E.T. TOMLINSON 
 
THE UNIVERSITY OF 
 NORTH CAROLINA 
 LIBRARY 
 
 THE WILMER COLLECTION 
 OF CIVIL WAR NOVELS 
 PRESENTED BY 
 
 RICHARD H. WILMER, JR. 
 
s 
 
 W lLMHBCOOEC Tl0t * 
 
 
FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
BOOKS BY EVERETT T. TOMLINSON. 
 
 St. Lawrence Series. 
 
 Three Volumes. Cloth. Illustrated. Price $1.50 each. 
 CAMPING ON THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 THE HOUSE-BOAT ON THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 CRUISING ON THE ST. LAWRENCE. 
 
 The War of 1812 Series. 
 
 Six Volumes. Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume, $1.25. 
 
 THE SEARCH FOR ANDREW FIELD. 
 
 THE BOY SOLDIERS OF 1812. 
 
 THE BOY OFFICERS OF 1812. 
 
 TECUMSEH’S YOUNG BRAVES. 
 
 GUARDING THE BORDER. 
 
 THE BOYS WITH OLD HICKORY. 
 
 Our Own Land Series. 
 
 Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume, $1.50. 
 
 FOUR BOYS IN THE YELLOWSTONE. 
 
 FOUR BOYS IN THE LAND OF COTTON. 
 
 FOUR BOYS ON THE MISSISSIPPI. 
 
 Stories of the American Revolution. 
 
 First and Second Series. Cloth. Illustrated. $x.00 each. 
 
 *** For sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price 
 
 by the Publishers, 
 
 Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co., Boston. 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2019 with funding from 
 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 
 
 https://archive.org/details/forstarsstripes00toml_0 
 
“ Yo’-all wilt, have to stop and explain.” — Page 302 
 
WAR FOR THE UNION SERIES 
 
 For the Stars and Stripes 
 
 BY 
 
 EVERETT T. TOMLINSON 
 
 Author of “The Boy Soldiers of 1812,” “Camping on the St. Lawrence,” 
 “Four Boys in the Yellowstone,” “The Campfire of Mad 
 Anthony,” “Ward Hill at Weston,” etc., etc. 
 
 ILLUSTRATED BY FRANK VINING SMITH 
 
 itteo 1904 i*6i 
 
 BOSTON 
 
 LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO. 
 
Published, August, 1909 
 
 Copyright, 1909, 
 
 By Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. 
 
 All rights reserved 
 
 For the Stars and Stripes 
 
 NORWOOD PRESS 
 BERWICK & SMITH CO. 
 NORWOOD, MASS. 
 
 U. S. A. 
 
PREFACE 
 
 Many excellent stories and histories of the 
 great Civil War in the United States have 
 been written. To attempt to improve their 
 plan or scope would be as pretentious as it 
 would be well-nigh impossible. Merely to in¬ 
 crease the number of such books is certainly 
 undesirable. 
 
 In this little story a word of explanation is 
 therefore in order from the writer. Not the 
 study of the causes of the struggle, nor a 
 chronological record of its great events has 
 been his purpose, but rather to present one of 
 the many phases of the long conflict. The 
 life of the soldiers in camp, the deeds on the 
 battlefield or on the sea, each has its own 
 distinctive place. ^ In this story the experi¬ 
 ences of the prisoners in the “pens,” or in 
 their attempts to escape, have provided the 
 theme. Every event or adventure incorpo¬ 
 rated in the tale is founded upon fact. 
 
 To glorify war or to revive the bitterness 
 
 5 
 
 603270 
 
6 
 
 PREFACE 
 
 of the struggle is not desired. The Civil 
 War, however, is a matter of history, and as 
 such cannot be ignored. To-day it is possi¬ 
 ble for each side to honor the bravery, patri¬ 
 otism, and devotion of the other. Out of such 
 elements only can a united or reunited na¬ 
 tion be permanently formed. 
 
 The writer expresses the hope that his boy 
 readers may be led by their interest in the 
 story to read the histories of the struggle 
 itself. Then with all bitterness forgotten, 
 with malice toward none and charity for all 
 to realize the fundamental elements of char¬ 
 acter which alone can make any nation great 
 —even that over which to-day the Stars and 
 Stripes float. It is only the land of the brave 
 which can be made the home of the free. 
 
 Everett T. Tomlinson. 
 
 Elizabeth, New Jersey. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 I. Excitement in Camp . . . . . n 
 
 II. Tunnels. 24 
 
 III. The Needle. 36 
 
 IV. Uncle Sam ., . . .. ... . 49 
 
 V. A Scheme 62 
 
 VI. Near the Fires . . . . 74 
 
 VII. Failure . ., . „ M . . . 87 
 
 VIII. Outside.. ., >, . . 100 
 
 IX. In the Swamp.. . . .112 
 
 X. The Master of the Hounds.125 
 
 XI. A Halt.137 
 
 XII. The Cabin.150 
 
 XIII. Nebo’s Cunning.163 
 
 XIV. An Improvised Pest-House.176 
 
 XV. The Word on the Bank.188 
 
 XVI. A Search.201 
 
 XVII. A Black Leader.. . .213 
 
 XVIII. The Blind Boad. 225 
 
 XIX. A Warm Defender ....... 237 
 
 XX. A Piece of Paper . . ., ., ., . . 250 
 
 XXI. In the Mansion ........ 262 
 
 XXII. Intercepted Flight.274 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 XXIII. A Borrowed Horse ....... 286 
 
 XXIV. Captain Hitt’s Band ....... 298 
 
 XXV. Under Guard. 311 
 
 XXVI. Carrying a Load. 324 
 
 XXVII. The Jail. 337 
 
 XXVIII. An Enlarged Force. 349 
 
 XXIX. A Friend in Need ....... 361 
 
 XXX. A Strange Refuge. 374 
 
 XXXI. From Night to Night . 387 
 
 XXXII. Conclusion . ... .< . ., ., . > 400 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 “ Yo’-all will have to stop and explain ” (Page 
 
 302).. Frontispiece 
 
 FACING page 
 
 The unexpected hail plainly startled the man . 86 
 
 The heavy dog was scrambling desperately . .134 
 
 In a brief time the young soldier crowded himself 
 
 into the narrow space. 164 
 
 Up the broad stairway she quietly conducted Tay¬ 
 lor . ..270 
 
 Quickly the trio departed from the strange hut . 396 
 

 
 
 s. 
 
FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 EXCITEMENT IN CAMP 
 
 “Look! What’s the excitement? Come 
 on! We must join the crowd!” 
 
 Erwin Smith quickly sat erect at the sharp 
 call of his friend, Taylor Cooper, and gazed 
 at a dozen or more men who, shouting and 
 calling, were running across the field of the 
 prison pen. The sun had risen only an hour 
 before and the camp was covered with its 
 glow. The warmth of its beams had been so 
 tempting that the two young prisoners, 
 neither of whom was twenty years of age, 
 had stretched themselves upon the ground to 
 obtain a little sleep. The night air had been 
 so chilly that both boys had not attempted to 
 obtain any rest and through the hours of 
 the dreary night they had been pacing back 
 and forth, keeping well within the dead line, 
 
 11 
 
12 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 striving in this manner to keep themselves 
 warm. Even in South Carolina the Novem¬ 
 ber nights were cold, at least for those whose 
 clothing was worn and scant, and for whom 
 there was no shelter from the biting winds. 
 
 Not many weeks before the time when our 
 story opens, the two young soldiers had been 
 brought to Camp Sorghum to share the ex¬ 
 periences of hundreds of their unfortunate 
 comrades who had been captured by the Con¬ 
 federate army. Taylor for many weeks had 
 been a prisoner in Richmond in Libby Prison, 
 as the dilapidated old building which before 
 the war was known as a storehouse of Libby 
 & Son, was termed. Of his sufferings there 
 he had told Erwin so many tales that they 
 seemed almost to be a part of the latter’s own 
 experiences. From Libby, Taylor had been 
 taken by train with many of his fellow pris¬ 
 oners to Danville, which also is in Vir¬ 
 ginia, and then from that place had been sent 
 on to Columbia, South Carolina, where in 
 the prison pen he had met his friend and 
 schoolmate, Erwin Smith, who already had 
 been confined in Camp Sorghum for several 
 weeks. 
 
EXCITEMENT IN CAMP 
 
 13 
 
 The meeting of the boys under such cir¬ 
 cumstances had at once revived the friend¬ 
 ship of their school days, and day and night 
 had found them drawn more closely together. 
 Indeed, among their friends they were com¬ 
 monly referred to as the twins—so insep- 
 erable had they become. 
 
 Eoused by the sharp call of Taylor, Erwin 
 stood for a moment watching the band that 
 was speeding across the field on which the 
 camp was located. A moment only he de¬ 
 layed and then he hastily followed his friend, 
 who now was running swiftly in the direction 
 of the noisy group that had halted for a brief 
 time not far away. 
 
 Before Erwin could join the assembly it 
 had started on once more and the noisy 
 shouts were redoubled. The guard by this 
 time had been aroused. Men in uniforms 
 of gray, holding in their hands rifles which 
 were ready for use, were also speeding in 
 the direction of the shouting band of prison¬ 
 ers, although as yet the cause of the excite¬ 
 ment could not be seen. 
 
 When Erwin at last forced his way into 
 the midst of the men he saw there a terrified 
 
14 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 little brown pig. The little animal was 
 squealing loudly and darting here and there 
 in its frantic efforts to escape through the 
 lines of its pursuers. 
 
 ‘ 4 Every man will have the part of the pig 
 he can grab!” shouted one of the prisoners. 
 
 “I’ve got a ham!” loudly cried one, as his 
 hand was placed on a leg of the frightened 
 little animal. The pig, emitting another 
 squeal of terror, eluded his captor and then 
 redoubled its efforts to escape. 
 
 “You’ll have to be satisfied with the squeal, 
 Tom, ’ ’ laughed one of the band as he noticed 
 the expression of dismay on his friend’s face 
 at the loss of the prize. 
 
 Most of the men, however, were terribly in 
 earnest and in no mood for light retorts. 
 Hunger, weakness, homesickness, hope de¬ 
 ferred—all the awful elements of the life of 
 a prisoner in war time were to be seen in 
 the faces of the struggling men. They were 
 in deadly earnest now and the prospect of 
 such food as the pig could provide had 
 brought out all the selfish traits of human 
 nature. The chase had become no laughing 
 matter on their part, although the guard, 
 
EXCITEMENT IN CAMP 
 
 15 
 
 now aware of the cause of the commotion, 
 were shouting their bantering words of ap¬ 
 proval, “Go it, Yank! Catch him, Blue 
 Belly! Fresh pork! ’ ’ and other similar cries 
 greeted the ears of the pursuers, although 
 few gave any heed even if they heard the 
 mocking words. 
 
 At last, when the helpless victim had been 
 seized, Erwin was holding fast to a leg, Tay¬ 
 lor was grasping the pig’s tail, while another 
 held an ear or foot, and some even were cling¬ 
 ing to the long bristles on the back or sides. 
 The pig was lying helpless and breathless on 
 the ground beneath the bodies of those who 
 had flung themselves upon it. 
 
 “Let the lieutenant decide,” called one of 
 the men as all clung tenaciously to the part 
 of the pig’s body each had secured. 
 
 Lieutenant Brown advanced and good- 
 naturedly agreed to the proposal, calling out 
 each name and the part that belonged to him 
 as he proceeded in his investigation. “Pri¬ 
 vate Smith, a ham!” “Private Cooper, one 
 pig’s tail,” he shouted. Those who were 
 among the fortunate ones laughed as Tay¬ 
 lor’s portion was announced, but those who 
 
16 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 had not succeeded in laying hands upon the 
 pig listened glumly and made no response. 
 To them it was not a laughing matter to fail 
 in their attempt to secure a bit of the only 
 fresh meat that had been seen in the camp. 
 
 Within a half hour after Lieutenant Brown 
 had declared his awards a fire had been 
 made and the little pig, cut into many por¬ 
 tions, was boiling in one of the iron kettles 
 that belonged to the camp. Few words were 
 spoken by the men who gathered about the 
 fire and waited—afraid to leave the place be¬ 
 fore the final distribution had been made. 
 The odors from the kettle served to deepen 
 the gloom of the luckless ones who lingered 
 with the others about the fire. The only 
 eager ones were those who had been named 
 by the lieutenant when he had acted as ar¬ 
 biter in the dispute. 
 
 Before the meal had been thoroughly 
 cooked the distribution was made and Erwin 
 with his ham and Taylor with the tail, which, 
 with due solemnity, had been given him, de¬ 
 parted. The wistful eyes of some of his 
 friends were more than Erwin could endure, 
 and his invitations to join him in his repast 
 
EXCITEMENT IN CAMP 17 
 
 were many—so many, in fact, that there was 
 but a bit of boiled bam for any one. 
 
 Just as the repast was begun by the hun¬ 
 gry men, Samuel Carson, better known as 
 Uncle Sam—a tall, thin, sour-visaged young 
 man, whom Erwin had known in the village 
 in New York from which he himself had 
 come, approached the group. 
 
 “Where is my share, Erwin V 9 demanded 
 Samuel. 
 
 “YouYe too late, I’m afraid,” said Erwin, 
 as he held forth to view the small piece 
 which he was holding in his hand. 
 
 “There’s never anything for me when you 
 have the say!” 
 
 Erwin’s face flushed slightly and he hesi¬ 
 tated. The men about him were ravenously 
 devouring the bits which had. been given 
 them. His own portion was pitifully small 
 and he was intensely hungry. 
 
 “Why didn’t you get your hand on the 
 pig?” demanded Taylor sharply. 
 
 “I tried hard, and I did, for that matter. 
 I had hold of the foot before Erwin did. He 
 pushed me off,” retorted Samuel gruffly. 
 
 ‘ ‘ I didn’t know it, ’ ’ laughed Erwin. 4 ‘ Per- 
 
18 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 haps I did. It was such a scramble I didn’t 
 know just what I was doing. I’ll give you a 
 part of mine anyway,” he added as he di¬ 
 vided the tiny strip he was holding. 
 
 44 Hold on a minute!” exclaimed Taylor as 
 he arose from his seat on the ground and 
 faced the newcomer. 44 Uncle Sam, haven’t 
 you had any of the pig? I saw you coming 
 from the lieutenant’s mess.” 
 
 44 Only a mouthful.” 
 
 4 4 If you had all your mouth could hold you 
 had more than any of us had. Keep your 
 meat and swallow it now before some one else 
 tries to get it away from you,” he added 
 sharply as he turned to his friend. 
 
 Hungry and weak, Erwin hastily did as 
 he was bidden. Samuel watched him, his 
 anger apparent in the malignant expression 
 of his face, and then turning abruptly on his 
 heel he said as he departed— 4 4 That pig meat 
 will cost you more than any you ever had or 
 are ever likely to have! I shan’t forget your 
 generosity.” 
 
 44 Don’t!” retorted Taylor as Erwin made 
 no response. 44 And don’t forget either how 
 you had some of the pork at the lieutenant’s 
 
EXCITEMENT IN CAMP 
 
 19 
 
 mess and then came over here and tried to 
 get some of onrs too. Don’t forget that, 
 please, and the next time a stray pig runs 
 into camp we’ll try to cook that and not yon, 
 though there’s mighty little difference be¬ 
 tween you.” 
 
 The derisive shout of laughter that rose 
 from the men followed the departing Samuel, 
 who looked behind, plainly showing his an¬ 
 ger. 
 
 “I wish I’d divided with him,” said Erwin. 
 
 “I’m gi ac i y 0U didn’t. Sometimes I think 
 Uncle Sam is not worth feeding at all. I’ve 
 heard—” 
 
 ‘ 4 What have you heard!” inquired Erwin 
 as Taylor stopped abruptly. 
 
 “Never mind, now. Perhaps I’ll tell you 
 later. ’ ’ 
 
 The two friends by this time had returned 
 to the place where the one blanket which they 
 shared in turn had been left. For several 
 days they had been sleeping in the daytime 
 as the nights were so cold that rest was well- 
 nigh impossible. The clothing of the boys 
 was in tatters, and even the shoes on their 
 feet were in shreds. Only the preceding day 
 
20 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 Erwin had secured an old felt hat which some 
 one had cast away as useless, and from it had 
 fashioned soles for his shoes, sewing the 
 cloth to the worn leather by strings which 
 one of the guard had generously given him. 
 His “new shoes’’ were a source of envy to 
 many of his comrades, who had not thought 
 of his plan of repairing, but felt hats no 
 longer were to be found and other means 
 were not to be had. 
 
 Rice and salt pork had been the chief sta¬ 
 ples of food, and as these were cooked by the 
 prisoners themselves the diet was not one 
 upon which the men were likely to thrive. 
 Not a word could be heard as to the actions 
 of the army to which the boys belonged, and 
 the uncertainty that resulted had intensified 
 the feeling of homesickness, which more than 
 any other one cause, was doing much to make 
 the long confinement in the prison pen un¬ 
 bearable. 
 
 Erwin had keenly suffered from this cause, 
 and, had it not been for his friend Taylor, 
 would have been even worse than he now was. 
 The spirits of the latter apparently never 
 failed, and, though Erwin was not aware of 
 
EXCITEMENT IN CAMP 
 
 21 
 
 the fact, many of his efforts were directed 
 toward the one purpose of preventing his 
 friend from becoming entirely hopeless. 
 
 “This night makes me think of home,” 
 said Erwin thoughtfully, as the boys seated 
 themselves. “You know our farm is only a 
 half mile out from the village and this time 
 of the year the boys used to come there. 
 There were bushels of apples and barrels of 
 cider, and sparerib and—” 
 
 “That’s all right,” broke in Taylor cheer¬ 
 ily. “You’ll be there again pretty soon. 
 This war isn’t going to last forever. 4 When 
 Johnny comes marching home again,’ why, 
 all the boys and girls will turn out to see 
 the brave soldier boy! There’ll be music 
 and all the sparerib you can eat and twice as 
 many barrels of cider as the old orchard ever 
 saw, and more apples, too. You’ll be glad 
 to see all the family and—” 
 
 “If I ever do see them,” interrupted Er¬ 
 win. 
 
 “See them? Of course we’ll see them! 
 We’ll be exchanged or—” 
 
 “Or what?” said Erwin as his friend 
 paused. 
 
22 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “Or we’ll get away from this pen.” 
 
 “Doesn’t look much like it now,” mur¬ 
 mured Erwin, as he glanced at the guards 
 patroling the camp. 
 
 “Of course it doesn’t just now. You don’t 
 suppose we’ll walk out and find no one ready 
 to stop us, do you? That isn’t the way it’s 
 done.” 
 
 “How is it done?” 
 
 “Oh, there are a hundred ways.” 
 
 “Mention one.” 
 
 “Well, there was Tom Woods who was in 
 Libby when I was there. He didn’t feel very 
 well one day and the next day he was worse 
 and he was taken to the hospital. He kept 
 getting worse and worse and finally he was 
 taken to the dead room—” 
 
 “Was he dead? That isn’t the way I 
 mean.” 
 
 “I’ve had my doubts about Tom’s being 
 so very dead. You see he’d told me his plans 
 and just how he was going to go through 
 what it was said he did go through. I’ve a 
 notion that the darkies, when they took out 
 the dead that day when Tom ‘died,’ got a 
 scare that made their wool straighten out.” 
 
EXCITEMENT IN CAMP 
 
 23 
 
 “You don’t really think Tom was dead?” 
 
 “No, I don’t. At least I have my doubts. 
 It won’t scare me any when I take his hand 
 when I get home. I know that much any¬ 
 way. ’ ’ 
 
 “You always find something to cheer you 
 up,” said Erwin, with more interest than as 
 yet he had shown. 
 
 “Of course I do. That’s the only way. 
 Listen, Erwin, I’ve got something to tell 
 you,” Taylor added, as he cautiously glanced 
 about him to make certain no one was within 
 hearing. 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 TUNNELS 
 
 The two friends were not near any of their 
 comrades at the time and satisfied that his 
 words conld not be overheard, Taylor said 
 abruptly, “We must try to get out of this 
 camp.” 
 
 For a moment Erwin’s face brightened as 
 he stared at his companion. The thought of 
 escaping had often been in his own mind, but 
 thus far an opportunity had not been found. 
 Indeed, so well was the place guarded, that 
 the possibility of a break for freedom had 
 seemed hopeless. The recollection of his 
 own experiences caused the young prisoner’s 
 face to darken once more, and he said in a 
 low voice: “ ‘Must’ is a good word, Tay¬ 
 lor. It is easy to say what ought to be done, 
 but it isn’t so easy to tell how to do it. Have 
 you any plan?” 
 
 “Not one.” 
 
 « 
 
 “How are you going to get away then?” 
 
 24 
 
TUNNELS 
 
 25 
 
 4 'Find a way. We must set onr heads to . 
 working. If we can’t find a way we must 
 make one. I don’t mean to stay here much 
 longer.” 
 
 "I’m sure I don’t want to, either; but what 
 can be done!” 
 
 "That’s something we must find out.” 
 
 "A good many have tried it,” suggested 
 Erwin dubiously. 
 
 "And some have made it.” 
 
 "Some haven’t.” 
 
 "That doesn’t change the fact that some 
 did.” 
 
 "You always find something good to see or 
 say. Only yesterday when we found our salt 
 pork spoiled and the little rice we had was 
 not good you laughed and said, 'If we’re hun¬ 
 gry we sha’n’t have to suffer from eating too 
 much.’ ” 
 
 "What’s the matter with that!” 
 
 "Nothing. Only I don’t seem to be able 
 to make the plan work in my case. When 
 I’m hungry—then I’m hungry, and that’s all 
 there is to it. If my tooth aches I don’t find 
 much comfort in thinking that I haven’t ever 
 had to have my foot cut off.” 
 
26 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “Yes, and that’s where yon make your mis¬ 
 take. You’d feel better if you did.” 
 
 “It works all right with you.” 
 
 “It will with you, too. I knew an old 
 Scotchman who was a very devout man. He 
 used to thank the Lord when rheumatism 
 came that it wasn’t gout, and when he had 
 the gout, he was just as glad it wasn’t rheu¬ 
 matism.” 
 
 “What did he do when he had both?” 
 
 “Thanked the Lord he wasn’t blind.” 
 
 Erwin laughed as he said, “You’ve learned 
 the lesson all right, but I’m afraid I haven’t. 
 I can’t get away from what I see here,” he 
 added, as he glanced about the prison pen. 
 Hundreds of men as unfortunate as them¬ 
 selves were to be seen, some walking discon¬ 
 solately about the field, some seated, and oth¬ 
 ers lying upon the ground. All about the 
 place the guard of Confederate soldiers were 
 to be seen and the “dead line” was plainly 
 marked. If any man dared to cross it, his 
 fate was sealed. 
 
 “You’ll learn,” said Taylor. “You’re 
 bound to learn. Now have you any scheme 
 
TUNNELS 27 
 
 to suggest? You must have an idea or two 
 about you.” 
 
 “I’ve thought of it, of course, hut what 
 good does thinking do? You can’t even try 
 to tunnel when you’re in the open all the 
 time. ’ ’ 
 
 “ Tunneling is hard work. Let us be glad 
 and rejoice that we haven’t that to do. We’ll 
 save our strength for what comes after we 
 get away. ’ ’ 
 
 “Sometimes I’ve had an idea that we 
 might run for it some morning when we go 
 for water. The guard that goes with us to 
 the spring is made up of good shots, however, 
 and I’m afraid we wouldn’t go far.” 
 
 “You’re doing better. Breaking away 
 from the guard is better than digging a tun¬ 
 nel. What else?” 
 
 “I haven’t thought of anything more,” re¬ 
 plied Erwin gloomily. 
 
 “When I was in Libby,” began Taylor, as 
 if he had not heard his friend’s reply, “Colo¬ 
 nel Rose of the Seventy-seventh Pennsyl¬ 
 vania got up a plan for tunneling out of the 
 old trap. Just twenty-seven men were taken 
 
28 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 into the plan and every one was to be a 
 worker. Yon see, the colonel knew what he 
 was about, for he’d been in the Mexican war, 
 and when he was taken prisoner there he dug 
 a tunnel out beyond the guard and got away 
 from the ‘greasers.’ All the men in his plan 
 at Libby knew of this and they were all ready 
 to do anything he told them. The colonel had 
 found in the basement a little room which 
 wasn’t used for anything, and after he’d 
 been watching for a few days he found that 
 no one went near it. 
 
 “One day the colonel went in there him¬ 
 self and discovered that one of the chimneys 
 came down into that room. This chimney 
 ran up through our cookroom and the first 
 thing to be done was to make an opening in 
 that. The slop barrels hid this opening, so 
 there was little danger of its being discov¬ 
 ered. 
 
 “One day the rebels were arranging for 
 a flag raising at the prison and when they’d 
 finished their work they left a short ladder 
 behind them in our room. This ladder was 
 taken and lowered in the chimney. Then at 
 the bottom where the ladder rested work was 
 
TUNNELS 29 
 
 begun at once in digging a hole through the 
 chimney wall.” 
 
 “Didn’t any one ask for the ladder? Was 
 there any search for it!” 
 
 “Yes, but it didn’t amount to much for it 
 was believed it had been broken up for kin¬ 
 dling wood. An old broken trowel and half 
 a tin canteen were the only tools our men 
 had in their digging until one day some ma¬ 
 sons came to do some repairing and while 
 they were busy somehow one of their trowels 
 mysteriously disappeared. We all tried to 
 
 \ 
 
 help find it but naturally we didn’t succeed, 
 because it was down in the tunnel where we 
 had two men at work all the time. One man 
 would dig and the other would scoop up the 
 dirt with an old blanket and carry it to a cor¬ 
 ner of the room where the tunnel started. 
 
 “At last the work was all done and the 
 end of the tunnel was in a vacant lot sixty- 
 five feet from the walls of old Libby. It was 
 just big enough for one man at a time to 
 crawl through it. The funny part of it all 
 was that the sentinels saw every man that 
 came out and didn’t hail one. ’ ’ 
 
 “Why not?” 
 
30 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “Took them for some of the ‘ Johnnies’ go¬ 
 ing through the boxes that had been sent us 
 from home. You see these boxes were all 
 stacked right over the end of the tunnel.’’ 
 
 ‘ ‘ How many of our men got away ? ’ ’ 
 
 “A hundred and fifteen.” 
 
 “You don’t mean it! Hid the rebels 
 catch any of them?” 
 
 “Yes. They got twelve the first day, six¬ 
 teen the second and twenty the third. All 
 the others—let me see, that left sixty-seven, 
 —were never heard of. I’ve no doubt they 
 reached our lines all right.” 
 
 “How did the men leave the prison—I 
 mean how did they go out through the tun¬ 
 nel ? ’ ’ 
 
 “That’s where the break was made that al¬ 
 most spoiled the whole thing. Only the 
 twenty-seven were supposed to know any¬ 
 thing about the tunnel, but some of them of 
 course told their friends and the first thing 
 we knew there was a fighting mob—every 
 man trying to be the first to get out. It was 
 ,a fierce fight, too, for our men were like wild 
 beasts. Two or three shrewd little chaps 
 put up a game that let them get out ahead. 
 
TUNNELS 
 
 31 
 
 When the mob was wildest these young fel¬ 
 lows went where the pots and pans were kept 
 and began to rattle them at a great rate and 
 in a minnte the clatter made onr men think 
 the guard was coming. When the fellows ran 
 from the tunnel these young fellows made a 
 break for it and got out before the others 
 got their eyes open. Then the wild rush be¬ 
 gan again.” 
 
 “How was it that only a few got away?” 
 
 “It was slow work crawling through that 
 long tunnel one at a time. Then Lieutenant 
 Randolph, who is a big fellow, got caught in 
 the middle of it and couldn’t go ahead or 
 back out. The man in front pulled on him 
 and the man behind pushed and at last they 
 got the lieutenant through, but he was almost 
 dead and of course it made a long delay. 
 When daylight came and the work had to 
 stop we counted up and found that one hun¬ 
 dred and fifteen had crawled out.” 
 
 “How did the rebels find out?” 
 
 “The morning roll call showed who were 
 missing. At first the guard couldn’t under¬ 
 stand what had become of the prisoners and 
 the men were poking fun at one another for 
 
32 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 the ‘mistake.’ Pretty soon the guard became 
 a little more serious and then they made us 
 all go into one room and come out by twos 
 while they checked off every name. They 
 tried the same thing twice, but got the same 
 result—the roll call was one hundred and fif¬ 
 teen short. Then they began to look, and of 
 course in a little while they found the tunnel 
 and everything was plain.” 
 
 “What did they do to you?” 
 
 ‘ ‘ Shortened up our rations for awhile, but 
 they laughed and joked with us about it. 
 They called the tunnel ‘The Great Yankee 
 Wonder.’ For awhile there was a guard at 
 each end of it and hundreds of people came 
 to see the sight.” 
 
 “Why didn’t you get away, Taylor?” 
 
 “Somebody had to be left.” 
 
 “Didn’t you have a chance? Weren’t you 
 near enough to crowd into it?” 
 
 “Yes, I believe I was once.” 
 
 “Why didn’t you go on?” 
 
 “Well, I don’t just remember unless it 
 was that there was a young chap next to me 
 who had a wife and two babies at home. He 
 seemed to be a bit more anxious than I was 
 
TUNNELS 
 
 33 
 
 and I tliink he got my place away from me.” 
 
 “Yon mean you let him have your place!” 
 
 “Do IV ’ laughed Taylor. 
 
 “Yes, you do. It’s a good story, all right, 
 but how can it help us here? We can’t dig a 
 tunnel. ’ ’ 
 
 “No more we can’t. But it has one or two 
 good lessons for us.” 
 
 ‘ 6 What ? ’ ’ 
 
 “Well, one is that twenty-seven is too large 
 a number to make a plan at one time. Two 
 are all we want. You and I.” 
 
 “What are we going to try?” 
 
 “The rebels sent a lot of us on to Dan¬ 
 ville pretty soon,” began Taylor again as if 
 he had not heard his friend’s question. 
 “They sent us in box cars. The old train 
 was pretty well guarded and bumped along 
 so slowly that one time when we were going 
 through a stretch of woods two of our boys 
 jumped off the car and made for the trees.” 
 
 “Did they get away?” demanded Erwin 
 eagerly. 
 
 ‘ ‘ Of course! All the fellows struck up the 
 Star Spangled Banner when we heard what 
 had occurred, but the guard shut us in the 
 
34 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 cars and locked the doors. It was quite 
 warm enough then, thank you, without ex¬ 
 erting ourselves any more. At Danville they 
 sent us to a great tobacco warehouse and we 
 hadn’t been there but a little while before we 
 began another tunnel.” 
 
 “Did it work? Did anybody get away?” 
 
 “Probably. Unfortunately, however, I 
 was sent on with some of our boys—” 
 
 ‘ ‘ Sent where ? 9 9 
 
 “Macon.” 
 
 “Did you try another tunnel there?” 
 
 “Not while I was on the spot. Two or 
 three chaps got away by a slick trick. One 
 night two climbed into a big tree and hid in 
 the branches. They had been saving a little 
 water and something to eat, and up in that 
 tree the boys stayed two days. The guard 
 looked everywhere, but not a trace of the 
 missing prisoners could they find. After the 
 search the boys slid down from their roosting 
 place one dark night and departed.” 
 
 “Did the guard find them?” 
 
 “Not a bit. What did you expect? Then 
 two other fellows dug holes in the ground 
 and stayed in them for a couple of days, and 
 
TUNNELS 
 
 35 
 
 then made for the lines of the boys in blue. ,? 
 
 “I don’t see how digging holes in the 
 ground could help. They were still in the 
 prison or prison pen, weren’t they!” 
 
 “Yes, but the whole camp was to be moved 
 the next day and our boys were hoping they’d 
 be left behind. After the guard was gone 
 then it would be easy to dig their way out, 
 you see.** 
 
 11 Did all get away! ’ ’ 
 
 “Pretty nearly. Now, Erwin, if those fel¬ 
 lows could think of something, we can try it, 
 too. I know there is some way out. I be¬ 
 lieve I’ve got it now!” Taylor suddenly ex¬ 
 claimed as he stood quickly erect. 
 
CHAPTER III 
 
 THE NEEDLE 
 
 “What is it?” inquired Erwin showing 
 his first sign of interest in the words of his 
 friend. 
 
 “See that?” demanded Taylor, as he 
 showed Erwin a needle which he had drawn 
 from the lapel of his tattered coat. 
 
 “Yes, I see it. What is it?” 
 
 “A needle.” 
 
 “What will you do with it?” 
 
 “Find our way out of Camp Sorghum.” 
 
 “I don’t see how.” Erwin’s first interest 
 had departed as soon as he saw the tiny little 
 implement in Taylor’s hand. Aware as he 
 was of his friend’s imperturbable good na¬ 
 ture, he looked upon the proposal as merely 
 another of Taylor’s many nonsensical proj¬ 
 ects. 
 
 “Some people can’t see the point even 
 when it’s right before them.” 
 
 “That’s all right, Taylor. The joke’s lost 
 
 36 
 
THE NEEDLE 37 
 
 on me. I’m afraid I’m not in the mood to 
 enjoy it.” 
 
 “ Yon will when yon see what I mean to do 
 with this needle.” 
 
 “What is that!” 
 
 “Find our way out of this prison pen, just 
 as I told you.” 
 
 “But you didn’t tell me.” 
 
 “If I didn’t I will now. In what direction 
 is my needle pointing!” inquired Taylor as 
 he held up the needle which he was grasping 
 between his thumb and forefinger. 
 
 “North.” 
 
 ‘ ‘ Correct. Erwin, you always were better 
 than I in answering questions when we were 
 in school. I’m glad you haven’t forgotten 
 the trick.” 
 
 “I don’t see what you mean.” 
 
 “Don’t sailors follow the ‘needle’!” 
 
 “Yes, but their ‘needle’ isn’t like yours.” 
 
 “Mine is better. If sailors follow theirs, 
 I don’t see why we soldiers can’t follow 
 ours.” 
 
 Erwin did not reply. The bantering words 
 found no response in his troubled heart. 
 Taylor might have his fun if he chose, but 
 
38 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 as for himself, thought Erwin, there was 
 nothing in them to appeal to him. 
 
 “I tell you,” continued Taylor, “that I 
 have ‘ found the way I long have sought and 
 mourned because I found it not.’ That’s 
 what your grandfather used to be singing all 
 the time—” 
 
 “Don’t!” protested Erwin quickly. The 
 reference of his friend had brought to his 
 mind the recollection of his grandfather—a 
 saintly, sweet-faced old man whose love of 
 singing was well known. How many times in 
 the little village church Sunday afternoons 
 had Erwin as a little lad watched his grand¬ 
 father singing that very song. The old 
 man’s eyes would be closed, his head thrown 
 slightly back, while in the absence of an or¬ 
 gan in the room in which the assembly met, 
 he pitched the tune. 
 
 “But I will. I tell you I’m full of my 
 project!” persisted Taylor, aware of the 
 wave of homesickness which had swept over 
 his companion. “It is the greatest discov¬ 
 ery since ‘befo’ th’ wa’,’ as the darkies say 
 down here.” 
 
 “You haven’t told me what your project 
 
THE NEEDLE 39 
 
 is, ’ ’ said Erwin indifferently, not even glanc¬ 
 ing at Taylor as he spoke. 
 
 “That, I can’t tell yon—yet. Wait! It’s 
 coming though. This little needle is better 
 than a mariner’s compass is for sailors 
 rocked on the bosom of the deep. Friends, 
 countrymen, fellow-citizens, Johnnies, contra¬ 
 band, et ceteras,” added Taylor, rising as he 
 spoke, and in mock solemnity sweeping his 
 arm toward the camp, “if you will all turn 
 the entire length of your ears toward me, 
 I’ll give you something to make you wise. 
 Columbus had trouble with his men because 
 his needle was askew. This little implement 
 of steel is worth more than a dozen needles 
 of Columbus. His needle helped him to find 
 a few savages clad chiefly in modesty and 
 childlike simplicity. This needle will point 
 the way to better things. Sparerib, cider, 
 fried cakes, mince pies, all the comforts of 
 home are at the end of the way it points. 
 Back to the farm! Back to the orchards and 
 lowing kine! Back—” 
 
 Taylor stopped abruptly, perceiving that 
 Erwin was in no mood to listen to mock 
 heroics. The sight of his dejected friend 
 
40 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 aroused anew the spirit of determination in 
 Taylor’s mind. Something must be done and 
 done soon or Erwin would never leave the 
 dreary prison pen. Homesickness, hunger, 
 despair, all had written their lessons plainly 
 on the face of the young prisoner. The sight 
 was more than pathetic, it was tragic. 
 Something must be done. 
 
 “The needle is pointing the way now,” 
 said Taylor in a different tone of voice as he 
 pretended to study the tip of the needle which 
 he still held. “I must follow. I shall be 
 back ‘ ’ere before long,’ as good old Uncle 
 Eoswell Glass used to say. Don’t go far 
 away while I’m gone. ’ ’ 
 
 “Not much danger of that,” responded Er¬ 
 win dejectedly. “Hush! What’s that?” he 
 demanded quickly, sitting erect as the report 
 of a rifle was heard. Across the field men 
 already could be seen hastening toward the 
 border of the camp whence the sound had 
 come. Instantly Taylor and Erwin followed. 
 When they arrived at the place where the 
 crowd halted they, too, joined the excited 
 throng. And deeply excited every man ap¬ 
 peared to be. There were expressions of 
 
THE NEEDLE 
 
 41 
 
 rage to be seen in the flashing eyes of the 
 prisoners. The glances were divided be¬ 
 tween the lifeless form of one of their own 
 comrades stretched on the ground, and the 
 guard who was patroling the border of the 
 camp, apparently indifferent to the anger of 
 the assembled prisoners. 
 
 “Who is it!” inquired Taylor, as he and 
 Erwin pushed their way to the front. 
 
 “Anthony Wood,” replied one. 
 
 ‘ 4 What happened to him ? ’’ 
 
 “Shot. Can’t you see for yourself?” 
 
 “Who shot him?” 
 
 “The guard.” 
 
 “Why?” 
 
 “Claimed he was across the dead line.” 
 
 “Was he?” 
 
 “Of course he wasn’t.” 
 
 “Why was he shot, then?” 
 
 “You tell. Oh, it’s more than we can 
 stand much longer! Anthony isn’t the only 
 one who’s been shot down in cold blood. 
 Where’s Sherman? Where’s Hooker? Why 
 doesn’t somebody wake up at Washington 
 and do something? Here we are shut up like 
 rats in a trap! And we’re left here to 
 
42 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 starve, or worse! Look at Anthony! Look 
 at him! Poor chap, he’s ont of this place 
 anyway. I wish I was, too, even if I have 
 to go the way poor Anthony did. ’ ’ The man, 
 who was unknown to Taylor, ended in a dry 
 sob. His haggard face was discolored by 
 filth which apparently he had not removed 
 for days. His tattered clothing and long, 
 tangled hair increased the effect of his 
 wretchedness. 
 
 At this moment the attention of the as¬ 
 sembly was drawn to an officer who was giv¬ 
 ing directions as to what should be done with 
 the body of the fallen man. Apparently the 
 mutterings of the prisoners moved the young 
 officer to stop and turn toward the group. 
 
 i A ’m sorry, ’’ he said quietly. 4 ‘ The man , 9 9 
 he added, nodding his head at the band which 
 had departed with the victim of the guard, 
 
 ‘ ‘ knew where the dead line is. He knew what 
 would happen to him if he tried to cross it. 
 If he had kept himself where he belonged he 
 wouldn’t have had any trouble.” 
 
 “He was inside the line,” called someone 
 in the assembly. 
 
THE NEEDLE 
 
 43 
 
 “The guard says he crossed it.” 
 
 “The guard lies!” 
 
 “We are compelled to accept his word,” 
 said the young officer quietly. “The rules 
 of a prison camp are not made for fun. You 
 all know where the dead line is. You all 
 know what it is there for. You all know, 
 too, what the orders of the guard are if he 
 sees a man crossing it. Take my word and 
 keep away from the dead line. Don’t ever 
 get too close to it. Every guard has his 
 strict orders and he isn’t the one to blame 
 if anything happens. That’s what he’s here 
 for—to do just what he’s ordered.” 
 
 The mutterings of the prisoners did not 
 cease when the young officer turned away. 
 Glances of anger followed him as he returned 
 to his quarters. The very helplessness of the 
 men seemed to increase their childish expres¬ 
 sions of rage. 
 
 “Talk about escaping,” said Erwin to Tay¬ 
 lor as the two started back across the field. 
 “That poor chap couldn’t even get across the 
 dead line, much less get away from the camp. 
 And yet you talk of getting away. ’ ’ 
 
44 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “I don’t ‘talk’ very mucli about it,” re¬ 
 plied Taylor, glancing quickly about him as 
 lie spoke. 
 
 “You believe it, though.” 
 
 “I do,” said Taylor quietly. “That man 
 Anthony Wood, I think they said his name 
 was, was a fool.” 
 
 “Hush!” cautioned Erwin as a Confed¬ 
 erate officer drew near. 
 
 “He was a fool,” continued Taylor, his 
 voice rising slightly. “He knew where the 
 dead line was and he knew what it was for. 
 If he’d kept away from it, he’d have kept 
 himself in better health. If we were on 
 guard in a camp in the North and we had a 
 camp full of rebels, what do you think we’d 
 do!” 
 
 The passing officer plainly overheard and 
 understood what the young prisoner was say¬ 
 ing. He glanced back as he passed on, 
 laughed good-naturedly at the young prison¬ 
 ers, but did not speak. 
 
 “You find an excuse for the guard in shoot¬ 
 ing the man,” said Erwin indignantly. 
 
 “He does not need any excuse. He was 
 obeying orders.” 
 
THE NEEDLE 
 
 45 
 
 “They say Anthony Wood wasn’t across 
 the dead line. ’ ’ 
 
 “If that’s true it’s a different matter.” 
 
 “Our men say it’s true.” 
 
 “Yes, they ‘say’ it, but there wasn’t a man 
 near when Anthony Wood was shot. What’s 
 the use, Erwin? We aren’t playing prison¬ 
 er’s base. We understand what the rules of 
 this game are. All I say is, that a man is 
 a fool to get too near the dead line of the 
 camp, that’s all.” 
 
 “And yet you say you’re—” began Erwin 
 cautiously, and then sharply checked himself. 
 
 “I not only say it, but I’m going to do it.” 
 
 “How?” 
 
 “With my little needle.” 
 
 “When?” 
 
 “I’m going to begin now. You go back 
 to our elegant abode and have a nap. You 
 need sleep and you’ll need it more before 
 long. I’ll be back soon.” 
 
 Abruptly turning away, Taylor left his 
 friend staring at him. When next Taylor 
 looked back he saw that Erwin was slowly 
 walking in the direction of their quarters, if 
 the open space of ground, sheltered by a torn 
 
46 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 blanket and reserved by them, could be dig¬ 
 nified by such a name. 
 
 Three hours later Taylor, too, returned and 
 seated himself on the ground near his friend, 
 who was sleeping heavily. Another hour 
 passed and still Taylor had not changed his 
 seat. In his hands was a coat upon which he 
 had been working steadily since his return. 
 The needle which he had promised Erwin 
 would show them the way to liberty was do¬ 
 ing duty now in drawing the thread which 
 Taylor apparently had secured from some 
 source. 
 
