Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-12-20

would imperil his life to bring a
wounded comrade off the field. but
never a word of pity would tha
wounded man receive from his lips. He
got no letters n never spoke of wife
nor home.
l bullt up a around Casey.
l figured it out hat he had left home
n family back in the old country
through some Observation-Disclosures
wretched quarrel brought about by Il
tale-bearer-and that grief and remors
walked with him every hour of the day.
When he fought it was as if he fought
some II far beyond the men in the
grey fighting US. When he sat think
ing one could read in his face that his
thoughts were beyond the morrow
that they went back beyond the day.
Over on the right fiank of the Grand
army there was a wide stretch of
neutral ground. The farmers therein
We're all I'm sympathy with the south
ern cause. as was to be expected, and
it was not held up against them. Our
troopers raided over this neutral
ground at intervals, n then the en-
envy took his turn. but the situation
was not made worse for the wretched
people. Casey was a. second sergeant
and had done considerable scout work
nc ld0 Occl OtcI lllS zone dIOI1e ana
knew every u On the afternoon
of the day before Christmas he said to
me-:
will We be after taking a ride with
me to capture a Johnny Reh this
night?"
yes" ] replied.
Had aske~ .or detail l would not
have got them. Casey never wasted
breath in explanations. even to his
superiors.
Two hours after dark l was riding
out OF camp with him and seven
troopers. 1t was u miserable, wretched
night, with a cold wind and gusts of
amiss to have ask ID n other ser
geant in the brigade ! ow far we were
going. and where and how he had
marked down his quarry. but Casey
was Casey. Through the freezing mud,
with horses moving at a walk most
Of the time and every trooper cursing
the night, the weather and the war,
we rode a distance OF six miles. Then
we reached a farm house with lighted
windows and got the word to dis
mount at the gate. AS we secured our
horses II grouped around Casey he
whispered:
I'm in hopes to catch a rebel of
lcer inside who's HON for Christmas
will his family. Keep your ears open
to do as | tell you. It's not a half mile
W lllG cue IJCNel, AHU lnGIe IluSV DE
no noise.''
we entered h gate and tip-toed up
to the house. The curtains at the win
dow We're down. but after Casey had
listened for awhile he dropped back
and whispered:
in there. l am going to rush the house.
No shooting unless the men show
fight"
We punched at the front door and
every man dres a long breath and
was OH the latch. Casey opened
1T. and We stepped in after him. This
was what he saw: A bright and
CHEEKY fire in the big fireplace-an old
grey-haired man seated In a rocking
chalr. smoking "A pipe--an old woman
standing behind him with 4 hand on
his shoulder in an affectionate way
q confederate in uniform with his back
to the f1re-his wife seated. but holding
his hand.
Yes. he man Casey .vanted was be-
fore us. He was Il second. lieutenant of
cavalry. and his saber and revolver lazy
on the table before him. Not a mo.e
did he make AS W., ranged ourselves
across the room. No one moved. No
one spoke. The wife turned her face
towards us, and | saw 1t grow white as
she frightened her grip on her husbands
hand. but She did not cry out. The old
man removed the pipe from his mouth.
but nothing more. He held it in his
shaking hand as the smoke curled mp
from it. His old wife looked at us calm
~, moving az inch-never open
ing her lips.
We saw it all as we stood there with
the water dripping down from our pom
chOS n pattering on the bare floor.
We saw it all, and no spoke. And
when we had seen all this our eyes took
in something else-three children's
hOyoNn-kr{f afrak mos t,lr n -, ~l,.
chimney jamb and bullying with the
gifts Santa Claus had brought. MY
heart gave q bound as ! saw them. 1
looked at Casey. and he was looking at
the little stockings and gasping like.
He turned his eyes from them to the
officer. The confederate was standing
firm and straight. He, was. a man. he
was, He knew what he was facing, anu
yet never a CULVER.
Casey looked at the white-lipped wife
at the calm old lady--at the old man
who sat SO quiet. and h In a voice
SO low and tense that / did not recog-
nize 1t. he said:
Boys. he amt the mani. Get to hel;
out of this!"
But he's a rebel" protested one of
the troopers.
Didn't l say to get to hell out of
this?"
We fled out on tiptoe and mounted
our horses and headed for camp. We
had gone a mile or more before said
to the sergeant:
Casey. it's six miles ont and six
back"
Making IL. sor,' lie answered..
And it's a bad night"
"A dom bad night"
And We've got no prisoner"
Not "A dom ONE"
Halt a mile further on l said:
Sergeant. what did it?'
The sight of the children's stockin's