Year: 1869

which swayed and creaked portentously


as he touched it and whenever he moved.


The wind still moaned outside. The two


negroes, who slept In little hut near


the house, set up peculiar song, or


rather chant, weird and slow and mourn


ful, yet quite musical, swelling and fall


ing fitfully like the wind, now breaking


out into high and jubilant notes, and


now sinking to low moan, but never


ceasing for an instant. With this sad


and curious melody floating in through


the darkness and the storm, and with the


reflection of the fire light upon the cell


ing, Bell soon went to sleep. he did


not rest very soundly; and when he


turned or moved in his sleep, the rickety


frame that he lay on ewoke him with its


creaks, groans, internal commotions, and
uncertain wayerings between en- upright
and PROSTATE position. Bell had


heard of the luxury of being rocked in
the cradle of the deep, but the motion
which be here experienced did not con-
duce either to physical repose or mental
serenity. he did not completely wake,
he found himself dreaming of wrecks and
crashes, of railway collisions and earth
quakes, of the foundations of things Civ
ing away under him, and of fall. from
dizzy precipices.


He was awakened once by the voice of
his host, and was conscious that he had
been saying something The old man
exclaimed in the profound darkness,


from the opposite corner of the room:


what on yearth was that you said,
stranger2'


~ was talking in my Sleep" said Bell.


swell, 'tan't no joke to be talking
about dead men that way, stranger"
said he. II reckon yer had the night


mare"


. Getting souHder sleep before morn
ing, Bell did not get up until the day had
fairly broke. Eating hasty breakfast
of corn-dodger and bacon, he started on
his way southward. The cid man had
charged him the rather extravsgant price
of ten dollars in Confederate money, or
about two dollars in greenbacks, for the
entertainment he and his horse had re-
ceived.


A drizzly rain still continued at inter-
walls, accompanied by cold wind. The
country through which the scout rode was
rough, lonely, and uninteresting. AT two
o clock he was overtaken by Confeder-
ate Lieutenant and two men, who rode
on in his company and were evidently
suspicious of him. Bell informed the
Lieutenant that, though he was in citi-
zen's clothes, he was Confederate Off
Ger, and had been up to the vicinity OF
the Federal lines on private business.
The officer did not seem satisfied with
this explanation, and when they stopped
for the night at the house of a planter, he
put the scout under arrest, ordering the
two men to watch him by turns. Bell
protested against this indigniiy, but with
no effect. He asoertained in the morn
ing from the planter that General GAol-
son, of the rebel State troops, had his
headquarters about two miles to the east,
He demanded that he should be taken to
General Gholson Immediately. The
Lieutenant reluctantly consented, and
on starting after breakfast they took that
direction. The General was found in
dulging in a game Of seven-up with sew
ersl of his staff officers. Bell had pro-
vded himself with papers from General
Chalmers, and upon reading them and !
questioning him closely, General 6hol-
son released him from arrest, and gave
him pass to go on to Columbus, Miss.


Bell delayed an hour or more fer the
rain to cease, and cultivated very good
terms with the General, which we're the
better promoted by various mutual requi-
sitions upon a jug which stood in the |
corner of the room, containing some of |
the most villainous commissary whisky |
that could possibly have been known tc
the Confederate army of the Mississippi. |
As Bell considered the stuff rank poison,
he was very sparing in his drsughts.


Starting again on his journey, he
reached Okolons the same night This
is a small scattering town q little over
seventy miles from Corinth, on the Mobile |
and Ohio railroad, and standing at the |
edge Of one of the prairies of Northeast
thirty miles vide. Here be
took the train to Artesia, passing num-
Der Of prairies equal in fertility and
beauty to any Of those further north. |
From thenee be vent TO Columbus, Miss,
where be arrived at four clock ., m, He
reported to the postreommsnder sooa
after, telling him that be had just arrived
from the vicinity Of the Federal lines,
and presenting him with some Northern
he further mentioned that !
he belonged to Chalmers comma.s. mat
be had furlough for ..aairty days. and
that he had been able to obtain some
of Sherman's movements
He did not Of esurse iatend to give any
that would be Of use to the
but desired to establish
himself in the good opinion Of the au-
.horilies. The officer, who evidently de.
tired to win the appreciation Of General
Johnston though ignoring his immediass.
6enersl huggles, said thai be
himself would transmit the Information
o Johnston at Meridian. tst1l


Bell had taken rooms at the hotel, as
1 vas bis intention 10 remain here until
ie could ascertain the disposition OF the
Confederate forces in this section Of the
,ouniry. In the evening be took walk
.bout the town, and after various leisurely
found himself in the
Ticiniiy Of the depot Being Of en- OBJ
Ierving tuFu Of mind naturally, and on
bis occasion particularly, be noticed
As. the locomotive was left in an open