 At this moment Erwin moved, opened his 
 eyes and for a brief time stared at his friend. 
 Then sitting quickly erect he said: 
 
 “What are you doing, Taylor?” 
 
 “Following my needle.” 
 
 “What do you mean?” 
 
 “Just what I say. Can’t you see?” 
 
 “You’re sewing.” 
 
 “Am I?” 
 
 “What is that in your hands—a coat?” 
 
 “Yes.” 
 
 “Whose is it?” 
 
THE NEEDLE 
 
 47 
 
 “Lieutenant Evans—the officer we met on 
 our way back here a little while ago.” 
 “What are you doing with his coat!” 
 “Mending it.” 
 
 “What are you doing that for!” demanded 
 Erwin indignantly. 
 
 “I’ve told you already.” 
 
 “What!” 
 
 “Following my needle. If we follow it all 
 right it’ll take us out of this forlorn place. 
 I never wanted anything so much as I do 
 that. ’’ 
 
 “I wish you’d explain yourself,” said Er¬ 
 win testily. 
 
 “I will, with pleasure,” responded Taylor, 
 rejoiced that his friend at last had been even 
 slightly aroused. “This needle which you 
 
 see in my hands I found. This coat occasion- 
 
 %/ 
 
 ally covers the elegant figure of Lieutenant 
 Evans of the so-called C. S. A. To him I 
 went and displayed my needle. Likewise my 
 talent as a tailor.” 
 
 “Did you tell him you were a tailor!” 
 
 ‘ Wes, I told him I was a Taylor. Instantly 
 the proud Southerner responded. He gave 
 
48 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 me this coat to mend, and eke also and addi¬ 
 tional his promise of more.” 
 
 Erwin leaped to his feet and his interest 
 was now sufficient to satisfy even his friend. 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 
 UNCLE SAM 
 
 “You intend to dress in that coat and try 
 to pass the guard,’’ exclaimed Erwin in a low 
 voice as he looked down upon his friend. 
 
 “Yon are beginning to find the trail,’’ re¬ 
 plied Taylor. 
 
 “But what of me?” Erwin demanded after 
 a moment of silence. “There’s only one coat 
 and we can’t both of us walk out in that.” 
 
 “That’s true.” 
 
 The expression of Erwin’s face instantly 
 changed. The young prisoner’s despond¬ 
 ency returned. His blue eyes were moist and 
 all the energy and interest he had displayed 
 a moment before apparently were gone. Of 
 medium size, ordinarily strong and quick in 
 every bodily action, he now presented a pic¬ 
 ture of complete hopelessness. Erwin’s 
 moods were many and the passage from one 
 to another was sometimes so sudden as to 
 be puzzling to those who were not well ac- 
 
 49 
 
50 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 quainted with the impulsive young prisoner. 
 
 Taylor, taller almost by a head than his 
 friend, dark of hair and eyes, wiry and mus¬ 
 cular of body and much slower in his move¬ 
 ments, except when prompt action was re¬ 
 quired, in many ways was the counterpart 
 of his companion. In their country home 
 each had been famed for his ability as a 
 wrestler. Popular as the sport was among 
 the country boys, for some reason there had 
 never been a test of strength and skill be¬ 
 tween Taylor and Erwin. Perhaps each had 
 a stronger feeling of respect for the other’s 
 prowess than either cared to acknowledge. 
 The skill, as well as the strength of each 
 was so different from that employed by the 
 other that both had laughingly declared that 
 a match would be no true test. The sincere 
 regard of each for the other may have in¬ 
 tensified this feeling, but whatever the cause 
 may have been, the warm friendship between 
 the two had never been broken, and despite 
 the eager desires of the admirers of both a 
 wrestling match between the two had never 
 been successfully arranged. 
 
 Erwin, full of life and quick to see or play 
 
UNCLE SAM 
 
 51 
 
 a joke, liad somehow grown in his feeling of 
 respect for the more quiet and ofttimes droll 
 ways of Taylor. Slower in speech, less ener¬ 
 getic at least in appearance, the latter never¬ 
 theless was deeply respected for the reserve 
 power which all his comrades knew he pos¬ 
 sessed. Never had the dissimilarities be¬ 
 tween the two friends been more manifest 
 than in the afternoon of this November day, 
 when both were prisoners in Camp Sorghum 
 near the capital of South Carolina. 
 
 The silence which had followed Taylor’s 
 trite remark in responding to his friend’s 
 suggestion was unbroken for a time. Taylor, 
 seated upon the ground, continued to wield 
 his needle and thread so deftly that Erwin, 
 watching him, was interested in his clever¬ 
 ness despite his own feeling of depression. 
 And yet it was not surprising after all, Er¬ 
 win thought, as he recalled many of the sur¬ 
 prising things Taylor had done as a lad. He 
 could take a watch to pieces, and what was 
 more wonderful, he could put it together 
 again. What marvelous pictures of pranc¬ 
 ing steeds Taylor had drawn on his slate 
 when supposedly he had been busied in “do- 
 
52 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 ing his sums.” Not a boy in school could 
 bat as he did. He knew where were the best 
 “holes” in all the near-by streams. Well did 
 Erwin recall the first day he had ever gone 
 fishing with his friend. What exclamations 
 of surprise had greeted them when they had 
 returned with their catch. The willow 
 stringers, which Taylor had cut and fash¬ 
 ioned, were filled to their tops with the 
 horned dace, pumpkin-seed, and rock bass 
 they had taken. And yet, though Erwin had 
 shared in the joy of the day as well as in the 
 glory that had been won, he still was aware 
 that Taylor had been the real, if not the ap¬ 
 parent, power behind it all. Even when he 
 had dropped his hook and line beside Tay¬ 
 lor’s in the ‘ 4 hole” which his friend pointed 
 out, and to which the boys cautiously ap¬ 
 proached, somehow the very fish seemed to 
 prefer Taylor’s bait to his. It was true that 
 his own catch had not been small except in 
 comparison with his friend’s, which was so 
 much larger. 
 
 Something of the old feeling of admiration 
 for the prowess and skill of his friend now 
 returned to Erwin as he stood looking down 
 
UNCLE SAM 
 
 53 
 
 upon the “tailor” busily engaged in repair¬ 
 ing the young lieutenant’s coat. 
 
 “Do you intend to try to-night!” inquired 
 Erwin at last. 
 
 “You never can tell.” 
 
 “You’ll get away. I’m sure you will.” 
 
 “Let us hope so,” responded Taylor with¬ 
 out looking up from his task. 
 
 “Can’t you think of some way for me to 
 try too!” 
 
 “None better than this.” 
 
 “I can’t sew. I didn’t know you could, 
 but I’m not a bit surprised to see you do it. 
 If you were ordered to lead the Army of the 
 Potomac I think you would do it better than 
 General McClellan.” 
 
 “That’s not much of a compliment—at 
 least if what the people all say is true.” 
 
 “What can I do! Black up as a darkey 
 and go along as your body servant!” 
 
 “No.” 
 
 “What then!” 
 
 “Do what I’m doing now.” 
 
 “If getting out of Sorghum depends on 
 my sewing I’m afraid I’ll be here for five 
 years if the war lasts that long. From what 
 
54 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 we hear, it’s likely to keep on till the day 
 of judgment,” Erwin added dejectedly. 
 
 “I tell yon we are going to get out of 
 this.” 
 
 “You are, you mean. I don’t see any 
 chance for me to go. I am glad you’ll try it. 
 If you do break away and if you should get 
 back to the old home—just tell my—” Erwin 
 stopped abruptly and quickly turned away 
 his face. The mere suggestion of going home 
 was hard in the face of the conditions which 
 surrounded him at the present moment. 
 
 “Here comes Uncle Sam. Look out!” 
 cautioned Taylor, raising his head for a mo¬ 
 ment to speak to his friend. Near them was 
 the lank form of their fellow townsman ap¬ 
 proaching the place. 
 
 “What are you doing, Taylor!” demanded 
 Samuel Carson as he stopped before the 
 boys. 
 
 “Embroidering a handkerchief,” replied 
 Taylor soberly. 
 
 “Whose coat is that!” 
 
 “It belongs to a distinguished officer of the 
 C. S. A.” 
 
 “What are you doing with it!” 
 
UNCLE SAM 
 
 55 
 
 “Fixing it over for Jeff Davis.” 
 
 ‘ ‘ What are you doing anyway !’’ continued 
 Samuel, bending low over the garment in 
 Taylor’s hands. 
 
 “If I tell you, Uncle Sam, will you promise 
 never to tell a living soul ! ’ ’ inquired Taylor, 
 dropping the coat and rising before the new¬ 
 comer. 
 
 The serious manner of the young tailor 
 was so impressive that Samuel’s interest was 
 instantly quickened. He readily gave his 
 promise. 
 
 “ ‘Cross your heart!’ ‘Hope to die!’ ” 
 demanded Taylor in a low, deep voice. 
 
 “Yes, yes.” 
 
 “Well, then, I’ll tell you. I am fixing over 
 this coat to make it fit a human being.” Tay¬ 
 lor’s voice dropped into a most impressive 
 whisper. “Yes, Uncle Sam, this coat will 
 cover a beating heart, the lungs and liver of 
 a male man of the masculine gender. Now 
 you’ve given me your word of honor never to 
 tell and I shall trust you.” 
 
 Swinging the coat over his arm, Taylor at 
 once departed, whistling as he went the tune: 
 “When Johnnie comes marching home 
 
56 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 again.’’ Ilis abrupt departure was as sur¬ 
 prising to Erwin as it was to his visitor, and 
 for a moment neither spoke as they both 
 watched their departing friend. 
 
 “What was Taylor doing with that coat 
 anyway, Erwin?” inquired Samuel as he 
 seated himself upon the ground. 
 
 “Pie told you,” replied Erwin shortly. 
 The presence of Uncle Sam at the moment 
 was as disconcerting as the unexpected de¬ 
 parture of Taylor with the coat had been. 
 What were Taylor’s plans? thought Erwin. 
 Had he abandoned the project of trying to 
 pass the lines? Perhaps he had concluded 
 that the venture was too full of peril to be 
 attempted. The thought did not tend to rec¬ 
 oncile Erwin to the presence of Samuel, for 
 whom he did not cherish too warm a regard 
 at best. Samuel’s evident purpose, too, to‘ 
 remain for a time did not aid in soothing the 
 young prisoner’s feelings. He heartily 
 wished Uncle Sam were somewhere else than 
 where he then was. 
 
 “That was one of Taylor’s jokes,” said 
 Samuel, soberly, at last. 
 
 “Was it?” 
 
 % 
 
UNCLE SAM 
 
 57 
 
 1 ‘Yes, it was. He was fixing that coat for 
 Lieutenant Evans.’’ 
 
 “Was he?” inquired Erwin, startled as 
 well as surprised by Samuel’s knowledge. 
 
 He was aware, too, that his visitor was 
 shrewdly observing him. 
 
 “Yes, he was,” declared Samuel. “He’s 
 a fool for his pains.” 
 
 “Who?” 
 
 “Taylor.” 
 
 “What makes you say that?” 
 
 “Because I know. Sometimes I’ve sus¬ 
 pected Taylor of scheming to get out of the 
 camp. He’d better not try it, that’s all.” 
 
 “What do you mean?” 
 
 “I know Taylor Cooper. I’ve known him 
 ever since—he used to make flytraps for me 
 on the way to the old swimming hole. Don’t 
 you remember how he used to tie the long 
 grass that grew each side of the path? I 
 tripped and fell one day when I was coming 
 home.” 
 
 “Did it hurt you?” inquired Erwin, 
 smiling at the recollection of the sight of 
 the ungainly Uncle Sam sprawling in the 
 meadow. 
 
58 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “It hurt me, inside,’’ said Samuel with a 
 scowl. “That wasn’t all he did, either. He 
 used to make fun of me. He used to get 
 me to stay after school and chase balls for 
 him when you and he played two-old-cat. 
 He promised to pay me for it, but he never 
 did.” 
 
 “What made you stay, then?” 
 
 “I wanted the two cents a game he said 
 he’d give me.” 
 
 “Probably lie forgot all about it.” 
 
 “I didn’t forget it, let me tell you! You 
 remember my father, Erwin?” 
 
 “Yes.” Who could ever forget Toby Car- 
 son, the father of Uncle Sam? A twisted, de¬ 
 formed body, one leg withered and much 
 shorter than the other, the corpulent body, 
 the face bloated and leery from too frequent 
 visits to the bar-room of the local hotel—all 
 these were still vivid in the mind of Erwin. 
 The two canes by whose aid Toby crawled 
 along the village street, much as a wounded 
 crab might have done, were still clearly seen 
 in his mind. Toby was the village harness 
 maker, and his deformity would have aroused' 
 
UNCLE SAM 
 
 59 
 
 the pity of the warm-hearted villagers had it 
 not been known that after he returned home 
 from his long visits in the bar-room it was 
 reported that he was accustomed to use his 
 two canes in beating his timid, little, over¬ 
 worked wife, who took in washing and vir¬ 
 tually supported her drunken, worthless hus¬ 
 band, as well as her only child. Yes, Erwin 
 could, indeed, remember the brutal father of 
 the young man now seated before him. 
 
 “One winter day,” said Samuel, bitterly, 
 “the little hill in front of the post office was a 
 glare of ice. It had rained and then froze a 
 half dozen times. My father came out of the 
 office that morning and started down the 
 street. He had to use two canes, you know. 
 Well, he began to slip on the ice and the more 
 he tried to stop or help himself the worse off 
 he was. He called for help! He yelled for it. 
 He shouted! His canes were beating the air 
 like a windmill. By and by he fell—you 
 know he was a heavy man, and he sat down 
 hard. One of the canes flew out of his hands. 
 He just slid all the way down that icy hill 
 in front of the post office. He went all the 
 
60 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 way to the bottom and not a soul came to help 
 him. What do you think Taylor Cooper 
 did?” 
 
 “What did he do?” inquired Erwin, striv¬ 
 ing to repress the smile which arose at the 
 recollection of the scene which he well re¬ 
 membered. He was there himself. 
 
 ‘ ‘ Taylor and another fellow—I think it was 
 you,” added Samuel malignantly, “were 
 right there at the foot of the hill. There 
 was my father coming right toward them slid¬ 
 ing on his back. He was shouting and call¬ 
 ing for help at the top of his lungs. Did 
 Taylor or the other fellow help him? Not a 
 bit! They just leaned over the fence there in 
 front of Jake Witter’s place and laughed. 
 It wasn’t any mild little laugh, either. They 
 yelled, they screamed as if they enjoyed the 
 sight. ’ 9 
 
 “Yes, they did,” assented Erwin with a 
 laugh that plainly increased the rage of his 
 visitor. “ It was a funny sight. But we felt 
 sorry for the poor man and just as soon as 
 we got our breath we started to lift him from 
 the ice. Just then your mother came run¬ 
 ning to help him and what do you suppose 
 
UNCLE SAM 
 
 61 
 
 your father did! He struck her with his 
 cane because she hadn’t come sooner! Tay¬ 
 lor and I were so disgusted we left. I 
 wouldn’t help a brute like that to—” 
 
 “Never you mind. I haven’t forgotten 
 it,” broke in Samuel savagely. “My turn 
 will come some day. You won’t laugh then, 
 let me tell you!” Turning abruptly away 
 Samuel at once departed. 
 
 His threat had not seriously disturbed Er¬ 
 win, who had slight fear of Uncle Sam. The 
 reference to the fall of Toby—“Uncle Toby” 
 he was called in the village—had amused 
 him. He would tell Taylor about the visit, 
 he said to himself. Just then Erwin per¬ 
 ceived his friend approaching and the strange 
 expression of his face instantly drove away 
 all these thoughts. 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 A SCHEME 
 
 “What is it, Taylor!” inquired Erwin as 
 his friend drew near and cast upon the 
 ground two coats which he had brought. 
 
 “Can’t you see!” 
 
 “I can’t say that I can,” replied Erwin 
 dubiously, glancing first at the garments and 
 then at his friend. 
 
 “I’m going into the tailoring business.” 
 
 “Whose coats are they!” 
 
 “I don’t know. Lieutenant Evans told 
 me to take them and fix them up.” 
 
 “He must think you are an expert.” 
 
 “I don’t care what he thinks if he only 
 gives me the coats.” 
 
 “There are two of them. Is one of them 
 for me!” 
 
 “No.” 
 
 “I don’t see—” 
 
 “You will,” interrupted Taylor. “I’m 
 
 62 
 
A SCHEME 
 
 63 
 
 getting a name in the business, as I told you. 
 We’ll fix these coats and then we’ll have 
 more.” 
 
 4 ‘Don’t you intend to use these?” inquired 
 Erwin in a low voice. 
 
 “No.” 
 
 “I thought you said you did.” 
 
 “I’m going to use coats—but not these. 
 It’s too early in the game to try anything yet. 
 Wait a day or two, or perhaps a little longer, 
 and then we’ll he ready. You see, I’ve got 
 two coats here and my plan is to send them 
 both back in such a state of perfection that 
 others will want me to do the same thing for 
 theirs. We’ll have coats to fix all the time. 
 Then when the right time comes we’ll put 
 them on and walk right out of the camp. We 
 must find a coat that will be long enough for 
 me, and one, too, that will not make you look 
 more like a scarecrow than you do now. But 
 we must find the right time as well as the 
 right coats.” 
 
 “Wliat’ll you do for caps? We can’t walk 
 out bareheaded.” 
 
 “I’ve thought of that. I’m watching all 
 the time. Perhaps I’ll find what we want. 
 
64 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 If we don’t, we’ll have to do the best we 
 can without them.” 
 
 “What will happen to us if we are 
 caught ? ’ ’ 
 
 “We mustn’t be.” 
 
 “But if we are?” 
 
 “We’ll have to take what comes. Don’t 
 you think it’s worth trying?” 
 
 “Yes, I do,” responded Erwin eagerly. 
 “I’m ready to try almost anything. Still, 
 Anthony Wood—” 
 
 “What of him?” 
 
 “He didn’t get very far away, poor 
 chap. ’ ’ 
 
 “No. But he didn’t use his head. You 
 and I would have the same thing happen to 
 us if in broad daylight we walked straight 
 across the dead line.” 
 
 “You don’t intend to try our plan except 
 in the evening?” 
 
 “I don’t intend to try it then.” 
 
 ‘ ‘ When ? ’ ’ 
 
 “At the right time, whether it’s day or 
 night. ’ ’ 
 
 “Uncle Sam has just gone away.” 
 
 “What did he have to say for himself?” 
 
A SCHEME 
 
 65 
 
 ‘ ‘He told me how he intended to get even 
 with you and me.” 
 
 “For what?” 
 
 Thus bidden, Erwin related the conversa¬ 
 tion he had had with Samuel, not omitting the 
 references which had been made to the fall 
 of Uncle Toby. “I didn’t think Uncle Sam 
 
 would hold a grudge so long,” added Erwin. 
 
 » 
 
 “And in Camp Sorghum, of all places! One 
 naturally would think he’d be ready to let by¬ 
 gones be bygones when we are all in the 
 trouble we’re all in here.” 
 
 “No,” said Taylor thoughtfully. “I 
 know Uncle Sam too well. He hasn’t 4 all his 
 buttons’ anyway. How could he, having 
 such a father as Uncle Toby? I’m afraid 
 he’ll make trouble for us.” 
 
 “How can he do that?” 
 
 “In a good many ways. He’s vindictive 
 and not very bright at best. He ought not to 
 have been allowed to enlist anyway.” 
 
 “Here he comes now,” exclaimed Erwin 
 as the lanky Samuel was seen returning to 
 the “quarters” of the young prisoners. 
 
 “What’s on your mind, Uncle Sam?” in¬ 
 quired Taylor as Samuel approached. 
 
66 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “I’ve been watching you, Taylor Cooper,” 
 said Samuel abruptly. 
 
 “That’s the best tiling you have been do¬ 
 ing in a long time,” retorted Taylor, glanc¬ 
 ing warningly at Erwin as he spoke. 
 
 “Is it ? That remains to be seen.” 
 
 “What have I been doing that invites the 
 special interest of Uncle Sam?” inquired 
 Taylor soothingly. 
 
 “You’ve been fixing coats for the rebels.” 
 
 “Yes. At least I’ve fixed one and have 
 two more to fix.” 
 
 “I know what for.” 
 
 “Do you? Perhaps that’s more than I 
 know. Kindly explain yourself, my learned 
 friend.” 
 
 “You’ve got some trick in your mind. I 
 know you too well not to understand what 
 you’re doing. You’ve got some scheme to 
 get away.” 
 
 “You’re a wise lad, Uncle Sam,” said Tay¬ 
 lor, trying to laugh in a manner that would 
 quiet his alarming visitor. He glanced at 
 Erwin, who was gazing at Samuel in such a 
 fierce manner that Taylor was more anxious 
 lest his friend should reveal their secret than 
 
A SCHEME 
 
 67 
 
 he was because of the startling suspicion 
 which Samuel had voiced. 
 
 “I may be wise or not,” retorted Samuel. 
 “Anyway I’m not such a fool as you and 
 Erwin think I am. Now, then, when you go¬ 
 ing to try it?” 
 
 “Try what?” 
 
 ‘ ‘ To get out of the camp ? ’ ’ 
 
 “Uncle Sam, have you forgotten Anthony 
 Wood?” demanded Taylor solemnly. 
 
 “No, I haven’t forgotten Anthony Wood!” 
 snapped Samuel. “And I haven’t forgotten 
 Taylor Cooper, either! And don’t you for¬ 
 get Samuel Carson!” 
 
 “We can’t forget you,” laughed Taylor. 
 “You won’t let us.” 
 
 “That’s it. I shan’t let you. Now, what 
 are you up to?” 
 
 “I thought you were going to tell me. You 
 said you knew, and for my part I can’t think 
 of anything I’d rather hear than a good 
 scheme for getting out of this forlorn place. 
 I’ve had all I want of Camp Sorghum, 
 haven’t you?” 
 
 “A good deal more than I want.” 
 
 “What’s the plan for getting away?” 
 
68 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “I don’t know any plan, but you do.” 
 
 “Tell me what it is.” 
 
 “I can’t.” 
 
 ‘ ‘ Then how can you expect me to tell you? ’ ’ 
 
 “Because if you don’t tell me I’ll go 
 straight to Evans and tell him that you two 
 fellows are working up a plan to get out of 
 camp. ’ ’ 
 
 “You don’t dare do that!” spoke up Er¬ 
 win excitedly. 
 
 ‘ ‘ Oh, yes, he does, ’ ’ said Taylor quickly be¬ 
 stowing a glance of warning upon his friend 
 as he spoke. “Everybody that knows Uncle 
 Sam is perfectly aware that he dares do al¬ 
 most anything. He isn’t a coward, what¬ 
 ever else he may be.” 
 
 “You’re right, I’m not,” responded Sam¬ 
 uel. “I’m not afraid to march right up to 
 the lieutenant and tell him two of the prison¬ 
 ers here are making plans to break away. ’ ’ 
 
 “But how do you know they are?” said 
 Taylor quietly. 
 
 “I know them, and that’s enough. I’m 
 perfectly sure that Taylor Cooper isn’t the 
 kind of a chap to mend the Johnnies’ coats 
 for them just for the fun of it.” 
 
A SCHEME 
 
 69 
 
 “You’re a wise lad, Uncle Sam. Now, 
 then, suppose you do tell Lieutenant Evans 
 that we ’re doing what you say we are. What 
 good will it do you!” 
 
 “It’ll fix me all right with him anyway.” 
 
 “And then if we tell our hoys what you 
 have done what do you think will happen to 
 you! They won’t be very gentle if they hear 
 that one of our men has gone to the officers 
 here with such a story as that. Uncle Sam, 
 I wouldn’t give a pinch of snuff for your 
 chances in camp if you should be so foolish 
 as to do such a thing as that.” 
 
 “I don’t care. I’d do it anyway,” de¬ 
 clared Samuel menacingly. 
 
 “Suppose we do have a plan in mind? 
 What then ? ’ ’ 
 
 “If you’ll tell me what it is and let me go 
 with you I won’t say a word. I’m as anxious 
 to get away as you are.” 
 
 “Do you really mean it?” 
 
 “Every word.” 
 
 “Sure you can keep a secret, Uncle Sam?” 
 
 “You just try me,” said Samuel eagerly. 
 
 “All right. Come back to-morrow morn¬ 
 ing and I’ll see what can be done for you.” 
 
70 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “Tell me now.” 
 
 “I can’t. Haven’t got the plan all fixed 
 in my own mind yet.” 
 
 “What time to-morrow?” 
 
 “Any time after you’ve cooked your break¬ 
 fast.” 
 
 “Sure you’ll tell me then?” 
 
 “As sure as you find me sitting right here 
 mending this coat,” replied Taylor holding 
 the garment up to view as he spoke. 
 
 “I’ll do it! I’ll be here!” exclaimed Sam¬ 
 uel as he turned away. 
 
 For a moment Erwin stared blankly at his 
 friend when their visitor had departed. Why 
 had Taylor acknowledged that he had some 
 plan of escape in mind? Above all, how had 
 the slow-witted Samuel suspected? “I’m 
 afraid the game is up,” he said bitterly. 
 
 “You’re too easily frightened, Erwin.” 
 
 “But if Uncle Sam does what he threat¬ 
 ens—” 
 
 “He won’t! He can’t!” 
 
 “Why not?” 
 
 “Because we must try it before he has a 
 chance. ’ ’ 
 
 “When?” 
 
A SCHEME 
 
 71 
 
 “To-day. To-night. I wanted to wait a 
 little longer until I had made certain no sus¬ 
 picions had been aroused by my tailoring. 
 We can’t wait, though. The poor fool will 
 keep quiet till to-morrow, but after that we 
 can’t depend on him in the least.” 
 
 “If such a fellow as Uncle Sam has found 
 us out already, what chance do we stand with 
 the guard!” inquired Erwin gloomily. 
 
 “I don’t think you need fear. Uncle Sam 
 used to beat us all when we were collecting 
 birds’ eggs. Don’t you remember! We all 
 knew he was the biggest fool in the village— 
 that is, the biggest, except his father, Uncle 
 Toby. And yet he’d find a nest that none of 
 the rest of us would ever see. Maybe it’s the 
 same way here. Erwin, you’d better take a 
 needle and thread and pretend to be sewing 
 on this coat while I’m gone.” 
 
 “Where are you going!” inquired Erwin 
 hastily as his friend arose. 
 
 “I’ll be back in a few minutes,” replied 
 Taylor, ignoring the question. 
 
 Erwin obediently did as he had been bid¬ 
 den. Seating himself upon the ground he 
 drew the needle and thread through the cloth, 
 
72 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 apparently so engrossed in his task that he 
 did not even look up when some of his fel¬ 
 low prisoners occasionally passed the place 
 where he was seated. 
 
 An hour later Taylor returned and cau¬ 
 tiously displayed a cap he had secured. 
 
 “Where did you get it!” asked Erwin. 
 “Got more than one?” 
 
 “No, only one. I borrowed that.” 
 
 “Borrowed it? Where?” 
 
 “In Lieutenant Evans’s tent. I went back 
 to get more thread, and when I saw the cap 
 —why, I just borrowed it. Now, then, listen, 
 Erwin. I may not have a chance to explain 
 again, or at least to say all I want to say to 
 you. I think to-night is the very time to try 
 our scheme. It is cloudy, and yet I don’t 
 believe it’s going to rain. If it does I’m 
 afraid our chance is gone.” 
 
 “Why?” 
 
 “In the dark the guard will make sure 
 who’s passing—that is, he will if it’s real 
 dark. I want just light enough to let him see 
 that we’re two men dressed in the Johnnies’ 
 gray. Perhaps we would do better not to be 
 together all the time this afternoon. I’ll go 
 
A SCHEME 
 
 73 
 
 to the other side of the pen for awhile. When 
 it’s dinner time I’ll come back and help you 
 cook our rice. If you have a chance put 
 some of it, too, in your pocket. We may 
 want it. When the sun has set, or pretty 
 soon after that, we’ll start. My plan is for 
 each of us to roll up one of these coats and 
 carry it under his arm. We’ll go as near to 
 the guard on the north side of the pen as we 
 can, and then we’ll slip on the coats. I’ll 
 take the long one and I’ll take the cap, too. 
 Then, we’ll just saunter toward the guard 
 and watch our chances. I think our coats 
 will pass us. If they don’t, why, they don’t, 
 that’s all. In that case the guard’ll probably 
 stop us, and very likely we’ll be shut up in 
 the guardhouse to a diet of water and mouldy 
 bread for awhile. We haven’t much to lose 
 and we have everything to gain. But we’ll 
 make it, Erwin, we’ll make it!” 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
 NEAR THE FIRES 
 
 In the long afternoon, which slowly passed, 
 Erwin endeavored to regain control of him¬ 
 self. The bidding of Taylor for him to lie 
 down and obtain the rest which would help 
 him in the trying experiences that might soon 
 come was ignored. Indeed, Erwin marveled 
 at his friend when the latter stretched him¬ 
 self on the sole blanket the two prisoners 
 possessed and instantly fell asleep. 
 
 It was almost time for the prisoners to pre¬ 
 pare their rice for dinner when Taylor at 
 last awoke. Even then he lay motionless for 
 a time watching his friend, who was standing 
 near him. 
 
 “Come on, Taylor,” called Erwin, unable 
 to endure the suspense longer. “We must 
 look after our rice or the mess will not leave 
 a scrap for us.” 
 
 The young prisoner arose at the summons 
 and in a brief time announced his readiness 
 
 74 
 
NEAR THE FIRES 
 
 75 
 
 to accompany liis friend. When the mess 
 assembled and the food had been prepared, 
 each of the two boys stealthily hid a part of 
 his portion in the pocket of his tattered coat. 
 
 “I’m coming to see you early to-morrow 
 morning,’’ whispered Samuel, who also be¬ 
 longed to the same mess. Taylor and Erwin 
 had turned away from the cooking place 
 about to start for their own quarters, but 
 both stopped when Uncle Sam approached. 
 
 “Do so. Don’t forget,” said Taylor 
 lightly. 
 
 “I’m not likely to forget. Maybe I’ll go 
 . back with you now. Have you thought out 
 your plan yet?” 
 
 “No. I must have solitude and reflection. 
 You are aware of my meaning, are you not?” 
 inquired Taylor soberly. 
 
 “I guess you mean you don’t want me 
 around.” 
 
 ‘ ‘ I have always said you were a wise chap, 
 Uncle Sam.” 
 
 “I know a thing or two, and some things 
 besides,” said Samuel. “I don’t intend to 
 let you fellows fool me. I’m a partner or 
 I’m an—” 
 
76 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “You are, you certainly are,” laughed Tay¬ 
 lor, as Samuel hesitated. 
 
 “You’ll find out all right.” 
 
 Samuel was walking beside his compan¬ 
 ions, doubtless aware that his presence was 
 not desired and all the more eager to remain 
 because of that fact. When his two friends 
 continued on their way without manifesting 
 any intention of stopping at their own “quar¬ 
 ters,” Samuel’s purpose faltered. 
 
 “Where you going?” he demanded 
 sharply. 
 
 “We haven’t started for Yankeeland yet,” 
 explained Erwin. 
 
 “I guess I know that. But where are 
 you going?” 
 
 “Going with you.” 
 
 “I’m not going anywhere.” 
 
 “Same place we’re bound for.” 
 
 “You trying to get rid of me?” 
 
 “Who suggested such an idea as that to 
 you, Uncle Sam?” 
 
 “I thought of it myself.” 
 
 “No! Did you?” 
 
 “I’m not going to tramp around this place 
 all night,” declared Samuel abruptly as he 
 
NEAR THE FIRES 
 
 77 
 
 halted. “It’ll be dark soon. I’ve got all I 
 want to do without wandering around the 
 pen. I’ll see you in the morning.’’ 
 
 “Look here, Uncle Sam,” called Taylor 
 sharply in a low voice, as Samuel turned 
 away. “Suppose we haven’t any scheme? 
 Suppose I can’t think of any plan! What 
 are you going to do then?” 
 
 “Just what I told you. I know you, Tay¬ 
 lor Cooper! I know you don’t fix coats just 
 for fun. You’ve got some scheme or other 
 in your head. I want to know what it is. 
 And you promised to tell me what it is, 
 too.” 
 
 “Nay, Uncle Sam. I promised to tell you 
 if I could find one, to-morrow morning. You 
 must help. You must find one, too. You 
 know what happened to Anthony Wood. We 
 must think of something that will be safe and 
 sure. I want to get away from here as much 
 as you do. But I don’t want to leave camp 
 the way poor Anthony did. ’ ’ 
 
 Samuel made no response and continued 
 on his way. “There! He’s gone at last,” 
 exclaimed Taylor. “I began to be afraid 
 he’d spoil everything.” 
 
78 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “So was I. Isn’t it dark enough now to 
 try it!” 
 
 “Yes.” 
 
 “Let’s do it, then,” said Erwin, his voice 
 trembling slightly. 
 
 “Very well. Erwin, do you realize what 
 it means?” 
 
 “Yes.” 
 
 “We may not get through. You under¬ 
 stand that—and what may happen to us if 
 we don’t?” 
 
 “I do,” whispered Erwin. 
 
 “And you’re ready to take the chances?” 
 
 “I am. I want to try it. I can’t stand 
 it here another day.” 
 
 “You can if you have to. Come on, we’ll 
 go back to get our coats. I think we’d bet¬ 
 ter keep together. I’ve been thinking of Un¬ 
 cle Sam’s finding the nests when we were lit¬ 
 tle fellows at home. I believe his plan is 
 best.” 
 
 ‘ ‘ What plan ? How is it best ? I don’t un¬ 
 derstand. ’ ’ 
 
 “Why, the simplest way will be the safest. 
 We must walk straight to the guard and not 
 act as if we were dodging. If there’s any 
 
NEAR TEE FIRES 
 
 79 
 
 talking to be done you’d better let me do it. 
 Our first point of danger will be when we 
 cross the dead line. If we stop or act nerv¬ 
 ous there we are lost. Follow me right on. 
 There! ’ ’ Taylor suddenly exclaimed. 4 ‘ There 
 go the fires!” 
 
 For a moment both boys stopped and gazed 
 at the bonfires that had just been kindled at 
 intervals in a circle about the prison pen. 
 Figures of men could be seen moving about 
 the fires or passing from one blaze to an¬ 
 other. Scores of Confederates were plainly 
 to be seen directing the work and looking to 
 the means that were expected to prevent the 
 escape of any of the prisoners from the great 
 lot on which the pen was located. 
 
 “The boldest course is best,” said Taylor 
 quickly. “Come on. This is the time for us 
 to be up and doing.” Taylor spoke in low 
 tones that thrilled his companion. Neither 
 spoke as they hastened to the place where 
 the coats and the cap had been left. Hastily 
 securing them, the young prisoners looked 
 cautiously about and then walked briskly 
 toward the outer part of the camp. 
 
 Again they halted and when they were con- 
 
80 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 vinced that their actions could not be seen 
 by others, at Taylor’s suggestion they both 
 donned the coats of the officers, placing them 
 over their own ragged garments. Taylor 
 also placed his borrowed cap on his head and 
 hesitating a moment he inquired, “How is it, 
 Erwin? Do I look the part? Do I resemble 
 Lieutenant Evans?” 
 
 “You’ll find out in a minute,” whispered 
 Erwin. “Don’t stop here any longer! Go 
 ahead! I’ll follow you.” 
 
 In silence the two boys turned toward the 
 line of guards. Before them the kindled fires 
 were blazing. Fires, too, were to be seen 
 inside the camp at occasional places where a 
 few of the unfortunate prisoners were able 
 by some means to obtain some pieces of 
 wood. 
 
 / 
 
 Taylor’s confident manner as he led the 
 way did not deceive his friend. He was mak¬ 
 ing a supreme effort to be calm and yet every 
 nerve in his body seemed to be tingling in his 
 excitement. He endeavored to keep his eyes 
 fixed on the line of fires glowing before him, 
 yet continually he was glancing on either 
 side, fearful of the approach of a guard or 
 
NEAR THE FIRES 
 
 81 
 
 dreading to hear the shout of warning, or 
 worse still, the report of a rifle discharged 
 by unseen hands. 
 
 Suddenly Taylor stopped abruptly and 
 clutched the arm of his friend. Directly be¬ 
 fore them Erwin could see a man approach¬ 
 ing, and in the dim light he was convinced 
 that it was Lieutenant Evans whose coat 
 Taylor was wearing. Erwin’s first impulse 
 was to run from the place, but his friend’s 
 grasp prevented him, and in a moment the 
 young prisoners were face to face with the 
 lieutenant. 
 
 4 ‘We’ve brought your coats,” called Tay¬ 
 lor, as Lieutenant Evans stopped. 
 
 “That’s kind of you,” laughed the young 
 officer as he recognized Taylor. “Who is 
 that with you ? ” he added. 
 
 “My apprentice. He’s learning how to 
 sew, but I’m afraid he’ll never amount to 
 much as a tailor. I let him work on Lieu¬ 
 tenant Kelber’s coat. Yours I fixed my¬ 
 self. ’ ’ 
 
 “That’s good of you,” said the lieutenant, 
 laughing again. “No, no. Don’t take it 
 off,” he added kindly as Taylor began to di- 
 
82 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 vest himself of the garment. ‘ 4 Keep it on. 
 It’s cold to-night, and you need it more than 
 I do. Bring it to me in the morning. If it 
 was in my power, sir, I’d be glad to let you 
 keep it, though you-all might not enjoy wear¬ 
 ing a Confederate officer’s uniform in the 
 daytime. ’ ’ 
 
 ‘ 1 It makes me hot, even now, ’ ’ replied Tay¬ 
 lor dryly. 
 
 “That’s good, sir.” 
 
 “Where did you say Lieutenant Kelber 
 is?” Taylor inquired. 
 
 “I don’t think I said, sir. He’s outside 
 attending to the fires. He’ll be back di¬ 
 rectly. ’ ’ 
 
 “Well, we’ll give him his coat anyway. 
 He may not feel about it as you do.” 
 
 “No, sir. I’m afraid he won’t. If he 
 knew a Yank had had it on his back he’d 
 want the garment fumigated.” 
 
 “I shouldn’t blame him if the Yank had 
 been shut up in this prison pen very long. 
 Any word of our being transferred?” 
 
 “Not a word, sir.” 
 
 The good-natured lieutenant departed, ap¬ 
 parently not a suspicion of the purpose 
 
NEAR THE FIRES 
 
 83 
 
 of the two prisoners having entered his 
 mind. 
 
 “That was a close call, Taylor/’ whispered 
 Erwin, as the two boys continued on their 
 way toward the border of the camp. 
 
 “Yes and no. I told you the boldest way 
 was the safest.’’ 
 
 Erwin made no response. They were 
 drawing near the guard now and had crossed 
 the dead line. Apparently either their bold¬ 
 ness or the dim light of the cloudy night shel¬ 
 tered them, for not a hail was given them. 
 Erwin was bolder now in the face of the deep¬ 
 ening peril. The supreme test was at hand. 
 The picket guard was to be seen on his duty, 
 marching back and forth on his beat before 
 them. 
 
 6 ‘ Guard, which way did Lieutenant Kelber 
 go!” inquired Taylor, advancing a few steps 
 until he could be seen but without being 
 recognized, as he was trusting. The young 
 prisoner was relying upon his “uniform” to 
 protect him now. 
 
 The soldier on duty halted and peered at 
 Taylor. Hesitating a moment he said, ‘ ‘ He’s 
 out yonder, sub. Who sent you!” 
 
84 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “Lieutenant Evans told us he was here.” 
 Taylor was drawling his words in his attempt 
 to appear indifferent as well as to imitate the 
 dialect of the Southern soldiers. “We might 
 wait heah till he returns,” he added 
 
 “You-all will find him somewhar in th’ fiah 
 line,” suggested the guard, apparently satis¬ 
 fied with his inspection. 
 
 “I’m so doggone tired,” said Taylor with 
 a yawn, “I believe I’ll go back an’ wait fo’ 
 him. You recken he’ll come back this heah 
 wayf’ ’ 
 
 “I dunno. Yo’ bettah stir yo’selves an’ 
 find him.” 
 
 ‘ 1 1 reckon we had, ’ ’ admitted Taylor. ‘ 6 If 
 he comes back this way, would yo’ mind tel- 
 lin’ him Lieutenant Evans would be grati¬ 
 fied if he would come to see him befo’ break¬ 
 fast in th’ mawnin’?” 
 
 “Find him yo’self!” retorted the guard, 
 who had now resumed his beat. 
 
 Slowly, as if the search was a task for 
 which he had slight relish, Taylor spoke to 
 Erwin and they passed the guard. Erwin’s 
 face was wet with perspiration in spite of the 
 chilliness of the night. His teeth had an un- 
 
NEAR THE FIRES 
 
 85 
 
 accountable tendency to chatter and it was 
 only by exerting himself that he restrained 
 his impulse to break into a mad flight. Slowly 
 the boys advanced, turning slightly to their 
 left as they proceeded, until the form of the 
 guard could no longer be discerned behind 
 them. Before them was the line of blazing 
 fires which must be crossed. Both boys 
 realized the peril of this venture—the most 
 perilous of all their attempts of the night. 
 
 As the young soldiers approached, they 
 were able to see that every man in the line 
 was supposed to care for three of the fires 
 and divided his time and attention among 
 them. It was impossible for the boys to pass 
 the line without being seen. Again Taylor 
 decided that the bolder was likely to prove 
 the safer way. Whispering a word of en¬ 
 couragement to Erwin, he led the way di¬ 
 rectly toward the nearest of the attendants, 
 who was not more than fifty feet in front 
 of them. 
 
 The man’s rifle was on the ground near 
 him while he was throwing some logs upon 
 the blazing heap. 
 
 v “Yo’ all want some help, suli?” demanded 
 
86 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 Taylor, as he and his comrade drew near. 
 
 The unexpected hail plainly startled the 
 man, for he instantly dropped the log from 
 his arms and hastily seizing his rifle, peered 
 intently at the two men who had approached. 
 
The unexpected hail plainly startled the man.— Page 86. 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 FAILURE 
 
 “We uns are a lookin’ for Lieutenant Kel- 
 ber,” drawled Taylor. 
 
 Plainly relieved by the words, the guard 
 turned quickly and called to some one not far 
 away, though he could not be seen in the dim 
 light of the fire. 
 
 In response to the guard’s hail a man 
 quickly appeared and approached the place 
 where the two young soldiers were standing. 
 The consternation of the boys was great 
 when they both recognized the approaching 
 man as Lieutenant Kelber himself. 
 
 “What’s wanted!” demanded the officer 
 sharply. 
 
 “These two men are a lookin’ fo’ you,” re¬ 
 plied the guard. Taylor instantly removed 
 his cap and the officer turned quickly to him 
 for an explanation of the guard’s statement. 
 
 “Yes, sir. We are looking for you,” said 
 Taylor, striving to speak indifferently. “We 
 
 87 
 
88 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 have your coat ready. Lieutenant Evans 
 told us you were here.” 
 
 “My coat! Lieutenant Evans! What do 
 you mean!” 
 
 “Why, we are the prisoners who were fix¬ 
 ing over your coats—yours and Lieutenant 
 Evans’s.” 
 
