The Huttig news., 1915-09-25

DOTS Defore the war and met there by appointment. For all know tbe ma jor may have had some confidential communication from the war depart ment. God knows what it was. All 1 am sure about is that I would give a good deal to be out of this fix right now and twenty miles to the north of here"
 We sat there for half an hour dis cussing the matter and endeavoring to convince ourselves the danger was less than we imagined. There was nothing to be done but wait for day l light. Finally Fox crept forth again to make another round of the pickets. to assure himself they were alert. and before he returned had fallen asleep.
 The chill of the night awoke me cold and shivering. The wind had arisen and swept down the funnel in which I lay with an icy breath against which my single blanket afforded no protection. The man who had been lying next me was gone. and so there must have been a change of guard while I slept. I could distinguish dimly outlined against the sky, the overhanging rockwall which inclosed our camp. and the deeper shade of a cleft yard or two to my left, where the dead trunk of tree stood like gaunt, ugly sentinel
 As lay staring the figure of man slipped out from behind it's protec- tion and, dropping on hands and knees, crept forward across the open space. Another and another followed. mere ghostlike shadows, scarcely ap- bearing real For the instant I doubt ed my eyesight, imagined I dreamed. Then, before could raise voice in alarm. rife spat viciously. the red fame of it's discharge cleaving the night A fusillade followed and in the flare l caught grotesque glimpses of men leaping forward. and there was confused yelling of voices, din of noise.
 was upon my knees. revolver in hand. but in the melee below could not distinguish friend from foe-alike they were blur of figures, one in- stant visible. the next obscured. Yet there could be no doubt as to the final ending of the struggle. Taken by sur prise, outnumbered, the little squad of troopers would be crushed, annihilat ed. Nor was there reason why l should sacrifice myself in their defense "a valueless sacrifice. My choice was instantly made, as there flashed to my mind what my fate would be If I ever fell into Cowan's hands attired in Federal uniform.
 On hands and knees I crept to the cleft in the rock wall and began to chamber up over the irregular rocks. The shouts and yells, the cries for mercy, the sound of blows grew faint CT and finally ceased altogether. Lean ing back and looking down I could per eeive nothing in the black void. A voice shouted an order. but it sounded l far off and indistinct I was in a a narrow gully. the incline less steep $ than amid the rockn below. and could s perceive the lighter canopy of the sky
 not far above me
 d As l crept out into the open space
 someone touched a match to pile Of D dry limbs in the cove below, and the n red flames leaped high, revealing the i scene. l caught a glimpse of it- staring down as though clung at the mouth of hell. seeing moving black f figures, and the dark. motionless shadows of dead men, The one glimpse was enough, the fearful tragedy of it smiting me like blow. and turned and ran, stumbling over the rough ground, my only thought that of escape.
 There were stars in the sky, their dim light sufficient to yield some faint guidance. My course led me close beside the edge of the ridge. Here the ground fell away to the banks of shallow stream and some instinct of woodcraft led me to wade down with its current for a considerable distance. until the icy water drove me to tho bank once more knew I had GOV cred several miles and was beyond pur- suit and safe from discovery. l re- mained there until dawn, the first gray light giving assurance that my flight had been to the north along the foothills. From the ridge top wide vista lay revealed of rough, seeming ly uninhabited country, growing more distinct as the light strengthened. There was no house visible, no sign of any road; all about extended rude mountain solitude, but to the north west there was a perceptible break in the chain of hills. as though pass led down into the concealed valley be- yond. With this for guidance plunged forward, eager to get out of that drear wilderness
 It was considerably after the noon hour before I came upon a dismal shack of logs in the midst of a small clearing The light streaming in through the open door revealed that it was unoccupied. Yet someone had been there, and not so very long ago, for there were scraps of food on one of the overturned boxes. Unappetiz- ing as these appeared. l sat down and ate heartily. then got to my feet and, . cloo;pg tho door cacura1v hahjnd ma