The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-06-07

sealed"
This somewhat complex statement
seemed TO be too much for Jed to
grasp promptly.
Gosh. ye don't say!" he muttered
Then. durn II. I'm In luck. fer all
they've got agin me Is pot-shootin' at
q niger soger up In ther mountings;
en- thet amt much. cause didn't hit
ther burned cuss"
Jed was carefully covering every
inch OF exposed wall with his little
shrewd. glinting eyes.
Amt much show ter work out o.
yers. is thar. Cap?" he asked at last
reflectively: "leastwise don't see
none. less them thar dark corners hes
Got holes In 'em."
The wall Is entirely solid"
so l sorter reckoned. But II yen
crawl through yere inter my boodour.
thar's place whar reckon ther
tew Of US tergether mought make q
try fer II. It's too durn high up fer
me ter git ut alone. reckon, Cap,
II ye cud manage ter git out o. yere
ternight. an take some news ter Lee
thet I've picked up. he'd bout make
both OF us ginerals."
News for Lee7" exclaimed, star
ing eagerly at him through the now
dArkened room. do you mean It?
What news?"
Thought maybe thet wud wake ye
up" he chuckled. "This yere's gospel
truth: Sheridan hes started his In.
fantry on half-circle march fer Min.
ersviile. Their tirst division left ct
three O'CLOCK. an thar won't be nary
Yank loafin' on ther valley by noon
termorrow An more" he added rapid
iy. his eyes dancing wildly with sup
pressed excitement.-"Hancoc is a
sxingin' OF his corps west ter meet
'em thar. an I reckon, as how thar'll
be hell fer sartin up ther Shenandoah
In less ner a week"
But how do you know all this?"
questioned incredulously. as the whole
scene and It's dread possibilities un.
rolled before my mental vision.
"Ther niger I held up he'd a de-
spatch fer Heintzelman over on ther
left. an then Mariar she sorter
pumped a young fule staff officer fer
ther rest o. H." he replied promptly.
"oh. It's sure 60. Cap. an I reckon
"a how maybe Lees whole army hangs
on one OF us gittin' out o. yere ter
night"
That he meant every word he spoke
I felt convinced. and his enthusiasm
was contagious. My blood leaped
within ne at this call TO action: all
lethargy lied. and with II every dead
en!ng thought OF her who had so sud.
denly woven about me the meshes OF
her power. False or true, maid, wife,
or widow. my duty as a soldier TO my
commander and the army to which
belonged. blotted out all else. Even
as this new rush OF determination
swept over me. above US there
sounded clearly the dashing music of
q military band In the strains OF a
Strauss waltz. and we could dis.
tinguish the muffled shuffling OF many
feet on the oaken floo: overhead.
Cations chance remark about the great
ball 10 be given that evening by Off.
GERS OF the headquarters staff recur.
red 10 my memory.
THAT dancing up there will help us,
Jed" i said quickly, my mind now
active TO grasp every detail. You
say there is chance for escape from
your ceilT Then give me your hand.
and help me TO crawl through that
hole"
10 was narrow squeeze for a man
OF my size. yet crept through with
out great difficulty. and found myself
In the dense darkness OF room
which. as | judged hastily from feel.
Ing about me. was similar In shape
and extent TO the one In which | had
been confined. Bungay. however, per.
mitted me little time for exploration.
Grasping me firmly by the arm and
feeling his way along the wall, he
groped across TO the other side
There's a mighty big stone chimbly
comes down yere. Cap" he whispered
An ther openin' ter take out SCOT an
ashes is up thar. fist blow ther
fluer. It's sheetiron pan, reckon.
ther way II feels: an II must be thar
they put a niger In ter clean ther
ehimbly whin II gifts stuffed up I
could git up thar alone. but I couldn't
do no work. but thet thar pan ought
ter cum out all right Dew ye think
ye cud hor me up. Cap? I'm purity
durn heavy"
1 smiled In the darkness at the IT,.
tie fellows egotlsm. and lifting him as
i might q child. poised him lightly
upon my shoulder. Tie struggled a
moment to steady himself against the
wall. and then I could feel him tug.
glng eagerly at something which ap
pearod to yield slowly 10 his efforts