 “What are you doing with them here out¬ 
 side the guard line! You’ve got the coats on, 
 too! ’ ’ exclaimed the officer sternly. 
 
 “Yes, sir. We have. That was the easi¬ 
 est way to carry them. Besides, it’s cold to¬ 
 night, and we both thought we’d like to know 
 how a warm coat made a man feel. It’s 
 been a long time since we had such a thing. ’ ’ 
 
 “You come back with me,” said the offi¬ 
 cer sternly. “I’ll look into this. I reckon 
 the place for you uns is behind the stockade. 
 You say you passed the guard!” 
 
 “Why, yes, sir,” responded Taylor in ap¬ 
 parent surprise. “We met Lieutenant 
 Evans back here. He told me to keep his 
 coat till morning. He said, too, that you 
 were here somewhere, and we might give 
 your coat to you.” 
 
FAILURE 
 
 89 
 
 “Did he come with you across the dead 
 line ? ’’ 
 
 “I can’t just say as to that. It was so 
 dark we couldn’t tell just where we were.” 
 
 “Did he pass the guard!” 
 
 “No, sir.” 
 
 “Come. I must look into this. You 
 Yanks are all a bad lot. I wouldn’t trust you 
 as far as I can throw a ’possum by the tail. 
 Come on. We’ll have this matter straight¬ 
 ened out directly.” 
 
 Obediently Taylor and Erwin followed the 
 lieutenant as he led the way back into the 
 camp. The night was too dark to enable 
 either of the prisoners to see the face of his 
 companion, but Taylor did not require any 
 light to enable him to understand how de¬ 
 pressed Erwin was by the outcome of their 
 attempt to escape. 
 
 Not a word was spoken until the trio ar¬ 
 rived at the quarters of Lieutenant Evans. 
 When that officer came forth at the demand 
 of the conductor of the returning prisoners, 
 he gazed first at the disconsolate boys and 
 then at Lieutenant Kelber. 
 
90 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “You know these men?” inquired Lieuten¬ 
 ant Kelber. 
 
 “Yes, sir, I recognize them. One of them 
 has on a coat of mine and the other is wear¬ 
 ing one of yours.” 
 
 “Did you give the coats to them?” 
 
 “I did.” 
 
 “Did you send these men out to the fires?” 
 
 “No, sir.” 
 
 i 1 Didn’t you tell us to find Lieutenant Kel¬ 
 ber and give him his coat?” inquired Taylor 
 eagerly. 
 
 For a moment Lieutenant Evans hesitated. 
 Then, turning once more to his fellow officer, 
 he said, “I reckon it’s all right, lieutenant. 
 I recollect telling these prisoners to take your 
 coat to you. I didn’t expect them to follow 
 you all the way to Washington, though.” 
 
 “You made a mistake!” sternly said Lieu¬ 
 tenant Kelber, who was an older man than 
 his companion. “If I hadn’t found them 
 when I did they would have been gone by 
 now.” 
 
 “I reckon they wouldn’t have gone very 
 far. The dogs would have had them before 
 they’d gone a mile. They aren’t such fools 
 
FAILURE 
 
 91 
 
 as to try that. You’re making too much of 
 the matter, lieutenant. I must say they were 
 running a big risk in followin’ yo’ up as they 
 did. They’ll know better next time.” 
 
 The dogs to which Lieutenant Evans re¬ 
 ferred were packs of bloodhounds that every 
 night and morning patroled the borders of 
 the camp. In charge of them was the keeper 
 of the hounds, a man almost as savage and 
 brutal in his appearance as the fierce pack 
 he commanded. Taylor and Erwin often had 
 discussed the ability of the savage dogs to 
 detect the footprint of a Yankee. Every day 
 a multitude of white men and black as well as 
 many horses and mules came to the prison 
 pen. Their footprints in the soft mud near 
 the borders of the prison pen were numerous 
 and confusing. How it was that the great 
 bloodhounds on their rounds would ignore the 
 tracks of every one of these and then stop 
 and with loud yelps suddenly swerve from 
 their course when they detected the presence 
 of a prisoner’s footprint in the confused 
 mass, had frequently been a source of won¬ 
 der to both Taylor and Erwin. Neither was 
 familiar with the ways of the huge brutes, 
 
92 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 and both stood in fear of them—a fear 
 greatly magnified by the current reports of 
 the certainty with which the dogs ran down 
 escaping “niggers” or fleeing prisoners. In¬ 
 deed, one of the most perplexing of the prob¬ 
 lems in the event of escaping from the prison 
 pen was the flight from the packs that doubt¬ 
 less would be sent in swift pursuit as soon as 
 it was discovered that the prisoners were 
 missing. 
 
 1 6 It’s a good thing the fence is nearly 
 done,” suggested Lieutenant Kelber. “It’s 
 all up except on the west side, and the creek 
 there, as well as the swamp, is almost as 
 good as a fence. Fo’ my part, sir, I think 
 these two men ought to be shut up in the 
 stockade.” The “stockade,” as both boys 
 well knew, was an enclosure in the center of 
 the prison camp itself. The place was sur¬ 
 rounded by a high fence having sharp pick¬ 
 ets. To escape from the enclosure was 
 impossible. All dangerous or offensive pris¬ 
 oners, as well as those who were paying the 
 penalty for infringement of the rules of the 
 camp, were confined there. The poor and in¬ 
 sufficient food, the cramped and crowded 
 
FAILURE 
 
 93 
 
 quarters in addition to the suspicion under 
 which the man rested who had been once 
 sentenced to the vile place, were already 
 known by both boys. 
 
 “It can be easily arranged, sir, if yo’ de¬ 
 sire it,’ 9 suggested Lieutenant Evans. 
 
 “I’ll leave the matter in yo’ hands. I 
 reckon you are a bit easy though and the 
 discipline of the camp must be kept up.” 
 
 When Lieutenant Kelber departed, Lieu¬ 
 tenant Evans turned to the two boys and said 
 quickly, ‘ ‘ Why did yo ’ all try it ! 99 
 
 “Try what!” inquired Taylor. 
 
 “Yo’ know what I mean.” 
 
 Neither of the boys replied to the question. 
 
 “I reckon you are not so very different 
 from me, an’ I know what I’d have tried if 
 I’d been in your places. I’m not sayin’ I 
 blame yo’, except fo’ your foolishness. I 
 reckon yo’ will have to go to the stockade.” 
 
 ‘ ‘ For trying to do what you say you your¬ 
 self would have tried if you had been in our 
 places!” inquired Taylor. 
 
 “Yes, sir. That doesn’t make any differ¬ 
 ence. Yo’ know you were tryin’ to get away. 
 There’s a report that an exchange is goin’ 
 
94 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 to be made in a day or two. I should like 
 to have seen you-all in the lists and I reckon 
 I might have helped a bit, too. But it can’t 
 be done now, sir.” 
 
 Even Taylor’s hopefulness was not proof 
 against the suggestion of the warm-hearted 
 young officer, who was different from all the 
 other men in command of the prison camp. 
 Indeed, frequently he had told Taylor in the 
 conversations they had had, how bitterly he 
 regretted the terrible war. He had a brother, 
 too, who had remained North after he had 
 completed his college course at one of the 
 Northern colleges and at the breaking out of 
 the war he had enlisted as a soldier of the 
 Union. Keenly as Lieutenant Evans be¬ 
 wailed the disgrace that had befallen his 
 family, because one of its members had been 
 disloyal, as he believed, to his state, his sym¬ 
 pathies were still sufficiently broad to enable 
 him to appreciate and even honor the con¬ 
 victions of those who did not agree with him. 
 He himself had followed the example of Gen¬ 
 eral Lee, the beloved commander, - who had 
 entered the Confederate service still loving 
 the Union, but believing that the call of his 
 
FAILURE 
 
 95 
 
 own state was superior to every other appeal. 
 Frequently, too, the young officer had de¬ 
 clared that the trouble could end at once if 
 the Northern armies would leave the South¬ 
 ern States alone. To the suggestion of Tay¬ 
 lor that the armies of the North were not 
 where they were by choice, and that one word 
 would send home every blue-coated soldier, 
 the lieutenant did not respond. 
 
 That the young officer would not be 
 swerved from his duty as he saw it, Taylor 
 and Erwin both understood. Accordingly, 
 neither was surprised when they were told 
 that they must leave the coats that had been 
 repaired and must be taken at once to the 
 stockade. 
 
 The week during which the two young pris¬ 
 oners were confined within the narrow limits 
 of the stockade was one of misery. Without 
 shelter from the rains that steadily fell, hav¬ 
 ing neither clothing that could warm nor any 
 occupation to help them pass the dreary 
 hours, the food which was provided became 
 almost nauseating. Their sole relief was in 
 the gift to each of them of two onions which 
 Lieutenant Evans had made when he had 
 
96 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 taken them to the prison within the prison, 
 as the stockade virtually was. So many of 
 their fellow prisoners were suffering from 
 scurvy that the preventive diet was eagerly 
 welcomed by both boys. 
 
 Taylor apparently kept up his spirits in 
 spite of his dismal surroundings and the 
 memory of the failure that had crowned their 
 efforts to escape. He steadily endeavored to 
 cheer his friend, appealing to him not to 
 abandon hope. Their one purpose must not 
 he forgotten he declared cheerily every morn¬ 
 ing, and that was to keep themselves in such 
 condition that the prevailing sickness among 
 the prisoners should not attack them. In a 
 way, too, Taylor’s efforts were not without a 
 measure of success. When the week was 
 gone and through the kindly efforts of Lieu¬ 
 tenant Evans they were restored to the lib¬ 
 erty of the larger prison pen, neither was in 
 as bad a condition as both had feared. 
 
 Soon after their return to their former 
 quarters they were visited by Samuel. “Y’ 
 got what y’ deserved, didn’t ye?” he inquired 
 tauntingly, as he hailed the boys. 
 
FAILURE 
 
 97 
 
 “There’s one comfort for yon, Uncle 
 Sam,’’ retorted Erwin. “You didn’t have to 
 go to the stockade. It was a good thing for 
 yon that yon didn’t try to get away with ns.” 
 
 “There’s a lot more of onr men here now 
 in spite of the exchange,” said Samnel, ap¬ 
 parently ignoring the remark of his fellow 
 townsman. 
 
 “Yes, I see,” said Taylor, as he looked 
 abont the camp. “What was that yon said 
 abont exchanging! Has there been an ex¬ 
 change ! ’’ 
 
 “Yon’re right there has. Two hundred 
 and seventy-five got out on it. When the list 
 was read, some of our men whose names were 
 not in it played sharp . 9 9 
 
 i ‘ What did they do ! ” 
 
 “There were about fifty dead men on the 
 list. Some of onr men answered to the call 
 in place of those who had died in camp. 
 They were lucky. A good many of them 
 were taken out. I wish I’d been.” 
 
 “Why didn’t yon try it!” 
 
 “My turn will come. I’m glad I didn’t go 
 with yon. Yon might have told me and given 
 
98 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 me the chance, though. You’re watched now 
 and you won’t dare try it again. If you do, 
 you’ll be shot.” 
 
 “Who says so?” 
 
 ‘ ‘ Lieutenant Evans. He told me himself. ’ ’ 
 
 “What did you tell him about us?” in¬ 
 quired Taylor sharply. 
 
 “Not much. He asked me some ques¬ 
 tions.” 
 
 “Don’t forget what I told you,” said Tay¬ 
 lor sternly. 
 
 “About what?” 
 
 “About talking about us.” 
 
 “ ’Twon’t do any good now for you to try 
 to get away. The rebels have got the fence 
 all finished, and have guards posted on plat¬ 
 forms along the whole length of it. There is 
 a line of guards, too, along the inside, and 
 the outside of the fence. No chance now.” 
 
 With this parting word of comfort, which 
 Samuel apparently enjoyed, their visitor de¬ 
 parted. 
 
 “Taylor,” said Erwin, as soon as Uncle 
 Sam was gone, “we must find some way out. 
 I’d rather take my chances at being shot 
 than at staying here much longer.” 
 
FAILURE 
 
 99 
 
 66 We’ll keep quiet a few days, but we’ll 
 keep our eyes open. There is a way if we 
 can find it.” 
 
 “We must find it!” 
 
 “We will, then, if we must,” replied Tay¬ 
 lor, rejoiced at the manifest interest of his 
 friend. 
 
 Ten days, however, elapsed before either 
 found a scheme that seemed in any way fea¬ 
 sible. It was Erwin’s suggestion, too, and as 
 he unfolded his plan, his friend exclaimed— 
 “It’s worth trying! We’ll do it.” 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 
 OUTSIDE 
 
 Along a part of one side of the prison pen 
 a small stream sluggishly made its way. The 
 water was filthy and ill-smelling. The banks 
 of the little creek were carefully guarded and 
 every guard was armed with a rifle. At first 
 sight the place appeared to he one of the most 
 impassable of the barriers surrounding the 
 dreary camp. 
 
 To Erwin, however, the very morning of 
 the day when his proposal to his friend was 
 made a surprising discovery had come. He 
 had been strolling near the foul stream 
 watching the changing of the guards. One 
 of the retiring guards, glad to be relieved of 
 his post, had picked up two stones and 
 thrown them into the stream directly under 
 the fence that had been built twenty-five or 
 more feet lengthwise of the muddy creek. 
 
 The act was simple, but Erwin was startled 
 by the thought that the fence did not rest 
 
 100 
 
OUTSIDE 
 
 101 
 
 upon the bottom of the stream, but was only 
 a few inches below the surface. Instantly, 
 he concluded that between the bottom of the 
 fence and the bottom of the creek was an in¬ 
 tervening body of water which the pickets or 
 slabs did not touch. The thought was so sug¬ 
 gestive that he decided to make further in¬ 
 vestigations. After a brief time had elapsed 
 he took a strip of wood which some prisoner 
 had secured for firewood, and with it he re¬ 
 turned to the muddy stream. Striving to 
 appear indifferent, he dropped his torn hat 
 in the water when he was not observed and 
 then while he was pretending to reach for his 
 lost head-covering he at the same time thrust 
 his stick into the bottom of the stream. 
 
 As he had believed, he found the bottom 
 soft and muddy. Several inches of dark mud 
 that remained on the measuring rod partly 
 indicated how deep the soft bottom was. And 
 he had not found solid ground in his attempt. 
 What most interested him, however, was the 
 discovery that the water itself had a depth 
 of a foot and a half near the bank. If the 
 depth was as great as that near the shore a 
 fair inference might be drawn that the stream 
 
102 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 was still deeper where the fence was. The 
 bottom of the fence must be at least two feet 
 above the muddy bottom of the stream itself 
 —a space sufficiently large to permit a man to 
 crawl under it. 
 
 The discovery was suggestive to the young 
 prisoner. Several times in the morning 
 hours he returned to the place, striving by 
 his air of indifference to avoid arousing any 
 suspicions of the thought which now was 
 uppermost in his mind.' 
 
 In his investigations he sought, too, to 
 learn the exact location of the guards. He 
 was relieved when the hour of changing came 
 to find that the new guard took his stand at 
 the same place where his predecessor had 
 been. On the platforms which had been 
 built out upon the massive fence, the sharp¬ 
 shooters had their station. One platform 
 was on one side about thirty feet from the 
 bank of the stream and at the same distance 
 in the opposite direction was another on 
 which a picked man was stationed. The lo¬ 
 cality was well guarded and at first sight es¬ 
 cape by it was apparently impossible. 
 
 To Erwin’s excited mind, however, the 
 
OUTSIDE 
 
 103 
 
 project seemed to be more promising than 
 any he had found in his search. Even the 
 peril arising from the presence of the near-by 
 guards and sharpshooters was not sufficient 
 to deter him. Deeply aroused, he speedily 
 returned to his quarters, where Taylor was 
 working upon a coat which Lieutenant Evans 
 had sent him to repair. Either the lieuten¬ 
 ant had ceased to be suspicious or the luxury 
 of a mended coat had been too strong to re¬ 
 sist; Taylor was unable to determine which 
 motive had been stronger in the young of¬ 
 ficer’s mind, nor did he care if only some oc¬ 
 cupation was provided. 
 
 “What is it, Erwin?” inquired Taylor, as 
 he became aware of the eager expression on 
 his friend’s face. 
 
 “I think I have found something,” replied 
 Erwin in a low voice. 
 
 “Go ahead with your tale,” said Taylor, 
 bending low over his sewing. 
 
 “You know that place where the fence 
 around the camp follows the creek thirty feet 
 or more?” 
 
 “Yes.” 
 
 “Well, I’ve found that the fence doesn’t 
 
104 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 go clear down to the bottom of the stream.” 
 
 Taylor looked up quickly at the words, but 
 in a moment he hastily resumed his task. 
 “How much space is free!” he inquired. 
 
 “Two feet or more.” 
 
 “What makes you think so!” 
 
 Erwin described his experiments and indi¬ 
 cated the conclusions he had formed. 
 
 “That’s good,” said Taylor thoughtfully. 
 “There may be something in it. Go on.” 
 
 “We might go down there some dark night 
 and crawl under the fence.” 
 
 “Under the water!” 
 
 “Yes.” 
 
 “Go on.” 
 
 “I think we might crawl along on the bot¬ 
 tom, just keeping our noses out of the water, 
 till we had passed the guards—” 
 
 “You know there are four men there—two 
 guards and two sharpshooters! We’d have 
 to dodge all four.” 
 
 “Yes, and the hounds, too.” 
 
 “How do you propose to get past the 
 dogs!” 
 
 “Keep in the water till we have gone be¬ 
 yond them.” 
 
OUTSIDE 
 
 105 
 
 4 4 Gone where ?” 
 
 4 4 I don’t know. Somewhere, anywhere out 
 of this!” said Erwin, shuddering as he spoke. 
 
 “We don’t know anything about the coun¬ 
 try around the camp.” 
 
 “The creek must go somewhere. If we 
 follow it for awhile we shan’t lose our way.” 
 
 “That’s a good idea. When do you want 
 to try?” 
 
 “The first dark night.” 
 
 “To-night?” 
 
 “If it’s dark.” 
 
 “I don’t believe it’ll be dark enough for 
 our plan,” said Taylor, glancing at the sky. 
 
 “To-morrow night, then—or the first dark 
 night. ’ ’ 
 
 “You understand how filthy the creek is?” 
 
 “Yes. Yes.” 
 
 “We’ll have to keep our heads under the 
 water part of the time.” 
 
 44 1 know that. ’ ’ 
 
 44 It’s worth trying. We’ll do it,” said 
 Taylor warmly. 
 
 Two days passed and the plan of the young 
 prisoners was still deferred. The nights 
 were clear and cold and the darkness was not 
 
106 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 sufficiently deep to warrant any attempt. On 
 the afternoon of the third day, however, 
 when Taylor rejoined his friend at their 
 quarters, he said, ‘ 4 Erwin, have you kept 
 away from the creek V 9 
 
 “Yes. I haven’t been near it but once 
 since I spoke to you.” 
 
 “That’s good. Have you seen Uncle 
 Sam?” 
 
 “He’s been here twice.” 
 
 ‘ ‘ What did he have to say ? ’ ’ 
 
 “Not very much. He doesn’t suspect any¬ 
 thing. ’ ’ 
 
 “I wish I felt sure of that. You can’t 
 trust him. I’m of the opinion he’s watching 
 us all the time.” 
 
 “Why!” 
 
 “I haven’t any real reason, except that I’m 
 afraid of him. He’s a fellow you never can 
 depend upon. He’d do anything to hurt us if 
 he thought he’d be the gainer by it. Er¬ 
 win,” Taylor added abruptly, “I think we’d 
 better try it to-night.” 
 
 “It isn’t going to rain. It won’t be any 
 darker than it was last night.” 
 
 “That will be dark enough. I wish we’d 
 
OUTSIDE 
 
 107 
 
 gone ahead then. I have thought it all over 
 and I’ve come to the conclusion that a rainy 
 night won’t be as good for us as a still, dark 
 one.” 
 
 “They’ll see us. The guard can fire at 
 us,” suggested Erwin. 
 
 “That’s true, but it’s just as true that we 
 must be able to see a little of our way our¬ 
 selves. These southern nights are dark any¬ 
 way, and there won’t be any moon to-night. ’ ’ 
 
 “I’m ready to try it if you are,” re¬ 
 sponded Erwin quietly. 
 
 “Better be ready then. We’ll wait till the 
 camp is asleep, though we mustn’t wait too 
 long. If we get out we want to put a big 
 distance between us and Camp Sorghum by 
 sunrise. We’d better talk over a few of the 
 details.” 
 
 “What do you propose?” 
 
 “I think we’d better go together—at least 
 to the creek. There, I’ll slip into the water 
 first and crawl under the fence. If I get 
 along all right, you follow me in about five 
 minutes. I’ll keep on down the creek and 
 that’s what you must do, too.” 
 
 “Where’ll we meet!” 
 
108 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “Have to wait and see about that. When 
 I find a good place I’ll stop and keep watch 
 for you to come along. If yon hear a—if 
 you hear anything that may have happened 
 to me—you make a break for it and look 
 out for yourself. We may be separated any¬ 
 way. ’ ’ 
 
 Erwin was quiet for a moment. He was 
 aware that his friend was voicing what was 
 not only possible but probable. The project 
 was filled with peril. The chances of passing 
 the guard were desperate, and yet Erwin was 
 now in a frame of mind in which even the 
 direst possibilities could not check him. 
 
 In a brief time the boys separated and 
 were not together again until the hour ar¬ 
 rived for “dinner.” Both ate all the food 
 they received, having previously decided that 
 the filthy stream would spoil any provisions 
 they might try to carry with them. Where 
 or when their next meal would be found was 
 not even a matter of conjecture. 
 
 At nine o’clock both young prisoners were 
 at their quarters. As they stretched them¬ 
 selves upon the ground Taylor whispered— 
 “We must not wait, Erwin. I’ve been think- 
 
OUTSIDE 
 
 109 
 
 ing more about it and I believe we’ll stand 
 a better chance to go now before everything 
 about the camp is quiet.” 
 
 “I think you’re right. I’m ready when 
 you are. It’s dark enough any time.” 
 
 “You meet me at the creek, then,” whis¬ 
 pered Taylor, as he arose and departed in 
 the darkness. 
 
 Excited as Erwin was, he still moved cau¬ 
 tiously and carefully when a few minutes 
 afterward he, too, started for the meeting 
 place. 
 
 He was rejoiced when later he found Tay¬ 
 lor lying on the ground near the stream and 
 he, too, took his place beside his friend. Not 
 a person had spoken to them, and apparently 
 no one was near. The dim outline of the 
 sharpshooter on the raised platform could be 
 seen, but if he had discovered their presence 
 he at least betrayed no sign. 
 
 When two minutes had passed Taylor 
 pressed his friend’s hand and slowly slid into 
 the water. 
 
 Erwin, almost breathless, watched his de¬ 
 parting friend, but in a brief time not even 
 Taylor’s head could be seen. The guard 
 
110 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 was invisible, and when Erwin glanced again 
 at the sharpshooter he, too, apparently was 
 not suspicious. The young prisoner was 
 listening intently. At any moment the call 
 of the guard or the report of his gun might 
 be heard. What the report would mean Er¬ 
 win understood only too well. How slowly 
 the time passed. Was it five minutes or an 
 hour since his friend had entered the stream? 
 Erwin could not decide. He worked his way 
 a little nearer the water. What an evil odor 
 it had! Had Taylor been caught and held 
 by the mud? A half-dozen possible dire mis¬ 
 fortunes might have been met by his friend. 
 The suspense and uncertainty were harder 
 to bear than action. Erwin slipped slowly 
 and cautiously into the water. 
 
 Creeping upon his hands, his body sub¬ 
 merged, he crawled steadily forward. The 
 foul water almost choked him. The soft mud 
 of the bottom was so yielding that it was 
 only with the greatest difficulty he continued 
 to keep his face above the water. Occasion¬ 
 ally he stopped to listen. There was a roar¬ 
 ing in his ears and the beatings of his heart 
 sounded almost like a drum. Steadily, cau- 
 
OUTSIDE 
 
 111 
 
 tiously he drew himself forward until at last 
 he could see the high fence directly in front 
 of him. The supreme moment had arrived. 
 
 Drawing a full breath and grasping the 
 bottom of the fence, he drew himself under¬ 
 neath it. His body was on the muddy bot¬ 
 tom, but he did not stop. Striving desper¬ 
 ately to be quiet in his movements at last he 
 gained the water on the further side. As 
 he lifted his face above the stream it seemed 
 to Erwin for a moment that he must cough. 
 The filthy water was almost strangling him. 
 By a great effort he controlled himself. He 
 was still near the fence and when his eyes 
 were partly cleared he eagerly looked about 
 for the guard. At first he was unable to dis¬ 
 cover the man. Soon, however, he saw him 
 seated on the ground, his back leaning 
 against the trunk of a huge tree. Had the 
 guard seen him! Was he watching even 
 now! The uncertainty had not departed 
 when once more Erwin began slowly to crawl 
 forward. 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 
 IN THE SWAMP 
 
 When Erwin liad advanced two yards lie 
 stopped and peered once more at tlie dim 
 form of the guard. Apparently the man had 
 not moved. He was not more than twenty 
 feet from the place in the stream where the 
 young prisoner was crouching. The silence 
 of the night was suddenly broken when in 
 response to the call of the adjoining guard, 
 
 the man in front of Erwin slowlv arose and 
 
 •/ 
 
 sleepily called: “Post number foali! Half 
 past nine o’clock. And a-l-l’s w-e-1-1!” 
 
 In a turmoil of excitement Erwin was 
 breathing rapidly. Exerting himself to the 
 utmost he still endeavored to lie motionless. 
 Much of his body was covered by the dark 
 water, and his face, except the left side, was 
 also submerged. Almost fascinated, he 
 watched the guard, who yawned, stretched 
 his arms, and then a moment later resumed 
 his seat at the base of the tree against 
 
 112 
 
IN THE SWAMP 
 
 113 
 
 which he before had been leaning. A feeling 
 of exultation came to the young prisoner 
 which for the moment almost enabled him to 
 forget the filthy water that was well-nigh 
 strangling him. 
 
 Waiting for what seemed to Erwin a suf¬ 
 ficient time to ensure the sleep of the guard, 
 if the man really was sleeping, he resumed 
 his slow advance. The slightest noise would 
 arouse the sentinel now. Not a ripple must 
 be heard. The advance was by inches. Once 
 Erwin felt his hands slip down into a hole 
 in the bed of the stream. The vile water 
 again filled his mouth and nose, and almost 
 forced him to cough. By a great effort, he 
 restrained the impulse. His face was turned 
 toward the guard. The sharpshooter on the 
 platform was hidden from his sight by the 
 few trees that intervened. His sole danger, 
 at least for the moment, lay with the guard. 
 
 Not a movement had the man made since 
 Erwin had resumed his crawling. Fortu¬ 
 nately the stream was as shallow as he and 
 Taylor had thought it was. Only occasion¬ 
 ally did the bed dip and so slow was the 
 progress of the desperate boy that he was 
 
114 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 already prepared when his fingers found the 
 deeper places. 
 
 One yard, two yards, five yards had been 
 successfully passed. As yet the guard had 
 not betrayed any knowledge of the escape. 
 The fear of the discovery in the camp that 
 the two prisoners were gone now seized upon 
 Erwin. The guard was at least thirty feet 
 away, though his form still could be plainly 
 seen by the desperate young soldier. It 
 seemed to Erwin that the time had come 
 when with safety he might increase the speed 
 at which he was moving. Just before him, 
 projecting a few inches above the water, was 
 a long root. Reaching forward, Erwin 
 grasped the root and strove to pull himself 
 by its aid. 
 
 Suddenly the root snapped in his hands. 
 It was not a root at all—only a dead branch 
 of a tree projecting over the stream. Terri¬ 
 fied by the sharp report of the snapping 
 branch, it was only with difficulty that Erwin 
 controlled his wild impulse to rise and flee 
 from the place. His only hope seemed to lie 
 in swift flight. 
 
 Instantly, however, realizing the peril of 
 
IN THE SWAMP 
 
 115 
 
 any such action, he sank once more into the 
 stream and lay still. In terror he glanced 
 back at the guard. He could see that the 
 man was sitting erect now, plainly startled 
 by the sharp sound of the breaking branch. 
 In a moment the guard sat erect and Erwin 
 could see that he was holding his rifle in his 
 hands. His face, too, was turned toward the 
 place from which the sound had come. For 
 a moment it seemed to Erwin that he him¬ 
 self was seen. 
 
 His alarm increased when the guard si¬ 
 lently arose and advanced a few steps nearer 
 the place where the soldier was lying in the 
 stream. For an instant Erwin thought of 
 Taylor, wondering where his friend was at 
 that moment. His own escape apparently 
 was hopeless now. The sole thought in his 
 mind was, that by remaining quiet he might, 
 perhaps, help Taylor. In his eagerness to 
 secure one escaping prisoner the guard might 
 not make any effort to ascertain whether or 
 not there were others near him. Taylor 
 might now have gone so far beyond the bor¬ 
 ders that he at least would be free. 
 
 Suddenly Erwin became aware that the 
 
116 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 guard had stopped. He could see the man 
 leaning forward, peering intently into the 
 darkness in the direction whence the sound 
 of the broken branch had come. Had he 
 seen the face of the crouching prisoner? 
 Breathless in his suspense, Erwin waited and 
 watched the man on the shore not far away. 
 How long a time elapsed Erwin never knew, 
 but at last the guard, apparently satisfied 
 that he had been mistaken, or that the sound, 
 if he really had heard one, was innocent, 
 slowly turned back toward the tree against 
 which he had before been leaning. 
 
 What seemed to Erwin a long time passed 
 before he dared move. This time the guard 
 had not seated himself. He was watchful, 
 and his face was toward the stream. Ap¬ 
 parently his fears had not all departed, al¬ 
 though he had not been able to discover any 
 cause for alarm. 
 
 At last Erwin decided that the suspense 
 could not be endured longer. His caution 
 increased as he once more began to crawl 
 forward. His progress was by inches now. 
 His hands were not permitted to rise more 
 than an inch or two above the muddy hot- 
 
IN THE SWAMP 
 
 117 
 
 tom. With every action he turned his face 
 to the place where the guard was watching. 
 The darkness was sufficient to conceal him— 
 of that Erwin now felt certain. Some low 
 bushes were growing along the marshy 
 shores and these aided in hiding him. His 
 one great danger was in making some noise 
 in his movements. If the guard should hear 
 another suspicious sound there was no ques¬ 
 tion in Erwin’s mind as to what instantly 
 would follow. 
 
 All conception of time was gone now. 
 The one overmastering purpose was to go on. 
 Distance between him and the guard was to 
 Erwin’s mind the sole measure of safety. 
 On and still on he crawled. Whether min¬ 
 utes or hours had elapsed he could not de¬ 
 termine. Whether he had gone yards or feet 
 he did not know. One thing, however, was 
 certain now, and that was, that the guard 
 could not be seen. 
 
 The strain was beginning to be felt by this 
 time by Erwin. The excitement as well as 
 the efforts he had put forth were almost ex¬ 
 hausting him. The foul odor of the water, 
 its nauseating taste, in addition to the cold 
 
118 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 he was suffering, were added perils. He felt 
 sometimes as if his body did not belong to 
 him. It was almost numb. His fingers 
 were cramped and his eyes were so blurred 
 that even his way was difficult to find. Still 
 Erwin slowly pulled himself forward. He 
 was aware that the stars were in the sky 
 and that he was in a more open region than 
 when he was passing the bushes where the 
 snapping branch had so nearly proved his 
 undoing. Lifting his head for a moment he 
 saw not far before him what seemed to be 
 the outlines of trees and more brush. Per¬ 
 haps there he would find Taylor awaiting 
 him. 
 
 The thought of his comrade served to re¬ 
 vive Erwin’s eagerness. With an increased 
 determination he continued on his way. If 
 the open space could be successfully passed 
 then his hope of escaping would be stronger. 
 If it were only possible for him to rise and 
 walk, he thought, what a relief the change 
 would be. The low marshy ground about 
 him, through which the muddy stream had 
 its course, was so level that anyone walking 
 on it would be easily discovered by watching 
 
IN THE SWAMP 
 
 119 
 
 or searching soldiers. His best way was to 
 continue as he was doing, he concluded, 
 though every movement was one of pain and 
 his wearied body seemed as heavy as though 
 it had been weighted with lead. 
 
 Slowly, frequently stopping for rest, Er¬ 
 win crawled forward. He was no longer 
 fearful of sounds of pursuit. Even discov¬ 
 ery was comparatively a matter of indiffer¬ 
 ence now. His efforts were almost mechan¬ 
 ical. There was slight feeling in his arms 
 and almost none in his hands. Still, the 
 well-nigh exhausted young soldier pulled 
 himself forward. It was, therefore, with a 
 feeling of surprise that at last he found him¬ 
 self on the border of the dark spot he had 
 seen before him. The stream was entering 
 a region where trees and rank bushes were 
 growing along its borders. It apparently 
 was a huge swamp to which he had come. 
 
 He was more eager now as the thought of 
 Taylor recurred. Had his friend escaped? 
 If he had, then somewhere in the region be¬ 
 fore him he could be found. Erwin longed 
 to shout, to call for his comrade, but he well 
 knew that any such effort on his part would 
 
120 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 be as foolisli as it was impossible. His best 
 course would be to go on, lie concluded, and 
 be on the lookout for his friend. 
 
 Once within the shelter of the brush Er¬ 
 win staggered to his feet. He was scarcely 
 able to stand. The soft mud into which his 
 feet sank with every advancing step seemed 
 to hold him almost as in a vise. The effort 
 to walk in the stream was almost beyond his 
 strength. Struggling forward he advanced 
 a few yards and then in an attempt to re¬ 
 cover himself he fell forward, a low cry es¬ 
 caping his lips as he struck the water. 
 
 Suddenly he felt someone grasp his arm 
 and he was assisted to stand. He was not 
 surprised when he heard the low voice of 
 Taylor; indeed, he would not have cared very 
 much, he thought, if it had been Uncle Sam 
 or even Lieutenant Evans that had spoken 
 to him. He was too exhausted to realize 
 fully what the rescue meant. 
 
 “I’ve been waiting for you,” whispered 
 Taylor encouragingly. “I’ve had a good 
 rest here on the knee of this old cypress root. 
 I knew you couldn’t pass me, but I’m glad 
 you’ve come.” 
 
IN THE SWAMP 
 
 121 
 
 As Erwin was unable to reply, Taylor as¬ 
 sisted him to the place which he himself had 
 recently occupied. For a time neither spoke, 
 while Taylor waited for his friend to recover 
 a little from his struggles. 
 
 ‘ 4 Erwin/’ he whispered at last, “can you 
 go on a little further now!” 
 
 “Can’t we try the bank? The mud in the 
 bottom of the creek is deep.” 
 
 “I’ve been a little way down the stream,” 
 said Taylor. “I came back to wait for you. 
 There’s a clump of trees beyond the swamp. 
 If you could wade till we came to them—” 
 
 “I’ll try it,” said Erwin. 
 
 “Good! We don’t want to leave any 
 tracks if we can help it. Did any one see 
 you?” 
 
 “I don’t think so. I broke a branch near 
 the guard and that roused him a little. He 
 took his gun and started toward me. ’ ’ 
 
 “He didn’t see you, though?” demanded 
 Taylor eagerly. 
 
 “I don’t think he did. He didn’t follow 
 me anyway.” 
 
 “Good. Now if we can only dodge the 
 master of the hounds and his dogs! We’ve 
 
122 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 done well, but we’ll have to use all the 
 strength we’ve got to get away from the 
 bloodhounds. They make the rounds of 
 the pen every night, you know, and twice 
 every day.” 
 
 ‘‘ Come on! ” said Erwin quickly. The ref¬ 
 erence to the dogs had served to rouse him, 
 just as Taylor had hoped it would do. 
 
 Together the two boys started. They had 
 not gone far, however, before it became evi¬ 
 dent that for a time at least the stream was 
 impassable. The mud was softer and deeper, 
 and progress in it was soon so difficult that 
 both decided to try the left bank. Time now 
 was almost as important as distance. 
 
 The boys found the banks firm in places 
 and both made more rapid progress. The 
 moon had risen by this time and in its light 
 they were enabled to see the way before 
 them. 
 
 “What’s that?” suddenly whispered Er¬ 
 win when they had halted a moment for rest. 
 “What’s that? What’s that?” he repeated 
 hoarsely. 
 
 Taylor was silent for a moment before he 
 responded. Far away could be heard the 
 
IN TEE SWAMP 
 
 123 
 
 baying of dogs. Whether the weird cry in¬ 
 dicated that the escape of the two boys had 
 been discovered and that men and dogs were 
 in pursuit or whether it merely indicated the 
 nightly rounds of the “master of the 
 hounds,” as the man in charge of the fierce 
 pack was known, it was impossible to de¬ 
 cide. The sound, however, was distinct, al¬ 
 though it indicated that the bloodhounds 
 were not near. 
 
 “We must take to the creek again, Er¬ 
 win,” whispered Taylor. 
 
 Breathlessly Erwin followed his friend 
 into the stream. Difficult as the way was, it 
 still was their sole hope if the dogs were 
 searching for them. As the boys struggled 
 forward they soon found the bed of the creek 
 was becoming somewhat firmer. Broken 
 branches from overhanging trees, gnarled 
 roots in the mud, however, added to the dif¬ 
 ficulties and sufferings of the desperate 
 young soldiers. Every step was one of pain. 
 There was no protection from the pointed 
 sticks upon which their feet frequently were 
 placed. 
 
 For a time the boys bent all their energies 
 
124 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 upon flight. They had not advanced very 
 far, however, before the cry of the dogs was 
 heard again. This time the terrifying sound 
 plainly was nearer. 
 
 “I don’t see how they got the scent,” mut¬ 
 tered Taylor. “But they’re after us, that’s 
 plain. We must do something!” 
 
 “What?” inquired Erwin hopelessly. 
 
 “Hark!” whispered Taylor. “What’s 
 that in the woods?” 
 
 A moment later there was no need of ex¬ 
 planation, for both boys were able to per¬ 
 ceive the cause of the startling sound among 
 the neighboring trees. 
 
CHAPTER X 
 
 THE MASTER OF THE HOUNDS 
 
 In the dim light two huge dogs were bay¬ 
 ing and frantically running about the bank. 
 That the hoys had been discovered both the 
 young prisoners were convinced. 
 
 “Crouch! Keep behind the tree! Don’t 
 speak,” whispered Taylor excitedly. 
 
 Clinging tightly to the long root, both boys 
 drew closer to the huge trunk of the cypress 
 tree. In spite of their fears both, however, 
 were peering at the frantic hounds which 
 were baying in tones that added to the ter¬ 
 ror of the desperate young soldiers. Ap¬ 
 parently the end of their efforts to escape 
 had come. The dogs must have gained their 
 scent along the bank upon which the boys 
 had made their way for a short distance. 
 
 As yet, neither of the two dogs had ven¬ 
 tured into the water. Both Taylor and Er¬ 
 win could see the huge brutes in their excite¬ 
 ment. Creeping close to the border the dogs 
 
 125 
 
126 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 lifted their heads and howled in a manner 
 that was terrifying to the trembling boys. 
 Stories of prisoners in their attempts to es¬ 
 cape being torn by the savage packs recurred 
 to the crouching young soldiers. Perhaps 
 their turn had now come. Not a word was 
 spoken as the boys peered at the frantic 
 hounds. Both were aware what was likely 
 to befall within a few minutes. 
 
 In a brief time the master of the hounds 
 was seen approaching the place where his 
 dogs were baying. The man was mounted 
 upon a mule which with difficulty was mak¬ 
 ing its way over the soft and marshy ground. 
 As the man leaped from the back of the ani¬ 
 mal he was riding the excitement of the two 
 dogs was redoubled. They leaped upon the 
 man and then turned frantically to the shore 
 and their deep-mouthed haying was mingled 
 with growls and yelps that seemed to Erwin 
 and Taylor the most fearful sounds they had 
 ever heard. Even the roar of cannon in bat¬ 
 tle or the reports of rifles were as nothing 
 compared with the terrifying threats of the 
 savage brutes. In their weakened condition 
 
MASTER OF THE HOUNDS 127 
 
 both boys had slight hope now of escaping 
 the fangs of the dogs before them. 
 
 “What is it, Judy? Have yo’ found ’em, 
 Judas?” exclaimed the master of the hounds 
 as he approached his dogs. 
 
 For a moment the noise was even louder 
 than it had been before. Whining, snarling, 
 yelping, baying, the two dogs darted to the 
 shore and it seemed as if both were about to 
 leap into the stream. A low word from their 
 master quieted them in a measure as the 
 man stood peering into the darkness. He 
 himself could be seen by the trembling boys, 
 and there was still a faint hope in their 
 minds that the great tree to whose roots 
 they were clinging might conceal them from 
 his sight. 
 
 “We-uns have got yo’ now!” called the 
 man. “Come in outen that!” 
 
 Whether or not the man really could see 
 them neither of the boys knew. Both, how¬ 
 ever, remained where they were, drawing 
 closer to the huge root and still peering 
 around its border at the sight before them. 
 
 “Come in outen that!” called the man 
 
128 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 once more. “It’s your last chance before I 
 send the dogs in after yo ’-all! ’ ’ 
 
 Still neither of the boys moved from his 
 position and both were silently watching the 
 scene before them. The dogs had become 
 more qniet while their master was speaking. 
 Both were crouching at his feet and looking 
 up into his face as if they were only awaiting 
 his word to rush into the muddy stream and 
 tear the men, whom they could see if their 
 master could not, limb from limb. 
 
 Suddenly the man drew a revolver from 
 his hip pocket and fired twice at the tree be¬ 
 hind which the boys were crouching. The 
 thud of the bullets as they struck was 
 plainly heard by the desperate boys and both 
 were startled by the sudden act of the man 
 on the bank. 
 
 “Now will yo’-all come outen that!” called 
 the man savagely. “That’s warnin’ number 
 one. Come out an’ I’ll protect yo’-all. If 
 you wait there I’ll send in the dogs. Speak 
 up so’t I kin heah yo ’-all! Are yo ’ a com- 
 in’? I’ll give yo’ till I count five an’ after 
 that I’ll let loose the dawgs.” 
 
 Taylor reached up and pressed the arm 
 
MASTER OF THE HOUNDS 129 
 
 of liis companion to let him know that no 
 response to the demand was to be made. 
 
 The silence of the night was unbroken save 
 by the whimperings of the dogs. The figure 
 of the waiting master of the hounds was 
 clearly outlined in the moonlight. It was 
 manifest that he had slight fear of being the 
 target for the bullets of an unseen enemy. 
 For a brief time the man was silent and mo¬ 
 tionless. Then turning to his dogs he ex¬ 
 claimed savagely, “Go get ’em! Drive ’em 
 out! Tear th’Yanks to pieces, Judas! Bite 
 ’em, Judy!” 
 
 With a growl so loud and fierce that it was 
 startling to the watching boys, the two dogs 
 darted again to the shore. One of them 
 leaped into the stream but the other hesi¬ 
 tated after several false starts. Plainly it 
 did not desire any close contact with the dark 
 and forbidding stream. 
 
