The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-01-30

Then, too, the terrible risk l was run
ming served to ~heighten her interest in
me. As to my feelings for her, l will
refer to that later.
II may as well say here. however.
that l couldn't tear myself away from
her till evening, when I started again
for u night ride toward Stevenson
junction. intending to go on from there
to Bridgeport. with Il view to learning
what force there was at the latter
place guarding the long railroad bridge
across the Tennessee river. I got on
very well, penetrated as far a l had
intended and made my way back to
the house where l had left the girl.
"She told me that the family had in
Cured hostility for harbOring me since
the woman with whom l had break
tasted on my way down had reported
my presence to a Confederate cavalry
force in the vicinity and they had been
looking for me-.
1.-THE girl learned that there we're
scattered forces in my way On the
watch for Inc. 20 l decided to make q
detour southwark and work my way
back over the Cumberland plateau. I
parted from my love Of IN eminence
near her home where she could e
me for a long distance. I cheered her
by telling her that the Yankees would
be down there soon in force and I
would surely see her again.
"About n mile south of my starting
point l came to a river. crossed It
by a ford and had ridden another mile
when ! struck a crossroad by which
] intended to proceed eastward and
then nOrthward. l had just turned
when ! heard q voice behind me
calling on me to throw up my hands.
I did so at INC and three Confederate
cavalrymen in charge of a corporal
took me in.
"After questioning MI they decided
that l vas the man they were look
ing for and started with ME for the
camp Of the force to which they be-
lonped.
1.-THE road struck the river at the ford
and we started in to cross it single
die. Two OF my captors preceded and
two followed me. There was a ledge
just below the ford which my girl
had cautioned me against. calling my
attention to the fact that the running
water would deceive me as to the
direction I needed to take. She told
that If I didn't keep we'll upstream
I would go over the ledge into deep
water.
II soon saw that the first man In
line. the corporal. was heading too far
downstream. When he reached the
middle Of the river he went over the
ledge and l saw him no more. The
next man vas frightened, but headed
his horse farther upstream. l wished
I could 60 owe the ledge and be
drowned. to saw myself from q hang
Ing. I was turning my horse in that
direction when the man next in my
ear. who had come up beside me,
seized my bride rein.
when I was looking him in the face
l saw a round hole appear in his fore
head. He fell from his horse and was
swept away with the current. He had
been shot, but who had shot him was
a mystery. l glanced to the opposite
bank and saw a little cloud of smoke.
but no one who had fired a shot.
1.-Two Of the four men were now
eliminated. The man behind me was
a brave fellow. He spurred forward
and. r wing his revolver, ordered me
to proceed. But we hadn't gone six
yards before l heard a crack, and at
the same time my man fell from his
saddle. Where he was hit l did not
know, but If he wasn't killed he was
doubtless drowned.
Turning my head, l saw the fourth
man urging his horse as fast as he
could through the rapid current toward
the southern shore. He had evidently
had enough Of trying to run me into
camp and was trying to save himself
from the invisible marksman.
Il was now free rs q bird, and It
didn't take long for me to gather my
faculties sufficiently to understand that
some one had saved me from my cap
tors, though l was not quite sure but
that ] would be the next victim. How
ever, l lost no time In pushing forward
to the northern side Of the river, and
my horse carried NE up the steep as
cent on to the bank. There l. looked
about me and at the base of q tree saw
a girl lying on the ground. with q rife
beside her. I spurred toward her, dis
mounted and recognized the girl l had
left not an hour before.
She was In q dead faint, but I pick
ed her up and kissed her back to con-
seriousness.
"She had seen me captured and my
captors start for the river. Her mill
tary eye had taken in the situation at
once. Running home, she had got q
rifle. and returning lay in concealment
with a view to attacking the enemy
while crossing the stream. Seeing the
leader heading too far down, she had
waited till he fell over the ledge; then.
taking advantage of the confusion, she
had opened fire.