obeyed the order,
for she knew that the man who halted
hor WAS No ooufharpar ,fco~ L. ~.-