 “What d’ye mean, Judas?” roared the 
 master. “Afraid, be ye? I’ll give yo’ 
 somethin’ worth being scart by,” he added, 
 as he laid the whip, which he was holding in 
 his right hand, many times upon the cower¬ 
 ing brute. A growl, a scream of pain, a chal- 
 
130 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 lenge followed and the dog turned and leaped 
 into the water, following its companion, 
 which now was nearing the place where the 
 two boys were hiding. 
 
 Already at Taylor’s whispered word Er¬ 
 win had drawn himself farther up the twisted 
 root and was well above the water. He was 
 still sheltered by the trunk of the tree, how¬ 
 ever, and unless the man on the bank had 
 seen him, he was in no great danger from 
 the pistol. Taylor had climbed into the 
 place which his friend had vacated, but as he 
 looked down he was by no means convinced 
 that he was far enough above the water to 
 make him safe from the fangs of the dogs. 
 
 The noise of the approaching brutes was 
 plainly heard. The dogs were splashing in 
 the muddy stream, but they were not barking 
 or growling now. Their every effort ap¬ 
 parently was to gain the place where the 
 boys were seated. One of the dogs was in 
 advance of the other and in a brief time it 
 gained the foot of the tree. 
 
 Without hesitating a moment, the savage 
 brute clambered up the interlaced roots. The 
 darkness could not hide its gleaming eyes. 
 
MASTER OF THE HOUNDS 131 
 
 Taylor almost believed that he could feel the 
 hot breath of the savage Judy. He was hold¬ 
 ing in readiness the stout club which he had 
 secured when he had first entered the swamp, 
 and this was his sole defense. As the dog 
 leaped Taylor thrust the end of his club into 
 the open jaws. The dog instantly seized the 
 weapon in its teeth, but at that moment its 
 feet slipped upon the slippery roots and it 
 fell, still clinging tenaciously to the club. 
 The shock almost drew Taylor from his seat 
 and to prevent himself from falling he was 
 compelled to let go his grasp on the club. 
 He was now without any protection from the 
 assaults of the savage brute and in a mo¬ 
 ment the other dog would join in the attack. 
 The splash of the dog, which had seized the 
 club, as it slipped and fell into the water, was 
 followed by the sounds that Judas made as 
 he now rushed to the assistance of his mate. 
 
 The plight of the boys was terrible now. 
 Erwin seated above his friend was powerless 
 to assist him, although he leaned forward, 
 striving to draw Taylor farther up on the 
 twisted root. All thoughts of the man on 
 the bank for the moment were ignored as 
 
132 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 the boys awaited the next rush of the savage 
 brutes below them. 
 
 Growling and snarling, the two dogs to¬ 
 gether attempted to gain a foothold on the 
 tangled roots beneath the large root on which 
 the boys were seated. The fierce rush of the 
 dogs together sent both yelping once more 
 into the muddy stream. Fortunately for the 
 young soldiers there was but one place by 
 which the dogs could climb. On every side 
 of the tree except the one where the boys 
 were seated, no exposed roots could be seen. 
 Doubtless the tree had been partly torn from 
 its hold in some storm and the upturned 
 root was left exposed a few feet above the 
 stream. 
 
 Once more the dogs rushed together in 
 their efforts to seize the crouching boys and 
 again the impact sent both brutes snarling 
 into the water again. One of them yelped 
 with pain, evidently in its fall having struck 
 some sharp point of a projecting root or 
 branch. There was no delay, however, in 
 their onslaughts, and this time Judy managed 
 to secure a foothold and in a moment seized 
 the bottom of Taylor’s trousers in her teeth. 
 
MASTER OF TEE HOUNDS 133 
 
 The torn clothing parted and the dog fell 
 back, carrying with her in her fall the piece 
 of cloth which had not been strong enough 
 to endure the strain. 
 
 Before the dog could regain her place, Ju¬ 
 das had leaped upon the mass of roots and 
 with wide open jaws was almost upon Tay¬ 
 lor, who had drawn back as far as his seat 
 on the root permitted. 
 
 “Hang on to me, Erwin!” whispered Tay¬ 
 lor. 
 
 Erwin did not reply, but reaching forward, 
 he thrust one arm under his friend’s left 
 shoulder. With his right arm Erwin clung 
 to the huge root above him. 
 
 Already Taylor had slipped his torn jacket 
 from its place and was holding it in front of 
 him. As the dog seized the garment in his 
 teeth Taylor hastily threw the sleeves about 
 the dog’s neck and drew them tight. At that 
 very moment Judy leaped to aid her mate, 
 but the force with which she struck him in 
 her efforts to obtain a foothold threw her 
 from the mass of roots and left Judas sus¬ 
 pended in the air with the sleeves of Taylor’s 
 coat wrapped tightly around his neck. 
 
134 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 The fall of the heavy brute almost dragged 
 Taylor from his place, but in some way he 
 contrived to maintain his grasp on the 
 sleeves, which he brought quickly together 
 and held with both hands. The sound of 
 wheezing which came from the throat of the 
 suspended dog plainly showed that the brute 
 was choking. 
 
 “Hold me, Erwin. Hold tight!” whis¬ 
 pered Taylor savagely, as he braced his feet 
 and threw one arm around the root in such 
 a manner that he still held to the coat-sleeves 
 with both hands. The heavy dog was 
 scrambling desperately. The weight was so 
 great that Taylor was almost compelled to 
 let go his hold. The feet of the dog touched 
 the tangled mass of roots and almost per¬ 
 mitted him to gain a foothold. The noise of 
 the struggle could be plainly heard. Bealiz- 
 ing that something was wrong, or that a des¬ 
 perate conflict of some kind was being fought 
 in the darkness of the stream, the man on 
 shore shouted his words of encouragement to 
 his dogs—“Get ’em, Judy! Tear ’em up! 
 Bite ’em! Go on!” 
 
 Mindful of the call, Judy leaped again, but 
 
The heavy dog was scrambling desperately. — Page 134. 
 
MASTER OF TEE HOUNDS 135 
 
 her feet touched the mass of roots just as 
 her mate had almost regained a foothold. 
 Once more the force of the impact sent both 
 dogs from the place, but by a desperate ef¬ 
 fort Taylor contrived to retain his hold and 
 the huge brute still was hanging in the air. 
 
 Taylor’s arms were trembling in his ef¬ 
 forts. Perspiration was rolling in streams 
 down his face. Erwin, too, was still cling¬ 
 ing to his friend’s shoulders. At times it 
 almost seemed to Taylor that his arms were 
 being pulled from their sockets by the heavy 
 weight he was holding. The frantic strug¬ 
 gles of the choking hound continued. Again 
 and again Judy leaped to the aid of her mate, 
 but every time her efforts resulted in her 
 failure to secure a place on the roots and 
 prevented the other dog from gaining even a 
 foothold. 
 
 How long Taylor would have been able to 
 continue the unequal struggle he never knew. 
 Repeatedly he felt that he must let go. His 
 strength was not equal to the task. He was 
 almost in despair when he suddenly became 
 aware that the dog’s efforts were becoming 
 less violent. The sound of its wheezing and 
 
136 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 choking was less plainly heard. Encouraged 
 by the indication that the end could not be 
 far away, the desperate young soldier braced 
 himself anew and still held on. The other 
 dog, in nowise discouraged, leaped again and 
 again upon the narrow roots, only to be 
 thrown back herself with every attempt and 
 to send the body of her mate away from 
 his only help. 
 
 At last the struggles of the choking dog 
 ceased. The heavy weight of the body pulled 
 steadily but there were no longer any efforts 
 to scramble upon the roots of the tree. 
 Swinging the motionless body into such a po¬ 
 sition that it would be impossible for the 
 other dog to leap upon the place, Taylor still 
 held the coat-sleeves tightly drawn about the 
 neck of the brute, relying to a certain extent 
 upon the weight of the body itself to assist 
 him. 
 
 Suddenly there was a whimper from Judy. 
 Before either Taylor or Erwin was fully 
 aware of what had occurred, the sounds of 
 splashing heard in the stream indicated that 
 the dog had turned away and was making 
 her way to the bank. 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 
 A HALT 
 
 The relief that came with the retreat of 
 the hound was so great that for a moment 
 the two boys, almost exhausted by their 
 struggles, gazed at each other as if they 
 could not believe the contest really was 
 ended. The splashing of the dog could be 
 plainly heard as it made its way to the bank. 
 A moment later its cries arose when its bru¬ 
 tal master lashed the dog savagely, again 
 and again ordering it back into the stream. 
 
 The bloodhound, however, despite blows 
 and kicks, was not to be induced to enter the 
 water again. It crouched and whimpered 
 and whined on the shore. Once the boys 
 thought it was about to plunge into the 
 stream, but cowering, it turned and crawled 
 back toward its master—its howls of pain 
 showing plainly the treatment it was receiv¬ 
 ing. 
 
 137 
 
138 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 Apparently convinced at last that all at¬ 
 tempts to drive Judy again into the marsh 
 were fruitless, the master of the hounds 
 stopped and peering into the shadows whis¬ 
 tled and called to the dog that had not re¬ 
 turned. “Heah yo’, Judas! Come back 
 heah, yo ’ rascal! Come heah! Come heali! ’ ’ 
 
 The call served to arouse Judy as no blows 
 had done. The dog, growling and whimper¬ 
 ing, stood beside her master and for an in¬ 
 stant seemed to be on the point of going to 
 the aid of her lost mate. She did not step 
 into the water, however, not even when her 
 master repeated his call, as he did several 
 times, to Judas, who had failed to return. 
 
 Suddenly the man mounted his mule and 
 departed from the place. The boys were able 
 to see him as he rode across the open fields, 
 beating his steed savagely as he urged it to 
 its utmost speed. The departure was so un¬ 
 expected that it was well-nigh startling to the 
 watching boys, who were scarcely able to 
 trust the evidences of their own eyes. And 
 yet the man was in plain sight until he dis¬ 
 appeared amidst the shadows of some tall 
 pine trees far back from the stream. 
 
A HALT 
 
 139 
 
 “Come on,” whispered Taylor to his com¬ 
 panion. “We must get away.” 
 
 “The dog is still on the bank,” suggested 
 Erwin. 
 
 “Yes. That means the man is coming 
 back. We must leave before he comes. We 
 haven’t a minute to lose. Come! Come 
 on!” 
 
 Taylor at once slid from his position on the 
 root of the tree into the water. Slowly and 
 painfully Erwin followed his friend’s exam¬ 
 ple, but he was too weary to question him 
 when Taylor led the way to the bank opposite 
 that on which the hound was waiting. 
 
 The appearance of the boys was greeted 
 by frantic yelps from the dog. For a time 
 it seemed as if she were about to leap into 
 the muddy stream in pursuit of them, but 
 she kept carefully to the shore even when the 
 boys gained the bank on the opposite side. 
 
 Taylor did not hesitate a moment. As 
 soon as his companion joined him the tall 
 young soldier turned to lead the way directly 
 back toward the camp from which they had 
 escaped. Even the strange action of Taylor 
 was not questioned by Erwin, who followed 
 
140 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 obediently, and as well as bis exhausted con¬ 
 dition permitted. The trees and banks were 
 all confused before him as he stumbled for¬ 
 ward. Every act seemed to be mechanical. 
 His hands and feet were almost without feel¬ 
 ing. A cloud seemed to rest upon the 
 ground over which he was passing. 
 
 How far Taylor had led the way he did not 
 know, when suddenly the direction of the 
 flight was changed by the leader. Once more 
 Taylor slipped into the stream and began to 
 move back in the direction of the place from 
 which they had come. Every step was tor¬ 
 ture. The sharp points of the fallen 
 branches in the bed of the stream tore or 
 lacerated Erwin’s feet. He frequently stum¬ 
 bled and fell forward into the filthy water, 
 but each time to be assisted to rise by Taylor, 
 whose strength apparently was far from be¬ 
 ing gone. The entire experience was so like 
 that of an evil dream that Erwin at times 
 wondered if he really was awake. 
 
 In a brief time the boys passed the huge 
 uptorn cypress which had provided a shelter 
 for them in the attack by the two hounds. 
 Here Taylor paused a moment and listened 
 
A HALT 
 
 141 
 
 intently while he peered at the shore before 
 him. Not even the dog conld now be seen. 
 Silence rested over the entire region. 
 
 The delay at the tree was brief and speed¬ 
 ily the flight was resumed. 
 
 Following the course of the stream the 
 boys made their way forward. Again and 
 again Taylor was compelled to stop and lift 
 his friend who had fallen. Almost savagely 
 the young leader urged his comrade on. 
 How far they had gone neither was aware, 
 when at last it was painfully evident that 
 Erwin’s strength was exhausted. He was 
 deaf now to pleadings or threats. Human 
 nature could do no more. 
 
 Almost in despair, Taylor peered at the 
 bushes along the banks. Motionless, silent, 
 grim—they seemed to be conscious of the 
 plight of the desperate boys. Was no help 
 to be found anywhere! Were all the efforts 
 to escape to be vain! 
 
 Suddenly Taylor uttered a low exclama¬ 
 tion and leaving the side of his friend turned 
 quickly toward some brush that was hanging 
 over the water. Even then his actions failed 
 to arouse Erwin, who was hardly able to 
 
142 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 stand erect in the place where he had been 
 left. He did not call, he scarcely glanced at 
 Taylor as his friend darted toward the 
 bushes. 
 
 A moment afterward when Taylor re¬ 
 turned he was poling a small, flat-bottomed 
 boat he had discovered concealed underneath 
 the brush. For a moment the sight of his 
 friend’s discovery aroused a brief interest 
 on Erwin’s part. Obediently he did as he 
 was told when Taylor lifting him by the 
 arms assisted Erwin into the punt. 
 
 “Now lie down,” whispered Taylor excit¬ 
 edly. “Lie flat on your back! That’s 
 right!” he added, as Erwin almost fell upon 
 the bottom of the boat. “Keep quiet and 
 I’ll soon have us both well out of this.” 
 
 The warning was scarcely needed, for Er¬ 
 win was soon asleep. Not even the peril in 
 which they still were or the brighter pros¬ 
 pect of escape which the finding of the little 
 punt had aroused was sufficient to keep open 
 the eyes of the exhausted young soldier. 
 
 Instantly Taylor began to pole the un¬ 
 gainly craft. Progress was still slow be¬ 
 cause frequently the boat was aground in 
 
A HALT 
 
 143 
 
 the soft mud or held fast by the interlacing 
 roots that abounded in the bed of the stream. 
 Still, it was progress and the thought was 
 inspiring. Best of all, too, was the knowl¬ 
 edge that the boat left slight traces of its 
 movements. Every foot now meant an add¬ 
 ed distance between the escaping prisoners 
 and the prison pen from which they had 
 fled. 
 
 The hours passed slowly and at times even 
 the iron muscles of Taylor demanded rest. 
 At such times he listened for sounds of pur¬ 
 suit. The distant baying of hounds was 
 what he feared most of all. The moon indi¬ 
 cated that the night was well gone. The 
 coming of the morning would demand a 
 change in their plans. Food, too, and water 
 to drink must be secured. Already Taylor’s 
 lips were parched and his arms were trem¬ 
 bling under the strain of the poling. 
 
 Still the determined boy pushed the crude 
 boat forward. His progress in places was 
 comparatively rapid. In others he was held 
 back by roots and his utmost strength was 
 required to free the boat from the tangled 
 
 mass. 
 
144 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 At last the first faint streaks of the dawn 
 appeared. Taylor glanced down at Erwin, 
 who still was sleeping on the bottom of the 
 boat. The time had come when a change in 
 their plans was imperative. Food and drink 
 presented problems that no longer could be 
 evaded. 
 
 For a moment Taylor hesitated. Should 
 he send his boat ashore and arouse his 
 sleeping companion ? Their peril might be in¬ 
 creased by any attempt to advance in the day¬ 
 time and the coming day was not to be 
 endured without food and drink of some kind. 
 The light in the eastern sky was becoming 
 brighter. Soon sunrise would be at hand 
 and with its appearance new and perhaps 
 more serious problems must he faced. 
 
 Taylor slowly guided the little boat to the 
 shore where the rank hushes were growing 
 far out over the water. There he pushed 
 the punt beneath the overhanging branches, 
 glanced again at his sleeping friend, placed 
 the pole carefully on the bottom and then 
 stepped ashore. If Erwin by any chance was 
 awakened during his absence the sight of the 
 pole as well as the position of the boat, he 
 
A HALT 
 
 145 
 
 thought, would at once inform him of the 
 fact that his friend had departed but had 
 not deserted. Unquestionably Erwin would 
 await his return. Nor did Taylor plan to 
 be gone long. His purpose now was to dis¬ 
 cover what might be near the little stream. 
 Stepping cautiously ashore, the young soldier 
 peered about him in the dawning light. 
 
 When Taylor had withdrawn from the 
 hank he found himself on the borders of a 
 great cornfield. Much of the crop had been 
 cut, but the high stalks still standing gave 
 almost the appearance of sentinels waving 
 their arms in warning. Loose piles of stalks 
 that had been cut were also to be seen here 
 and there in the field. In the distance what 
 looked like low huts suggested the presence 
 of the quarters of negroes. He turned to 
 look for the “big house” of the proprietors 
 of the plantation—for such he judged the 
 land to be. A mass of high trees in the 
 distance might surround such a place, he 
 thought. Glancing again at the low build¬ 
 ings he had already seen across the field and 
 concluding that they were far enough from 
 the residence, which perhaps was concealed 
 
146 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 by the trees, to enable him to gain them with¬ 
 out being discovered, he began to make his 
 way across the cornfield. 
 
 He was proceeding cautiously across the 
 field, for the fear of discovery was still strong 
 upon him. Frequently he paused to peer all 
 about him to make certain his movements 
 were not observed. He darted from one pile 
 of cornstalks to another, stopping at each to 
 look over the ground before he advanced 
 further. 
 
 Taylor had proceeded half the distance 
 across the field, which he estimated covered 
 at least fifteen acres, when he abruptly 
 stopped. Approaching from the huts was a 
 man. The young soldier stared excitedly at 
 the moving figure and at once decided that 
 he was not mistaken. There was another man 
 besides himself in the cornfield and without 
 question he was coming toward him. Had 
 he himself been seen! The question was up¬ 
 permost in the young soldier’s thoughts as 
 he fled to the shelter of a nearby pile of corn¬ 
 stalks. Crouching behind it he peered forth 
 at the stranger. The light was not yet clear 
 enough to enable Taylor to perceive who or 
 
A HALT 
 
 147 
 
 wliat the man was. If he himself had not 
 been seen, then his safest course, Taylor de¬ 
 cided, was to remain in hiding until he had 
 ascertained who the other man was and what 
 he was doing in the field at that early hour. 
 
 The approaching man certainly was acting 
 strangely, Taylor observed. At intervals 
 the man stopped and flung his arms about 
 him or extended them in an attitude of 
 prayer or as if he were beseeching some one. 
 No other person was to be seen in the field, 
 however, and Taylor’s perplexity increased 
 as the man approached the hiding place. 
 
 As the man drew nearer, Taylor became 
 aware that the stranger was a young negro— 
 apparently not much older than he. The ne¬ 
 gro ’s actions were strange, too, and different 
 from those in which he had at first engaged. 
 He was peering about him almost as if he 
 was expecting to find someone. 
 
 The first thought in Taylor’s mind as he 
 excitedly watched the approaching negro was 
 that he himself must have been seen. Still, 
 the black man did not turn directly toward 
 Taylor’s place of concealment. He was not 
 more than twenty feet away now. Suddenly 
 
148 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 Taylor, acting upon an impulse that had 
 seized upon him, stepped from behind the 
 stalks and in a low voice hailed the young 
 negro. 
 
 “Are you looking for me!” called Taylor. 
 
 The black man stopped abruptly and in 
 terror gazed at the unexpected sight. His 
 teeth were chattering in his fright and for an 
 instant Taylor expected to see the negro 
 turn and flee. 
 
 “Are you looking for me!” Taylor again 
 called quietly. 
 
 “Who d-d-dat?” stammered the terrified 
 black man. 
 
 “A friend.” 
 
 “Is y-y-o de man what mas’ Tom done 
 sent?” 
 
 “Did he tell you to meet me here?” 
 
 “Y-yas, suh.” 
 
 “Well, here I am.’ 
 
 “Y-y-yas, suh, Ah see yo’ is, suh.” 
 
 “Come up nearer. I can’t talk to you so 
 far away,” suggested Taylor. 
 
 The negro reluctantly did as he was bid¬ 
 den, but a nearer view of the young soldier 
 apparently increased instead of relieving his 
 
A HALT 
 
 149 
 
 alarm. He gazed at Taylor in manifest ter¬ 
 ror. The light of the dawn was stronger 
 now and the young soldier could see that the 
 negro’s eyes were rolling and his body was 
 trembling. The sight caused Taylor to 
 laugh, but his feeling of amusement instantly 
 departed when the negro with a scream 
 turned and fled so swiftly across the corn¬ 
 field that in a brief time he disappeared from 
 sight. 
 
CHAPTER XII 
 
 THE CABIN 
 
 Before Taylor was able to discover the 
 cause of the sudden departure of the negro, 
 the black man had disappeared from sight 
 and the young soldier was left alone in the 
 cornfield. The feeling of amusement which 
 the terror of his visitor at first had aroused 
 now gave place to one of perplexity. What 
 was to be done? The sun was even now 
 creeping above the eastern horizon. In a 
 brief time day would be at hand. The in¬ 
 creasing light would render his position still 
 more perilous and Taylor looked all about 
 him, hoping to discover some solution to his 
 perplexing problem. 
 
 Behind the clump of trees in the distance 
 he could now see the outlines of the large 
 rambling white house which doubtless was 
 the mansion of the proprietor of the planta¬ 
 tion. Not far from the house were strag¬ 
 gling barns, and beyond them were the white- 
 
 150 
 
THE CABIN 
 
 151 
 
 washed cabins—the abodes of the negroes. 
 As yet not a man was to be seen about the 
 place. 
 
 The conditions soon would be different, 
 Taylor thought. How far he was from the 
 prison camp he had no means of knowing. 
 If he were to judge by his feelings and the 
 appearance of his blistered hands, he and Er¬ 
 win might have come many miles in their 
 flight. He was not sanguine, however, that 
 they were beyond the possibility of pur¬ 
 suit. In the fear which the thought 
 aroused, Taylor decided at once to make his 
 way to the cabins, which were not more than 
 a hundred yards away. He must find help, 
 he must trust some one and the negroes cer¬ 
 tainly would be less likely to refuse him aid 
 than would the people dwelling in the ‘ ‘ man¬ 
 sion.” 
 
 Instantly deciding to adopt the suggestion, 
 Taylor at once began to walk toward the low 
 cabins. He was still fearful that his move¬ 
 ments might be seen by his foes and accord¬ 
 ingly ran from one pile of cornstalks to an¬ 
 other, stopping a moment at each to make 
 certain he had not been discovered. In spite 
 
152 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 of his frequent stops, however, his progress 
 was not slow, and in a brief time he arrived 
 at the place he was seeking. 
 
 Boldly advancing to the open door of a 
 cabin near him, he rapped loudly. He could 
 hear some one moving in the rear of the 
 building and in a brief time an old gray¬ 
 headed negro man appeared in the doorway. 
 As yet Taylor had not selected any plan of 
 action, having decided to trust to circum¬ 
 stances to aid him. The expression of con¬ 
 sternation or alarm on the face of the black 
 man at once caused the desperate young 
 soldier to step inside the hut even before he 
 was invited to enter. 
 
 “Good morning, Uncle,” said Taylor, try¬ 
 ing to speak calmly. 
 
 “Mohim’, sub,” replied the negro dubi¬ 
 ously. 
 
 “Can you give me some breakfast V 9 
 
 “Ah dunno, suh. Ah reck’n Ah—” 
 
 “That’s good of you,” broke in Taylor 
 quickly. “You see I didn’t want to disturb 
 the people in the big house. It’s too early 
 to do that. I knew you would be stirring, 
 so I stopped here. I’m almost starved and 
 
THE CABIN 
 
 153 
 
 if you can get me something to eat right 
 away I’ll be grateful.” 
 
 The old colored man turned questioningly 
 to the doorway in the rear of the room, and, 
 glancing in the direction, Taylor saw a large 
 black woman standing there apparently re¬ 
 garding him with not very friendly feel¬ 
 ings. 
 
 ‘ 4 Good morning,” exclaimed Taylor. “I 
 was just explaining to your—your husband,” 
 he added after a slight hesitation, for the man 
 apparently was much older than the big 
 woman before him. “I was just explaining 
 to him that I was hungry and wanted some 
 breakfast. I don’t want to disturb the fam¬ 
 ily in the big house yet. ’ ’ 
 
 “Humph!” sniffed the black woman, her 
 hands resting upon her hips and her eyes 
 betraying no friendly interest. “Yo’ don’ 
 look lak yo’ disturb anybody ’ceptin’ de 
 crows. Whar yo ’-all come fum ? ’ ’ 
 
 It was the question Taylor had expected 
 and feared. “You don’t want a man to keep 
 on driving Yankee prisoners, do you?” he in¬ 
 quired. “I can’t do it any more.” 
 
 The woman sniffed and did not change her 
 
154 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 attitude or position. “How cum yo’-all 
 lieah ? ’ ’ 
 
 44 I told you. I couldn’t stand it any 
 longer.” 
 
 44 Yo’ run away?” 
 
 44 Why, yes, after a fashion.” 
 
 44 Wha’ foh yo’ wan’ t’ see de white folks 
 den ?’ ’ 
 
 44 I haven’t seen them yet. I have come to 
 you. Will you help me?” 
 
 The negress sniffed disdainfully as she 
 turned to her husband and said, 44 Dere, now, 
 yo’ wuffless, yo’ see wha’ yo’ done! Dey’s 
 jes’ ’nough co’n meal lef’ foh t’ mak one lit’l 
 hoecake. Yo’ tak’ de bread outen de moufs 
 of de chilluns an’ de sufferin’ saints t’ gib 
 it to trash!” 
 
 44 Chile! chile!” remonstrated the old ne¬ 
 gro— 
 
 44 Do’n 4 chile’ me, yo’ no-’count nigger! 
 Co’se Ah’m goin’ t’ gib de man er bite. Ah’d 
 gib de debbil wlia’ he done ask foh. Dis 
 yere man he look lak he some relashun t’ de 
 old Sat’n hisself. Dere, now, yo’ wuffless 
 ’Rastus, yo’ bettah tak’ dis yere man outen 
 de ya’d an’ tak’ a hoe ter ’im.” 
 
THE CABIN 
 
 155 
 
 Tlie woman turned sharply away and Tay¬ 
 lor at once concluded that her tongue was 
 sharper than her feelings toward liiin and 
 that she was about to prepare him something 
 to eat. Rejoiced at the prospect, he re¬ 
 quested the negro man to provide him with 
 some water to drink and then to show him 
 where he might wash. 
 
 As if to make partial amends for the scant 
 welcome his wife had given their morning 
 visitor, the old man brought Taylor a gourd 
 filled with water. The young soldier did not 
 return it until it was empty. Never before 
 had water been so sweet to his taste. 
 
 Accompanying the black man to the rear 
 of the little log cabin, Taylor found a bucket 
 of water near the corner of the house and 
 at once began his ablutions. His body was 
 coated with mud. As he labored to remove it 
 he understood why his appearance had re¬ 
 pelled the wife of ’Rastus. Coatless, hatless, 
 shoeless, his clothing torn and worn, his hair 
 long and unkempt—his appearance of itself 
 would have been sufficient to startle a 
 stranger, but when a thick coating of mud 
 covered even his hands and his face he real- 
 
156 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 ized how difficult it would be for any one who 
 saw him to believe that he was anything like 
 what he had represented himself to be. 
 
 It was a long time before he re-entered the 
 cabin. As he passed through the doorway 
 the odor of the hoecake which the negress had 
 been preparing seemed to him more tantaliz¬ 
 ing than any he had ever known. He was 
 ravenously hungry. Perhaps the expression 
 of suffering was more apparent in his face, 
 now that its coating of mud had been re¬ 
 moved. At all events, the black woman was 
 less ungracious as she set her hoecake before 
 her guest and watched him, a smile of satis¬ 
 faction appearing on her face as he fell rav¬ 
 enously upon the food she had prepared. 
 
 Suddenly Taylor looked up and said: “I 
 forgot. I don’t want to eat everything you 
 have and you told your husband this was all 
 the food you had in your house.” 
 
 “G’wan wid yo’ hoecake, man. Nebber 
 yo’ min’ wha’ Ah done tole ’Rastus. Ah 
 spec’ Ah hab ter gib him ’structions er he 
 nebber stop eatin’ dis yere hoecake. Heali, 
 come—” 
 
 The expression of alarm on Taylor’s face 
 
THE CABIN 
 
 157 
 
 did not escape the woman when her visitor 
 almost started from his seat as a young ne¬ 
 gro man entered the room. Instantly Tay¬ 
 lor perceived that the newcomer was the man 
 he had seen in the cornfield who had fled in 
 terror from his presence. The young negro 
 glanced questioningly at the woman and 
 though Taylor was not able to see what she 
 indicated, yet instantly the bearing and at¬ 
 titude of the man changed. He did not man¬ 
 ifest any alarm as he passed through the 
 room. Indeed, Taylor had no difficulty in 
 concluding as he peered at him that the young 
 negro was the son of the woman who was 
 feeding him. 
 
 “Ah reckon yo’-all might lak bacon?” sug¬ 
 gested the negress to Taylor. 
 
 “I did once,” replied Taylor promptly. 
 ‘ ‘ It has been so long since I have tasted any 
 that I am not sure now. I’d like to have a 
 chance to try myself.” 
 
 The woman laughed and going to a corner 
 of the room lifted a board in the floor and 
 drew from its hiding place a side of bacon. 
 In a brief time she had cut several slices 
 which she broiled on the fire which was burn- 
 
158 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 ing on the stone fireplace and then she placed 
 the steaming viands before her visitor. 
 
 “You are good to me,” murmured Taylor, 
 as he once more began to eat ravenously. 
 
 Again the woman laughed, as she stood 
 watching her almost famished guest in his 
 eagerness to dispose of the tempting viands 
 which had been set before him. 
 
 Almost with remorse Taylor now thought 
 of Erwin whom he had left sleeping the sleep 
 of exhaustion in the punt. He must some¬ 
 how secure food for his friend, whose plight 
 was far worse than his own. How he was 
 to accomplish this without betraying himself 
 to the friendly negroes was a problem diffi¬ 
 cult of solution. 
 
 At this moment both the young negro and 
 his father re-entered the room. 
 
 “How yo’-all lake Camp So’gum?” in¬ 
 quired the younger man. 
 
 “I don’t like it. I told your mother I 
 couldn’t stand it any longer,” said Taylor 
 hastily, striving to ascertain from the expres¬ 
 sion on the black man’s face whether or no he 
 suspected his visitor of being an escaping 
 prisoner. 
 
THE CABIN 
 
 159 
 
 “All don’ reck’n many ob de Yankees 
 lak it.” 
 
 “No.” 
 
 “Is yo’-all alone!” 
 
 “What makes you think I am not!” 
 
 “Co’se dey mos’ gen’ly dosen’t ’scape dat 
 er way.” 
 
 “Do you think I am a—that I escaped!” 
 
 “Ah sho’ly does,” grinned the negro. 
 
 “Yo’-all is no sojer wif Mars’ Tom,” sug¬ 
 gested the woman. 
 
 “What makes you think I am not!” 
 
 “Yo’ talks des lak a Yankee.” 
 
 ‘ 1 How do you know! Have you ever heard 
 Yankees talk before!” 
 
 The young negro grinned, displaying his 
 white teeth, but did not reply. 
 
 “Suppose I am a prisoner,” suggested 
 Taylor. “You will help me get away, if I 
 am, won’t you! ’ ’ 
 
 “Yo’ is come ter de right place,” said the 
 woman promptly. There was no question as 
 to her interest and cordiality. In the feeling 
 of relief that came with her words Taylor re¬ 
 solved to tell them more. In a vivid manner 
 he described the life of the prisoners in the 
 
160 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 camp. He also described the home from 
 which he had come and told of the sorrow 
 and anxiety there. He also related stories 
 of suffering in other prisons than Camp Sor¬ 
 ghum and gradually led up to the story of his 
 own escape with Erwin. When he told of the 
 attack made by the bloodhounds the eyes of 
 his listeners almost gleamed in their excite¬ 
 ment. 
 
 “Da’s de way wif de dawgs,” said the 
 woman. “Dey is brave when dey is toged- 
 der. When dey is des’ one it seems lak dey 
 is sholy de biggest cowards.” 
 
 ‘ ‘ Then that was why after we killed one the 
 other ran away, was it?” inquired Taylor. 
 
 “Yaas, suli. Da’s des’ de way wif ’em 
 all. Dey is terr’ble when dey is in ’er pack, 
 but when dey is des’ one, pears lak dey is 
 pow’ful wuffless, mos’ lak’ Rastus yere.” 
 
 The old colored man nodded his head em¬ 
 phatically several times almost as if he re¬ 
 ceived the words of his wife as a compliment. 
 
 “How far is Camp Sorghum from here!” 
 asked Taylor. 
 
 “Hit’s a right sma’t way, suh,” answered 
 the woman. 
 
THE CABIN 
 
 161 
 
 “How many miles?” 
 
 “Hits des ’bout ’s fur as from yere to Mis’ 
 Sallie’s, Ah reck’n.” 
 
 “Have you ever been there?” 
 
 “Mis’ Sallie’s? Bress yo’ po’ ha’t, suh, 
 ’pears lak Ah done—” 
 
 “No, to Columbia. To the prison pen,” 
 interrupted Taylor. 
 
 “Ah is,” spoke up the young negro 
 promptly. “Ah done went once wif Mas’ 
 Tom. Ah seed de sojer men an’ de drums 
 an’ de guns—” 
 
 “Do you know how far it is from here?” 
 
 “Ah des’ can’t say ’dreckly, suh. Ah 
 reck’n hit’s a right sma’t way.” 
 
 Hopeless of learning the distance he and 
 his comrade had come in their escape, Taylor 
 abandoned the effort. He felt reasonably 
 certain that the negroes would not betray 
 him. At once he decided that he must strive 
 to secure some food for Erwin and return 
 to the place where he had left his friend 
 asleep. 
 
 “I am sorry I can’t pay you for what you 
 have done for me. I haven’t a cent on my 
 person. If you will let me have a little food 
 
162 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 to take to my friend I'll try sometime to—” 
 Taylor ceased abruptly as the woman has¬ 
 tily arose and ran to the door. In a moment 
 she returned, her eyes shining in her excite¬ 
 ment, as she exclaimed in a fierce whisper, 
 “Yere come Mas’ Tom an’ two sojer men is 
 wif ’im!” 
 
CHAPTER XIII 
 
 NEBO’s CUNNING 
 
 Startled by the words of the negress, Tay¬ 
 lor leaped to his feet and looked through the 
 open doorway. Not far away, plainly ap¬ 
 proaching the cabin, were three men, two of 
 whom were clad in the Confederate uniform, 
 as the woman had said. 
 
 The sight of his foes instantly caused Tay¬ 
 lor to turn and start toward the rear of the 
 house. Flight from the place would in¬ 
 stantly be discovered, as he was well aware, 
 but to remain and meet the three men was 
 not to be thought of. In his excitement the 
 young soldier was eager merely to avoid be¬ 
 ing discovered where he then was. The fu¬ 
 ture must be met as circumstances might de¬ 
 mand. 
 
 Before he crossed the room, however, the 
 black woman quickly seizing him by the 
 shoulder, excitedly whispered, “Don’ do dat. 
 In yere is de place foh yoM” 
 
 163 
 
164 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 Lifting the trapdoor in the floor she thrust 
 Taylor into the place from which she had 
 taken the bacon that she had prepared for his 
 breakfast. In a brief time the young soldier 
 crowded himself into the narrow space, and 
 the door above him was closed just as the men 
 entered the hut. 
 
 For an instant Taylor crouched trem¬ 
 blingly in his hiding place, fearful that he 
 had been seen; but when the three men came 
 into the room he was soon aware that his 
 presence was unknown to the visitors. He 
 could hear what was said and was listening 
 intently. 
 
 “Good mornin’, Aunt Dinah,” said the man 
 whom the negroes had called “Mas’ Tom.” 
 
 “Mo’nin’, Mas’ Tom,” responded the 
 black woman quietly. 
 
 “Haven’t seen any prowlin’ Yanks this 
 mornin ’, have you, Aunt Dinah 1 ’ ’ 
 
 “Wha’ foh any dem Yanks come yeref” 
 she demanded sharply. 
 
 “I don’t know,” laughed Tom. “Some 
 have got away from the camp and the whole 
 country is on the lookout for them.” 
 
In a brief time the young soldier crowded iiimself into 
 the narrow space. — Page 164. 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NEBO’S CUNNING 
 
 165 
 
 “Wha’ foil yo’-all let ’em get away, suh?” 
 
 “I didn’t let them. They helped them¬ 
 selves. They’ll be found, though; they al¬ 
 ways are. My friends and I are looking 
 about the plantation just to make sure there 
 aren’t any hidin’ hereabout. I want to pro¬ 
 tect my people. Some of the Yanks have 
 cloven feet and sharp ears. If they come 
 yere they might take you right up the chim¬ 
 ney with ’em.” 
 
 “Ah reck’n de Yanks ’d have er right 
 sma’t load ter carry if dey tried ter take 
 me,” sniffed Dinah. 
 
 ‘ ‘ I reckon any one ’d have his hands full, ’ ’ 
 laughed the young man. 4 4 Now, Aunt Dinah, 
 have you seen any Yanks about our place 
 yere?” 
 
 “Dis mo’nin’?” 
 
 “Yes, or any time.” 
 
 “Does dey hah cloven feet?” 
 
 “Usually; but you-all can’t be sure, be¬ 
 cause their shoes might hide ’em.” 
 
 “Ah reck’n Ah ain’t seen no Yanks dis yere 
 day. ’Pears lak Ah done see some ’nodder 
 day, Mas’ Tom.” 
 
166 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “When was that!” 
 
 “Ah caint disremembah. Tears lak hit 
 was las’ week.” 
 
 “Where did you see them! What were 
 they doing!” 
 
 “Dey was runnin’, suli. Runnin’ from de 
 dawgs.” 
 
 “Did they stop yere!” 
 
 “ Teed dey didn’t,” sniffed Aunt Dinah. 
 “Wlia’ foh dey stop yere w’en Ah had de 
 rollin’pin in m’ ban’s!” 
 
 “You say you haven’t seen any strange 
 men this mornin’!” demanded Tom some¬ 
 what impatiently. 
 
 “No, suh. Is yo’ heah enny, Tastus!” 
 Dinah demanded of her husband, who had 
 been silent throughout the interview. 
 
 “No, suh. No, suh,” mumbled the negro. 
 “ Tears lak Ah don’ see nothin’ no mo’. 
 Not eben er hoecake,” he added disconso¬ 
 lately. 
 
 “Where’s Nebo!” inquired the young man 
 suddenly, as he apparently for the first time 
 became aware that Aunt Dinah’s son was not 
 in the cabin. 
 
 “Dat Nebo he’s mos’ wuffless es white 
 
NEBO’S CUNNING 
 
 167 
 
 trash/ ’ said the black woman in apparent 
 scorn. “Caint depen’ on him no mo’, Mas’ 
 Tom.” 
 
 “Why not!” 
 
 “He’s de mos’ obsiqnies nigger on de 
 place. Jes’ now he’s so full ob de notion 
 what he got dat Mas’ Tom is ’pendin’ on him 
 ter pint de way fer de white fo’ks what Mas’ 
 Tom’s done spectin’, dat he caint do er ’nod- 
 der thing. His po’ pap’s all doubled hup wif 
 de misery. ’Rastus nebber was so no count 
 as he’s been since dis yere las’ ’tack wlia’s 
 took him. Las’ night Ah had ter get de rab¬ 
 bit’s foot an’ de conjure-weed—” 
 
 “Yes. Yes, Aunt Dinah. That’s all 
 right. But where is Nebo now!” 
 
 “Ah don’ tole yo’, Mas’ Tom, hit’s shore 
 strange ’bout dat Nebo Macedonia Petrol’um. 
 He’s de mos’ no-’count nigger in all de pahts 
 yere ’bout. Wha’ wif his new coon dawg—” 
 4 ‘ But where is he now! ’ ’ 
 
 “Ah dunno, Mas’ Tom. Ah clar ter good¬ 
 ness ef yo’-all fin’ him Ah wish yo’d gib him 
 er whippin’ or set de dawgs on ’im er do 
 so’ffin wha’ll mak dat sma’t Ellick des sta’t 
 his lazy bones ter de woodpile. He des leab 
 
168 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 his po’ ma’ ter cut de wood an’ wait on ’Ras- 
 tus an’ try ter mak er hoecake w’en der des 
 aint er speck er co’n meal ter be had, Mas’ 
 -Tom. Ilowcome ’spectable woman lak me 
 ter hab sech a good-fo ’-nothing wuffless fo ’ a 
 son beats me. ’Pears lak be mos’ resemble- 
 ful ob ’Rastus—” 
 
 6 ‘Have you seen any strangers this morn- 
 in’?” interrupted the young man sharply. 
 
 “No, sub. All ain’ seen no w’ite folks.” 
 
 “Sure?” 
 
 “Das de truf, Mas’ Tom.” Aunt Dinah 
 spoke soberly now, realizing that her young 
 master’s growing impatience was no longer 
 to be ignored. 
 
 “Have you seen any, ’Rastus?” Tom de¬ 
 manded of the old colored man. 
 
 “Ah ain’ been outen de do’ dis mawnin’.” 
 
 “No one has come yere?” 
 
 “Ah ain’ seen er soul, Mas’ Tom. Wha’ 
 kin’ er man was bit, Mas’ Tom, wha’ yo’-all 
 was spectin’ fob ter fin’?” 
 
 “Anybody. We’ll take a look around the 
 cabins,” said Tom to bis companions. In ap¬ 
 parent indifference Aunt Dinah continued in 
 
NEBO’S CUNNING 
 
 169 
 
 her tasks in the room, barely glancing at the 
 three men, who she was aware were peering 
 about them almost as if they expected to find 
 some place of concealment in the room itself. 
 ’Rastus was groaning with a fresh attack of 
 his ‘‘misery” and Nebo was nowhere to be 
 seen. 
 
 Apparently satisfied that no Yankee was 
 hidden in the cabin, the three men speedily 
 departed, the young white man first bidding 
 Aunt Dinah to send her son to the “big 
 house” as soon as he returned. 
 
 The indifference of ’Rastus and the tasks 
 of his wife were speedily forgotten at the de¬ 
 parture of the men as they both with shining 
 eyes watched the trio as they went among the 
 cabins. Once Aunt Dinah lifted the trap¬ 
 door in the floor a few inches and leaning low, 
 whispered, “Yo’ is all right. Ah’ll let yo’ 
 know ef de sojers come back ergain.” The 
 door was instantly restored to its place be¬ 
 fore Taylor could reply. 
 
 A half hour afterward Tom and his com¬ 
 panions returned. For a moment they stood 
 outside the cabin, talking earnestly together, 
 
170 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 but in sncli low tones that even Aunt Dinah 
 with all her efforts was not able to hear what 
 was said. 
 
