The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1913-03-22

ulSuncuOn. meaning riliiu pronotiou
for conspicuous gailantry.
Precisely the opposite of this fierce
and somber obsession was the char
acter of Ralph Hunt-frank. gentle.
confiding. childlike in some qualities
as well as in some weaknesses. But
he loved Bedloe, and his own ambi-
tions. as the tide of IL bli%hted life
slowly hut surely ebbed, merged into
one grand desire to do something for
the strong. high spirited. dashing COM
ga,le VI no had contributed so much 10
cheer the horrible gloom of prison ex-
istence.
The opportunity came in an odd ana
unexpected way. Hunts kind southern
friends had the happy thought 70 re-
place Ills dilaphlated uniform with
new Suit Of clothes-citiZen's clothes.
of course. and of the good homeIy ma.
terial known as ''butternut" As
matter OF fact. t4e whole Confederate
army. especially after the first year OF
the war. was spriukled with butteriut
Of various shades. The uniforms"
were anything but uniform. 4 gray
coat. II gray pair of trousers. or gray
hat. sufiiced TO mark the followers of
Lee and Jackson, and some soldiers
went through all the campaigns clad
IN their home garb as farmers or
mountaineers. A supreme service was
devised for Ralph Hunts new suit the
very day it arrived.
You are the man to get away with
Il. Frank" insisted the owner Of the
clothes. "The opportunity is wasted
| On me-
Ralph is right" declared Captain
| Cox, you can make as good use of
| your liberty as any officer here. Lieu
| tenant Redloe, No, don't think OF he.
| have something else in view for my
self"
SO it came about that one morning
| when Captain Warner had been replac-
| ed By a subordinate named Turner as
acting conmissary and the guard foi
| the Potomac room had been newly
changed. "A gawky youth in butTernuts
| Frank had contrived to shave off his
beard and mustachel slipped out be
| iind the officer who had perfunctorily
counted the prisoners and In u twin
king was mixed up with the free south
erners who lounged about the place OF
one preteXt or another. though he wa:
still on the wrong side of the railin.
that constituted the dead line. Hert
| Turner was stationed sitting at a desl
Just within the pale.
Hello. cap-do they keep you busy:
draWled the youth in butternuts
matching his clothes with the nsSume
accent Of Il North Carolina tarheel.
Who the devil are you?" demande
the Official. glancing MP from his res
ords, ''and what are you doing hercT'
I'm from Moth Ca'liny and | 70
lowed the gyard in SOS as to git IL loo
ut them ere Yankee prisoners. II
gon' to the front tomorrow an
thought before | went Id like to Sc
what these Yanks looked like
-"Go to the front and be cursed. an
there you'll see more Yanks than 80
want to. Now. get out of here and STA
out"
"Al right. cap. you needn't be $
sassy abaeut it." retorted the suppose
tarheel as he lurched out through til
wicket and made for the door, wher
rolling qUid of tobacco in his chee
ne winked ut the armed guard III
passed out.
Here was where Lieutenant Fran
BedDc. daredevil. demonstrated his o
self again. Instead of disappearr
with all possible celebrity. as any ma
Of ordinary nerve would have don
once escaped from Libby prison.
deliberately crossed the street TO Il
vacant lot opposite and stood there
minute or two with his hands i'm h
| pockets. gazing up 1T the barred fro
| windows of the big brick building
| see if any of his late comrades In "a
| tivity had veutured across the dc;
| inc to catch II glimpse Of his actu
| departure for Gods country"
| A few pale faces could be dimly d
| erned within. To these Frank wav
| parting salute. murmurlng. "Goodb
| hope Wen meet again souewhe
/ else"
| Then he slouched Off in the directi
i " the Rockets. down the bend OF t
Il James river.