Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1912-07-04

singing In the trees above them.
About the girl was nothing conven-
tionaL a poor white farmers daugh-
/ ter, she had never been taught the
/ proper steps of courtship. For her
there were no such steps As to the
man, he had no need for them. A look
was all that was required by either.
Jim. holding his rifle In one hand. with
the other clasped her hand. Then
man, woman and rifle were folded In
an embrace, and Jim kissed her.
! From the south came clatter of
horses boots, jim cast a quick glance
toward his picket line measuring the
( distance with his eye and wondering
/ IL he could reach II In time to escape
the coming horseman. The girl took
in the situation and, scizlnG him by
the hand. ran With him into the house.
There they were alone. for the others
OF the family had gone out to drive in
some stray stock that II might not fall
/ into the hands OF the soldiers. Lifting
a trapdoor that led to the cellar. the
girl pointed down the stairs. and Jim
descended, The troopers were coming
rapidly and reached the house but
few moments before he got into hid
ing, They pulled up at the gate and
called for some one TO come out, The
girl answered the summons There
were four men and sergeant The
sergeant was spokesman,
There's Yank about here" he
said. where IL hep"
There's no Yank here" was the re-
ply,
You little Hart One OF our sharp
shooters saw him from treetop. He
was going to shoot when the Yank
passed out OF sight We've come out
to get him"
There was man here spell ago.
but he went away"
Jim In the cellar heard all this and
wondered how could those innocent
lips utter such falsehoods.
Meanwhile he was looking about him
for n better place OF concealment
There was an old brick oven In the
cellar. Its top extending to within n
foot OF the rafters OF the door above
He climbed up on It aud. pulling away
some loose bricks. found an entrance
to a chimney big enough for him to
crawl into. Once In II. being young
and strong, he worked his way up to
the top Meanwhile the troopers had
searched the house and not finding
him, had ridden about for awhile, not
getting too close TO the Union line:
then had ridden back southwark. A.
soon as Jim heard their retreating
footsteps he lifted his head above the
chimney top for a reconnaissance. but
he quickly withdrew Il, for n bullet
4 sung within an inch or his ear, This
admonished him that some sharpshoot-
er was watching the house. and he
scuttled down the chimney to make an
exit by the way he bad come up. At
the cellar door stood the girl who had
hidden him. He took her In his arms.
and her head sank down upon his
| breast.
II there had been any OF that sense
OF self preservation In the boy--or the
girl, for that matter--such as comes
with age, hunted by cavalry, watched
by sharpshooters. liable to be caught
by an officer Off his post, Jim would
have got out OF the scrape as quickly M
possible. But young love IL stronger
than the fear OF death--stronger even
than disgrace. Jim stood supporting
her. her heart huttering against his
own. and It was the happiest moment
of his life.
A distant sound OF the long roll COM
ing down the slope from the Federal
lines was needed to awaken the young
soldier from his trance Then gun
doomed. Snatchlng II last kiss. the sol
der ran back to the cellar. took up
his rife from dark corner where he
had thrown It and sped out into the
yard A skirmish line was coming
down the declivity. Jim ducked under
some bushes and, when the men pass
ed him. fell in. and. though he was not
with his own company, no one except
hours before was ever aware OF his
foray between the lines.
One OF those scrimmnges that So Of
ten occur between armies In touch
with each other, but neither OF which
Is ready for battle. was fought. result
Ing In the advance OF the Union line
TO the ridge on the south. That even
ing long after the fight was over the
girl Jim had won during 40 brief
courtship saw from window Union
soldier crawling between the rails OF
the fence Running down and out she
saw Jim. wounded.
Lying on the field. he had longed, In
stead OF being taken to n hospital. to
be nursed by his new found love.
When party with stretchers came
along be feigned to be dend. When
they had passed he drew himself slow
ly toward the house of his adventure
In that house he remained for sew
eral weeks. When he left II he had
promised to come back when the war
would be over,
Our ideas today of the men who par
In that ri f,,l MI u roll re-,