 Apparently one of the soldiers had his way, 
 for all three men turned and started across 
 the cornfield, walking toward the creek in the 
 very direction of the place where Taylor had 
 left his exhausted companion. The sight of 
 the departing men at once aroused a keen 
 excitement in the mind of Aunt Dinah. 
 Rushing to the trapdoor she lifted it and 
 called sharply to Taylor: “Dey’s gone ter 
 de creek.” 
 
 Cramped in his narrow quarters, Taylor 
 was obliged to grasp the extended hand of 
 the negress before he could regain a place 
 on the floor. The woman’s words had been 
 sufficiently disturbing to cause him to dart to 
 the door. Peering cautiously from his shel¬ 
 ter, Taylor could see the men as they appar¬ 
 ently were moving toward the one place 
 which above all others he was eager for them 
 to avoid. 
 
 ‘ ‘ They are going straight to the boat! ” he 
 said savagely. 
 
 “Wha* boat?” 
 
NEBO’S CUNNING 
 
 171 
 
 “The punt. My friend is in it. It’s un¬ 
 der the bushes on the bank.” 
 
 “Whar’s dat Nebo?” said Aunt Dinah, at 
 once aroused by Taylor’s words. “He’s so 
 full er his notion er makin’ er preacher outen 
 hisself he des wuffless! Shoutin’ an’ rollin’ 
 his eyes! Seem lak he’s too full er his words 
 ter git ennything outen his mouf. Dey’s no 
 trubble in puttin’ things inter hit. He’s de 
 mos’ pow’fulest eater in de land! Here yo’ 
 Nebo!” she called as she stepped hastily to 
 the back door. “Come yere outen dat! Yo’ 
 heah me? Come yere!” 
 
 Almost as if he had risen from the ground, 
 Nebo suddenly appeared at the door. “Yo’- 
 all see Mas’ Tom an’ his sojer men?” de¬ 
 manded the black woman. “Well, hit’s time 
 foh yo’-all ter git erwake. Yo’ heah me? 
 Yo’ follow wif Mas’ Tom an’ yo’ git ’im ter 
 go somewhar else. Whar is de boat?” she 
 suddenly demanded as she turned to Taylor. 
 
 “It’s just at the right of those three big 
 cypress trees. It’s hidden under the bushes 
 that grow out over the water. I don’t be¬ 
 lieve the men can find it unless Erwin does 
 something to attract their attention. He 
 
172 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 didn’t know when I left him there. He was 
 asleep.” 
 
 Taylor was talking rapidly in his excite¬ 
 ment, but the woman did not wait for him to 
 say more. Turning to her son she said— 
 “Dere, now, yo’ Nebo! He boat’s d’rec’ly 
 under de bushes near de cypress trees. Yo’ 
 go an’ yo’ steer Mas’ Tom ’way from dat er 
 place. Yo’ skeer him wif snakes or yo’ be¬ 
 gin to preach an’ holler. Min’! Yo’ git 
 Mas’ Tom ’way from dat place or hit’ll be 
 de mos’ luxuriatinous ’sperience wha’ eber 
 come to a no- ’count nigger! ’ ’ 
 
 Nebo’s air of indifference at once departed 
 and abruptly leaving the house he started 
 swiftly across the cornfield in pursuit of the 
 departing men. His mother and father as 
 well as Taylor were watching the young ne¬ 
 gro now. Taylor’s quiet bearing did not con¬ 
 ceal his alarm. He was fearful that some 
 word must have been given the men of the 
 presence of Erwin. They were walking 
 swiftly in the direction of the cypress trees. 
 To the excited young soldier the only ex¬ 
 planation of their actions was to be found 
 in the knowledge they must have somehow re- 
 
NEBO’S CUNNING 
 
 173 
 
 ceived that a Yankee prisoner was in hiding 
 near the bank of the shallow stream. 
 
 In a brief time the young negro overtook 
 the men, who stopped as he approached. 
 After a few hasty words, however, they re¬ 
 sumed their way and Nebo accompanied 
 them. 
 
 “Dere, now. Don’ yo’ be ’feared!” said 
 Dinah consolingly to Taylor. 
 
 ‘ ‘ Why not 1 ’ ’ 
 
 “Bekase dey ain’ no sech pnssnn on dis 
 yere plantation what caint make Mas’ Tom 
 b’lieve dere ain’ no white man in de punt. 
 Dat Nebo—he’s de mos’ persuadenest 
 preacher in de lan’! He is de mos’ eloquent- 
 est dispenseres ob de bes’ words yo’-all ebber 
 heer. Lan’! W’en he’s got der powah yo’ 
 cain ’ear him mos’ hup ter de big house. 
 Yaas, suh, dat Nebo—he’s de one what cain 
 mak Mas’ Tom b’lieve dat de fattes’ chicken 
 in de coop has des ’mitted suincide. Da’s 
 so! Don’ yo’-all he skairt no mo’! Nebo’ll 
 ’ten’ ter Mas’ Tom an’ his friends.” 
 
 Taylor was far from being convinced that 
 the vocal powers of Nebo would prevail upon 
 ‘‘Mas’ Tom,” or avail to protect Erwin. In 
 
174 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 a keen state of anxiety lie still watched the 
 men until they were hidden from sight by the 
 bushes on the distant bank of the stream. 
 Apparently, too, they had gone to the very 
 place where he himself had clambered from 
 the mud to the dryer shore. His footprints 
 could still be seen in the mud, Taylor was 
 convinced. The sight of them would lead to 
 further investigation and perhaps to the dis¬ 
 covery of his friend whom he had left asleep . 
 in the punt beneath the hushes. 
 
 And yet it was worse than useless for him 
 to go to Erwin’s aid. To expose himself 
 would be hut to add to his friend’s peril. 
 Striving to restrain himself, Taylor waited, 
 peering from the doorway at the place where 
 the men had disappeared. Every moment he 
 expected to see the men reappear with Erwin 
 helpless in their midst. Dinah’s confidence 
 in the craftiness of Nebo failed to allay Tay¬ 
 lor’s fears. Even his own peril was forgot¬ 
 ten as he watched and waited. 
 
 How long a time had elapsed when Taylor 
 suddenly was recalled to his own position he 
 never knew. It might have been an hour or 
 three might have passed so far as his own 
 
NEBO’S CUNNING 
 
 175 
 
 realization was concerned. Through the 
 back doorway of the cabin Nebo suddenly en¬ 
 tered, and as the young negro spoke, every 
 one in the room turned sharply to him. 
 
 “Did they find him!” demanded Taylor 
 eagerly. 
 
 “Yo’ see hit’s dis way—” began Nebo. 
 
 “Did they find him?” interrupted Taylor 
 harshly. 
 
 “Das what Ah’m ’splainin’ to yo’-all,” be¬ 
 gan Nebo. “Hit’s lak dis yere—” 
 
 Nebo’s explanation was again interrupted, 
 as his mother, manifestly in terror, now sud¬ 
 denly darted to the rear of the cabin. 
 
CHAPTER XIV 
 
 AN IMPROVISED PEST-HOUSE 
 
 When Taylor, startled by the unexpected 
 action of Aunt Dinah, glanced hastily at the 
 door he, too, was as alarmed as she. Stand¬ 
 ing in the doorway was the young white man 
 whom she had called “Mas’ Tom.” How he 
 had come there without being discovered or 
 what he had in mind to do were both matters 
 of conjecture. At all events he was entering 
 the cabin now and Taylor instantly realized 
 that any attempt to flee from the place was 
 worse than useless. 
 
 “You seem to have visitors, Aunt Dinah,” 
 said the young man as he entered the room. 
 
 “Yaas, Mas’ Tom. Yaas, suli. Dat’s so. 
 Dis yere white trash done come ter de do’ er 
 my house sho ’s yo’ bohn. Wliaffor he come, 
 Ah dunno.” 
 
 “Can’t you send him away?” 
 
 “Da’s jes’ wha’ foh Ah gwine foh ter sen’ 
 ter de big house.” 
 
 176 
 
AN IMPROVISED PEST-HOUSE 177 
 
 “You want to be rid of him, do you?” 
 
 “Ah sholy does, Mas’ Tom.” 
 
 “And he won’t go?” 
 
 “No, suh. He jes’—” 
 
 “Can’t ’Eastus and Nebo drive him 
 away ? ’ ’ 
 
 “Dat ’Eastus, he’s took wif de misery. 
 He’s done been mo’nin’ right sma’t all de 
 time. Nebo,” added the black woman, snif¬ 
 fing in apparent indignation, “he’s des no 
 ’count since he’s done been er preachin’.” 
 
 “I’ll help you rid yourself of him,” 
 laughed the young white man as he glanced 
 at Taylor. 
 
 “Don’ yo’-all bother yo’self wif sich trash, 
 Mas’ Tom. All’ll ’ten’ ter him when Ah gets 
 ready.” 
 
 “Where did you come from?” demanded 
 the man, suddenly turning to Taylor. 
 
 “Most any whar,” drawled Taylor striving 
 to appear indifferent. 
 
 “Been in the army?” 
 
 “Not very far away from it, suh.” 
 
 “Whose army?” 
 
 The question was almost impossible for 
 Taylor to answer. So many weeks had 
 
178 FOR TIIE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 passed since liis capture that he knew hut lit¬ 
 tle of the whereabouts of the contending 
 forces. The few reports that had filtered 
 through the lines into the prisons he knew 
 were grossly exaggerated. They had chiefly 
 been rumors of overwhelming defeats for his 
 fellow soldiers, but of the activities or of the 
 real positions or moves of the armies them¬ 
 selves not a reliable word had been received. 
 The young soldier was in almost complete ig¬ 
 norance of the present conditions of the great 
 struggle. 
 
 “I can’t say as how I was exactly in the 
 army,” drawled Taylor. 4 ‘What I mean, 
 suh, was that I wasn’t very far away.” 
 
 “A camp follower! A hanger-on!” 
 
 “Mos’ly, suh,” admitted Taylor humbly. 
 
 “Ever been in the Yankee camp!” 
 
 “ Yo’ mean Camp So’ghum!” 
 
 “Yes. Ever been there!” 
 
 “I’ve seen it, suh.” 
 
 “Never been inside!” 
 
 “Not very recently, suh.” 
 
 “What are you doing here!” 
 
 “Jes’ goin’ to leave.” 
 
 “Where you going!” 
 
AN IMPROVISED PEST-HOUSE 179 
 
 “I reckon I’ll be goin’ to Columbia. It 
 isn’t mo’ than seven miles to the town, is 
 it?” Taylor arose as if he was about to de¬ 
 part. His heart was beating rapidly in his 
 excitement, but he was doing his utmost to 
 appear calm in his assumed character of a 
 poor white. His general appearance, his torn 
 clothing, his woe-begone face might possibly 
 aid him in his attempt to pass as one of the 
 worthless class, and he was doing his utmost 
 to increase the effect by his drawling tones 
 and his general attitude of indifference. 
 What the young white man really thought of 
 him had not been indicated. 
 
 “It’s too far away for you to try to make 
 it now.” 
 
 “I reckon I mought try,” suggested Tay¬ 
 lor, still moving toward the front door. 
 
 “You must come with me now.” 
 
 “I reckon I don’ need any help.” Taylor 
 was keenly observing the man before him. 
 He was aware that he could not rely upon 
 any assistance from the negroes in a struggle 
 with “Mas’ Tom.” Help him in other ways 
 they might but not in an effort to overcome 
 their young master. Then, too, the man 
 
180 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 might be armed, while Taylor was defense¬ 
 less. Besides, he was weak from the lack of 
 sleep and the struggles of the preceding 
 night. 
 
 “You must come with me,” repeated the 
 young man. 
 
 “Where!” 
 
 “To the ‘big house’.” 
 
 “What for! I don’t want anything at the 
 house. ’ ’ 
 
 “You ask as many questions as if you were 
 a Yankee. Come on.” 
 
 There was no escape and shrugging his 
 shoulders Taylor turned to do as he was bid¬ 
 den. When he glanced at Aunt Dinah she ap¬ 
 peared to be indifferent to his troubles and 
 already apparently was busy in her house¬ 
 hold duties. As for the two black men, in her 
 own language they were both “wuffless” and 
 were not to be relied upon for help. 
 
 Silently Taylor followed his new leader as 
 the latter turned into the lane that led to the 
 big house. Not a word was spoken by either 
 and in a brief time they mounted the steps 
 of the old mansion. A wide veranda ex¬ 
 tended about three sides of the great square 
 
AN IMPROVISED PE ST-HOUSE 181 
 
 house and high columns upheld the roof of 
 the imposing porches. At a distance the 
 building was quite impressive, but a nearer 
 inspection revealed the dilapidated condition 
 of the rambling frame structure. 
 
 As Taylor and his companion mounted the 
 steps of the veranda they were met by a 
 young girl whom Taylor at once concluded 
 was a sister of his captor—for such he be¬ 
 lieved “Mas’ Tom” to be. 
 
 The girl’s eyes betrayed her curiosity con¬ 
 cerning her brother’s companion and she 
 lightly inquired, “Who’s your friend, Tom'?” 
 
 “Where’s the lieutenant, sis!” asked Tom, 
 ignoring her question. 
 
 “I reckon he’s in the dining-room. He 
 was there a moment ago. It’s mostly Hoorn’ 
 and little *dining,’ though,” she added, her 
 eyes flashing as she spoke. 
 
 Tom at once conducted Taylor to the room 
 where his friend was found seated before 
 the table at a repast of corn bread and bacon. 
 
 “Who’s that!” demanded the lieutenant, 
 as he glanced quickly at Taylor. 
 
 “You tell me that and then I’ll tell you,” 
 responded Tom. “I’m not certain who he 
 
182 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 is. I found liim at Aunt Dinah’s. I thought 
 I’d take another turn among the ‘quarters’ 
 after I left you and Ben. Where is Ben 
 now!” 
 
 Taylor was confident that Ben was the 
 other young soldier whom he had seen with 
 Tom and the lieutenant at Aunt Dinah’s 
 cabin. 
 
 “He’s down by the creek,” replied the 
 lieutenant. “He thought he had found a 
 trail and he wouldn’t leave it. I had had 
 enough to last me till breakfast time, so I 
 came back. Who’s your man, Tom?” 
 
 “You find out. I don’t know. Dinah says 
 he’s just po’ white trash and he says he’s 
 been a camp follower. Perhaps you can find 
 out more than I could. I decided to bring 
 him up and let you see him for yourself.” 
 
 The young Confederate lieutenant at once 
 turned sharply to Taylor and began to ques¬ 
 tion him. To all his queries Taylor gave 
 hesitating replies, striving to speak but little 
 and when he did to use the drawling and 
 clipped words such as he himself had heard 
 from the ignorant hangers-on about the pris¬ 
 ons. That he was successful in his efforts 
 
AN IMPROVISED PE ST-HOUSE 183 
 
 lie was not at all confident, for the lieuten¬ 
 ant’s curiosity apparently was increasing. 
 
 “You say you have been to the camp of 
 Yankee prisoners at Columbia V 9 the young 
 officer asked sharply. 
 
 “Yaas, sub.” 
 
 “When!” 
 
 “I reckon I was there a day or two since, 
 suh. ’ ’ 
 
 “Wliat were you doing there?” 
 
 “Mos’ anything. The las’ thing I done, 
 suh, was ter help bury a Yank. I reck’n no¬ 
 body’d do it ’ceptin’ me, suh.” 
 
 “Do what?” 
 
 “Bury th’ Yank, suh.” 
 
 “Why not?” 
 
 “We-uns is mos’ly afeard o’ the small¬ 
 pox. ’ ’ 
 
 “What!” exclaimed Tom. “Had the man 
 died of the smallpox?” 
 
 “That was th’ repo’t.” 
 
 “Take him away! Don’t leave him here a 
 minute longer! ’’ ordered Tom. 
 
 Taylor could see that the lieutenant, how¬ 
 ever, was not so badly frightened as his 
 friend had been by the alarming statement. 
 
184 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 Rising from his chair he said to Taylor, 
 “Come with me.” Leading the way to the 
 rear of the house, the lieutenant stopped in 
 the open air beneath a huge tree and renewed 
 his questionings. In Taylor’s garb and man¬ 
 ner there was little to suspect, but the young 
 officer still was not convinced. After a time 
 he said, “You must stay here. I’ve a notion 
 that you are not just what you are pretend¬ 
 ing to be. We have had word of some of the 
 Yankees taking French leave from the camp 
 and we’re searching for them. You may be 
 one of them for all I know. Tom!” he called 
 suddenly, turning and shouting toward the 
 house. “Tom! Comeyere!” 
 
 In a moment Tom appeared, though he took 
 pains not to approach very near the sus¬ 
 pected prisoner and the lieutenant. “Tom, 
 have you anybody on the plantation that ever 
 had the smallpox?” 
 
 “Yes. ’Rastus had it three or four years 
 ago.” 
 
 “Then put this man in some place where 
 he can be kept to himself and have ’Rastus 
 look after him. Can you depend on ’Rastus? 
 
AN IMPROVISED PEST-HOUSE 185 
 
 It was in his cabin where you found this fel¬ 
 low, wasn’t it!” 
 
 “It was. But ’Rastus is true and Dinah is 
 more trusty still.” 
 
 “I’d like to keep this fellow till Lieutenant 
 Evans can see him. He’ll be yere right soon. 
 I have my suspicions that this man is playing 
 ’possum. If he is, Evans will know, and if 
 he isn’t, it won’t do any harm to hold him 
 yere a bit.” 
 
 “What about the smallpox, Joe!” 
 
 “There won’t be anything to fear. We’ll 
 keep him to himself, and ’Rastus has had it, 
 you say!” 
 
 “'Yes, ’Rastus has had it,” answered 
 Tom dubiously. “We don’t want to take any 
 chances, Joe. Don’t you reckon we’d better 
 send him on!” 
 
 “Not yet,” said the lieutenant promptly. 
 “He may be less of a fool than he looks, 
 Tom.” 
 
 “Tha’s what my marm says,” suggested 
 Taylor, in his most drawling manner. 
 
 Both young men laughed at his words, but 
 Tom at once led the way to a deserted cabin 
 
186 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 beyond the negroes’ quarters. The house 
 was of logs and contained only one door. 
 Boards had been nailed across the sole win¬ 
 dow to keep out the rain. Taylor took in all 
 the details of the place by one quick glance 
 and then resumed his former attitude of in¬ 
 difference. 
 
 In a brief time ’Rastus was summoned, the 
 door of the cabin was securely nailed fast 
 and the negro was left in charge of the pris¬ 
 oner. 
 
 “Now, ’Rastus, if you let that fellow get 
 away,” called Tom warningly, as he and his 
 friend departed, “you’ll be held responsible. 
 He’s coming down with the smallpox. If he 
 gets loose you know what will happen.” 
 
 “Yaas, suh. Yaas, suh! Ah sholy does, 
 Mas’ Tom. Dinah say lie’s only white trash. 
 Whaffo’ yo’ keep ’im, Mas’ Tom?” 
 
 “We shan’t keep him very long. Likely 
 he won’t be yere more than three or four 
 hours, ’Rastus. You must look out for him. 
 If he tries to get out you call me. ’ ’ 
 
 “Ya-a-s, suh,” said ’Rastus meekly, as the 
 two young men departed. 
 
 Taylor waited impatiently until he was sat- 
 
AN IMPROVISED PEST-HOUSE 187 
 
 isfied that the two young men were gone be¬ 
 fore he inspected his place of confinement. 
 His eyes were somewhat accustomed to the 
 darkness now and he could see that the little 
 building was strong. Escape by the closed 
 window was impossible—it was securely 
 nailed. The door, too, was barred and to 
 break through it was not to be thought of un¬ 
 less ’Rastus would open it. The sole means 
 of escape was by the chimney, but as Taylor 
 peered up it he was by no means convinced 
 that in his weakened condition he would be 
 able to make the ascent. 
 
 Api^roaching the door, he called softly at 
 first and then in louder tones to ’Rastus, 
 “ Aren’t you going to open the door for me!” 
 
 “Caint do hit nohow,” responded the ne¬ 
 gro. “Dey can see from de big house.” 
 
 Here was a complication Taylor had not 
 thought of and for a moment he was silent. 
 “ ’Rastus,” he called at last. 
 
 “Yaas, suli.” 
 
 “Did Nebo find my friend down by the 
 creek'?” 
 
 “No, suh. Nebo foun’ de punt an’ de pole 
 slio’ ’nough, but dey wasn’t no man dere. 
 Dey sho’ly wasn’t.” 
 
CHAPTER XV 
 
 THE WORD OH THE BANK 
 
 The statement of ’Rastus was sufficient of 
 itself to increase tlie excitement under which 
 Taylor already was laboring. He was con¬ 
 vinced somehow that the negro had spoken 
 truly and that Erwin had not been found in 
 the punt. Whether Erwin had awakened and 
 finding himself deserted and alone had him¬ 
 self gone ashore, or whether he had discov¬ 
 ered the approach of the three men and had 
 found some other place of hiding, Taylor had 
 no means of knowing. In either case, Erwin, 
 ignorant of the events which had occurred 
 since Taylor had left the boat and, unaware, 
 as he must be, of the dangers to be met in 
 the vicinity, was in the midst of many perils. 
 Then, too, Erwin’s exhaustion was such that 
 his friend was aware that it would be im¬ 
 possible for him to defend himself in case of 
 attack or to proceed far from the place where 
 the punt had been concealed. 
 
 188 
 
THE WORD ON THE BANK 189 
 
 It was now noontime. Taylor’s anxiety 
 was so great that lie was becoming almost 
 desperate. In case Lieutenant Evans should 
 come, as Tom’s friend had predicted, the 
 young officer would at once recognize him, 
 Taylor well knew. No subterfuge, not even 
 the report of smallpox, would deter him from 
 doing his duty. The kindness he had shown 
 the young prisoners—so marked in its con¬ 
 trast with their other experiences, would not 
 avail now. Lieutenant Evans would compel 
 him and Erwin also, if the latter should be 
 found, to return at once to the prison camp. 
 
 But how was release from the hut in which 
 he was confined to be obtained? This was 
 his first problem, as Taylor well knew. Help 
 from the watching ’Rastus was not to be ex¬ 
 pected. To break down the door or remove 
 the boards from the window was also im¬ 
 possible. 
 
 In his desperation Taylor looked again at 
 the fireplace. It was loosely built of stones 
 and as the young prisoner stooped and 
 peered up the flue, he could see that it was 
 not difficult to climb to the roof because the 
 stones overlapped and had been loosely laid. 
 
190 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 Manifestly the men who had ordered him 
 there had not been planning to place him in 
 close confinement or they would not have se¬ 
 lected such a hut for his prison. Doubtless, 
 Taylor thought, his words concerning small¬ 
 pox had alarmed them to a degree and they 
 had sent him where he was merely to hold 
 him till the arrival of Lieutenant Evans, who 
 would know best what ought to be done in the 
 circumstances. 
 
 To meet the lieutenant, however, was just 
 what Taylor was most eager to avoid. In 
 his determination he at once began to climb 
 the chimney. He was careful to avoid all 
 noise as he grasped the projecting flat stones 
 and slowly mounted. His greatest difficulty 
 came when he arrived at the low top of the 
 chimney, which was of brick and so smooth 
 that there were no projecting points to be 
 grasped. 
 
 However, by bracing his feet he managed 
 at last to secure a grasp on the top and then 
 cautiously drew himself upward. For a mo¬ 
 ment he peered at the mansion in the dis¬ 
 tance. Apparently no one was within sight. 
 Hesitating no longer, he quickly climbed to 
 
THE WORD ON THE BANK 191 
 
 tlie top, then slid to the roof and withdrawing 
 toward the rear dropped to the ground which 
 was not more than eight feet below him. 
 
 Not even stopping to glance at the big 
 house, Taylor at once started toward the 
 quarters of the negroes. He was in the open 
 now and exposed to the sight of anyone near. 
 Boldness, however, had favored him before, 
 and trusting again in its power, he walked 
 rapidly in the direction of Aunt Dinah’s 
 cabin. Occasionally he glanced behind him, 
 prepared to run if any pursuers were seen. 
 Once he met a black woman who gazed curi¬ 
 ously at him, but did not speak. A silence 
 rested over the region that was almost as ter¬ 
 rifying as the shouts or shots which Taylor 
 half expected to hear. 
 
 He was not molested, however, and soon 
 gained the rear of Aunt Dinah’s humble 
 abode. As he opened the door he found no 
 one within. The silence extended even to the 
 cabin. For a moment Taylor looked about 
 him, hesitating what next to do. It was not 
 likely that Tom and his companions would 
 soon return to the creek where Erwin and the 
 punt had been left. Not a word had either 
 
192 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 of the white men spoken concerning Erwin. 
 Taylor was hopeful that his friend had not 
 been found. The words of ’Rastus were dis¬ 
 quieting, however, and in his anxiety Taylor 
 was determined to learn whether or not the 
 negro had spoken truly. 
 
 Advancing to the front door of the hut, he 
 peered at the long cornfield before him. If 
 he were only safely across that he would 
 know more concerning the fate of his friend. 
 Apparently no one was in the field. The 
 very silence was almost an invitation. Far 
 away was the mansion hidden by trees. The 
 prospect was tempting and Taylor decided 
 to try to return to the bushes under which 
 his recent comrade had been left. 
 
 Before he departed from the house Taylor 
 lifted the trapdoor which concealed the store¬ 
 house of Aunt Dinah. It was evident that 
 supplies were scant but equally evident that 
 the big colored woman had in some way made 
 provision for the future. Her private cel¬ 
 lar contained food, as Taylor had become 
 aware when she had concealed him in the 
 place. 
 
 A part of a side of bacon and some corn 
 
THE WORD ON THE BANK 193 
 
 bread were taken by the young soldier before 
 he restored the door to its place. Aunt Di¬ 
 nah would not begrudge the 4 4 offering , 9 ’ he 
 assured himself, and the needs of his friend 
 as well as his own were too great to be 
 neglected. 
 
 Placing the food inside his shirt-front, Tay¬ 
 lor at once departed from the hut. Walking 
 briskly across the open part of the field, he 
 stopped at the first heap of cornstalks to ob¬ 
 serve whether or not he had been seen. A 
 flock of buzzards on the high branches of a 
 dead cypress tree near the creek was the 
 only sight of living objects he was able to 
 obtain. 
 
 Assured that thus far he had not been ob¬ 
 served, Taylor sought the nearest refuge in 
 the field and again stopped and peered all 
 about him. Still the buzzards were the sole 
 animate objects to be seen. 
 
 Repeatedly darting from one hiding place 
 to another, Taylor kept on his way until at 
 last he arrived at the place he was seeking. 
 Once within the shelter of the brush he knelt 
 upon the ground and peered between the 
 bushes. He could see all about the planta- 
 
194 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 tion. Even the mansion in the distance was 
 more easily seen here than from the hnt of 
 Annt Dinah. 
 
 Suddenly five men came down the steps of 
 the big house and started toward the deserted 
 hut in which Taylor had been “guarded” by 
 ’Rastus. So startled was Taylor by the sight 
 that for the moment even the thought of his 
 friend was ignored. Almost fascinated, he 
 watched the five men. They were too far 
 away for him to distinguish anyone, but to 
 his excited imagination one of them appeared 
 to be like the form of Lieutenant Evans. An¬ 
 other one, too, somehow reminded him of 
 Uncle Sam, but as Taylor realized how im¬ 
 possible the presence in the vicinity, espe¬ 
 cially in such company, of Samuel was, he 
 did not give the matter any serious thought 
 at that time. 
 
 Plainly the men were going to the deserted 
 hut. Taylor was unable to see ’Rastus any¬ 
 where near the little building. Doubtless the 
 old negro would have an abundance of excite¬ 
 ment soon, Taylor thought grimly. How¬ 
 ever, trouble was not wanting in the young 
 soldier’s vicinity, and at the recollection he 
 
THE WORD ON THE BANK 195 
 
 turned hastily into the bushes where the punt 
 was hidden. 
 
 The little boat apparently was just as he 
 had left it. Even the long pole had not been 
 touched. But Erwin was not there. ’Rastus 
 had spoken truly when he had given Nebo’s 
 report. 
 
 “Erwin! Erwin!” Taylor called in a low 
 voice, hoping that his friend was concealed 
 somewhere not far away. He waited a mo¬ 
 ment and then repeated his hail, not daring 
 to call loudly. Still the silence was unbroken. 
 Erwin apparently was gone. 
 
 Hurriedly Taylor examined the muddy bot¬ 
 tom as well as the ground on the bank for 
 traces of footprints. There were no signs 
 to be found that his friend had departed by 
 the bank. The mystery of it all was baffling 
 and doubly tantalizing now in the plight 
 of Taylor. Darting back to the shore, 
 he once more concealed himself behind a tree 
 and looked toward the hut from which he had 
 climbed. Even the five men could not now be 
 seen. The sun was shining, but the desola¬ 
 tion of the scene was not relieved. Some¬ 
 thing like a heavy pall seemed to rest over 
 
196 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 the entire region. Not a place on the planta¬ 
 tion had been molested, but in spite of its 
 security the influence of the prison camp and 
 the things for which it stood seemed to cast 
 a spell on field and house and men. Fear, 
 calamity, desolation—these were in the very 
 air and trembling people absorbed them in 
 their breath. 
 
 Taylor remained a half-hour in his place of 
 observation and then returned to the punt. 
 His escape, he was aware, might increase the 
 vigilance of the party with Tom. Quite 
 likely it would. ’Rastus, however, might be 
 suspected of having aided the prisoner he 
 was supposed to guard and in that event the 
 negro’s troubles might be multiplied. It 
 was too bad, Taylor acknowledged somewhat 
 woefully, but it still was better so than to 
 have remained in the cabin until he was rec¬ 
 ognized and all hope was abandoned forever. 
 
 Taylor seized the pole and pushed the punt 
 into the stream. He was not planning to go 
 far. He would watch for Erwin’s return and 
 be ready to welcome him. Somehow Taylor 
 had persuaded himself that his friend had 
 gone to some cabin in the vicinity and would 
 
THE WORD ON THE BANK 197 
 
 soon come back. His own experiences con¬ 
 firmed him in the belief which was strength¬ 
 ened by the words spoken by the lieutenant 
 whom Tom had called Joe. No reference 
 had been made to Erwin. Taylor assured 
 himself that such would not have been the 
 case if his friend had been found by the 
 searching party. 
 
 The punt was poled across the muddy 
 creek, and, almost on the opposite shore, was 
 once more thrust under the thick bushes that 
 there also overhung the bank. Once ef¬ 
 fectively concealed by the branches, he ar¬ 
 ranged several small open places through 
 which he himself could peer without fear of 
 discovery. He could hear sounds which any 
 near-by parties might make, and, in a 
 measure at least, Taylor was assured not 
 only that he was quite effectively concealed, 
 but also that he would be able to discover the 
 approach of Erwin. He was planning to re¬ 
 main until dark and if his friend should not 
 appear by that time, then Taylor would not 
 remain longer but he would try to find some 
 measures for a search for his missing com¬ 
 panion, or so he assured himself. 
 
198 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 Seating himself in the boat, Taylor first ate 
 a small piece of the corn bread which he had 
 “borrowed” from Aunt Dinah. His hunger 
 had returned with increased force now and he 
 looked longingly at the part that remained. 
 Certain of Erwin’s needs as well as being 
 fully aware of the uncertainty as to when 
 other supplies might be had, he resolutely 
 restrained his impulse and restored the re¬ 
 maining food to its place. He might be 
 compelled to flee suddenly and food was alto¬ 
 gether too precious to be lost in the exi¬ 
 gencies of a sudden flight. 
 
 Utterly wearied, Taylor soon was lying on 
 the bottom of the punt, assuring himself that 
 he could hear as well in that position as in 
 any other if any men came to the creek. It 
 was not long, however, before the young sol¬ 
 dier was asleep, not even his anxiety for him¬ 
 self or his fears for Erwin availing to keep 
 him longer awake. 
 
 Dusk had settled over the land when Tay¬ 
 lor awoke. He was shivering in the cold. At 
 first, it was impossible for him to realize 
 where he was. He roused himself as the 
 
THE WORD ON THE BANK 199 
 
 sound of voices of men nearby was heard. 
 In a moment his own plight was recalled and 
 he was excitedly listening to the words he 
 overheard. 
 
 “Yes, I’m a good friend,” some one was 
 saying. “I missed ’em both on the way. 
 You say they were both here!” 
 
 “Yaas, suh.” 
 
 “Did you see them both!” 
 
 “Ah reck’n Ah sholy did.” 
 
 “Were they here when you saw them!” 
 
 “One was yere.” 
 
 “Where was the other one!” 
 
 “He done stop a bit at we-all’s cabin, suh.” 
 
 “Yes. Yes. That was Taylor. How did 
 he get away from the house when your father 
 was on guard!” 
 
 “Ah caint ’xplain dat, suh. He des nach- 
 ully lef\” 
 
 “What was the one you saw here at the 
 creek doing!” 
 
 “Nuffin, suh. He des look lak he was mos’ 
 done foh. He sho’ly was de mos’ tremblein- 
 list man what Ah—” 
 
 Taylor was unable to hear the conclusion 
 
200 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 of the sentence, but he was fully awake now. 
 He had recognized the voice of one of the 
 men as that of Uncle Sam and beyond ques¬ 
 tion his companion was Aunt Dinah’s son, 
 Nebo. 
 
CHAPTER XVI 
 
 A SEARCH 
 
 Hesitating no longer, Taylor called softly 
 from his hiding place, “Uncle Sam! Uncle 
 Sam! Wait a minute and I’ll be with you.” 
 
 “Wha-a-a’ dat?” stammered Nebo, his 
 teeth chattering in his terror. Samuel, how¬ 
 ever, even if he was startled by the unex¬ 
 pected hail, did not betray his alarm, but re¬ 
 mained on the bank, peering across the little 
 stream whence the voice of the unseen man 
 who had hailed him was heard. 
 
 Seizing his pole, Taylor pushed the punt 
 from beneath the bushes. As he was seen by 
 the negro and his companion, the former 
 without waiting for further information 
 turned and fled across the cornfield in the di¬ 
 rection of the cabins of the slaves. Samuel, 
 however, apparently unmoved, awaited the 
 approach of the boat and when Taylor 
 landed he said: 
 
 201 
 
202 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 1 ‘ I knew it was you. ’ ’ 
 
 “Did you? What are you doing here, 
 Uncle Sam?” 
 
 “Looking for you.” 
 
 “You’ve found me.” 
 
 “Yes, I knew I would.” 
 
 “How did you get out of the camp?” 
 
 “I came with Lieutenant Evans.” 
 
 ‘ 1 Is he here now ? ’ ’ 
 
 “Yes.” 
 
 1 ‘ Where ? ’ ’ 
 
 “I left him at the big house back there be¬ 
 hind the trees.” 
 
 “What is he doing here?” 
 
 “Looking for you. Men have been sent 
 from the camp till they have a circle all 
 around it. They’re scouring the country. 
 You see, some others got away besides you 
 and Erwin.” 
 
 “Why did the lieutenant bring you?” 
 
 “He thought I’d help find you and Erwin.” 
 
 “What made him think you would?” 
 
 “He knew I was down on Erwin.” 
 
 “Well, you’ve found me anyway.” 
 
 “Yes.” 
 
 “What are you going to do next?” 
 
A SEARCH 
 
 203 
 
 “Pm going with you.” 
 
 ‘ ‘ Where ! ’ ’ 
 
 “Wherever yon go!” 
 
 “You mean yon want to get to our lines!” 
 
 “Of course. What did you think I 
 meant!’ ’ 
 
 “I didn’t know but you were going to take 
 me to the lieutenant. ’’ 
 
 “He’ll never see me again.” 
 
 6 ‘ But he thinks he will. ’ ’ 
 
 “That’s his own lookout. I fooled him 
 good. He thought I was ready to go back 
 on our men. I let him think so just as long 
 as he wanted. I got into his good graces and 
 now I’ve got more than I ever thought I’d 
 have. He asked me if I’d like to go with 
 him and if I’d help find the men that got 
 away. ’ ’ 
 
 “And you told him you would!” 
 
 “I did,” Samuel replied as simply as if he 
 had no conception of what his words implied. 
 Indeed, to his friend the knowledge of Uncle 
 Sam’s treachery was not surprising—it was 
 so thoroughly in keeping with all that Taylor 
 had known of him since they were small boys. 
 Uncle Sam’s propensity to take what did not 
 
204 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 belong to him was understood by all his ac¬ 
 quaintances and his word no one would trust. 
 In the little village in which the boys dwelt 
 the prevailing impression was that Samuel 
 was not altogether responsible for his deeds. 
 The kind-hearted country people referred to 
 him as one who was slightly “lacking in his 
 upper story,’’ by which term some described 
 the lad who was called by others “half-wit¬ 
 ted” or a fool. Shrewd in certain directions 
 the boy certainly was, although in school he 
 had not been able to do what others of his 
 own age had done. Even now Taylor re¬ 
 called the sight of Uncle Sam, a tall, awk¬ 
 ward, ungainly boy of fourteen standing in a 
 row with six or eight little fellows not more 
 than half his age, trying vainly to read the 
 lesson that had been assigned. Samuel him¬ 
 self had at last rebelled and refused longer 
 to attend school to be the sport of boys so 
 much younger than he was. The two chief 
 causes of distrust on the part of others were 
 Samuel’s apparent failure to understand the 
 difference between truth and falsehood, and 
 his vindictiveness. 
 
 Taylor was thinking of these things while 
 
A SEARCH 
 
 205 
 
 Samuel was speaking. Had lie told the truth! 
 Could he be trusted? 
 
 4 4 Where’s Erwin ?” inquired Samuel. 
 
 ‘ ‘ I don’t know. Do you ? Have you heard 
 anything about him?” 
 
 “Have I heard? No. I haven’t heard 
 anything. Isn’t he with you?” 
 
 “No.” 
 
 “Where is he?” 
 
 “I wish I knew.” 
 
 “ Where’d you lose him?” 
 
 “I haven’t seen him since last night.” 
 
 “Probably the rebs have got him again,” 
 suggested Samuel complacently. “What you 
 going to do now, Taylor?” 
 
 “I’m not sure. Yes. I am,” Taylor sud¬ 
 denly added. “You say you want to go with 
 me?” 
 
 “That’s what I said.” 
 
 “Have you had anything to eat?” 
 
 “Yes, but they wouldn’t let me eat with 
 ’em!” said Samuel angrily. 
 
 “Who wouldn’t?” 
 
 “The lieutenant and the men at the house. 
 They thought I wasn’t good ’nough for them. 
 I’ll show ’em whether I am or not!” 
 
206 FOR THE STARS AND STRIFES 
 
 “Of course you will, Uncle Sam,” said 
 Taylor encouragingly. “They don’t suspect 
 you, though, do they?” 
 
 “Suspect me of what?” 
 
 “That you are not going to ‘find’ me or 
 that you have decided to leave them. ’ ’ 
 
 “Of course they don’t.” 
 
 “Good. Then I’ll tell you what you are 
 to do, Uncle Sam. You go back to the house 
 and do what I tell you. If you can find any¬ 
 thing to eat, fill your pockets with it. It 
 doesn’t make any difference what it is if 
 it’s something that we can eat. Then if you 
 can find an old coat, bring that. If you 
 could get a pistol it would be just what we 
 need. Do you think you can?” 
 
 “I didn’t intend to go back to the house at 
 all.” 
 
 “That’s all right. You can go, though. 
 If you can get these things I’m telling you 
 about, we’ll be on our way home before you 
 know it. I’d like to see the old place, 
 wouldn’t you, Uncle Sam? Seems to me now 
 I can almost see your mother sitting there 
 in front of the little old wood-colored house 
 
A SEARCH 
 
 207 
 
 where you lived. I think she’ll be glad to 
 see you, Sam.” 
 
 “Quit that!” 
 
 “And then when you start up the street 
 the very next morning after you arrive in 
 town how the people will praise you! The 
 boys will say, 4 There’s Uncle Sam! The 
 rebels couldn’t keep him in their prisons. 
 He was too slick for Lee or Stonewall Jack- 
 son.’ The girls, too, Uncle Sam, will all be 
 talking about you and when they see you 
 they’ll be proud to know you. Maybe 
 they’ll—” 
 
 “Maybe they’ll what!” broke in Samuel. 
 
 “Oh, you know as well as I do what the 
 girls will do. You know how they all act 
 when they see the boys in their blue uni¬ 
 forms—” 
 
 “Come on, Taylor!” interrupted Samuel 
 eagerly. “Let’s start now.” 
 
 “Come back here in two hours and I think 
 we’ll be ready. Don’t let Lieutenant Evans 
 or anyone else suspect that you’ve seen me.” 
 
 “I won’t. Where you going, Taylor!” 
 
 “Not very far away. I’ll be here waiting 
 
208 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 for you. Don’t forget what I told you about 
 something to eat—and the clothes and the 
 pistol, too, if you can find one.” 
 
 “I’ll do it,” said Samuel excitedly. “You 
 really think, Taylor, the girls—” 
 
 “I know they will,” responded Taylor 
 quickly. “You’d better start now, Sam.” 
 
 Taylor smiled at the eagerness with which 
 Samuel started in the direction of the man¬ 
 sion. The poor half-witted fellow might 
 have serious trouble if he tried to carry out 
 the suggestions which had been given him, 
 but Taylor’s conscience at the time did not 
 trouble him. He was persuaded, too, that 
 Samuel really meant what he said when he 
 had expressed his desire to accompany him. 
 Uncle Sam had not been as foolish as Lieu¬ 
 tenant Evans had believed him to be when 
 he had brought him in the hope that he would 
 assist in running down the prisoners who 
 had escaped. 
 
 As soon as Samuel was gone, Taylor 
 started briskly toward the cabin of Aunt Di¬ 
 nah. He had slight fear of discovery now, 
 and was eager to satisfy himself concerning 
 two perplexing questions. Somehow he was 
 
A SEARCH 
 
 209 
 
 convinced that Erwin must be somewhere 
 about the plantation. The questions which 
 Samuel had asked Nebo indicated more than 
 appeared and Taylor had refrained from ask¬ 
 ing Uncle Sam until a later time. For the 
 present he preferred to act upon his own 
 impressions. 
 
 In a brief time Taylor approached the low 
 cabin of Aunt Dinah. The little building was. 
 in darkness and not a sound could he hear 
 from within it. First assuring himself that 
 no one was near, Taylor approached the front 
 door and rapped. His summons were twice 
 repeated before the door was opened and 
 the form of Aunt Dinah loomed large be¬ 
 fore him. 
 
 “Who darf” demanded the negro woman. 
 
 “I’ll tell you,” said Taylor, as he stepped 
 inside the building. “You know who I am 
 now,” he added. “I’ve come back to have 
 you help me again, Aunt Dinah.” 
 
 “ ’Pears lak dey all do,” grumbled the 
 woman, recognizing who her visitor was. 
 
 “Yes, we all must come to you, Aunt Di¬ 
 nah. You are our friend. Where is Nebo!” 
 
 “WhafTur yo’-all want ter see ’im!” 
 
210 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “I must see him.” 
 
 “Nebo gwine away.” 
 
 “Has he gone!” 
 
 “He ain’ hyer.” 
 
 “Where is ’Rastus!” 
 
