The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1913-02-01

The opportunity came iI an odd and
unexpected way. Hunts kind southern
friends had the happy thought 10 re-
place hts dilapIdated uniform with
new suit OF clothes-citlzen's clothes,
OF course. and of the good homely ma.
terial known as "butternut" AS "A
matter OF fact, tie whole Confederate
army. especially after the flrst year OF
the war. was sprinkled with butternut
Of various shades. The uniforms"
were anything but uniform A gray
coat, a gray pair OF trousers. or gray
nat, sufficed TO mark the followers OF
Lee and Jackson, and some soldiers
went through all the campaigns clad
m their home garb as farmers or
mountaineers. A supreme service was
devised for Ralph Hunts new suit the
very day ii arrived.
you are the man to get away with
II, Frank" insisted the owner OF the
clothes, The opportunity Is wasted
on me-"
4. 'Ralph Is right" declared Captain
Cox, "You can make as good use OF
your liberty as any officer here, Lieu
tenant Bedloe. No. don't think OF me
l have something else In view for my
self"
So Il came about that one morning
when Captain Warner had been replac-
ed by a subordinate named Turner az
acting commissary and the guard for
the Potomac room had been newly
changed, n gawky youth in butternuts
Frank had contriyed to shave off his
beard and mustache) slipped out be
hind the officer who had perfunctorily
counted the prisoners and In a twin
king was mixed up with the free south.
erners who lounged about the place on
one pretext or another. though he was
still on the wrong side OF the railing
that constituted the dead line. Here
Turner was stationed, sitting az a desk
just within the pale.
"Hello, capdo they keep you busyf"
drawed the youth In butternuts.
matching his clothes with the assumed
accent OF North Carolina tarheel.
"Who the devil are your" demanded
the official CHANGING up from his rec
ords, land what are you doing hereY
"Pm from Moth Ca'liny, and ! fol
lowed the gyard in SOS as TO git look
at them ere Yankee prisoners. I'm
goin' to the front tomorrow an
thought before / went ia like 10 see
what these Yanks looked like"
go 10 the front and be cursed. and
there you'll see more Yanks than you
want to. Now. get out OF here and stay
out"
"All right. cap, you needn't be so
sassy abaout IT," retorted the supposed
tarheel as he urched out through the
wicket and made for the door. where.
rolling a quid OF tobacco In his check.
be wlnked az the armed gunrd and
passed out
Here was where Lieutenant Frank
Bedloe. daredevil. demonstrated his old
self again. instead OF disappearing
with all possible celebrity. as any man
or ordinary nerve would have done.
once escaped from Libby prison. he
deliberately crossed the street 20 the
vacant lot opposite and stood there a
minute or two with bis hands IN his
pockets gazing up at the barred front
windows OF the big brick building TO
see IL any OF his late comrades In cap
tiyity had yentured across the dead
line to catch glimpse ~ his actual
departure for Gods country"
A few pale faces could be dimly dis.
cerned within To these Frank waved
parting salute. murmuring. "Goodby
hope wen meet again somewhere
else"
Then he slouched or in the direction
OF the Rockets down the bend OF the
James river