Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1912-02-02


been Informed. he said to the officer in
eommand Of the post:
~I'll take her home and see that she
is what she represents herself TO be.
II 50 III leave her there ana no harm
done. I'm Captain Robbins OF the
general star."
That settled the matter. and Molly
went on. Eobhins walking bis horse
beside her. Ticket posts are usually
1 placed ut points where the road Is vlsi-
bic for some disianre ahend. and so
long rs they were in sight Captain
Robbins was not 50 gallant AS to give
the GIL his horse. bur when they had
psssed over crest he dismounted and
asslsted her to his place. which she
accepted with alacrity. For n time he
made no mention Of the distance they
must 20 10 reach her farm. for he had
takeu Desperate fancy to the blue
eyed beauty snd was p!r;lsed n being
IN her company. hut after the yedettes
were passed and be was in debatabie
territory he besan 10 think that he
might come upon some bluelackets
and be was not safe lie asked Molly
II her hume was nnt near. and she re.
Mel that II was Just beyond the next
turn in the road When they reached
the turn she told him It was Just over
fsnr ne;-f crest When they were de-
sreaslng from the crest She pointed
ahead telling him that he might see
an cave If her home just abnye a clnmp
Of trees While he was peeriug to dis
cover II Molly refined in her horse 50
as 10 drop little lehlnd him sud
denly lie heard click To soldier
IN wartime u click means a good deal.
The officer lnrned and saw Molly point
ing revolver At him
@wh-a-a-t do you meaus'' he stanl-
mered. puzzled
''lsace about and move on
The voice. which had been skillfully
m0dulated. had now the hoarseness Of
q mans II flashed across Robbins
that he had freu sold He started to
nul II haud u his hip. but was deter
red by IN cr,ier:
-Slnp that. Hands upl'
L WAS plain from the tone in which
the words We're spoken that any fur
tier movement IN the direction OF the
revolver would he met with a bullet
before the weapon could be reached
robbins Gi.si,;ted. raising his hands
above his shoulders
Now you face about and march
nsgltv qgi-S.~ came second order
There WIS nothing for II but TO
obey. Nol'; had drawn him to a
point well beyond the Confederate
picket line. and there was no assist
rnee TO be expected They were on
strip Of territory free from either ar
my. Inhabited by Confederate sympa
thizers nnd rowing hands of guerrilas.
who usually sympathized with the
southern side Therefore the danger
was far greater to the Federal than
the Confederate soldier. and the pen
atty if ciPtHred WIS Infinitely more
terrible TO the former than TO the lot
ter His landing within theN Union
lines would le hnmiliating. but moth
ing more than serving term Ms pris-
oner Of war. But If Molly were cap
tured n Federal soldier in disguise
with Information of the Confederate
forces on her person-thp inevitable
result would he hanging
Only the kfeuest watehfulness and
Q cool head enabled her to drive her
captive over the considerable distance
that lay l,etween her and the Federal
lines Once she saw half dozen
horsemen ahead. and since they looked
brown rather than blue she knew they
were not Union troops She drove the
man in front Of her into a wood and
waited ill the coming men had pass
ed Again she saw house ahead
around which several persons were
lettering She made detour. but III
doing so was Obliged to leave her
horse
Being now on foot. she disarmed
Robbins and had two revolvers instead
Of one. But II was not weapons she
needed: 1t was to escape wayfarers.
Now and again she would stop to lis
ten. The distant creaking of wag
on. the thud of horses hoofs. would
drive her, she still driving her captive.
into cover At last she heard a dis
tant shot A soldier in that country
at that time knew picket shot by in
stinct. This one must I've from Fed
eral musket. The northern picket line
was not far distant
The last scare Molly had was when.
crossing road. she saw on her na1k
a cloud of dust Not stopping 10 salts
~ herself who caused IT, she pushed
her prisoner on ridge was in front
Of her. which she recognized as on
favorable for picket line Then fron
a field before 1t came;
"Halt therer'
Molly cheerfnlly obeyed the order
for she knew that the man who halted
her was no southerner. since be spoke
with a German accent She told her
story. the man called for the officer
Of the picket and the goal was won
Captain" she said as soon as the
race was finished. 1T hns been ques
tion of capture for yon or Il rope for
me"
The captain made 70 reply.
Molly went. dressed as she was. tG
the generals headquarters. reported
the success of her mission and furnish I
ed the information she had been sent
70 get The next morning commenced
that movement which. though rom
paratively hloodless was one Of ths