 “He ain* yere neider. Howcome yo’ git 
 away fo’m de house what ’Rastus done 
 watch ! ’ ’ 
 
 “You knew I would not stay there, Aunt 
 Dinah. So did ’Rastus know it, too.” 
 
 The black woman chuckled as she said, 
 “Yo* sho’ly did pester ’Rastus. Yo’ did’n 
 come outen de do’, an’ de winder was 
 fas\” 
 
 “Did Tom do anything when he found I 
 was gone!” 
 
 “Mas’ Tom clar ter goodness yo’-all is des 
 lak de smallpox— yo’ caint fin’ de way how 
 hit get inter de house or outen hit.” 
 
 “Never mind that now,” said Taylor hur¬ 
 riedly. “Has anything been heard of my. 
 friend! I mean the one I left in the boat! 
 when I first came here.” 
 
 “Ah reck’n he done gone, suh.” 
 
 “Gone where!” 
 
 “To de norf.” 
 
A SEARCH 
 
 211 
 
 “What do yon mean!” 
 
 “Hit’s des lak Ah tell yo\ ’Pears lak two 
 men was yere dis mo’nin’ an’ Nebo he done 
 tak ’em bof on der way.” 
 
 By dint of persistent questioning Taylor 
 at last learned that two men who had escaped 
 from the prison pen had been conducted by 
 one of the blacks on “Mas’ Tom’s” planta¬ 
 tion to a plantation a few miles northward. 
 There the friendly negroes were to hide and 
 care for the men until they could be taken to 
 another plantation still farther away. The 
 plan was not new to Taylor, who had fre¬ 
 quently heard of this “underground rail¬ 
 way,” and, indeed, he had not been without 
 hope that he and Erwin might secure the aid 
 of faithful blacks if they were so fortunate 
 as to escape from Camp Sorghum. 
 
 The one pressing problem now was whether 
 or not Erwin had really been one of the two 
 men who had been assisted forward by the 
 black man whom Aunt Dinah had referred to 
 as Moses. He was unable to obtain from her 
 any detailed information because she had not 
 seen either of the men. 
 
 “Why can’t Nebo or ’Kastus take me and 
 
212 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 perhaps another man to the next plantation 
 to-night V’ Taylor asked. 
 
 “ ’Rastus? ’Rastus? He’s sho’ly de mos’ 
 wuffless man wha’ Mas’ Tom own!” snorted 
 Aunt Dinah. 
 
 “Then let Nebo take us.” 
 
 “He’s mos’ wuffless ’s ’Rastus.” 
 
 “Let him try it,” suggested Taylor 
 eagerly. 
 
 Somewhat reluctantly, Aunt Dinah at last 
 gave her consent. It was plain to Taylor 
 that she knew more about her son’s where¬ 
 abouts than she had admitted, because she 
 promised that within an hour he would 
 he at the place where the punt had been left. 
 When Taylor reported his theft of food from 
 beneath the trapdoor in the floor, Aunt Dinah 
 laughed and insisted upon his taking with 
 him another large piece of corn bread. When 
 the young soldier departed from the cabin his 
 heart was warm in the recollection of the 
 black woman’s kindness. He was still deeply 
 troubled about Erwin, however, when at last 
 he approached the bank where the punt had 
 been left. 
 
CHAPTER XVII 
 
 A BLACK LEADER 
 
 Peering cautiously before liim, Taylor saw 
 the tall form of Samuel approaching from 
 the shore. The sight was not surprising, be¬ 
 cause the young soldier somehow had been 
 confident that Uncle Sam would not desert 
 him. Indeed, it was the fear rather than the 
 hope that the unreliable Samuel, who had se¬ 
 cured permission from Lieutenant Evans to 
 accompany him in a search for the missing 
 prisoners against whom he had doubtless ex¬ 
 pressed his hostility, would remain with the 
 escaping prisoners instead of with the young 
 Confederate officer. Perhaps, too, the lieu¬ 
 tenant had not been unwilling for the un¬ 
 gainly Samuel to be “lost.” His presence 
 apparently, was not desired by either of the 
 contending forces. 
 
 Taylor, however, was not afraid of Sam- 
 uePs misdeeds—he understood the half-wit¬ 
 ted fellow too well for that. Undesirable his 
 
 213 
 
214 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 company might be, but be was not likely to 
 add to the peril and might even be of service 
 at times. Accordingly, Taylor confidently 
 drew near, and, in a low voice, inquired, 
 “Anyone been seen since I went away?” 
 
 “No.” 
 
 “Has Nebo—the young negro—been 
 here?” 
 
 “Nobody has been here.” 
 
 “Then we must wait.” 
 
 “What are we waiting for?” 
 
 “Someone is coming.” 
 
 “Who? Erwin?” 
 
 “I’m afraid not. I wish be was coming. 
 Haven’t you had any word about him, Uncle 
 Sam ? Did the lieutenant say anything about 
 him ? ’ ’ 
 
 “No. I didn’t bear a word except that be 
 was sure that Erwin would be found. He 
 couldn’t get away.” 
 
 “Why Erwin? Didn’t Lieutenant Evans 
 include me, too?” 
 
 “Yes. He said be’d have you both.’’ 
 
 “And yet you are going to take your 
 chances with us.” 
 
 “Yes.” 
 
A BLACK LEADER 
 
 215 
 
 “.Why is that?” 
 
 “I don’t know. I guess it’s because I 
 want to.” 
 
 “Did you tell the lieutenant you’d help 
 find us?” 
 
 “He thought I would.” 
 
 “Didn’t you promise you would help? 
 Wasn’t that the real reason why he brought 
 you?” 
 
 “Not exactly, Taylor,” replied Samuel un¬ 
 abashed. “There wasn’t any harm in let¬ 
 ting him think what he wanted to, was 
 there?” 
 
 “I don’t know,” said Taylor moodily. 
 “Come on into the punt. We’ll have to wait 
 awhile. ’ ’ 
 
 Together the two boys made their way to 
 the rude little craft which they thrust under 
 the projecting branches. There the young 
 soldiers waited while the moments slowly 
 passed. The moon was up now and in its 
 light Taylor could see across the cornfield 
 to the low cabins of the negroes in the dis¬ 
 tance. A silence rested over the region that 
 was so tense that it was almost oppressive. 
 A branch snapped on the shore a few yards 
 
216 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 away and Taylor, startled by the sound, 
 gazed anxiously in the direction from which 
 it had come. The sound was not repeated 
 and the young soldier’s vigil was nnrelaxed. 
 
 The moon climbed higher into the heavens. 
 It was eleven o’clock now, Taylor thought, 
 and still Nebo did not come. Fear of his 
 not coming at all began to trouble the anxious 
 boy. The danger of proceeding without a 
 guide was as great as that of remaining 
 longer where they then were. The time for 
 action of some kind had come. Delay was 
 not to be thought of longer. 
 
 Slowly Taylor reached past his silent com¬ 
 panion to grasp the long pole. He had de¬ 
 cided not to wait any longer for the coming 
 of Nebo. As Taylor thrust the pole silently 
 into the muddy bottom of the stream he 
 abruptly stopped when he became aware of 
 ♦ someone on the bank. A hasty glimpse re¬ 
 vealed the presence of Nebo. Calling softly, 
 Taylor directed the young negro to the place 
 where the boat was concealed. 
 
 “Here we are, Nebo,” whispered Taylor. 
 “Everything all right?” 
 
 “Ah don’ see nobody.” 
 
A BLACK LEADER 
 
 217 
 
 “Have any word about my friend?” 
 
 “No, suh.” 
 
 “Are you ready to start?” 
 
 “All spec’s Ah’m mos’ ’s ready ’s Ah 
 will be.” 
 
 “Good. What’s the plan!” 
 
 “We’ll pole de punt er while.” 
 
 “All right. Get on board, Nebo.” 
 
 The young negro stepped into the boat and 
 grasping the pole pushed the little craft into 
 the stream. For a time no one spoke, while 
 Nebo, manifestly skilled in his task, pushed 
 the little boat forward. Occasionally he 
 stopped and listened, but the stillness was 
 unbroken. 
 
 “Whose punt is dis yere?” Nebo inquired 
 at last. 
 
 “Your’s, Nebo, when we leave it.” 
 
 “Ah reck’n we mouglit bettah leabe it, 
 now,” Nebo promptly responded. 
 
 “You’ll not leave us, though?” 
 
 “No, suh. No, suh. Not yet,” laughed 
 the young negro. “Dis yere’s de place wha’ 
 we leaves de punt, suh.” 
 
 “Where are we going?” 
 
 “To Hitt’s plantashun.” 
 
218 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 i ‘How far is it from here?” 
 
 “Hit’s a right sma’t way.” 
 
 “Five miles?” 
 
 “Yas, suh.” 
 
 “How do we go?” 
 
 “Erlong de road, suh, foh er piece. Hen 
 we leabs de road an’ Ah’ll tak’ yo’-all erlong 
 de blin’ road.” 
 
 “The ‘blind road.’ What’s that?” 
 
 “Yo’-all will see. Ahcaintdes ’splainany 
 mo’.” 
 
 “All right, Nebo, We’ll trust you.” 
 
 The punt was carefully concealed by its 
 new and prospective owner and when the 
 task was accomplished the three men made 
 their way to the near-by road. Nebo’s air 
 of timidity apparently was gone now. He 
 was active, cautious and confident. Halting 
 behind the rail fence, he turned to his com¬ 
 panions and said in a low voice, “He bes’ 
 way now is fer me t’ go ahaid. Yo’-all fol¬ 
 low des a little way behind. If Ah see any 
 signs er de whackers—” 
 
 “Of what?” 
 
 “Signs er de bushwhackers—de men wha’ 
 runs der plantashuns in de daytime an’ den 
 
A BLACK LEADER 
 
 219 
 
 in de night dey des nacliully gets demselves 
 t’gedder an’ watches de roads.’’ 
 
 “What do they watch the roads for?” 
 
 “Foil ter cotch de pris’ners which am es¬ 
 capin’ outen de camp.” 
 
 “What shall we do if we find any of these 
 men 1 ’ ’ 
 
 “Das des wha’ Ali’m ’splainin’ t’ yo’-all. 
 Ah’m goin’ ter percede aliaid o’ yo’-all an’ 
 yo’ gemmens is ter follow. Does Ah mak’ 
 dat observation pertinaciously t’ yo’, suh?” 
 
 “Yes. Yes,” said Taylor, impatiently. 
 
 “Den ef dat’s des sasfficen’ly perlatatious, 
 hit des nachully follows, suh, dat ef Ah goes 
 ahaid Ah’m de one ter mederfy wif de 
 ’nouncements of de whackers dere. If yo’ 
 gemmens follow, den yo’-all ’s de ones wha’ 
 must signerfy de ’structions wlia’ come f’om 
 de reah ob dis yere percession. Is dat all 
 ’splicit?” 
 
 “It is as clear as moonlight. You are to 
 go ahead, and if you find any danger you are 
 to warn us. We are to follow you, and if we 
 find any bad signs we are to warn you.” 
 
 “Da’s hit! Da’s hit, suh, ’s sho’ ’s yo’ ’re 
 bo ’n. ’ ’ 
 
220 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “What will you do—call to us?” 
 
 “No, suli. All’ll lif’ up my vocal voice an’ 
 do dis—” Nebo suddenly emitted a weird, 
 shrill cry like that of a night hawk. The cry 
 was repeated three times and was agreed 
 upon as the warning of danger. 
 
 “Co’se you gemmens isn’t ’spected ter try 
 dat,” said Nebo, graciously. “Yo’-all is des 
 ter shout an’ cry erloud an’ spare not. All’ll 
 sho’ly understan’.” 
 
 The change from the glum, silent Nebo to 
 the talkative and self-conscious leader was as 
 amazing as it was puzzling. There was no 
 opportunity for explanation, however, and in 
 a few moments the three boys were walking 
 along the rough roadway, the order of ad¬ 
 vance being that which Nebo already had 
 suggested. 
 
 The young negro could not be seen as he 
 led the way, but occasionally he stopped and 
 waited for his companions to join him. Not 
 a sign of danger had thus far been seen, and 
 Taylor’s hopes were brighter than when the 
 journey began. His greatest anxiety was 
 concerning the fate of Erwin. The possibil¬ 
 ity that his friend had been one of the two 
 
A BLACK LEADER 
 
 221 
 
 men to whom Aunt Dinah had referred as 
 having been already conducted by faithful 
 negroes to a plantation farther north was in 
 Taylor’s thoughts, and he tried to make much 
 of the report. From Nebo Taylor had not 
 been able to learn anything definite concern¬ 
 ing the previous party he had led. Whether 
 this was due to the negro’s unwillingness to 
 enter into any details, or was the result of 
 stupidity, Taylor could not determine. He 
 was positive that he had adopted his best 
 plan in following Nebo. Further discoveries, 
 he decided, must be left to the events of the 
 coming day. 
 
 Three times Nebo had halted and reas¬ 
 sured his followers that the way was clear. 
 After a brief rest the journey each time had 
 been eagerly resumed, and now Nebo de¬ 
 clared that the end was not far distant. 
 
 The road now led through a long and some¬ 
 what dismal stretch of woods. The waving 
 branches, weird and leafless, seemed almost 
 like the arms of men extended in warning. 
 The shadows of the trees were almost ghostly 
 as they flickered or danced on the road. Nei¬ 
 ther Samuel nor Taylor spoke, though both 
 
222 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 were looking forward to the cleared tract 
 which Nebo had assured them lay not far be¬ 
 yond the borders of the woods. 
 
 Suddenly there was a shout heard by the 
 boys. The sound came from a place not far 
 in advance of them. Halting abruptly, Tay¬ 
 lor listened intently for the warning call of 
 Nebo. He could hear the voices of men and 
 was able to distinguish that of the young ne¬ 
 gro, who was loudly protesting, althougjh 
 Taylor was unable to hear what was said. It 
 was evident that Nebo had been abruptly 
 halted, and it was plain that several men 
 were in the band or party that had accosted 
 him. 
 
 “Come! Come on!” whispered Taylor 
 abruptly, as he turned and grasped Samuel 
 by the arm. 
 
 Without a protest, Uncle Sam followed as 
 his companion ran swiftly back over the road. 
 They had gone a hundred yards or more 
 when Taylor turned sharply into the woods 
 and then ordered his companion to follow his 
 example, as he stretched himself upon the 
 ground behind the trunk of a large tree that 
 at some time had been uprooted by a storm. 
 
A BLACK LEADER 
 
 223 
 
 Breathlessly the boys waited. Taylor was 
 peering above the trunk of the tree behind 
 which he was hiding. ‘‘There!” he whis¬ 
 pered excitedly a moment later to his com¬ 
 panion. “It is just as I thought it would be. 
 They’re coming this way and they have Nebo 
 with them! Keep out of sight! Don’t 
 move! Don’t speak!” 
 
 In a brief time, Taylor, who still was peer¬ 
 ing over the fallen tree, saw the party ap¬ 
 proaching. He was trusting to the darkness 
 to hide him. The moonlight enabled him to 
 see into the road and in a brief time he 
 counted eight men in the approaching band. 
 In the midst he could discern the form of 
 Nebo. Manifestly the men were all excited, 
 and they were talking so loudly that as they 
 drew near Taylor was able to hear what was 
 said. 
 
 “Yo’re Tom Baby’s Nebo, aren’t yo’?” 
 one of the party noisily was demanding. 
 
 “Yaas, suh,” replied the young negro. 
 
 “Does Tom know yo’ are heali 1 ’’ 
 
 “No, suh.” 
 
 “What are yo’ heah fob?” 
 
 “Ah’se des gwine ter see—” 
 
224 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “That’s a likely story,” interrupted an¬ 
 other of the men with a loud laugh. “Do 
 yo’ know what happens t’ niggers when they 
 help the Yanks? They jest nachelly stretch 
 hemp. Do yo’-all want t’ try that?” 
 
 “No, suh. No, suh,” stammered Nebo, his 
 teeth chattering in his terror. 
 
 “Then tell us whar the Yanks are! Tell 
 us, or we-all ’ll string yo’ up t’ th’ nearest 
 tree. Heah, Ben,” the man added savagely, 
 “try yer new rope on th’ nigger!” 
 
CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 THE BLIND ROAD 
 
 For a moment Taylor hesitated. The band 
 of eight bushwackers were standing about the 
 terrified young negro. By their actions the 
 prospect of serious trouble for Nebo was 
 more than threatening. Ought he to lie still 
 and permit their leader to suffer, or was it 
 better to give themselves up and thereby save 
 his life, was the question now in Taylor’s 
 
 mind. The thought of the conditions in the 
 
 • 
 
 prison camp, as well as of the escape and the 
 troubles through which he had come, was also 
 vivid. If, to save the frightened negro, he 
 should now surrender, it would mean, as Tay¬ 
 lor well knew, a condition for himself much 
 worse than any he had previously known. 
 
 Hesitation departed quickly. Hard as it 
 must be to give himself into the hands of 
 these men, and to be returned to Camp Sor¬ 
 ghum, there to be punished for his escape, as 
 
226 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 well as to abandon all future hope of release, 
 such conditions would not be so unbearable 
 as the knowledge that the faithful young 
 black had met his death while he was aiding 
 the young prisoners in their attempts to es¬ 
 cape. He decided that he would announce 
 his presence if Nebo’s plight should become 
 desperate. 
 
 Taylor, the decision once made, waited 
 while he watched the proceedings in the road. 
 The man whom the leader addressed as Ben 
 advanced, having a rope in his hands. All 
 the men were armed. Crowding about the 
 negro, they appeared to be all excited, and 
 doubtless were a desperate band. They were 
 all strong, too, as was manifest in their bear¬ 
 ing. 
 
 “Slip the noose ovah his head, Ben,” called 
 the leader. 
 
 The man stepped forward and adjusted the 
 rope about Nebo’s neck. 
 
 “Now, suh, fling th’ rope ovah the branch,” 
 called the leader. 
 
 The rope was adjusted in accordance with 
 the command. 
 
 4 ‘ Now, then, foah o’ yo ’-all get hold. When 
 
THE BLIND BO AD 
 
 227 
 
 I say th’ word, stretch tli’ nigger. When 
 yo ’-all pull, pull ha ’d. ’ ’ 
 
 Taylor moved as if he were about to rise 
 from his position behind the log. 
 
 “Now, Nebo, yo’ wan’ ter say yo’ 
 prayers?” demanded the leader, as he turned 
 to their trembling victim. 
 
 Taylor thought he could hear the chatter¬ 
 ing teeth of the terrified young negro. Ap¬ 
 parently the privilege either was ignored or 
 not understood, for not a word at first was 
 spoken by Nebo. Suddenly, however, the 
 victim seemed to realize more completely the 
 peril that was threatening him. In a voice 
 shrill and so loud that it could have been 
 heard far away, Nebo screeched, “Ali’se 
 Mas’ Tom’s nigger—Mas’ Tom Raby’s! Ef 
 yo’-all doan look out, yo’-all ’ll have Mas’ 
 Tom atter you’. Ali’se wuth mor’n a thou- 
 san’ dollalis, Ah done heali Mas’ Tom say so 
 liisself. Yo’-all kin hang me ef yo’ says so, 
 but wha’ll Mas’ Tom have fob ter say ’bout 
 hit? He’ll—” 
 
 The men laughed loudly at the words of 
 the negro, but it was manifest that what he 
 had said had not been without its effect upon 
 
228 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 them. If indeed, as Taylor shrewdly sus¬ 
 pected, their sole purpose was to frighten 
 their victim into telling what they thought 
 he knew, and not to do him any bodily harm, 
 Nebo’s words certainly added to his sus¬ 
 picion. 
 
 “What ’ll Tom Eaby do ef he heahs yo’-all 
 have been helpin’ th’ Yanks to git out?” de¬ 
 manded one of the band. 
 
 “Ah spec’s he’ll sen’ foh Big Jim,” said 
 Nebo, eagerly. As Big Jim was the over¬ 
 seer of the Eaby plantation, every man 
 within Nebo’s hearing understood what was 
 implied in the suggestion. 
 
 “If yo’ tell us, Nebo, whar th’ Yanks are, 
 we’ll let yo’ go. Futliermo’ we’ll fo’get t’ 
 tell Tom Eaby yo’-all was caught yere by 
 we-uns,” suggested the leader of the little 
 band. Taylor was convinced now that no 
 real harm would be done the negro. His 
 eagerness to hear what Nebo would say, how¬ 
 ever, was so keen that he lifted his head still 
 higher above the log. 
 
 “Ah dunno whar they be,” moaned Nebo. 
 
 “How many were with yo’.” 
 
 “Foah, suh.” 
 
THE BLIND ROAD 
 
 229 
 
 “ Where was yo’-all er takin’ ’em!” 
 
 “Des nowhar, sub. Ali’m tellin’ yo’-all 
 de truf,” Nebo added eagerly, when the band 
 laughed noisily. “Ah des wanted foh ter git 
 ’em gone. Dey was sho’ly de mos’ disde- 
 lapdated trash what Ah eber see, sub.” 
 
 “Why didn’t yo’-all tell Tom Raby!” 
 
 “Ah did, suh! Ah sho’ did! Mas’ Tom 
 done shet one oh ’em up’n ole Hagar’s house 
 an’ he done set my fader foh ter watch out fo’ 
 de place. But de Yank des didn’t stay. ’Pears 
 lak yo’ des caint hoi’ ’em in Camp Sorghum 
 no mo’n yo’ can in old Hagar’s house.” 
 
 “Where mought tli’ Yanks he now!” 
 
 “Ah dunno, suh. Ah specs dey done gone 
 hack ter Mas’ Tom’s place.” 
 
 “Wheah was yo’ a takin’ ’em, Nebo!” 
 
 “Ah wasn’t takin’ ’em nowliar, suh. Dey 
 des naclielly makes me go. And Ah shore 
 was glad foh ter get ’em outen de place 
 dar. ’ ’ 
 
 “Yes. Yes. But where are they now!” 
 
 “Ah caint des ’pear fo’ ter rec’lec’ at dis 
 yere moment, suh. When day seed yo’-all, 
 ’pears lak dey couldn’ des git away fas’ 
 ’nough. Dey was makin’ tracks like dey 
 
230 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 thought dey would rather tak dey chances 
 back in Camp So’ghum dan wid yo’-all.” 
 
 “Did they come back this way?” demanded 
 the man quickly, as he glanced back over the 
 road. 
 
 “ ’Pears lak dey did.” 
 
 “Are yo’ shuali, Nebo? If we-uns fin’ 
 yo’re lyin’, we’ll git two ropes. When we go 
 ter Tom Raby fo’ ter tell him ’bout yo’ 
 doin’s, he’ll give us two moah. An’ we’ll 
 use ’em all on you, you black houn’ dog, 
 ef we-all fin’ yo’ve been a deceivin’ of 
 us!” 
 
 “Hit’s de truf,” persisted Nebo, fran¬ 
 tically. ‘ 1 Dey is come back dis yere way. ’ ’ 
 
 “Why didn’t yo’ say so?” retorted the 
 leader, angrily. “We-all mus’ get th’ Yanks. 
 Go back an’ get yer dawgs, Sim,” he ordered 
 one of his men. “Two creep erlong th’ road, 
 one on each side, while Jeff an’ I follow up. 
 Th’ rest of yo’-all go back ovah th’ way we 
 don’ come an’ see if the’s any sign o’ Yanks 
 ahead. ’ ’ 
 
 “What’ll we do with Nebo?” inquired one 
 of the band. 
 
 “Take him erlong with us,” replied the 
 
THE BLIND ROAD 231 
 
 leader, as he removed the rope from the ne¬ 
 gro’s neck. 
 
 The directions were speedily followed and 
 almost before Taylor was aware, the entire 
 band had disappeared. The departure of 
 the negro, the probability that dogs would be 
 used in the search, the knowledge that three 
 of the men were on the road in the direction 
 in which the escaping prisoners had been 
 proceeding, all added to the difficulties which 
 now confronted Taylor. 
 
 4 ‘Uncle Sam,” he whispered, “we must get 
 out of this place.” 
 
 “Where!” 
 
 “I don’t know. Somewhere. Anywhere.” 
 
 “Better stay right where we are.” 
 
 “No, they’ll have dogs. They’ll all be 
 back pretty soon. They’ll find us, too, if we 
 stay here till it is light.” 
 
 “No, they won’t. This is the best place. 
 I’m tired, anyway.” 
 
 “I’m going on,” said Taylor quietly, as he 
 arose. 
 
 “Well, I guess I’ll have to go, too, then,” 
 replied Samuel, as he also arose. “But 
 we’ll lose our way.” 
 
232 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “We haven’t found it.” 
 
 “Go ahead.” 
 
 Together the two boys stepped cautiously 
 into the road. Not a person was in sight. 
 The night was far advanced and silence 
 rested over the region. Apparently Samuel 
 was indifferent alike to his surroundings and 
 to the peril in which he and his companion 
 stood. He was complaining in a low voice 
 of the cold and of his feeling of hunger. 
 
 Ignoring Samuel, Taylor delayed a few mo¬ 
 ments to satisfy himself that no one was in 
 the immediate vicinity. As soon as he was 
 convinced that they were alone he said 
 sharply, “Come on, Uncle Sam.” 
 
 Making no protest, Samuel followed obedi¬ 
 ently, and together they started, walking 
 briskly in the direction in which they had 
 been going, when they had been halted by 
 the coming of the bushwhackers. 
 
 In Taylor’s thoughts, now, that of the blind 
 road to which Nebo had referred was prom¬ 
 inent. What this road was, or how it was to 
 he found, he did not know. The young negro 
 had said it led to Hitt’s Plantation, what- 
 
THE BLIND ROAD 
 
 QOO 
 
 Zoo 
 
 ever or where that might be. In a general 
 way, Taylor understood that it was about five 
 miles northward from that where he had been 
 sheltered in the cabin of Aunt Dinah. As 
 nearly as he was able to estimate the distance 
 they had come, he did not think more than 
 three miles at the utmost had been covered. 
 Plainly there were friendly negroes on the 
 Hitt Plantation, which was one of the “ sta¬ 
 tions’ ’ on the underground railway that led 
 to freedom. 
 
 Watching either side of the road as they 
 advanced, Taylor at last halted abruptly. 
 Pulling his companion with him, he turned 
 into what appeared to be an opening in the 
 brush by the roadside. A hasty examination 
 revealed the presence of ruts which wagon 
 wheels had worn in the ground. The en¬ 
 trance was almost hidden by the bushes, and 
 yet a wagon easily could be driven through 
 it. 
 
 Was this the blind road? There was no 
 answer to the question. The pathway led 
 among trees and could be seen for only a 
 short distance. The main road was unsafe 
 
234 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 at best. With the men searching it, as Tay¬ 
 lor knew them to be, the peril of discovery 
 was increased. 
 
 “Come on, Uncle Sam,” he said abruptly 
 in a low voice. “I don't know where this 
 path leads, but we'll try it awhile. It can’t 
 be any worse for us than the main road any¬ 
 way. '' 
 
 Making no protest, Samuel followed his 
 friend, who led the way slowly and cautious¬ 
 ly. The road was not difficult, for the soil was 
 soft, and not many rocks were in it. The 
 darkness which the trees produced made the 
 objects on either side dim. Men might be 
 watching or following, but no one would be 
 aware of their presence until they were close 
 upon them. 
 
 As the boys advanced, Taylor became more 
 convinced that they were following a path¬ 
 way which was only occasionally used. 
 Whether or not it was the blind road that 
 led to the Hitt Plantation only their further 
 progress would reveal. At all events, for the 
 time it was safer for the boys to be there than 
 on the open road. Taylor accordingly kept 
 steadily on his way, still walking slowly and 
 
THE BLIND BO AD 
 
 235 
 
 frequently stopping to ascertain if buildings 
 or men were near. 
 
 Already be bad formed a vague plan and 
 was now attempting to supplement it. Tlie 
 road must liave an end, and tliere must also 
 be a reason for its being where it was. Even 
 if the plantation be was seeking was not near 
 it, some people must be found, for a road 
 without men was an absurdity. If these men 
 chanced to be negroes he was confident of 
 help. If, on the other hand, they were white, 
 they still might be willing to give him food or 
 shelter. 
 
 Just as the dawn appeared, the boys came 
 to the border of the woods through which 
 they had wearily made their way. They 
 were now looking across open fields. On the 
 border beyond them were rude buildings. 
 
 “This is a plantation of some kind,” sug¬ 
 gested Taylor. 
 
 “Is it!” inquired Samuel, indifferently. 
 
 “Yes. Over there are cabins,” continued 
 Taylor, pointing to the low buildings he had 
 already seen. “One of us must go there. 
 Will you go, or shall I!” 
 
 “You.” 
 
236 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “All right. There’s only one thing for 
 you to do, Uncle Sam.” 
 
 “What’s that?” 
 
 “You stay right here till I come back.” 
 
 “Suppose you don’t come back?” 
 
 ‘ ‘ Then wait till noon. Don’t move. ’ ’ 
 
 “I’ll go to sleep, I guess.” 
 
 6 ‘ Good. But don’t make much noise. ’ ’ 
 
 “I shan’t,” said Samuel, solemnly. “I 
 told you I was going to sleep.” 
 
 “That’s what I meant.” 
 
 Delaying no longer, Taylor started briskly 
 across the open fields. The light steadily 
 was becoming clearer and in the fear of be¬ 
 ing seen he began to proceed more rapidly. 
 In a brief time he arrived at the nearest of 
 the huts. No one was to be seen near it, 
 and the place was still. Moving on to the 
 nearest hut, the young soldier hesitatingly 
 stopped before the door. Ought he to rap 
 and seek an entrance? 
 
 The question was abruptly answered for 
 him when the door suddenly was opened and 
 a young white girl, apparently near his own 
 age, appeared. Staring at Taylor, she hesi¬ 
 tated a moment and then quickly approached. 
 
CHAPTER XIX 
 
 A WARM DEFENDER 
 
 “Who are you? What are you doing here 
 at this time in the morning?” demanded the 
 girl, gazing at Taylor in anger or alarm. The 
 young soldier, coatless, hatless, his clothing 
 torn, his feet almost bare, was aware that his 
 appearance was far from being assuring. 
 The girl before him plainly belonged to the 
 class that dwelt in the big house. She was 
 simply dressed and in her face the expression 
 of sympathy which Taylor had noticed when 
 she first appeared, had now given place to 
 one in which pity apparently found no part. 
 Nevertheless, Taylor abruptly decided to tell 
 her who he was and to trust her for aid in 
 his desperate plight. 
 
 “Just at present,” he said, “I am doing 
 nothing. IPs an occupation I would like to 
 keep up for a week, judging from my feel¬ 
 ings. ” 
 
 237 
 
238 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 4 ‘Who are you?” repeated the girl sharply. 
 She was almost staring at him in her mani¬ 
 fest excitement, though she did not advance 
 any nearer. 
 
 She was standing about fifteen feet in front 
 of him, but there was no evidence of alarm 
 now in her bearing. 
 
 “Do you mean my name?” 
 
 “Yes. Yes. Who are you?” 
 
 “My name is Cooper—Taylor Cooper.” 
 
 “What are you?” 
 
 “I was once a soldier. I belong to the 
 —th New York.” 
 
 “You are a Yankee!” exclaimed the girl 
 scornfully. 
 
 ‘ 6 I am.’ ’ 
 
 “Have you come here to rob us? You 
 probably knew our men are not at home. 
 You are as brave as the rest of them—when 
 there are no men around! Now, what do 
 you want?” 
 
 “I haven’t asked for anything, have I?” 
 
 “You look as if you might ask for our 
 lives.” 
 
 “Perhaps you’ll understand when I tell 
 you I have escaped from Camp Sorghum.” 
 
A WARM DEFENDER 
 
 239 
 
 “At Columbia V 1 
 
 “ Yes.” 
 
 “Wliy do you tell me tliisf I liaven ’t any 
 pity for the Yankees shut up there. If I 
 had my way I A put every one of them behind 
 bars along with other criminals.” The 
 girl’s dark eyes flashed as she spoke. 
 
 Taylor looked at her a moment without 
 speaking. Then he laughed as he said, 
 “Your sentiments are not of your heart.” 
 
 “Yes, they are, too!” retorted the girl, 
 sharply. “What are you but a lot of—of— 
 men worse than cutthroats or thieves ! Why 
 are you here ! What did you come down here 
 for anyway! You have robbed our houses, 
 shot our men, stolen our crops, burned our 
 homes—Oh, I don’t know all you have done! 
 And—and you have the audacity to stand be¬ 
 fore me and tell me you are a Yankee sol¬ 
 dier just escaped from Camp Sorghum! 
 Why—why, I never heard anything like it in 
 all my bo’n days. How do you know I’ll not 
 turn you over at once to some of our brave 
 men! ’ ’ 
 
 “You’ll not do it,” said Taylor, quietly. 
 He could not explain why he was not afraid. 
 
240 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 The girl manifestly was intense in her devo¬ 
 tion to the Confederate cause. Her anger or 
 indignation and her sharp words somehow 
 seemed to interest greatly the young soldier, 
 and his admiration for the glowing cheeks 
 and shining eyes of the girl, loyal to her own, 
 was not concealed. “No, you41 not do it,” 
 he added. 
 
 ‘ ‘ Why won’t I ? ” 
 
 “You can’t.” 
 
 “I can’t! Lieutenant Evans will be here 
 at ten o’clock. What will prevent me from 
 telling him there is a poor, wretched creature 
 on our plantation who says he is a Yankee 
 prisoner—” 
 
 “Was, not ‘is’ a prisoner, if you please,” 
 interrupted Taylor. 
 
 “It’s all the same!” 
 
 “Is it? If you were in Camp Sorghum for 
 a day or two I think you’d change your mind. 
 Here I am free. It’s true my coat does not 
 fit me, my shoes have not been blacked, my 
 clothes are not in perfect condition, and I 
 am almost starved. But what is all that 
 compared with the misery and filth of the 
 camp ? ’ ’ 
 
A WARM DEFENDER 
 
 241 
 
 “If yon don’t like it, wliy did you come 
 down here?” 
 
 “You know why I came,” said Taylor, 
 quietly. 
 
 “No, I don’t know. I can’t think of any 
 excuse. There isn’t a reason in all the world 
 —but one,” she added, sharply. 
 
 “What’s that?” 
 
 “You just wanted to fill the heads of the 
 negroes full of wrong ideas. You wanted to 
 steal our silver. You hate us—” 
 
 “ ‘Hate’ you? You’re mistaken! I don’t 
 hate you. On the contrary I—” 
 
 “Then tell me why you didn’t leave us 
 alone. We never troubled you. We never 
 went north and shot your men—” The girl 
 stopped abruptly, her eyes filling with tears; 
 but whether her emotion was due to sorrow 
 or to anger, Taylor was unable to decide. 
 
 “Listen a minute, will you?” pleaded Tay¬ 
 lor. The girl’s unconscious declaration that 
 no men were on the plantation as well as the 
 fact that it was early in the morning relieved 
 him of part of his fear. Besides, the girl, 
 in spite of the intensity of her feelings, was 
 somehow most interesting. “Tell me who 
 
242 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 began this war? Did we of the north V' 
 
 “Of course you did?” 
 
 “Please tell me how.” 
 
 “You-all sent your armies down here.” 
 
 “Why?” 
 
 “I’ve told you already. You just wanted 
 to steal, burn—Oh, I can’t tell you all the 
 horrible things your men have done.” 
 
 “Who began the war? Was it our men who 
 fired on one of the government’s forts?” 
 
 “You mean the fort at Charleston?” 
 
 “Yes. Port Sumter.” 
 
 “That was in our territory.” 
 
 “Then why did you attack it?” 
 
 “Because—because—Oh, I hate the Yan¬ 
 kees ! ’ ’ 
 
 “Me, too?” 
 
 “Of course! Most of all! You are a 
 Yankee, and one of the few I ever saw.” 
 
 “And you don’t like the looks of me?” in¬ 
 quired Taylor quizzically, as he looked down 
 at his dilapidated clothing. 
 
 “You’re not to blame for everything,” said 
 the girl quickly, following his glance. 
 “You’re a Yankee. You’re on my father’s 
 plantation—” 
 
A WARM DEFENDER 
 
 243 
 
 “Not because I want to be,” interrupted 
 Taylor with a laugh. “If I had my wish I’d 
 be a thousand miles from here this morn¬ 
 ing. ’ ’ 
 
 “I wish you were,” said the girl not un¬ 
 kindly. 
 
 ‘ ‘ Thank you. I knew you had a good 
 heart. ’ ’ 
 
 “You don’t know anything about me.” 
 
 “I think I know more than I did an hour 
 ago.” 
 
 “And less, perhaps, than you will an hour 
 from now.” 
 
 “I’m sure of that.” 
 
 “Sure of what!” 
 
 “That I shall never forget how good you 
 were to me.” 
 
 “ ‘Good’ to you! Why should I be good 
 
 to the worst enemv I have!” 
 
 * 
 
 “There’s something somewhere I have 
 read, ’ ’ said Taylor, drily, ‘ ‘ that if even your 
 enemy hungers you are to feed him. ’ ’ 
 
 The girl looked at him for a moment as if 
 her feelings at the time would more clearly 
 find expression in other ways than “feeding” 
 an enemy. “If I thought you’d leave our 
 
244 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 country I might help you do that/’ she said, 
 after a moment’s silence. 
 
 “ Whether I leave the country or not de¬ 
 pends on you and your people more than it 
 does on me.” 
 
 “Why does it? How does it? I don’t un¬ 
 derstand you, sir.” 
 
 “I told you a moment ago that our men are 
 not down here in the South because we want 
 to be. We didn’t begin the war. We’d be 
 glad to stop it anytime. There’s just one 
 word and the whole thing is fixed. ’ ’ 
 
 “What word?” 
 
 “I don’t think I’ll say it for you. You 
 know what it is as well as I.” 
 
 “You mean ‘surrender’?” she demanded 
 with flashing eyes. “Never! We’ll never 
 say that as long—as long as there’s one man 
 left in the Southland. And if the last man 
 falls then the girls and the women will take 
 it up!” 
 
 “That all rests with you,” said Taylor, 
 soberly. “We didn’t begin it. We don’t like 
 it. We’d be glad to have it stop to-day. 
 But when a country is attacked what would 
 you have it do ? Smile ? Say ‘ Thank you, a 
 
A WARM DEFENDER 
 
 245 
 
 little more, please,’ or would you have the 
 men stand up and fight ? ’ ’ 
 
 “You are not defending your country. 
 You are attacking ours.” 
 
 “Is that the way you talked when Old 
 Hickory fought the Seminoles?” 
 
 “It’s the way we talk now!” said the girl, 
 defiantly. “Oh,” she added in softer tones, 
 “you don’t know what it means! We’re in 
 fear of our lives every minute. When I first 
 saw you I took you for a cutthroat Yankee.” 
 
 “A Yankee, hut no cutthroat.” 
 
 “Either word will do. They both mean 
 the same thing.” 
 
 “You hate me so much you’ll help me, 
 though,” suggested Taylor. 
 
 “I’ll never help you! What do you 
 want 1 ’ ’ 
 
 “A little food, a place in which to hide, and 
 a coat, if you please.” 
 
 “We never yet have turned away a beg¬ 
 gar. ’ ’ 
 
 Slowly the color spread over Taylor’s face, 
 so deep that even its coating of dirt could 
 not hide it. He turned away as if there was 
 nothing more to be said. 
 
246 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “Wait a minute! I did not mean that— 
 at least, I did not mean what you thought I 
 meant/’ the girl exclaimed eagerly. “You 
 see it’s this way. My father—” her voice 
 broke a moment, but she quickly regained 
 control of herself. “My father was shot at 
 —at the second battle of Manassas. Both 
 my brothers are in Johnston’s army. If I 
 had two more brothers I’d have them both 
 go, even if I had to lash them to do it—which 
 I wouldn’t, for they’d be as brave as their 
 father and his brothers. I know they would! 
 If they weren’t I’d never own them! But— 
 but, you see it does not make one very cor¬ 
 dial in one’s feelings for the Yankees.” 
 
 “Bid you ever think that we had feelings 
 like that, too ? ’ ’ inquired Taylor, stopping be¬ 
 cause he was touched by the manifest ear¬ 
 nestness of the girl. 
 
 ‘ ‘ I don’t know that I ever did. ’ ’ 
 
 “Well, do it now. Let me tell you that I 
 have a sister, too. I don’t suppose she knows 
 to-day whether I’m alive or not. My mother 
 hasn’t had a word about her boy for a good 
 many weeks. She knows I was taken pris¬ 
 oner, and so many of our boys have died in 
 
A WARM DEFENDER 
 
 247 
 
 the reb—in yonr prisons, that you can hardly 
 expect she naturally would have much af¬ 
 fection to waste on the men that took me. 
 No, I tell you we’re a good deal more alike 
 than we think sometimes. Pm willing to 
 give you credit for thinking you’re right, 
 but don’t you think we ’re entitled in all fair¬ 
 ness to a bit of consideration, too!” 
 
 “Yes, if you’d only go back home and stay 
 there and not come down here shooting, steal¬ 
 ing, burning our houses, and all the rest.” 
 
 “How would you have us carry on the 
 war! Bring our knitting work and sit down 
 on your lawns and talk about the weather!” 
 
 The girl laughed for the first time since 
 the strange interview began. “It’s no use in 
 trying to explain to you,” she said. “You 
 cannot see.” 
 
 “Not as you see,” replied Taylor lightly. 
 “We use our eyes and you use yours. I’m 
 willing to own up that your eyes are bright 
 enough and are better than mine—” 
 
 “That will do, sir,” laughed the girl in¬ 
 terrupting him. 
 
 “But look for a minute through my eyes. 
 Oh, I don’t mean you’re to look into them,” 
 
248 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 Taylor said, banteringly. 4 4 But what do you 
 think you would see if it was your brother 
 who was a prisoner and he had escaped and 
 was talking to my sister as you are to me?” 
 
 44 If she was any good she’d say as much 
 or more than I have.” 
 
 44 I know one thing,” said Taylor, soberly. 
 
 44 What’s that?” 
 
 44 She wouldn’t call him a 4 beggar’ just be¬ 
 cause he’d dragged his way to where she was. 
 I’ve a notion, too, she’d help him. If you 
 knew my sister you’d understand what I 
 mean.” 
 
 44 I haven’t said I wouldn’t help you. I 
 hate Yankees, and you’re one of the first I 
 ever saw. Here! Here!” she added in a 
 low, tense voice. 4 4 Go into Aunt Katy’s 
 cabin! Go right in!” 
 
 The excitement of the girl caused Taylor 
 to glance quickly in the direction in which she 
 was looking. On the borders of the woods 
 he saw eight men. They were just emerg¬ 
 ing from amongst the trees. One glance was 
 sufficient to convince the young soldier that 
 the men were the bushwhackers whom he 
 had seen the preceding night. Whether or 
 
A WARM DEFENDER 
 
 249 
 
 not they had discovered his presence, Tay¬ 
 lor did not know, as he instantly followed the 
 girl when she led the way into Aunt Katy’s 
 cabin. 
 
CHAPTER XX 
 
 A PIECE OF PAPER 
 
 ‘ 4 Aunt Katy/’ exclaimed the girl quickly, 
 as she and her companion entered the little 
 house. “Hide this man! Hon’t let the men 
 get him. You know how to do it, for I know 
 you have done it before.*’ 
 
 “Lor*, Miss Sallie—” began the colored 
 woman. 
 
