Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-01-24

stepped sudd snlys vim an# sxiA,asii0A3
'oi disgust Nothing could be salnede
by longer masquerade. and felt In
expressible shame at being thus at,
tired. Neither pass nor uniform
would suffice to get me safe through
those outer picket lines. and II lshouid
fall In the attempt, or be again made
prisoner. vastly preferred meeting
my fate clad In the faded gray of my
own regiment. With odd sense of re-
lief ! hastily stripped of the gorgeous
trapptngs. flung them in the ditch be-
side the road. and pressed on, feeling
like a new man.
There was small need for caution
here. and for more than an hour 1
tramped steadily along, never meeting
a person or being startled by a sus.
picious sound. Then, as l rounded q
low emtnence perceived before me
the dark outlines of trees which marked
the course of the White Briar, while
directly in my front, and half OBJ
scured by thick leaves of the under
brush, blazed the red glare Of fire.
l knew the stream we'll, it's steep
banks of percipitate rock, its oapid.
swirling current which, was well
aware, was not sufficiently expert
swimmer to cross. Once upon the
other bank should be comparatively
safe. but to pass that picket post and
attain the ford was certain to require
all the good fortune l could ever hope
for
But despair was never for long my
comrade, and had learned how de-
termination opens doors to the coura'
geous-it is ever he who tries that en-
tiers in. 1t took me ten minutes, pos.
sibl3. creeping much of the way like
wild animal over the rocks, but at
the end of that time I had attained a
position we'll within the dense thicket,
and could observe clearly the ground
before me and some of the obstacles
to be overcome.
Asl supposed, it was a cavalry out
post; could distinguish the crossed
sabers on the caps of the men. al
though 1t was some time before was
able to determine positively where
their horses were picketed. There
must have been all of twenty in the
party, and | could distinguish the lieu.
tenant in command, a middle-aged
man with light-colored chin beard,
seated by himself against the wall OF
small shanty of logs, 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 it swept
down the valley; a number were
sleeping, a few at cards, while little
group, sitting with their backs to-
ward me, yet almost within reach OF
my hand. were idly smoking and dis:
| cussing the floating rumors Of the
camp. l managed to make out dimly
the figure of a 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. 49,
Bob he said to the soldier loung
ing next him. whit wus it tibet stan
officer sed ter Their leftenant? didn''
| just git tier straight OF it."
| The man. a debonair yong fellow
stroked his little black mustaches re
flectively.
"Ther cove sed as how Coles d.
vision wud be along here afore day
light, an tibet our fellers wud Likely
be sent out ahead of en-
"Whar be they goin'?"
THE leftenant asked him, an 1he
cove sed as it wus a glneral advance
ITO meet Of Hancock at Minersville.
'Thet's good 'nough, lads" chimet
in the sergeant, Shaping his knee. II,
means dance down. the valley aftel
Early: I'm" guessin' we'll have {
banE-up OIL: fight fore three days
more"
"Pervtdin' alters tibet Their Johnn1e'
don't skedaddle fust." commented an
other, tartly. "Whut in thunder /,
Their matter with them hosses?" h|
asked suddenly, rising and peerinl
over into the bushes beyond the hut
where a noise of squealing and kick
ing had arisen.
"Oh. the bay FLY is probably ove1
the rope agin," returned the ser
geant, lazily. "Sit down, Sims, an b<
easy: you're not on boss guard ter
night"
II know thet," growled the soldier
doubtfully, but tibet thar kid is NJ
good, an I don't want my boss al
banged up just as we're. goin' OF
campaign. 'Tain't no sorter way tel
hitch 'em anyhow. to a picket rope
ruins more bosses than Their Reb'
| (TO BE CONTINUED)
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