The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1913-08-08
WITHOUT THE
C"OUNTERSICN
Strange Adventure Of an
English Scout In Spain.
WIN cOmes!
"Friend without the countersign."

GAAOA0 "ALAOut kA0 NVuASC 0A6A
advance, friend without the counter
sign. and let me see what you look like. /"
A man stepped forth into the moon
light. The sentinel uttered a cry,
threw down his musket and fell on his
face. The friend without the counter
sign passed him, entered the lines and
walked hurriedly in among the tents.
"Great heavens, is that q ghost COM
ing?" exclaimed an officer to another,
both standing outside n Of the head
quarters tents.
"Or one of the men parading in his
nightclothes?"
Meanwhile the figure came up. and
as he did so the officer recoiled. He
was in uniform, but in the moonlight
his clothes appeared to be made Of
were white.
"W-h-o are you, and what the deuce
do you want?" stammered one Of the
officers.
John Waters. and on my way to see
the general"
w A0ks IL Cn0t A40AVURS
Eyes. I have important information
that should be acted upon at once"
lis that you. John?" called the gen
erals voice from within the tent.
Yes. general"
Come in here"
The figure in white entered the gen.
erals tent and was received with the
same establishment as before. Ten
minutes later staff officers were flying
in every direction carrying orders to
the subordinate commanders. and In
the early morning columns were march
ing by different roads to cut OF the
enemy that the white figure had re-
ported to be in full retreat When
his Information had been delivered and
the orders issued the general called
upon him for an account of how he
had learned the facts and an explana-
ton Of his strange appearance. This
was his story:
81. was scouting when I came sud
denly upon a body of Spaniards. There
was nothing to do but surrender, and
this 1 did. 1 was carried along In their
center right in among the main bodies
Of their troops. whom I saw always
marching southwark. 1t suited my
purpose to appear not to understand
Spanish. and after awhile they talked
freely among themselves in my hear
ing. They did not know what to do
with me. and finally their leader pro-
posed the following plan: They would
stop at the next house and get some
thing to eat. While thus engaged they
would pretend to leave me to myself,
and IL I attempted to get away they
would shoot me.
"Soon after they stopped at a house
next to a flour mill. Leaving me. they
went into the house and were rather
more lax in their watch than they in
tended. Still the ground was. open,
and If I ran they would have free
n Mt me. I determined on a ruse.
I hung my cloak on a bush, put my
hat on 1t and then rolled In among
some -four sacks that were scattered
about, crawling into one Of them.
Presently one Of the Spaniards came
to the door Of the house. and I saw
him looking at my dummy. He called
to the others that I was about to run,
and several Of them, coming to the
door, fred at my cloak. Both hat and
cloak fell to the ground, whereupon
the men went back into the house.
''There was a horse standing by the
mill loaded with -four sacks. I rolled
to this horse in my sack and managed
to climb up and throw myself over
his back among the sacks. After
awhile the Spaniard came out. One of
them went to my cloak, picked, 1t up
ana. not finding my body, notified the
others. They. much surprised, mount
ed their horses and rode of in a d.
rection they supposed I had fed.
''Then a man ame out Of the mill
and. mounting a horse, led the n !
was on by a halter. When W. were
on the road l raised myself up, putting
my head. white as 1t ia now with aour,
out Of the bag. The man let go the
halter and galloped away as fast an be
could. Throwing OF the -four bags, !
rode northward with a view to reach.
ing our lines. Fortunately for me II
was now getting dusk. / passed the
men who supposed they had shot me
riding a few hundred yards to my left.
saw by their looks that they took
me for my ghost, so I concluded to
play the part and rode right on rigidly,
Their captain hailed me. but l paid NO
attention to him and was soon lost ia
them In the darkness.
II had no trouble In passing out.
posts, for they all took me for q spec
ter. II any n was courageous enough
to challenge me l invariably rode right
toward him, making him think that
was about to ride through him. He q.
ways got ont Of the way. ana only one
man nred at me.
.On approaching our lines dis.
mounted and, letting my horse g
where he liked, walked. I did notfdare
take such risks among the Spanish
rear guard, considering that I 49,
moving toward our lines. IHsskuikad
n $1,000. AS.naeH uAn1,Sk 1lvHnS SO 1hnn