Year: 1874

for the stiffness of midnight, and so, an
hour after it was fully dark, / got into the
boat and showed off. Tho trip was not to
be a scout, but a spying expedition. must
enter the Confederate camp, and if dis
covered, would meet with a spy's fate. AS
it would make no difference in case were
arrested, did not exchange my citizens
garments for the uniform of Uncle Sam.
had never been over the ground between
the Bluff and Leesburg, but had gener-
al idea of what it was, and about how large
an army could encamp on the strip of ter
ritory.


The first thing was to make the crossing
and a landing. 1 wanted to land some
where along the Bluff for two reasons.
First, no pickets would be stationed at the
edge of the water, or so / hoped, and next,
the Bluff being at least hundred feet
high, no picket posted in the grove above
could catch glimpse of me while on the
river or landing. therefore headed the
skiff directly for the opposite shore, calcu-
lating about how far the current would
drift me down in making the passage 1
had to use the paddle very cautiously and
therefore made slow progress, but at length
found the shore close ahead of me. Dip
ping the paddle as carefully as an Indian, 1
gave the skiff jump, and was nearly
knocked overheard by its running on a
rock, the collision producing a sharp gra-
ting sound which could be heard many rods
away. The boat had hardly stopped be-
fore heard voices ON the Bluff speaking
in excited tones, and knew that l had
given the pickets the alarm. | tried to
shove the boat off, but it was on too hard,
and the bow laid up so high that any ener-
getic movement at the stern would tip me
overheard. So, after the one effort sat
perfectly still, not daring to grasp for the
paddle, which slipped from my hand and
went off down stream. Just where / land
ed, the Bluff was not so steep as at other
spots above and below, and through the
darkness thought l could make out that
path which was used by the soldiers in
procuring water ran up the hill. had
scarcely arrived at this conclusion, when
the voices came palmer, and l distinctly
heard footsteps and the rattle of arms.


"No, I'm not mistaken % exclaimed
voice, moment after. "I heard the noise
as plain as hear that drum down there"


"Well, perhaps you did," replied anoth-
er voice, as the footsteps came closer,
"but don't see what could have made
it,"


The next moment caught sight of two
objects on the path about thirty feet above
me, and knew that couple of Confeder-
ate pickets had come down to investigate
the cause of the alarm. Looking up, and
having the clear sky above them, 1 could
distinguish the soldiers quite plainly, but
it was an interesting query whether they
could see me.


"Well, now where's the Yankee brigade
which frightened youP" inquired one of
the soldiers, as they both moved down
nearer me.


"Idon't see anything, but won't give
up that did hear noise, like drawing
boards over rock" replied the other, and
then they stood and listened.


was quite sure that they would not see
me unless they came closer. The boat was
of dark color, my garments were dark, and
the shore and river must look like one dark
spot to them. was sitting down on my
feet, hand on either rail Of the boat, and
| / trembled for fear that ] would upset the
frail craft, which seemed to be balanced on
the rock as evenly as pair of druggists
scales.


care you satisfied now?" inquired the
doubling one, after they had listened two
full minutes without hearing any sound be-
yond the ripple of the waters.


"Yes-let's go up" replied the other,
and both turned to go. Just at this in
slant there came a crisis. l had been suf-
fering terribly in my back and legs, owing
to my having assumed what might be bet
ter termed a squatting" position, and my
mind was so relieved when they turned,
that / involuntarily raised up little. AS
made the move, the craft went over, and
l was emptied out with loud splash. The
splash was enough to betray me, but ad-
ded to the calamity by giving utterance tc
a loud "Oh-h-h p as went over. I re.
allied my peril as fully as any one could,
and the prompt action of the next moment
saved my life. The soldiers were greatly
surprised, and perhaps somewhat frighten
ed, shouting and jumping around, as If ex-
pecting that at least regiment was land,
ing at their feet AS struggled up from