 “ Don’t stop! Don’t talk! Hide him! 
 Be quick! The men will be here before you 
 know it!” 
 
 The negress, in what seemed to Taylor a 
 most deliberate manner, flung open the door 
 to her pantry and then turning to her vis¬ 
 itors, said, “Go in yere! I’ll stan’ in de do’. 
 Ef dey gets pas’ me dey’ll sho’ly have ter 
 move de mountains fust off.” 
 
 As Taylor slipped quickly past Aunt Katy, 
 he laughed despite his alarm at the thought 
 of the bushwhackers moving the huge 
 woman from her position. She was larger 
 
 250 
 
A PIECE OF PAPER 
 
 251 
 
 even than Aunt Dinah. Her red bandanna 
 handkerchief twisted about her woolly head 
 gave her a warlike appearance, which her 
 great size and the expression of determina¬ 
 tion on her face made still more pronounced. 
 In a moment, however, the door was closed 
 upon him and he was left to himself. A 
 small window in the outer side of the room 
 was open and he could see what was going 
 on outside the hut if he were to raise him¬ 
 self to the level of the rude sash. However, 
 he had no desire at the time to expose him¬ 
 self needlessly, and he crouched low in a cor¬ 
 ner of the room. He was able to hear what 
 was being said in the other room of the cabin 
 and to his surprise the girl, who had led him 
 into the place, was bidding the colored woman 
 defend the visitor at all hazards. 
 
 In a brief time the sound of the voices of 
 men was heard at the door, and Taylor was 
 aware that the band, of which he was in fear, 
 had come, and the critical moment was at 
 hand. 
 
 “Hi, there,” called one of the men to some 
 one outside the door whom Taylor had not 
 seen. “Got any Yanks in yo’ place!” 
 
252 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “Ah aint done seen none, suh,” replied 
 some one whom Taylor took to he a hoy. 
 
 “We’ll take a look anyway.” 
 
 “Das all right, suli. Ah reck’n All’ll des 
 keep ’way.” 
 
 “What’s the trouble?” 
 
 “Dem Yanks has horns, suh,” exclaimed 
 the boy in apparent fear. “Mas’ George 
 ’clar ter goodness dey all has horns right 
 on dey haids. Dey don’ cotch dis chile!” 
 
 “Yon’re c’rect, Sambo,” laughed the man. 
 “The Yanks has hons’ and a red-hot pitch 
 fo’k too. They all like nothin’ bettah than 
 to take little nigger boys an’ broil ’em over 
 the fire. They turn ’em on the’ fo’ks like 
 they was ’possums. You bettah keep ’way 
 from ’em, Sambo.” 
 
 “Ah shore will, suli.” 
 
 The men now turned to the door of the 
 hut, and from the sounds Taylor concluded 
 that the girl was still standing there. 
 
 “Has yo’-all seen any stray Yanks?” de¬ 
 manded the man. 
 
 “What kind of Yanks?” responded the 
 girl. 
 
 “Mos’ly prisoners, Mis’ Sallie,” said the 
 
A PIECE OF PAPER 
 
 253 
 
 man, who apparently recognized the girl be¬ 
 fore him. “We all have a ’spicion that the 
 niggers is helpin’ some o’ ’em to get away. 
 A right sma’t number has been breakin’ 
 away from Camp So’gliuin lately.” 
 
 “Do you think we’re likely to hide any 
 here ? ’ ’ 
 
 “No, no, Mis’ Sallie, we-uns know yo’ too 
 well fo’ that; Cap’in George is too big a 
 fighter fo’ any ’spicion like that. But we- 
 all didn’t know but you might ’a’ seen some 
 skulkin’ Yanks somewhere ’bout the quar¬ 
 ters. They mos’ gen’ly makes fo’ the 
 quarters.” 
 
 “Aunt Katy, have you seen any Yankee 
 prisoners 1 ’ ’ demanded the girl as she turned 
 to the huge negro woman in the room. 
 
 4 4 Humph! ’ ’ snorted Aunty Katy. 
 
 The girl laughed as she faced the man and 
 said, “I’m sorry, hut I don’t believe you’ll 
 find any escaping Yankee prisoners here. If 
 I do find any what shall I do with them 1 ’ ’ 
 
 “Shet ’em up an’ send word ter Cap’in 
 George or ter me.” 
 
 “I don’t know you. Where can I find 
 you!” 
 
254 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “Yo’ might sen’ word ter the sto’ fo’ 
 ’Lonius Shattuch. We’ll come and take the 
 Yanks often yo’ lian’s. Bettah look out, 
 Mis’ Sallie, an’ see that th’ Yanks don’ do 
 yo’-all no harm befo’ yo’ shet ’em up.” 
 
 “I can take care of myself,” said the girl 
 quietly. 
 
 “We-uns ’ll trest yo’ fo’ thet, Mis’ Sallie. 
 I reck’n we-all had bettah take er look ’bout 
 th’ place befo’ we go.” 
 
 “Why? Do you really think any of the 
 escaping prisoners are here?” 
 
 “We-all tracked some in this yere direc¬ 
 tion, Mis’ Sallie.” 
 
 “Can I be of any assistance in seacliing 
 for them?” 
 
 “No, no. Bless yer kin’ heart, Mis’ Sallie 
 I reck’n yo’ve got troubles enough of yer 
 own without addin’ ter ’em.” 
 
 The conversation ended abruptly and for 
 a time silence followed. Taylor in his hid¬ 
 ing place tried to hear what was being said 
 in the main room, but Aunt Katy and the 
 girl were talking in such low tones that not 
 a word was audible to him. He crept to the 
 window and peering out was able to to see the 
 
A PIECE OF PAPER 
 
 255 
 
 men. They had scattered about the planta¬ 
 tion and were manifestly making a thorough 
 search of the place. 
 
 To Taylor they appeared to be a band 
 with which he had no desire for further ac¬ 
 quaintance. Every man had a gun in his 
 hands and it was plain that the negroes were 
 all in great fear of their visitors — a feeling 
 which Taylor fully comprehended. 
 
 Suddenly the girl who had conducted him 
 to his place of refuge appeared walking 
 directly toward the men. For an instant 
 Taylor’s alarm returned in full force. Was 
 she about to betray him! Had her loyalty 
 triumphed over the momentary sympathy 
 she had expressed for him! Anxiously he 
 watched her as she stopped a moment to 
 speak to one of the men and then passed on 
 toward the mansion and soon disappeared 
 from his sight. 
 
 An hour or more the men delayed about 
 the plantation before they started together 
 for the woods where they had first appeared. 
 
 Eelieved by their departure, Taylor waited 
 for the negro woman to open the door and 
 bid him come forth from the pantry. At 
 
256 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 last when his patience was nearly exhausted 
 he opened the door and stepped into the 
 room where the woman was preparing some 
 hoecakes in the fireplace. 
 
 “It's safe to come out now, isn’t it?” sug¬ 
 gested the young soldier. 
 
 44 Ah reck ’n hit is, ’ ’ said Aunt Katy coldly. 
 “Who is yer?” 
 
 “I’m a prisoner escaping from the rebel 
 camp.” 
 
 “Is yer a Yank?” demanded the huge 
 colored woman, stopping in her occupation 
 and staring almost incredulously at her vis¬ 
 itor. 
 
 4 4 1 am. What did you think ? ’ ’ 
 
 “Wliaffur Mis’ Sallie done hide yer yere 
 fo’f” 
 
 “I don’t myself understand.” 
 
 44 Mis’ Sallie done hate de Yankees wussen 
 de pizin. ’ ’ 
 
 “I know she does. Who is she?” 
 
 44 Mis’ Sallie—das who she is. Ah reck’n 
 everybody know dat.” 
 
 44 Miss Sallie who?” 
 
 44 She’s ole Mas’ Henry’s youngest gal. 
 Mas’ Henry he done get shot in de wa’. 
 
A PIECE OF PAPER 
 
 257 
 
 Eber since Mas’ Henry he done get shot ole 
 Mis’ an’ Miss Clara an’ Miss Ma’g’ret an’ 
 Miss Sallie dey mos’ crazy. Mis’ Clara an’ 
 Miss Ma’g’ret dey bof gone to the hospitals 
 fo’ to nurse de po’ sick sojers. Miss Sallie 
 she des stay to home ter he’p her ma; 
 but, honey, she suhtainly does hate de Yanks. 
 Mas’ George he gone to de wa’ too an’ dey 
 ain’ anybody lef’ into de place but jes’ old 
 Mis’ an’ Mis’ Sallie, ’ceptin’ when Mas’ 
 George come home.” 
 
 “When does he come? Is he here now?” 
 
 “Dey des ain’ no tellin w’en dat man 
 come. Tears lak he come des when dey 
 is leastes’ ’splectin’ on ’im.” 
 
 “Is he here now?” again Taylor inquired. 
 
 “Lan’, honey, Mas’ George may be yere 
 an’ den he moughn’t. Dey is’n enny way 
 fo’ to fin’ dat out, ’ceptin’ when he come.” 
 
 “What was Miss Sallie doing here in your 
 house just before I came?” 
 
 “Howcome she come Ah dunno. She des 
 come, da’s all.” Aunt Katy glanced shrewdly 
 at Taylor as she spoke. 
 
 Suspecting there was more than at first ap¬ 
 peared in her expression the young soldier 
 
258 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 suggested, “Perhaps she suspected you, Aunt 
 Katy.’ ’ 
 
 “Ah reck’n she do.” 
 
 “You help the Yankees, do you, Aunt 
 Katy !’ ’ 
 
 “Ah shore does.” 
 
 “And that’s why you do for me!” 
 
 “Yaas suli. Mis’ Sallie she hates de 
 Yankees. Ah reck’n she ’specs Ah ain’ 
 doin’ ’em enny ha’m. Leas’wise she done 
 come down yere fo’ to fin’ out ’bout ’em.” 
 
 ‘ ‘ Aunt Katy, have you helped any lately— 
 within a day or two!” 
 
 ‘ ‘ Whaffur yo ’ ax me dat! ’ ’ 
 
 “Did you have a young fellow here—not 
 as tall as I am! He had light hair and blue 
 eyes—” 
 
 “Did he hab de woe-begondest face, mos’ ’s 
 begonedest as you hab!” 
 
 “Very likely. When was he here! When 
 did he go ! ” 
 
 “Wha’ mought be his name!” 
 
 “Erwin—Erwin Smith.” 
 
 “Ah don’ des rec’lec’ ’bout de name. Dey 
 was a young man here day befo’ las’. Was 
 he somebody what yo’-all wan’ to fin’!” 
 
A PIECE OF PAPER 
 
 259 
 
 “Yes, yes. Did lie leave any message! 
 Any word for me! I understand some of 
 the colored people have a regular line over 
 which they send all of us who are fortunate 
 enough to get away. Is that so!” 
 
 “Yo’-all mus’n axen me. Ah knows yo’ is 
 a Yankee.” 
 
 ‘ 4 How do you know! ’ ’ 
 
 “By de soun’ ob de words,” chuckled the 
 huge negro woman. “Bettah take dis yere 
 hoecake an’ see wha’ yo’ can do wif hit.” 
 
 The woman’s task before the fire was now 
 completed and when she handed the cake to 
 the young prisoner, Taylor was positive that 
 never before had food tasted so good. His 
 cook watched him with evident satisfaction, 
 her countenance beaming with sympathy and 
 interest. 
 
 “Yo’ sholy is pow’ful hongry,” she said 
 at last; “des de same lak ’em all. De hoe- 
 cake don’ las' long when de Yankees is 
 come.” 
 
 ‘ ‘ I don’t wonder, Aunt Ivaty. It’s the best 
 I ever ate.” 
 
 “G’long wit yo’, chile!” 
 
 “It surely is the best. Some day when 
 
260 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 the negroes are all free and you come north, 
 I’ll send for you, Aunt Katy, and have you 
 come to our house. If I ever get home, I’ll 
 send for you the very first thing.” 
 
 “An me leab Miss Sallie, and old Mis’ an’ 
 Mas’ George?” 
 
 “Why, yes, of course.” 
 
 “Ah reck’n yo’-all don’ know some tings.” 
 The eyes of the black woman almost flashed 
 as she glanced at her visitor. 
 
 “Don’t you want to be free?” 
 
 “Ah don’ leab Mis’ Sallie.” 
 
 “Why do you help the Yankees then?” 
 
 “Chile, yo’ mus’ be pow’ful tired. Don’ 
 yo’-all wan’ ter go ter sleep?” 
 
 “I feel as if I could sleep two days.” 
 
 The black woman laughed and started 
 toward the back door. In a moment she re¬ 
 turned with a small ladder, which she placed 
 against a beam in the ceiling. “Dey is er 
 doah ’treckly t’ yo’ right han’. Des open de 
 do’ an’ elim’ in, an’ don’ fo’get t’ close de 
 do’ when yo’ is inside. Dey’s er bed dere 
 an’ yo’-all c’n sleep till ‘Gabrel blow de 
 trumpet in de mawnin’,’ if yo’ desiahs.” 
 
 Aware of the purpose of the woman, Tay- 
 
A PIECE OF PAPER 
 
 261 
 
 lor speedily made his way into the small 
 loft of the cabin, carefully closed the door 
 behind him and then turned to a bed on the 
 floor. 
 
 The room was not dark, because light came 
 in through the chinks of the logs and a small 
 open window at one end of the loft admitted 
 light and air alike. 
 
 Thoroughly wearied, Taylor prepared to 
 throw himself on the bed. As he drew near 
 he saw on the floor a small folded piece of 
 paper. Without expecting to find it anything 
 of importance, he picked it up and held it in 
 the light. 
 
 To his amazement he saw his own name 
 on the outside of the paper. Before he 
 could open the startling missive, he was 
 aroused by a call from the room below. 
 Hastily thrusting the paper into his pocket 
 he turned at once to the door in the floor. 
 
CHAPTEE XXI 
 
 IN THE MANSION 
 
 It was the voice of the young girl—Miss 
 Sallie—which Taylor heard in the room be¬ 
 low. Startled by her unexpected return, 
 Taylor listened a moment and then heard 
 Aunt Katy summoning him. 
 
 Hastily raising the trapdoor, the young 
 soldier peered down at the black woman and 
 her companion. The girl laughed as she 
 saw the face of the young Yankee and she 
 called sharply, “Come down here, sir, I want 
 to speak to you.” 
 
 Puzzled by the strange summons, Taylor 
 nevertheless speedily swung himself through 
 the opening and dropped to the floor. 
 
 “Did you want to see met” he inquired, 
 as he turned to the girl. 
 
 “I did.” 
 
 “Well, here I am.” He spoke simply and 
 as he gazed at his torn clothing and the rem- 
 
 262 
 
IN THE MANSION 
 
 263 
 
 nants of what once were shoes, he added, 
 “Pm afraid the sight isn’t one to interest 
 you very much. What can I do for you?” 
 
 “Nothing.” 
 
 “Why then do you want to see me?” 
 
 “Because I can do something for you.” 
 
 “You are very kind — to beggars.” 
 
 “That is very unkind of you. You know 
 very well what I meant when I used that 
 word.” 
 
 “I beg your pardon.” 
 
 “It’s granted. I’ve been thinking of what 
 you told me about your mother and your 
 sister. I think I understand how they feel 
 and I’m going to do for you what I would 
 want them to do for my brother if he was a 
 prisoner up north. Thank goodness, he will 
 never be though! No Yankee can ever make 
 a prisoner of my brother George.” 
 
 “For your sake as well as for his own, I am 
 sure I hope they never will,” said Taylor 
 quietly. 
 
 “That settles it! There may be occasion¬ 
 ally a good man even among the Yankees. 
 Perhaps you are the one—at least you are 
 the only one I have ever seen. If they would 
 
264 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 only go back where they belong and not 
 come down here doing all they are doing!” 
 The girl’s dark eyes flashed, but the smile 
 on her face belied the fierce tone she used. 
 
 “I told yon why we were here and how 
 glad we would all be to start for home to¬ 
 morrow.” 
 
 “I told you I was going to help you, and 
 I am on one condition.” 
 
 “What is that?” 
 
 ‘ 4 That if I help you to leave, you will never 
 come back.” 
 
 “What do you mean? That I am to leave 
 the army?” 
 
 “Yes.” 
 
 ‘ ‘ I can’t do that. ’ ’ 
 
 “Yes, you can do it, too!” 
 
 “Do you want me to desert?” 
 
 “I don’t care what you call it or what you 
 do if you only do what I tell you. I don’t 
 ever want to see or hear of you again. ’ ’ 
 
 “Thank you,” said Taylor mockingly, 
 bowing low as he spoke. 
 
 “Oh, you know what I mean. I hate the 
 Yankees!” 
 
 “So I have heard you say.” 
 
IN THE MANSION 
 
 265 
 
 “And you won’t promise me!” 
 
 “No.” 
 
 “Then I don’t believe you want to get 
 away very badly.” 
 
 “Don’t I look the part?” inquired Taylor, 
 once more glancing at his tattered clothing 
 as he spoke. 
 
 “You Yankees are the vainest creatures,” 
 laughed the girl. 
 
 “Yes, if you mean we are proud. We’re 
 too proud to forget a promise.” 
 
 “What do you mean by that?” 
 
 “If we enlist and promise to serve our 
 country we don’t go back on that promise 
 and we don’t try to get any other one to do 
 it either.” 
 
 “What do you mean?” demanded the girl 
 angrily. 
 
 “Just what I say. What would you think 
 of my sister or mother if either of them 
 promised your brother he would be helped 
 if he would agree to desert?” 
 
 “He couldn’t do it! You don’t know 
 him.” 
 
 “And yet you want me to do that very 
 thing and you promised to help me if I would 
 
266 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 do what yon would despise your own brother 
 for doing/ ’ 
 
 “I hadn’t thought of it in that way. For¬ 
 give me!” The expression of Miss Sallie’s 
 face softened even as she said, “You know 
 I hate the Yankees.” 
 
 “Are you afraid I’ll not understand 
 that?” asked Taylor quizzically. 
 
 ‘ ‘ But I do! I wish every one of them was 
 where he deserved to be.” 
 
 “So do I,” Taylor said so fervently and 
 seriously that the girl laughed as she looked 
 at him. 
 
 “I’m going to help you.” 
 
 “Good! I am grateful.” 
 
 “I’m going to help you because I hate the 
 Yankees.” 
 
 “I hope the feeling will increase.” 
 
 “You are to come with me.” 
 
 “Where?” 
 
 “To the house.” 
 
 “Did you ever hear of the spider who in¬ 
 vited the fly to visit her?” 
 
 “You may do as you please, sir!” retorted 
 Miss Sallie sharply, turning away as if she 
 were about to depart. 
 
IN THE MANSION 
 
 267 
 
 “Don’t think I’m ungrateful,” said Taylor 
 quickly, “but—” 
 
 “You’re afraid.” 
 
 “Naturally.” 
 
 “What are you afraid of?” 
 
 “Why even an invitation to visit the home 
 of Captain George Hitt by his sister isn’t to 
 be taken seriously by a Yankee prisoner 
 when he’s dressed as I am.” 
 
 “You’re too proud.” 
 
 “No. I’m afraid.” 
 
 6 1 There, I knew it. ’ ’ 
 
 “Yes, I’m afraid Captain Hitt would give 
 me a welcome that I should remember a long 
 time. ’ ’ 
 
 “He isn’t at home.” 
 
 “Think of the trouble you would have if I 
 should be found. ’ ’ 
 
 “I’m not afraid. I’m not going to give you 
 a guest room. I’m going to put you in the 
 attic.” 
 
 “A ragbag is where I belong just now.” 
 
 “That’s true. You think too much of 
 your clothes. I thought that would be a good 
 place for you to hide in for a day or two. 
 No one would ever think of looking into our 
 
268 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 attic for a Yankee prisoner/’ The girl 
 laughed as she spoke and even Taylor smiled 
 at the suggestion. “You will be fed and 
 cared for and I think I can find some gar¬ 
 ments the scarecrows have discarded that 
 will be an improvement over that suit of 
 yours.” 
 
 “Suppose I am seen going into the house 
 with you?” 
 
 “You won’t be. The men that came here 
 this morning are gone. Aunt Katy will 
 bring you to the house, won’t you, Aunt 
 Katy?” 
 
 “Ah sholy will, Mis’ Sallie,” said the negro 
 woman. It was plain that she was puzzled 
 by what she was hearing, but of her loyalty 
 to her young mistress there was no question. 
 
 “Why do you think I’ll be safer at the 
 house than here?” asked Taylor of Miss 
 Sallie. “I’m afraid—” 
 
 “There it is again!” laughed Miss Sallie. 
 “Are you always afraid?” 
 
 “I’m afraid of trouble for you.” 
 
 “You needn’t have any fear for me. I 
 can take care of myself, thank you!” re- 
 
IN THE MANSION 
 
 269 
 
 torted the girl. “I may be foolish, but I’m 
 no coward.” 
 
 “I’ll do what you say,” said Taylor 
 quietly. 
 
 “Even a Yankee has a grain of sense— 
 sometimes,” said Miss Sallie lightly. “Lis¬ 
 ten then and I’ll tell you what you are to do. 
 In a few minutes—directly after I go back 
 to the house—you are to come to the side 
 door. Aunt Katy will come with you. 
 Eeally, I’m afraid it is not safe for you here 
 any longer. And Aunt Katy must not harbor 
 any more Yankee prisoners. She’s sus¬ 
 pected of doing it now. I don’t care much 
 what she does in that line as far as I am 
 concerned. I hate the Yankees and every 
 one that Aunt Katy or any one else can get 
 out of the country—why, it’s ‘a good rid¬ 
 dance to bad rubbish’—that’s the way I feel. 
 I’m going now,” the girl added abruptly as 
 she at once departed from the cabin. 
 
 The huge negro woman looked keenly at 
 the departing girl and then turned and 
 glanced at Taylor. She made a sharp sound 
 through her teeth—“K-l-u-ch”—but said 
 
270 FOR TIIE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 no more until her young mistress had en¬ 
 tered the big house. 
 
 “Now, chile ,’ 9 said Aunt Katy, “take de 
 cheer an’ carry hit in yo’ han’s. We-uns 
 mus’ do wha’ Mis’ Sallie done tole us.” 
 
 Perceiving the meaning of her suggestion 
 that some apparent purpose in the visit must 
 be shown, Taylor took the rush chair in his 
 hands and at once followed Aunt Katy as she 
 led the way to the mansion. No one was seen 
 on their way and when they arrived at the 
 entrance which Miss Sallie had indicated, 
 they were met by the girl herself. 
 
 Apparently without fear she at once dis¬ 
 missed the negro woman and bidding her 
 “guest” follow her she turned to the large 
 hall in the center of the house. Up the 
 broad stairway she quietly conducted Tay¬ 
 lor until they came to the attic. 
 
 The young soldier was excited but quiet. 
 In spite of the strangeness of his experience, 
 he was aware how large the house was, how 
 spacious its rooms and how wide the stair¬ 
 ways. Manifestly it had been built for com¬ 
 fort. For a moment Taylor was aware as 
 he never had been before of what the loss of 
 
Up the broad stairway she quietly conducted Taylor. 
 
 Page 270. 
 
IN THE MANSION 
 
 271 
 
 the home life, the life on the great plantation, 
 must be to its owners. He had more sympa¬ 
 thy for the people against whom he had 
 been waging war than ever before. Perhaps 
 he understood more clearly, for understand¬ 
 ing, on either side in a quarrel, of the atti¬ 
 tude and feelings of the other party is a sure 
 path to less intense bitterness and more gen¬ 
 erous sympathies. 
 
 “Nobody comes here now,” said the girl 
 when at last she and her companion arrived 
 at the attic. “You’ll be safe here for a time. 
 Don’t try to get out and don’t leave till I 
 give you the word. I feel almost as if I were 
 a traitor, but what you said about your 
 mother and sister helping my brother made 
 me do it. Besides, I hate Yankees,” she 
 added irrelevantly. “I think you’ll find 
 everything you need in there.” 
 
 Without waiting for a reply, Miss Sallie 
 hastily closed the door as soon as Taylor en¬ 
 tered the room, and at once departed. 
 
 The novel experience was so strange that 
 for a moment the young soldier stared 
 blankly about him. In one corner of the attic 
 was an old-fashioned bedstead on which the 
 
272 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 bed looked most inviting. Several pails of 
 water were there too and on a small table 
 was food—fried chicken and other viands 
 that were tempting. On the back of a chair 
 fresh clothing, including a partly worn suit, 
 were displayed. On the coat a piece of paper 
 was pinned which Taylor took and read the 
 words written on it—“Food, clothing, water 
 and a bed—what more can be done for 6 thine 
 enemy’? Perhaps I might heap coals of 
 fire on his head but I’m afraid they would be 
 so hot they would burn his very soul. I hate 
 Yankees.” 
 
 Taylor smiled as he read the note, his 
 heart warming within him as he realized 
 what all this had cost the high-spirited girl 
 who had befriended him. He was no longer 
 afraid. The one who had done so much 
 would not now betray him. 
 
 Suddenly realizing that he had not fas¬ 
 tened the attic door, he at once advanced and 
 turned the button. A bath, clean clothing 
 and food followed in order. The sight of the 
 inviting bed was appealing now and in a 
 brief time the young soldier was soundly 
 sleeping. 
 
IN THE MANSION 
 
 273 
 
 It was noon of the following day when 
 Taylor awoke, although he had no means of 
 knowing or reckoning the passing of the 
 hours. When his eyes were open at first he 
 was unable to recall his surroundings. In 
 a moment, however, he understood, and the 
 first thought in his mind as he arose from the 
 bed and dressed, was of the strange piece of 
 paper he had found in the loft of Aunt 
 Katy’s cabin. In the excitement of going 
 to the big house he had forgotten the dis¬ 
 covery of his own name on the folded slip. 
 Hastily he searched the pockets of his cast¬ 
 off clothing. He found the paper, but be¬ 
 fore he could read it he turned to the door 
 on which some one was rapping. 
 
CHAPTER XXII 
 
 INTERCEPTED FLIGHT 
 
 Cautiously opening the door, Taylor be¬ 
 held before him the girl who had already 
 befriended him in so many ways. Without 
 speaking she indicated her desire for silence. 
 Handing him the food she had brought, she 
 remained outside the door and watched the 
 young prisoner as he quickly received what 
 she had brought and placed on a chair in the 
 room. 
 
 Turning again to his visitor, Taylor in¬ 
 quired in a whisper, “What time is it?” 
 
 “Noon.” She laughed lightly as an 
 expression of incredulity crept over Tay¬ 
 lor’s face. “I have been here twice before 
 this morning,” she added. “As I could not 
 get any response to my knocking I didn’t 
 know but you had gone.” 
 
 “I wish I had,” said Taylor fervently. 
 “Is there anything new?” 
 
 “Nothing except that my brother and a 
 
 274 
 
INTERCEPTED FLIGHT 275 
 
 friend are coming to-day. I have heard too 
 that the men found a Yankee yesterday in 
 the woods and took him away.” 
 
 “When is your brother coming!” inquired 
 Taylor. He had no question in his mind 
 concerning the man who had been taken. 
 Uncle Sam was again in the hands of his 
 enemies. 
 
 “I don’t know. He sent word that he 
 would be at home to-day. That is all I 
 know.” 
 
 “I ought to leave before he comes.” 
 
 Miss Sallie did not reply and it was plain 
 to the young soldier that she agreed with 
 him in his suggestion. 
 
 “You have been good to me. I want to 
 thank you for all you have done,” Taylor 
 said in a low voice. 
 
 “Don’t thank me; thank your mother and 
 sister; they are the ones who really did it. 
 As for me, I hate all the Yankees.” 
 
 “Every one!” asked Taylor quizzically. 
 
 “Yes, every one,” replied the girl sharply, 
 although the expression of her face in part 
 belied her words as she looked at the young 
 soldier. “Really,” she added, “I don’t 
 
276 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 know that I should have recognized you in 
 your new clothes and having a clean face. 
 What are you going to do V ’ 
 
 “Leave as soon as I can.” 
 
 “Perhaps you would do better to wait till 
 night.” 
 
 ‘ ‘ And let your brother find me here ? ’’ 
 
 “I don’t believe he’ll find you, that is, if 
 you keep quiet. ’ ’ 
 
 “It is almost too great a risk to run. Tell 
 me,” Taylor added quickly, “what road to 
 take and where to go.” 
 
 “That I cannot do. I have done my part, 
 and a good deal more than I ought to have 
 done, in hiding you as I have. I don’t know 
 what George would say if he should find out. 
 Think of it — Sallie Hitt keeping a detested 
 Yankee! It’s too improbable for any one to 
 believe. If it wasn’t for your mother and 
 sister you never would be here. I hate the 
 Yankees.” 
 
 “I’ll tell them how good you were to them 
 if I am ever so fortunate as to see them 
 again. ’ ’ 
 
 “If you wait till night I’ll see that the 
 door on the side piazza is left unlocked. Go 
 
INTERCEPTED FLIGHT 277 
 
 down the same stairs up which yon came, 
 and if you are careful, perhaps no one will 
 overhear you. I must go now.” 
 
 “Will you shake hands with a Yankee I” 
 asked Taylor, as he extended his hand as he 
 spoke. 
 
 “No, sir!” replied the girl, drawing back 
 with flashing eyes. “I told you I hate the 
 Yankees.” 
 
 “That’s all right,” laughed Taylor; “I 
 don’t blame you. When you first saw me 
 I wouldn’t have shaken hands with myself.” 
 
 “You are just the same now—inside.” 
 
 “What? And after you have fed me as 
 you have?” 
 
 “Yes, sir. You are trying to drive us out 
 of our homes.” 
 
 “Do you mean me?” said Taylor, so 
 solemnly that a smile appeared on the girl’s 
 face. “Why, I’m doing my best to get 
 away. ’ ’ 
 
 “But you wouldn’t promise not to come 
 back. ’ ’ 
 
 “How could I make any such promise? 
 Besides I shall want to come back because 
 you—” 
 
278 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 Taylor stopped abruptly as the sound of 
 swiftly approaching horses was heard near 
 the house. The look of alarm which Miss 
 Sallie gave him was almost lost upon Taylor 
 as he darted to the window in the attic and 
 looked down upon the ground. Two young 
 officers, each wearing the Confederate uni¬ 
 form, were riding rapidly up the long lane 
 that led from the road to the house. Dis¬ 
 mounting lightly as they stopped in front of 
 the piazza, one of them called sharply, 
 1 1 Eben, you black rascal, come here and hold 
 our horses.’’ 
 
 “Yaas, Mas’ Gorge,” exclaimed a colored 
 boy, as he came running in response to the 
 call. 
 
 Miss Sallie’s brother had returned then, 
 Taylor thought, and with him was a friend. 
 Perhaps they did not intend to remain long. 
 The call to Eben to hold the horses indi¬ 
 cated that the young officers might soon de¬ 
 part. The suggestion was helpful and the 
 young prisoner turned quickly to the door 
 of his room. 
 
 This he found had been closed. Opening 
 it cautiously, he discovered, as he had ex- 
 
INTERCEPTED FLIGHT 
 
 279 
 
 pected, that the girl had gone. Cautiously 
 closing the door once more, Taylor turned 
 the button and then stepped carefully back 
 to the window. 
 
 The horses were still where they had been 
 left and the negro boy was holding both bri¬ 
 dles. From within the house the sounds of 
 laughter and of eager voices in conversation 
 were heard. There was no question now in 
 Taylor’s mind that it was Miss Sallie’s 
 brother George who had come. The young 
 soldier smiled as he thought of the anxiety 
 of the girl. Certainly she had been kind to 
 him and her kindness never would be for¬ 
 gotten, he assured himself. If he only knew 
 just what the plans of the young officer were. 
 How surprised he would be if he should 
 discover a Yankee from Camp Sorghum 
 hiding in his house. Again Taylor thought 
 of the plight of the girl in such an event. 
 He must leave the place as soon as such an 
 attempt would be reasonably safe. His 
 own case was bad and that of the girl who 
 had befriended him was even worse. He 
 must act soon, he decided, because of both. 
 
 Seating himself near the window from 
 
280 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 which he could see all that occurred in the 
 yard below, he ate the food which had been 
 brought him. This he thought was the part 
 of wisdom, for where his next meal was to be 
 obtained was most uncertain. 
 
 When Taylor had eaten the food, he 
 stepped to the door and opening it a few 
 inches listened intently. The sound of the 
 voices in the house had now ceased, although 
 he could hear some negro woman singing in 
 the hall below him. 
 
 When he closed the door and returned to 
 the window he saw the colored boy leading 
 one of the horses toward the barn, the other 
 having been tied to the post near which the 
 young officers had alighted. Plainly then, 
 Taylor concluded, one of the young men was 
 intending to remain for a while and the 
 other might depart at any time. Looking 
 out toward the barn, he discovered Miss 
 Sallie and a young man walking side by 
 side. The air was chilly and the young 
 officer stopped and was adjusting a wrap 
 about the girl’s shoulders. 
 
 Where was her brother? The question 
 suddenly presented itself to Taylor. In- 
 
INTERCEPTED FLIGHT 
 
 281 
 
 stantly returning to the door of the attic, he 
 again opened it cautiously and stepped into 
 the hall. Not a sound in the house was he 
 able to hear. Stepping softly to the stair¬ 
 way, a sudden decision having been made by 
 the young soldier, he began to descend. He 
 had no means of defending himself in case 
 he was attacked, but he was feeling stronger 
 now after his long sleep and the food which 
 had been given him. 
 
 He must move as swiftly as possible as well 
 as silently, he thought. There had been no 
 discovery of his presence when he gained 
 the hallway on the second floor. The doors 
 into the rooms here were open and all must 
 be passed before he could gain the stairway 
 at the further end. Trembling in his excite¬ 
 ment, Taylor passed through a part of the 
 distance and then beheld a young negro 
 woman in the further room. Her back was 
 toward him and he quickened his pace, step¬ 
 ping softly, and hoping to avoid discovery. 
 
 To his great relief he passed the open 
 door without being seen and then began to 
 descend the stairs. When he arrived at the 
 platform half-way down he again stopped 
 
282 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 and breathlessly peered all about him. The 
 entire house seemed to be silent save for the 
 sounds that came from what manifestly must 
 be the dining-room and kitchen, he concluded. 
 The door into the former was open and to 
 pass it without being seen seemed well-nigh 
 impossible. It was too late now to turn back. 
 His sole hope rested upon gaining the side 
 piazza. 
 
 When he passed the open doors he dis¬ 
 covered a young man seated before a desk 
 in the room at his left. For a moment it 
 seemed to Taylor almost as if his heart had 
 stopped beating, so great was his excitement. 
 He had no difficulty even in his first hasty 
 glimpse in concluding that it was “Mas’ 
 George ’ ’ who was there. The young man was 
 writing and was seated in such a manner, 
 having his back to the window, that if he 
 should look up he must of necessity see any 
 one passing through the hall before him. 
 
 The heavy rug on the floor of the hall 
 deadened the sound of footfalls and Taylor 
 instantly decided to move quickly to the door. 
 Success now depended upon escaping the at- 
 
INTERCEPTED FLIGHT 283 
 
 tention of the young man who was writing 
 at the desk. 
 
 Dropping his head, almost as if he were 
 striving to push his obstacles away, the young 
 soldier stepped hastily forward. His eyes 
 were turned toward the man in the room, 
 who apparently was engrossed in his writing. 
 
 1 ‘Not quite ready yet,” suddenly said the 
 young officer without looking up. 
 
 Taylor did not reply and quickly was be¬ 
 yond sight of the writer. 
 
 “That you, Tom?” called the voice again. 
 “Come back in five minutes and I’ll have it 
 ready for you.” 
 
 Naturally, Taylor did not reply, but was 
 moving swiftly toward the door, which now 
 was only a few feet away. He heard the 
 young officer push back his chair and was con¬ 
 fident the man was coming into the hall to 
 discover why his question was not answered. 
 There was a door in the hall near where Tay¬ 
 lor was. He concluded that it would be im¬ 
 possible for him to escape to the piazza 
 without being seen; in desperation he pulled 
 the knob of this door. It readily yielded to 
 
284 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 his frantic efforts and instantly lie stepped 
 inside. He did not even attempt to close tlie 
 door after him, so great was his haste. He 
 found himself in a small coat room and coats 
 were hanging from the side walls. In a 
 moment the desperate young soldier took his 
 stand against the wall and drew one of the 
 coats over him. Between its folds he could 
 look out, and as he himself was in the dark he 
 could not he seen, as he believed, by any one 
 in the hall. 
 
 The light in the hallway, however, enabled 
 him to see what was going on there. The 
 young officer had come out of the room in 
 which he had been writing and was peering 
 above him. 
 
 “Eliza, was that Tom who was here?” 
 
 “Ah. didn’ see ’im, Mas’ George,” replied 
 a negro girl, who also was in the hall. How 
 he had escaped her notice, Taylor could not 
 understand. He was, however, too excited 
 as he watched the young officer, to give any 
 thought to what might have occurred. The 
 present was too important to be ignored. 
 
 “Some one was in the hall. I reckoned it 
 was Tom. If he comes, tell him I want to 
 
INTERCEPTED FLIGHT 
 
 285 
 
 see him. I told Eben to send him to me 
 right away. Eliza/ ’ the young officer added, 
 as he pointed to the door of the coat room in 
 which Taylor was concealed, “what does 
 your mistress say to you when you leave 
 doors open like that?” 
 
 “ ’Pears lak dat do’ wo’n’ stay shet, Mas’ 
 George, nohow.” 
 
 “What’s the trouble with it?” 
 
 “Ah dunno. Hit des wo’n’ stay shet.” 
 
 “Perhaps the catch is broken. Run along, 
 Eliza, and tell Tom to come here directly. 
 I’ll have a look at the door while you are 
 gone. Find Tom for me while I’m doing 
 it.” 
 
 “Ah spec’s Tom is outen de kitcli’n. He’s 
 mos’ gen’ly is dere w’en dey is enny cookin’ 
 bein’ done.” 
 
 “Find him anyway, and be quick, too, 
 Eliza. I have an important errand I want 
 him to do.” 
 
 As “Mas’ George” started toward the coat 
 room to discover what was wrong with the 
 door, Taylor crouched more closely behind 
 the coat that partly concealed him. 
 
CHAPTER XXIII 
 
 A BORROWED HORSE 
 
 Every nerve in the young soldier’s body 
 was tense, as he watched the actions of the 
 man before him. Apparently unsuspecting, 
 the young officer bent over the knob of the 
 door, testing it several times. His attempts 
 to discover what was wrong did not meet 
 with any success. The knob and key both 
 turned readily in his hand. 
 
 Stepping inside the little room, “Mas’ 
 George” tried the knob in a different man¬ 
 ner. His back was now turned toward Tay¬ 
 lor, and the temptation at the sight presented 
 was too great for the desperate young soldier 
 to resist. Reaching forward without being 
 discovered, Taylor suddenly seized the officer 
 by his shoulders and with one supreme effort 
 flung him back into the coat room. 
 
 Before the man could recover from his 
 surprise, or regain an upright position, Tay¬ 
 lor leaped forward, flung the door back into 
 
 286 
 
A BORROWED HORSE 
 
 287 
 
 its proper place, turned the key in the lock, 
 and then thrust the key into his pocket. He 
 had a confused vision of Eliza standing in 
 the hallway, regarding him with open eyes, 
 and uplifted hands. Ignoring the startling 
 effect his presence had produced, Taylor 
 darted through the door on his way to the 
 side piazza. 
 
 The prolonged screech of terror which now 
 came from the startled colored girl was min¬ 
 gled with the muffled sound of shouts and 
 pounding from the coat room. Aware that 
 the confusion would be vastly increased 
 within a few moments, and that the danger 
 of his own position was certain to be en¬ 
 larged, Taylor rushed down the steps lead¬ 
 ing to the driveway. Before him, tied to a 
 post, was the horse of ‘ ‘ Mas’ George. ’ ’ Tay¬ 
 lor now instantly decided what he would do. 
 Springing to the post, with one frantic pull 
 on the strap he freed the horse, and then 
 sprang upon the back of the startled animal. 
 
 At that moment Eben appeared on his way 
 hack from the barns. 
 
 For an instant the black boy stopped and 
 in open-eyed astonishment gazed at the sight 
 
288 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 before him. Then, realizing that evidently 
 something was wrong, he darted swiftly for¬ 
 ward, shouting in his loudest tones, 4 ‘Hi! 
 Mas’ George! Mas’ George!” 
 
 The sight of the approaching negro boy in¬ 
 creased Taylor’s excitement. At any mo¬ 
 ment the young Confederate officer might be 
 freed from his place of confinement. As the 
 man doubtless was armed, the peril of the es¬ 
 caping prisoner would be greatly increased. 
 The appearance of Miss Sallie on the piazza 
 added to Taylor’s confusion. For a moment 
 she gazed at the fleeing young soldier, and 
 then her cry of alarm was added to that of 
 the servants. 
 
 So sharply did Taylor pull on the rein that 
 the horse reared and backed, and for a time 
 it almost seemed to the rider that he would 
 not be able to turn him about. The young 
 soldier’s hands were trembling, and the rein 
 was shaking in his grasp. 
 
 At last, after what seemed to him in his 
 desperation a long time, although in reality 
 it was quickly done, the horse was headed 
 down the lane, and in response to Taylor’s 
 urgent slapping of the bridle rein, leaped for- 
 
A BORROWED HORSE 
 
 289 
 
 ward. The rider’s feet were not yet in the 
 stirrups. He was, however, accustomed to 
 horseback riding, and now, without delaying 
 for further precautions, he darted swiftly 
 away. 
 
 Leaning low on the neck of the horse, he 
 glanced behind him. He could see the serv¬ 
 ants and Miss Sallie in the driveway in front 
 of the great house, and even while he looked 
 the young officer appeared in their midst. 
 He, too, joined in the shouting, and then 
 quickly raised his hand, in which he was hold¬ 
 ing a revolver, and fired at the fleeing man. 
 Again he fired, but either his aim was poor 
 in his excitement, or the swiftly running 
 horse proved a deceptive target. At all 
 events, neither horse nor rider was hit. 
 
 Resisting the temptation to mock his foes, 
 Taylor still bent low upon the neck of the 
 horse and urged the beast to increased speed. 
 In a brief time he gained the road, and 
 though he had no conception of the places 
 where danger was most to be feared, he un¬ 
 hesitatingly turned to his right. That way 
 at least led northward—the direction in 
 which every hope of safety pointed. 
 
290 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 For a mile or more Taylor did not permit 
 his horse to slacken the speed at which he 
 was running. Several times side roads were 
 passed, and the young rider peered intently 
 into them as he fled past, fearful of behold¬ 
 ing pursuers more familiar than he with the 
 region, who had taken advantage of their 
 knowledge of short cuts or paths through the 
 woods or across the country. 
 
 His horse now began to manifest signs of 
 distress. The poor animal might already 
 have had a long run before his master had 
 returned to his home, Taylor thought; but 
 pity had no place in his mind now. Flight 
 from the region was his supreme purpose. 
 
 When another mile had been covered, Tay¬ 
 lor was aware that he must check his speed. 
 The poor horse was wet and almost covered 
 with foam, and his breathing was agonized. 
 
