The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1915-10-07
A SECRET
SERVICE FAILURE
A Story For Memorial Day.
AAIr-l,I LII
By F. A. mitchell

neSSee, and part OF my company was
detailed under lieutenant to act as
the headquarters guard to a division
commander. l was one of these men,
and my principal duty-when there
was anything to do-was acting as
courier for the general commanding
l carried dispatches wherever the mill
tary telegraph was not available.
One day the general handed me a
communication that he told me I must
not on any account permit to fall into
the hands of the enemy. l promised
him that l would defend it with my
life 1t was contained in a long Off
cial envelope, and l tucked it into my
saber belt, where we couriers always
carried our dispatches, intending when
l got without our camp to put it in a
less conspicuous place.
! I was riding down a turnpike south
ward when 1 saw a young soldier on
| foot a short distance ahead of me- 1t
| occurred to me that he had peculiar
walk. When l reached him he turned
| and looked up at me. He was the
| youngest looking soldier l ever saw
| except among the drummer boys. His
| cheeks were rosy as girls, and there
wasn't sign of a beard.
Like to ride. sonnyY l asked IF
so, I'll take you up behind me-"
l noticed his eye turn upon the dis
patch in my belt, but only as it might
rest on anything about me, and he said
he would like a lift if 1 didn't mind,
since he had several miles to go before
reaching camp. | noticed that his ac-
cent had the southern flavor in it and
asked him what regiment he belonged
to- He said he was one of an east
Tennessee cavalry regiment that l
knew all about. This accounted for
his accent. He put his foot on mine,
and, giving me his hand, lifted him
up to seat behind me.
| chatted with him on the way,
though l could not get him to say
much. All of a sudden when we came
to part of the road where no one was
near l felt my revolver being drawn
out of its holster, and the first thing
knew after that l heard a click and
felt the muzzle against the back of my
head
III take that paper in your belt" he
said
theory of what all this meant. He
was a Confederate who had got hold
of a Federal soldiers uniform and
come into our lines on secret service.
But didn't let on that such was my
opinion.
"Oh, stop your fooling." said, "or
I'll put you down"
l knew he was more frightened than
1, for l felt the muzzle of the pistol
shake against my head, which indi-
Gated that his hand was trembling.
However, he managed to control his
voice sufficiently to say quite severely
for mere boy:
You give me that dispatch or I'll
make hole in your head
Are you in earnest?' l asked.
You'll find that out pretty quick if |
you don't do as | tell you"
He was so excited that he omitted |
to put a masculine tone into his voice |
and gave himself or herself dead away. |
Come. little girl" 1 said, don't you
think you have embarked in a pretty |
dangerous business?'
Girl Oh no girl. L want that dis
patch"
well, if you want it why don't you
take it?"
There was no immediate reply to
this. She was evidently thinking what
to do. A man would have reached for
the dispatch with one hand while he
held the pistol in place with the other
didn't believe that the girl would
kill me Intentionally. but | confess
was nightly afraid that in her agita-
ton she would pull the trigger with
out knowing it.
It'll tell you what I'll do" 1 said
Lower the revolver and I'll give you
the dispatch, ON the honor of a sol
lier''
GIVE me the dispatch or I'll fire"
| didn't believe she could bring her
self to shoot me in cold blood | re-
solved to risk it.
you're welcome to it. my DEAR"
eplied, "but you'll have to take it
knew she was afraid that if she
cached for it | would adopt some
method to circumvent her.
Suppose l added, II give you the
ispatch. What will you do nextY
You'll dismount, and I'll ride away {
n your horse" t
How do you know but l have a re-
Oliver in my bootleg|
She didn't know. but / knew hadn't. a
he made no reply. but felt her trem- a
ling. u
IF you're going to succeed in this t
)b you'd better reach down and pull o
ut the other weapon. for if you don't
can shoot you as soon as I've dis
lounted. | could give you the dis 81
atch. get down and put a bullet n
trough you as soon as / touched the p
Ike" .,
why don't you?" she asked in a
oice that had perceptibly broken
way.
Because / wouldn't hurt you, my al
ear girl. for the world"
". L. n. r.. L