Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-08-14
The Daily Story
A PAPER BULLET-BY ALBEoN PORT.
Copyrighted. 1913. by Assoeiatel Literary Rnreau

SuuS-lndL IS, unless pressed 50 uiTu
by an enemy as TO need them for de-
Tense.
The direction l was now to take fore
ed me to cross the road had just left.
Preferring TO move through woods,
kept on among the trees as long as pos
sible, then turned into the road, having
a stretch of a quarter of nile before
me before striking other timber. While
making this interval heard the quick
thud of horses hoofs behind me and.
turning my head. saw a troop OF Con-
federate cavalry coming. turned into
the wood on the north side of the road,
and. though did not alter my gait,
continued my course. heard q Hello.
thar from the troop. but. pretending
pot to hear, kept on. AS disappeared
in the wood there came sharp Halt.
you, thar"
| must make n quick decision. In
Federal uniform | could not expect to
deceive an officer as | had deceived q
teamster. l would be obliged to give
an account of myself and would dn"S:-
less be detained. If the generals Or
ders were found on me my Federal
uniform might not save me from the
gallows, for. although It was simply an
order, it was evident that it was based
on my observations of Confederate
movements. l was certainly not on a
direct line between the Federal general
who had written II and the officer for
whom it was intended. This would
prove ME n secret service man.
All this was but fash in my brain.
Ny decision was made upon the i'm
portance of getting the order through.
If l succeeded it would give our troops
a great advantage; IL l failed a fine
opportunity would be lost. l determin-
ed TO run for it. Having passed out OF
sight, ! put spurs to my horse and,
though l was obliged to dodge the
trees. made good progress. / was in
hopes that those who had seen me
would not consider me of sufficient i'm
portance to chase. But these hopes
were blasted by hearing one or more
horses crashing through the under
growth behind me.
A lightning fash before me indicated
that the wood had no great extent and
/ would soon be in the open. 1t was
evident that / must soon fight or sur
render While l was thinking about
it | came to the end of the wood and
entered field Soon after doing so /
looked back to see by how many / was
pursued. But one man thus far had
left the wood rode on at q break
neck pace for about half a mile. then
looked back again. Only the one pur-
suer was in sight This decided me.
l determined to fight.
But, realizing that was more likely
/ to be taken alive than killed. after
! drawing my revolver l took the mes
sage from my holster What would
do with It? If l threw it away ,the
man chasing me would see 1t and look
for it, l stuffed it in the muzzle OF
my pistol then. refining in my horse,
| l faced him toward the Confederate.
He was within hundred yards of me
! at the time and. drawing his weapon,
came on. My horse was standing still,
which enabled me to take good aim.
When he came within range we both
fired almost simultaneously. His bull
let cut the edge Of my ear. though I
did not know it at the time. My bull
let pierced his brain.
No sooner had the man fallen from
his horse and / saw blood oozing from
his forehead than ! bethought myself
of the situation. If no more Confed-
crates came for me and | could find
the dispatch ! might yet carry II to
General B. | calculated that on ac-
count Of its light weight 1t had not
gone more than few yards from my
pistol and. calculating the direction of
the wind. began to hunt for It, Seeing
q bit of paper, took it up and found
1t to be the dispatch. 1t had been
partially opened by pressure against
the atmosphere Had 1t not been for
this ! doubt If | should have found
1t. since In its globular form 1t was
very small and blackened by powder.
My first act after finding 1t was to
look to see If any more pursuers were
emerging from the wood. None ap.
peared. Noticing c. s. A. branded on
the troopers horse. l decided to take
him instead of my own. also took
his hat and his belt. the latter hav.
ing the same letters. He. wore nc
coat or / would have taken that too
But | threw away my own coat and
mounting. rode away at gallop.
The change of horse and belt served
good purpose AS soon as got away
from my dead enemy slowed dowr
and rode at moderate pace. / tool
TO roads and passed number OF citi
2ens and soldiers. but the brand on M
horse and the letters on my belt were
sure protection soon made GROUND
occupied by neither army and by moor
rode into General BIS camp and deliv
cred my dispatch. After reading tn,
instructions General B. acted upor
them at once and attacked the enem,
in force. My own commander hearC
his guns. and. joining him. the TIVE
made n complete rout, capturing man,
prisoners and stores.
In my chest Of war relics I have III,
paper bullet. which General y. after
ward gave me. and 1t is Of course NOR
rgized than any other OF my souvenirs