 Turning into a path on his left that led 
 into a tract of woods, Taylor soon permitted 
 his horse to walk. He continued on his way 
 until he was convinced that no one passing 
 on the road could perceive him. He then 
 dismounted and tied his panting steed to a 
 sapling. He himself was almost in as dire 
 
A BORROWED HORSE 
 
 291 
 
 straits as his horse for, despite the cold, his 
 face was dripping with perspiration, and he 
 was shaking like a leaf in the wind. 
 
 Peering amongst the trees to make certain 
 that no one was near, Taylor soon decided 
 to leave the horse where he was tied, while 
 he went back to the border of the woods near 
 the road. Taking a stand behind a large 
 tree, where it would be possible for him to 
 see men approaching from either direction 
 without being seen himself, he waited and 
 watched the road. 
 
 Nor did he have long to wait before he 
 saw some one approaching from the direc¬ 
 tion in which he himself had come. A man 
 was riding furiously, and as he drew near 
 Taylor at once recognized him as Miss Sal- 
 lie’s brother. The horse upon which he was 
 mounted was large and apparently strong 
 and fresh. The apparent confidence of the 
 rider in his ability to overtake any fugitive 
 was well placed, Taylor thought grimly, as 
 he watched horse and rider until they disap¬ 
 peared beyond a bend in the road. 
 
 It was now nearly the middle of the after¬ 
 noon. Glancing first at the sun and then at 
 
292 , FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 the roadway, Taylor decided to remain where 
 he was until darkness should come. Mean¬ 
 while, too, it was possible that the young 
 Confederate officer, who was so keen in his 
 pursuit, might return and abandon his at¬ 
 tempt to regain his horse and secure the 
 man who had stolen it. That the officer did 
 not have any knowledge who the man he was 
 pursuing really was, Taylor was confident. 
 He was equally positive that Miss Sallie, 
 despite her call, when he had taken flight, 
 would not betray him. 
 
 The thought of the girl caused Taylor to 
 look down at the clothing he was wearing. 
 The suit was warm and not ill fitting. Shoes 
 and stockings were on his feet, and a soft 
 felt hat on his head. There was nothing in 
 the garments to betray their wearer as be¬ 
 longing to either side in the great struggle 
 which at the time was going on. 
 
 He thrust his hands into the pockets in 
 the coat, and from one he drew forth a piece 
 of paper on which there was roughly traced 
 a map of the adjacent country. The rivers 
 and larger towns even to the borders of Ten- 
 
 • 9 
 
A BORROWED HORSE 
 
 293 
 
 nessee and North Carolina were all indi¬ 
 cated. The girl had done more than clothe 
 and feed him; she had even given her enemy 
 a clue to the entire region. Grateful, as he 
 thought of what this meant for him, as well 
 as how much it must have cost the girl who, 
 as he was aware, was intense in her devotion 
 to the cause of the Confederacy, the young 
 soldier thrust the rude map hack into his 
 pocket and continued his investigations. 
 
 He did not find anything in the other pock¬ 
 ets until at last he drew out the folded slip 
 of paper which he had so strangely received 
 at the cabin of Aunt Katy. For an instant 
 he gazed at his name, which had been in¬ 
 scribed on the outside. Evidently the writer 
 had used a small charred stick to do his writ¬ 
 ing, and yet the name—“Taylor Cooper’’— 
 was entirely legible. 
 
 Hastily opening the paper which in the 
 confusion of his flight from Miss Sallie’s 
 house had been forgotten, he gazed a moment 
 in astonishment at the one word it con¬ 
 tained—“Winnisboro.” What did the word 
 mean! What was implied in the strange 
 
294 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 missive? Was the name that of a place or of 
 a man? Taylor had never before heard the 
 word. 
 
 Again he drew forth the map which Miss 
 Sallie had made and given him as he believed. 
 There, not far from the Wateree river was 
 a little place which had the name inscribed on 
 the slip which he had received. But what 
 was the relation between Winnisboro and 
 Taylor Cooper? Had some one written him 
 from there? If so, for what purpose? Or 
 was it meant that he was to seek the place? 
 
 Consulting his map again, Taylor con¬ 
 cluded that the little place was forty or more 
 miles distant from Columbia. At all events 
 it was north of Camp Sorghum, and the di¬ 
 rection in which it was located of itself ap¬ 
 pealed to him. 
 
 For several minutes he studied the slip, 
 striving to discover some clue as to its writer 
 and his purpose. The scrawling writing was 
 in a hand which he was unable to recognize. 
 It was quite possible that Erwin might have 
 been at Aunt Katy’s cabin before he arrived 
 there. The colored woman had acknowl¬ 
 edged that other escaping prisoners had been 
 
A BORROWED HORSE 295 
 
 aided by her. Taylor bad no difficulty in 
 conjecturing that Aunt Katy was one of tlie 
 faithful negroes who were aiding the soldiers 
 of the North. Doubtless her cabin, too, was 
 one in the long line where escaping prisoners 
 were received and cared for, and then as¬ 
 sisted on their way to the North. 
 
 But what of Winnisboro? Was that a link 
 in the chain? Was he expected to find his 
 way there? And if he succeeded in his at¬ 
 tempt, whom was he to seek in the town? 
 The mystery was by no means cleared when 
 at last the young soldier thrust the note back 
 into his pocket and resumed his watch. 
 
 The hours dragged on slowly, but only a 
 few people passed the place. An aged negro 
 had been one. He was seated in a rude little 
 two-wheeled cart, which was drawn by a 
 small and cadaverous black ox. At first Tay¬ 
 lor had been tempted to hail the man, but 
 thinking better of his purpose he had not 
 done so. A white man having long yellow 
 hair and a tobacco-stained, straggling beard 
 as yellow as his hair, had walked down the 
 road, but his appearance had been still less 
 inviting than the negro’s. 
 
296 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 The afternoon crept slowly on and at last 
 the dusk appeared. Not another sign had 
 been seen of the young Confederate officer, 
 who had been eager in his pursuit. If he had 
 returned, he must have done so by another 
 road, Taylor concluded. Even if it was not 
 entirely safe for him to resume his flight, it 
 would be less perilous than to remain longer 
 where he then was. Accordingly Taylor re¬ 
 turned to the place where his horse had been 
 left. The time for further action had ar¬ 
 rived. 
 
 A low whinny greeted him as he ap¬ 
 proached the horse. Unfastening him, Tay¬ 
 lor led the animal, upon which his hopes now 
 depended, to a brook and permitted him to 
 drink his fill. Still not mounting, he led the 
 horse by the bridle until the road was again 
 before him. 
 
 First satisfying himself that no one was 
 within sight, Taylor mounted and turned 
 northward. For a time he proceeded slowly, 
 maintaining a careful outlook as he advanced. 
 Winnisboro, which he now had decided to 
 seek, must lie somewhere to the north. This 
 
A BORROWED HORSE 
 
 297 
 
 was the sole idea of direction in his mind 
 now. 
 
 He passed several huts or houses, but not 
 one appeared inviting, and he dared not stop 
 to make the inquiries he was eager to make. 
 He must save the strength of his horse, too, 
 for at any moment he might be compelled 
 to flee for his life. 
 
 An hour had elapsed and the darkness had 
 deepened. The sky was overcast and signs 
 of an approaching storm were multiplying. 
 Taylor had crossed two small streams, his 
 horse’s hoofs sounding noisily on the timbers 
 of the rude bridges, and now not far before 
 him he discovered another bridge. As he 
 came nearer, his anxiety increased when he 
 became aware that before him was a long 
 covered bridge that spanned the stream. 
 With every sense alert he slowly entered the 
 dark structure. Not a sound was heard un¬ 
 til he had come nearly to the exit. Then the 
 silence was broken by the sharp call of a man. 
 
CHAPTEE XXIV 
 
 CAPTAIN HITT’S BAND 
 
 The first impulse in Taylor’s mind was to 
 turn sharply about and flee back across the 
 bridge. He could see the man before him in 
 the dim light, and apparently be was alone. 
 The gun in the bands of the man, however, 
 was a deciding element, even if Taylor bad 
 not been aware that bis horse was so nearly 
 exhausted as to make flight well-nigh impos¬ 
 sible. 
 
 “Who goes there?” again demanded the 
 man. 
 
 “A friend,” Taylor responded quietly. 
 The sharp call implied that the stranger was 
 a soldier, and also that a camp might be near. 
 The fact, however, that no one else was to 
 be seen was somewhat reassuring. Trusting 
 to his ability to explain his presence on the 
 bridge, or at least to avoid arousing the 
 
 man’s further suspicions, Taylor rode for- 
 
 298 
 
CAPTAIN HITT’S BAND 
 
 299 
 
 ward in response to the call for him to ad¬ 
 vance. 
 
 As he passed out from the darkness of the 
 bridge the man seized Taylor’s horse by the 
 bridle and peered intently into the young 
 rider’s face. The searching scrutiny was 
 borne quietly by Taylor, who was doing his 
 utmost to maintain an air of indifference. 
 
 “Whar’ you’-all goin’?” inquired the 
 guard sharply. 
 
 “ Winnisboro.” 
 
 1 ‘ What fur?” 
 
 “I don’t know that it concerns you.” 
 
 “We’ve orders t’ stop ev’ry man an’ make 
 him give an account of himself,” said the 
 soldier almost apologetically, as Taylor 
 thought. 
 
 “That’s right,” responded Taylor. 
 “Can’t be too careful in these times.” 
 
 “Yo’-all might be a stranger in these hyar 
 pahts ? ’ ’ 
 
 “That’s correct.” 
 
 “Whar’ did yo’-all come from?” 
 
 “Just now I came from Captain George 
 Hitt’s.” 
 
300 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 Apparently the man was interested at 
 once, and Taylor regretted what he had said. 
 It was too late to recall the words, however, 
 and the young soldier was aware that now he 
 must do his utmost to play well the part he 
 had assumed. 
 
 “Is the cap’n cornin’ shortly V 9 
 
 “Yes, sir. He was in great haste the last 
 time I saw him.” 
 
 “Yo’ had bettah stop an’ explain to the 
 lieutenant.” 
 
 “That isn’t necessary,” said Taylor, 
 hastily. “Just now I am needed at Winnis- 
 boro, and the captain himself will soon be 
 here. He can explain to the lieutenant better 
 than I can.” 
 
 “That may be so, sub,” said the guard, 
 dubiously. “The lieutenant’s orders was 
 fo’ me t’ bring ev’ry suspicious man t’ 
 him. ’ ’ 
 
 “You don’t think I’m suspicious, do you?” 
 inquired Taylor, attempting to speak lightly. 
 
 “Yo’-all are a stranger.” 
 
 “To you, but not to the captain.” 
 
 “Thet may be so, stranger.” 
 
 “I’m in great haste now. I don’t think 
 
CAPTAIN HITT’S BAND 
 
 301 
 
 Captain Hitt would take it kindly if you de¬ 
 layed me.” 
 
 “Was you a goin’ to Win’sboro fo’ th’ 
 cap ’n ? ” 
 
 “If it hadn’t been for him I shouldn’t even 
 have thought of going there.” 
 
 “What’s wrong, Plioeb?” inquired a sec¬ 
 ond man who now drew near out of the dark¬ 
 ness. 
 
 If Taylor’s horse had been only measur¬ 
 ably fresh the young soldier would have at¬ 
 tempted to dash past the men. The position 
 was more perilous than it had been before, 
 and Taylor’s alarm increased. It was well- 
 nigh impossible to escape two men who 
 blocked his way. His wits must serve him 
 now, Taylor decided. 
 
 “Nothin’ wrong, I reck’n, Lieutenant,” 
 said the guard. “This yere man is just 
 come from Cap’n Hitt’s, an’ is on his way to 
 Win’boro.” 
 
 “From Captain Hitt’s!” exclaimed the 
 lieutenant quickly. “That’s good. Did he 
 send any word to me?” he added, as he 
 stepped forward, and in the dim light tried 
 to ]ook into Taylor’s face. 
 
302 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “No, sir,” responded Taylor. 
 
 “That’s strange.” 
 
 Taylor did not feel called npon to explain 
 what he himself did not know, and accord¬ 
 ingly was silent. 
 
 ‘‘ When did yon leave the cap’n!” inquired 
 the officer. 
 
 “This afternoon.” 
 
 The lieutenant appeared to he startled by 
 the simple reply, although Taylor was unable 
 to comprehend the cause. 
 
 “Yo’-all will have to stop and explain,” 
 said the officer at last. 
 
 “I haven’t anything to explain.” 
 
 “Yo’-all will have to explain that, too,” the 
 lieutenant suggested. 
 
 “I don’t understand.” The confusion of 
 Taylor was as great as his fear, now that 
 every way of escape seemingly was being 
 blocked. 
 
 “Dismount and follow me,” said the of¬ 
 ficer, abruptly. 
 
 There was no help for it, and the young 
 soldier dismounted. “You will not keep me 
 very long, will you?” he inquired. 
 
 “That’s as may be,” replied the iieuten- 
 
CAPTAIN HITT’S BAND 
 
 303 
 
 ant, enigmatically. “That’s Cap’n George’s 
 liorse, Mag, all riglit enough,” he suggested 
 to the guard, as soon as he had inspected 
 the animal as well as the insufficient light 
 permitted. 
 
 4 ‘I reck’n th’ man ’s all right, sho’ 
 enough,” responded the guard. 
 
 The officer did not refer to his own impres¬ 
 sions, and turning to Taylor, he said 
 briefly, “Come with me.” 
 
 Turning sharply about, the officer led the 
 way into a path which Taylor had not before 
 seen. The way led through bushes, and was 
 at right angles to the road. The young sol¬ 
 dier’s heart was filled with misgivings now, 
 but apparently he made no objection, as he 
 proceeded beside his guide. 
 
 The two men had not advanced more than 
 fifty yards when Taylor beheld before him 
 a camping place. A smouldering fire was 
 burning in the center, about which a score 
 of men were lying on the ground, and 
 wrapped in blankets. 
 
 The scene was not comforting, and Tay¬ 
 lor’s alarm increased at the sight of the 
 sleeping men before him. In some way, he 
 
304 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 was confident, they were connected with Cap¬ 
 tain George Hitt, though why they were here 
 was a problem for which he could not think 
 of any solution. 
 
 The return of the lieutenant did not 
 arouse his followers, although one or two 
 men stirred at his approach. 
 
 ‘ ‘ Sit down there! ’ ’ said the lieutenant to 
 Taylor, when they drew near the fire. As 
 his suggestion was obeyed, he continued, 
 “Now, then, stranger, th’ best thing fo’ yo’- 
 all to do is V make a clean breast of it.” 
 
 “Of what?” 
 
 “Of the whole thing.” 
 
 “I don’t understand.” 
 
 “What are yo’ doin’?” 
 
 “ ‘Doing!’ Can’t you see? I’m not do¬ 
 ing anything.” 
 
 “Perhaps yo’ll say yo’ aren’t a Yank?” 
 
 “Do I look like one?” inquired Taylor, 
 striving to speak lightly, although his alarm 
 was renewed by the startling and unexpected 
 question. 
 
 “I can’t jest say about the ‘looks,’ 
 stranger. I reck’n I can tell better ’bout 
 that when it’s daylight. But from what I 
 
CAPTAIN HITT’S BAND 
 
 305 
 
 heah, I s’pect yo’ are a Yank, as sho’ ’s yo’re 
 born.” 
 
 4 ‘ What have you heard V’ 
 
 4 ‘What did I heah you say was the time 
 when yo’-all lef’ Cap’n George Hitt’s place, 
 suh ? ’ ’ 
 
 “I don’t think I mentioned the hour.” 
 
 “Yo’ sho’ly did not. But yo’ made a ref¬ 
 erence toe tli’ time.” 
 
 “This afternoon,” suggested Taylor. 
 
 “That’s it, stranger. Yanks say ‘after¬ 
 noon.’ Down yere, we-uns all say ‘evenin’, 
 suh. ’ ’ 
 
 It was true, Taylor had betrayed himself 
 by his speech. He had endeavored to say as 
 little as possible, but even the few words he 
 had spoken had revealed him as he was to 
 the keen-witted officer. 
 
 “I lived north when I was a small boy,” 
 began Taylor. “My grandfather lived in 
 New York State, and I have spent many a 
 summer with him.” 
 
 The statement, of course, was not untrue in 
 a way, but the eager young soldier was not 
 confident his explanation would be well re¬ 
 ceived. 
 
306 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 i ‘ That may all be as yon say, stranger/’ 
 said the officer. “I’m not denyin’ a word of 
 it. Perhaps yo’ mouglit be willin’ toe in¬ 
 form me whar yo’ home mouglit be!” 
 
 “What good will that do! Yon think I 
 am a Yank, and anything I can do or say 
 won’t do any good now. I think I’ll—you 
 are expecting Captain Hitt, soon!” he ab¬ 
 ruptly added. 
 
 “I reck’n Cap’n George mought turn up 
 mos’ any time.” 
 
 “Then our best plan will be to wait until 
 he comes.” 
 
 “Thet’s fo’ yo’ toe say, stranger.” 
 
 “If you are going to hold me here, I think 
 I prefer to wait until Captain Hitt comes.” 
 
 “That’s agreeable to me.” 
 
 “It may not be to the captain,” Taylor 
 suggested. 
 
 “I shan’t dispute yo’ as to thet.” 
 
 For a moment there was silence which was 
 broken by the approach of the horse Taylor 
 had been riding, now being led by one of the 
 men whom the lieutenant had sent for it. 
 
 “This is the cap’n’s horse all right 
 enough, ’ ’ remarked the lieutenant, ‘ ‘ and 
 
CAPTAIN HITT’S BAND 
 
 307 
 
 everything may be just as yo’-all says it is, 
 but yo’-all will have toe stay with us, stran¬ 
 ger, till be himself comes an’ says so.” 
 
 “That’s what I suggested, wasn’t it!” 
 
 “I b’lieve yo’ did refer toe it. Now, then, 
 stranger, I reck’n we mought as well turn in. 
 In the mo’nin’ things may look different. 
 Perhaps I’d better inform yo’ thet the’s a 
 guyard about this yere camp, an’ any 
 man who tries fo’ toe get away is likely toe 
 heah a gun go off without much waitin’ fo’ 
 toe find out whether he happens toe be a 
 Yank or the first cousin o’ Jefferson Davis. 
 I reck’n yo’ understan’s toe what I’m re¬ 
 ferring ” 
 
 “Yes. I think I take your meaning.” 
 
 “Then we mought ’s well turn in, sub. I 
 regret that I am not able to set befo’ a friend 
 o’ th’ cap’n what is mo’ becomin’, but I 
 reck’n yo’ all won’t object t’ sharin’ my tent 
 with me!” 
 
 “That will suit me all right,” responded 
 Taylor. In a few minutes he and his captor 
 were lying on blankets on the ground of the 
 sole tent apparently in the possession of the 
 band. 
 
308 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 For a time schemes of escaping so filled 
 the thoughts of the young soldier that all 
 else was banished from his mind. Mani¬ 
 festly he was in the midst of a small force 
 which in some way was connected with Miss 
 Sallied brother. He was not even positive 
 that he would be able to recognize the young 
 captain if he should see him. 
 
 The momentary glimpse he had obtained 
 of the man seated at a table not far from the 
 door which Taylor had swiftly passed in 
 the hallway, had not been sufficient to fasten 
 the recollection of the young officer’s face in 
 his memory. On the other hand, there was 
 no question that the captain would recog¬ 
 nize his own horse, and naturally conclude 
 that the rider had been the man who had 
 unceremoniously departed with it from the 
 Hitt plantation. 
 
 Taylor’s thoughts were far from pleasing. 
 To attempt to escape now was not to be con¬ 
 sidered. His sole hope rested upon the fail¬ 
 ure of the young captain to return before he 
 himself had found or made some way out of 
 his present difficulties. The prospect of 
 
CAPTAIN IIITT’S BAND 
 
 309 
 
 either was not bright, but at last Taylor fell 
 asleep. 
 
 It was daylight when he was awakened 
 by the sound of voices near the entrance to 
 the tent. “Bring him out!” Taylor heard 
 someone say, sharply. Concluding that the 
 captain had returned and was demanding 
 that the unknown rider of his horse should 
 be produced, Taylor at once arose and 
 stepped outside, there to find himself face to 
 face with a young Confederate officer whom 
 he at once recognized by his striking resem¬ 
 blance to Miss Sallie. 
 
 “ You are the man that stole my horse, are 
 you!” demanded the young officer sharply, 
 as he looked sternly at Taylor. 
 
 “That is too strong a word, Captain.” 
 
 “It is, is it! And I sent you to Winnis- 
 boro, did I! And you wanted to wait until 
 I came back, did you! Well, here I am! 
 What have you to say!” 
 
 As Taylor did not reply, the angry captain 
 turned to two men near him and said, 
 ‘ ‘ Search him! Search him from his head to 
 
 his toes.” 
 
310 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 It was useless to resist, and in a moment 
 tlie search began. The first discovery was 
 of the map Miss Sallie had made. When 
 the paper was handed to the captain, he 
 glanced sharply at it, and then looking up, 
 said quickly—“It is just as I thought. The 
 man is a spy.” 
 
CHAPTER XXV 
 
 UNDER GUARD 
 
 “You are mistaken,” said Taylor quietly, 
 although a great fear had arisen in his heart 
 at the charge. He was well aware that there 
 were many, many things to confirm the young 
 captain in his belief. First of all, Taylor 
 realized that his speech betrayed him, for 
 it bore slight resemblance to that of the men 
 about him. Then, too, the vest he wore was 
 part of the uniform of a Confederate soldier. 
 The map was also an added cause of sus¬ 
 picion, while the discovery of his horse in 
 the possession of the prisoner did not tend 
 to soothe the angry feelings of the captain, 
 even if it did not of itself do more than 
 imply a theft. 
 
 “That will be for you to explain to the 
 court-martial,”’ replied Captain Hitt brusque- 
 
 ]j. - 
 
 “Will you believe me if I tell you exactly 
 who I am?” inquired Taylor. 
 
 311 
 
312 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “I’ll listen.” 
 
 “I am a Union soldier. I am perfectly 
 willing to own that. I have been a prisoner 
 in Libby, at Danville, and then at Camp Sor¬ 
 ghum, near Columbia. I escaped from the 
 camp—” 
 
 “When? How?” interrupted the young 
 officer. 
 
 “A few days ago—I can’t tell you just how 
 long ago it was. How I got away I shan’t 
 explain. It might hurt some of the other 
 poor fellows there who may be suffering as 
 much as I did while I was in the horrible 
 place. ’ ’ 
 
 “Go on,” said the captain, quietly. 
 
 “Well, I managed to get away—” 
 
 “Were you alone?” 
 
 “No, sir.” 
 
 “How many were with you? Where are 
 they now?” 
 
 “I wish I knew where they were,” said 
 Taylor. 
 
 “You don’t know?” 
 
 “I don’t.” 
 
 “How many got away when you did?” 
 
 “I shall not tell you.” 
 
UNDER GUARD 
 
 313 
 
 “Go on with yonr story, sir.” 
 
 “There isn’t much more to tell. Some¬ 
 how, I managed to keep out of the hands of 
 the rebels until to-day After I got your 
 horse I thought I was sure to gain our lines. 
 Now I wish I had never seen the animal.” 
 
 The young officer laughed for the first time 
 in the interview. “Then you are the man 
 who shut me in the cloak room of my own 
 house, are you! If you don’t mind, I wish 
 you would explain to me what you were do¬ 
 ing in the house—how you happened to be 
 there. ’ ’ 
 
 “I was hiding.” 
 
 “In the house!” 
 
 “Yes, sir.” 
 
 “That sounds well, but it isn’t very likely, 
 that’s all I have to say.” 
 
 “It is true.” 
 
 “You weren’t looking for papers or any¬ 
 thing!” 
 
 “No, sir.” 
 
 “What made you go to the house!” 
 
 “I found the door on the side piazza open, 
 and I went in. I knew that a search for 
 Union men wouldn’t be made in Captain 
 
314 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 Hitt’s house. In one way the place was dan¬ 
 gerous, but in another it was the safest place 
 I could find.” 
 
 “Where did you hide!” 
 
 “Upstairs—in the attic.” 
 
 “And you did not meet anyone in the 
 house!” inquired the captain, incredulously. 
 “That isn’t very likely.” 
 
 “It’s more likely than that anyone in your 
 house would help me.” 
 
 “That may be so, sir. It’s fortunate for 
 you that Sallie—my sister—did not see you. 
 She hates Yankees worse than any girl in 
 the South does.” 
 
 “So I heard—so I have heard,” Taylor 
 hastily corrected himself. 
 
 “Where did you get those clothes you are 
 wearing!” 
 
 “I found them in the attic.” 
 
 “And helped yourself to them!” 
 
 “I did,” said Taylor, drily. “Wouldn’t 
 you! ’ ’ 
 
 I “No, sir. I wouldn’t wear a Yankee rag 
 to keep me from freezing! You have not 
 told me about the map.” 
 
 “It is just a rude little affair, as you can 
 
UNDER GUARD 
 
 315 
 
 see. There isn’t a mark on it to show a 
 thing about the rebel camps, or men. It’s 
 just a plain paper that I thought would help 
 me to work north.” 
 
 ‘ 4 Your men are south,” said the captain 
 bitterly. “That villain, Sherman—” The 
 officer checked himself abruptly. 
 
 “I do not know where Sherman is,” said 
 Taylor. “We prisoners were not kept in¬ 
 formed about the doings of the armies. I 
 wanted to know, though. Has Richmond 
 fallen?” 
 
 “Richmond fallen!” retorted the captain. 
 “When the sun falls out of the sky, then 
 you may look for the fall of Richmond, and 
 not before.” 
 
 “What is General Sherman doing so far 
 south, then?” 
 
 “Doing? He’s done everything a fiend 
 incarnate ever did. He has robbed our 
 houses, burned our barns, turned the negroes 
 against us—” 
 
 “I have heard all that,” interrupted Tay¬ 
 lor, “but you aren’t fair yourself.” 
 
 “Not fair? What do you mean?” 
 
 “Just what I say. You wouldn’t expect 
 
316 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 General Sherman to come down South and 
 have his men sit around in tents knitting 
 stockings or doing fancy embroidery, would 
 you! I never heard that war was a pic¬ 
 nic—” 
 
 “Did you ever see my sister—Miss Sallie 
 Hitt!” abruptly demanded the officer. 
 
 For a moment Taylor was well-nigh stag¬ 
 gered by the question. He was not minded 
 to betray the aid which the young girl had 
 given him. He understood how intense her 
 feeling of loyalty to the Confederacy was, 
 but if it was even suspected that she had 
 aided an escaping Union prisoner, even her 
 devotion would be questioned, and her trou¬ 
 bles would be greatly multiplied. His mo¬ 
 mentary hesitation was manifestly not pleas¬ 
 ing to the young officer, whom Taylor, as he 
 glanced up, found to be sternly regarding 
 him. 
 
 “Is your sister the young lady with light 
 hair and blue eyes that are very bright! Is 
 she tall! Is she the one who was singing 
 most of the time!” 
 
 “You seem to have a pretty full descrip¬ 
 tion.” 
 
UNDER GUARD 
 
 317 
 
 “Well, if she is the one I mean, then I 
 did see her. She must have been the young 
 lady who was so angry when I ‘ borrowed’ 
 your horse. She was shouting for some one 
 to come and stop or shoot the horse thief. I 
 saw her, and I heard her, too. If all the girls 
 in the South are like her—” 
 
 “That was Sallie, all right/’ said the 
 young captain, plainly led into other thoughts 
 by Taylor’s reference to Miss Sallie’s fran¬ 
 tic calls for aid. “Your story may be a true 
 one,” he added. “Indeed, I am inclined to 
 believe it is true. But you will have to go 
 with the detail—” 
 
 ‘ ‘ Where ?’ ’ 
 
 “South—to our men in the rear of Sher¬ 
 man. I am sorry I can’t go with you my¬ 
 self, but I’ll see to it that you don’t lose your 
 way. I must stay up here and be on the 
 lookout for Yankee spies and escaping pris¬ 
 oners, to say nothing of our deserters. The 
 hills of Tennessee and North Carolina are 
 too tempting for such fellows. We have to 
 cut them off if we can—and we can. You 
 can tell your story at the court-martial. Per¬ 
 haps you will be believed. I am inclined to 
 
318 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 think you are telling me the truth, hut I have 
 not found that I could just take the word of 
 every man in these times—and I’m afraid 
 it hasn’t made very much difference whether 
 he came from the North or South.’’ 
 
 The young captain held a whispered con¬ 
 versation with one of his men, then mount¬ 
 ing his horse, which had been rested and fed, 
 rode away from the camp. After his de¬ 
 parture, some plain food was brought Tay¬ 
 lor, which he eagerly ate, but not a word was 
 spoken to him by any of the men, nor were 
 any plans for departure apparent. That 
 Taylor was to be taken to the South, he did 
 not doubt, though how he was to go he could 
 not discover. 
 
 Indeed, the entire day passed and still not 
 a word was spoken concerning the departure. 
 At nightfall he begged for the privilege of a 
 bath in the cold waters of the stream in the 
 valley below the camping place. The priv¬ 
 ilege was granted, and two of the force ac¬ 
 companied him to the bank, although neither 
 of them shared or apparently approved the 
 project. 
 
 Greatly refreshed, Taylor returned to the 
 
UNDER GUARD 
 
 319 
 
 camp, and as soon as supper was served, he 
 was ordered within a tent. There he 
 stretched himself upon the ground and slept 
 heavily until he was awakened in the morn¬ 
 ing. 
 
 Again food was served the prisoner, and 
 despite the apparent hopelessness of his po¬ 
 sition, Taylor ate heartily, not knowing when 
 a similar opportunity would be had. Soon 
 after sunrise he was summoned by two of the 
 men and told that he must accompany them. 
 His questions as to their destination were 
 not answered, but soon he was aware that 
 they were proceeding over the road on which 
 he had traveled the previous day. One of 
 the two men who were with him was riding 
 an old and stiffened horse. The other man 
 was walking behind the young prisoner, who 
 was compelled to advance in a position be¬ 
 tween the horse and the second man. 
 
 Somehow, the feeling in Taylor’s heart 
 was not entirely one of despair. To have 
 been retaken, after his successful efforts in 
 leaving Camp Sorghum, and the journey he 
 had made for what he was positive must be 
 twenty miles or more, was certainly not in- 
 
320 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 spiring. And yet the information he had ob¬ 
 tained from Captain Hitt that General Sher¬ 
 man’s army was in Georgia, was in turn a 
 source of hope. Exchanges of prisoners 
 might be made, and as Taylor was confident 
 that he would be successful in convincing the 
 proper authorities that he really was what 
 he claimed to be, and not a spy, there was 
 hope that he might be among the fortunate 
 number to be returned to the Union army. 
 The determination to escape also, was by no 
 means slumbering. He was watchful of 
 every step the little party was taking, pre¬ 
 pared to make the most of any opportunity 
 that presented itself. As mile after mile 
 was covered in the weary journey, and the 
 attendants were keenly observant of him all 
 the way, Taylor almost decided that for the 
 present his wisest course would be to con¬ 
 form fully to the demands of his guard. 
 
 He several times attempted to draw them 
 into conversation, but his efforts were un¬ 
 successful. At intervals the men exchanged 
 places, and the one who before had been serv¬ 
 ing as a rear guard, advanced and took his 
 companion’s place on the back of the horse, 
 
UNDER GUARD 
 
 321 
 
 and the former rider became the guard. If 
 he had possessed any means of doing so, 
 Taylor would have tried to bribe the men, 
 but he had no money, even the few Confeder¬ 
 ate dollars which Aunt Katy had given him 
 having been given up when the captain had 
 searched his person. 
 
 Taylor enviously watched the two men 
 when they exchanged places, and suddenly 
 decided that he, too, was entitled to ride at 
 least a part of the way. For a long time he 
 had been walking in silence. Suddenly with a 
 groan he seated himself upon the ground, 
 and the little procession at once halted. 
 
 “What’s th’ trouble, Yank!” inquired one 
 of the men. 
 
 “I’ve turned my ankle,” replied Taylor, 
 groaning heavily. 
 
 “That’s too had. I reck’n yo’-all ’ll liev 
 ter keep on.” 
 
 “I can’t walk,” replied Taylor, attempting 
 to rise as he spoke, and then sinking back 
 to the ground with a heartrending groan. 
 “If I only had some hot water!” 
 
 “Can’t be had. Yo’ll feel better after a 
 
 bit.” 
 
322 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “Perhaps I will. It’s good of you to wait 
 for me.” 
 
 “We haven’t said we’d wait. We jest got 
 t’ be at th’ crossroads by two o’clock.” 
 
 Taylor’s groans became still more pro¬ 
 nounced and agonizing. 
 
 “Let th’ Yank ride a bit,” suggested the 
 man on horseback. 
 
 “Walkin’ is good enough for th’ blue- 
 belly,” retorted the second man. 
 
 “Naw, Tom. We-uns ’ll lose time. Give 
 him a lift.” 
 
 Groaning loudly, Taylor was helped to a 
 seat on the back of the horse. The little 
 procession resumed its advance, but any hope 
 Taylor had cherished that his horse would be 
 of assistance in escaping was lost when one 
 of the men, drawing his pistol, an example 
 which his companion followed, called, “Now, 
 none o’ yer tricks, Yank! We-uns hev got 
 yo’ all spotted, and th’ first sign o’ trouble 
 makes th’ gun pop. Understand!” 
 
 Taylor was convinced that he did, and re¬ 
 plied accordingly. He strove to console 
 himself with the knowledge that, even if es¬ 
 cape was impossible, riding was much more 
 
UNDER GUARD 
 
 323 
 
 easy than walking, an assurance that became 
 more impressive when he glanced at the men 
 toiling over the rough road. 
 
 The “lame” prisoner was not requested 
 to give up his seat until two hours later, 
 when the little party arrived at what evi¬ 
 dently was a small camp. In the center of 
 the band of twenty men Taylor beheld a half- 
 dozen who evidently were prisoners like him¬ 
 self. His surprise was even greater than his 
 interest when he beheld both Erwin and Sam¬ 
 uel in the number. 
 
CHAPTER XXVI 
 
 CARRYING A LOAD 
 
 The arrival of the party apparently 
 aroused but little interest in the assembly, 
 even the prisoners scarcely glancing at the 
 newcomers. Indeed, Taylor had as yet not 
 been seen by either of his friends when he 
 alighted from the horse, which his guard had 
 permitted him to ride all the way to the 
 camp. 
 
 Proceeding at once to the two boys, all 
 signs of his lameness having disappeared, 
 Taylor approached Erwin, who was seated 
 upon the ground, and touched his friend’s 
 shoulder. The condition of Erwin was such 
 as to startle the young soldier. He was so 
 thin that his face appeared to be emaciated. 
 His clothing was in tatters, and his complete 
 dejection was manifest in his bearing. Tay¬ 
 lor himself was thin and worn, but his 
 friend’s condition was evidently so much 
 worse than his own that for the moment all 
 
 324 
 
CARRYING A LOAD 
 
 325 
 
 his thoughts were centered upon Erwin. 
 
 As Erwin slowly turned his head toward 
 the one who had touched his shoulder, his 
 eyes betrayed no expression of interest or 
 even of surprise. He gazed stolidly at his 
 recent companion and did not speak. 
 
 “How did you happen to come here!” in¬ 
 quired Taylor. 
 
 “The rebs brought me,” replied Erwin. 
 
 “Where did they get you!” 
 
 “I don’t know.” 
 
 “Don’t know! What do you mean!” 
 
 “I don’t know and I don’t care,” replied 
 Erwin, dejectedly. 
 
 “How long have you been here!” 
 
 Erwin shook his head and was silent. 
 
 Taylor’s fears were aroused by the ex¬ 
 haustion of his comrade. Something must 
 be done for him, and at once, he concluded, 
 although what aid could be secured was not 
 apparent. As Taylor looked helplessly about 
 him, he saw Samuel approaching, and in¬ 
 stantly he turned to the lank prisoner. 
 “Uncle Sam, where were you and Erwin 
 caught! ’ ’ 
 
 “I don’t know anything about Erwin. I 
 
326 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 hadn’t seen him since yon ran away from 
 me.” 
 
 “I didn’t run away from yon.” 
 
 “Yes, yon did!” 
 
 ‘ 4 Where ! ’ ’ 
 
 “I don’t know the name of the place. It 
 was in the road where we saw the bush¬ 
 whackers. ’ ’ 
 
 If Taylor had not been so depressed by the 
 sight of Erwin’s sufferings, he would have 
 laughed. Run away! Why, he had waited 
 vainly for Samuel to follow him. The last 
 glimpse he had had of his unfortunate fellow 
 townsman had been as the latter was leaping 
 frantically from the road for the shelter of 
 the adjacent woods. And now Uncle Sam 
 was aggrieved because his friend had not 
 “waited” for him. 
 
 “Never mind that, now. What can we do 
 for Erwin!” 
 
 “Nothing, I guess.” 
 
 “But we must. He’s in bad shape.” 
 
 “So am I. I’ve got a blister on one of 
 my feet. I’m hungry, and I hate the whole 
 war! I wish I was at home or lived down 
 here. ’ ’ 
 
CARRYING A LOAD 
 
 327 
 
 “Why don’t you join the rebels!” 
 
 “I’ve been thinking of it.” 
 
 “That’s right. A man with no more to 
 him than there is to you belongs there. I’ll 
 give you a couple of kicks to help you on. ’ 7 
 
 Taylor turned sharply away and at once 
 sought one of the soldiers. 1 ‘ Can you tell me 
 where you found this man*?” he inquired, 
 pointing to Erwin as he spoke. 
 
 “I picked him up myself. I found him 
 sick about three miles from here in old Rich¬ 
 ard’s cabin.” 
 
 “Why didn’t you leave him there! He’s 
 a sick man. ’ ’ 
 
 “We-all will attend to his troubles pretty 
 quick, suli.” 
 
 “What do you mean by that!” 
 
 “We’ll send him to the hospital.” 
 
 “When you reach camp!” 
 
 “Yaas, suh.” 
 
 “When will that be!” 
 
 “Right soon, I reckon.” 
 
 “But the man is sick. He can’t travel,” 
 protested Taylor. 
 
 “He sho’ly does look lak he is feelin’ 
 po’ly.” 
 
328 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “He’s starving.” 
 
 “I reckon the’ aint any o’ us troubled with 
 high livin’. Yo’ wait right yere an’ I’ll see 
 what I can do fo’ yo’.” 
 
 The soldier turned away and in a brief 
 time returned with a piece of corn bread and 
 a single roasted sweet potato in his hands. 
 “This is th’ best I can do fo’ yo’, suh,” he 
 said quietly, as he offered Taylor the food. 
 
 “Thank you. You are good to us. Hid 
 this come out of your own rations?” 
 
 The soldier laughed good-naturedly, as he 
 replied, “Don’t yo’ trouble yourself about 
 that. I reckon I shan’t have to give up my 
 supper many times to that po’ fellow. He 
 won’t be livin’ on co’n bread or anything 
 else much longer. ’ ’ 
 
 “What yo’-all doin’, Ed?” demanded an 
 approaching soldier who had seen his fellow 
 soldier’s generous act. 
 
 “Nothin’ much, I reckon. Jest helpin’ th’ 
 Yank t’ a bit o’ forage.” 
 
 “You’re a fool, Ed! I wouldn’t give one 
 of the bluebellies a crumb if it kep’ him from 
 starvin’ t’ death.” 
 
CARRYING A LOAD 
 
 329 
 
 “I reckon no more yo’ wouldn’t, John,” 
 said the first soldier, simply. 
 
 “Yo’re right, I wouldn’t! If th’ Yanks 
 got what they deserved, they’d all be—” 
 
 “What you got there, Taylor?” inter¬ 
 rupted Samuel, who at this moment ap¬ 
 proached and stood near, looking longingly 
 at the food in the hands of his friend. 
 
 “Something for Erwin to eat. This man 
 gave it to me,” Taylor added, as he looked 
 at the Confederate guard. “I hope he’ll fare 
 as well when he falls into our hands.” 
 
 “That’s all right, Yank. I’ll repo’t if I 
 ever gits wliar I need yore help.” 
 
 “Yo’-all bettah shet Ed up in an idiot 
 ’sylum, if he ever is a prisoner,” said the 
 second Confederate, scornfully. 
 
 Taylor laughed good-naturedly, and at 
 once retraced his way to the place where he 
 had left Erwin. By his side walked Samuel, 
 silent, his eyes seldom turned away from 
 the food his companion was carrying. 
 
 “You’re going to go snucks, aren’t you, 
 Taylor?” he inquired at last. 
 
 For an instant Taylor’s eyes flashed om- 
 
330 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 inously. Then, without replying to the 
 query, he said, 4 ‘Uncle Sam, how did the rebs 
 get you ? ’ ’ 
 
 “I walked right into a camp of five bush¬ 
 whackers/ J 
 
 “Without suspecting who or what they 
 were ?’ ’ 
 
 “I might V suspected, hut they had some 
 chickens roasting over a fire—” 
 
 “I see,” interrupted Taylor, dryly. “Un¬ 
 cle Sam, I’ll give you a piece of this corn 
 bread on one condition.” 
 
 “What’s that!” 
 
 ‘ ‘ To-morrow morning, or whenever we are 
 taken out of this place, you and I will take 
 turns carrying Erwin on our backs when we 
 have to wade a stream. Erwin is played 
 out.” 
 
 “So Tn I.” 
 
 “You whine as if you were good for what 
 I’m asking, anyway.” 
 
 “I agree if you’ll agree to what I propose, 
 too.” 
 
 “What is that?” 
 
 “That we draw cuts to see whether you or 
 I’ll be the first.” 
 
CARRYING A LOAD 
 
 331 
 
 “I’ll do that,” said Taylor, quickly. 
 
 “Hold your horses! I’m not all done yet. 
 "What I propose is that the one that draws 
 the cut to carry Erwin should come back and 
 take the other one across. There’s no use 
 in both of us getting wet, is there?” 
 
 “Not a bit. I’ll agree to it. Here’s your 
 corn bread, Uncle Sam,” said Taylor, as he 
 divided the bread and gave a piece to his 
 companion. 
 
 When the two boys arrived at the place 
 where Erwin was seated, Taylor said ea¬ 
 gerly, “We’ve been lucky, Erwin. We 
 found a reb who gave us some supper. 
 Here’s yours. You must eat every crumb 
 of it.” 
 
 As Erwin sat quickly erect and took and 
 almost ravenously began to devour the food, 
 his friend smiled and nodded his head ap¬ 
 provingly. “You’ll do. We’ll get you back 
 to York State yet,” he said to himself. When 
 the last crumb had been eaten by the fam¬ 
 ished prisoner, Taylor turned to Samuel and 
 inquired, “Got your ‘cuts’ ready?” 
 
 “Yes,” replied Samuel, extending his left 
 hand, which was tightly closed, two blades 
 
332 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 of grass appearing between bis thumb and 
 forefinger. “Which fit you take?” 
 
 “Wait a minute. Is it the long or the 
 short that is ‘it’?” 
 
 “The long.” 
 
 “All right. Then I’ll take the short,” 
 said Taylor promptly, as he drew forth one 
 of the straws. “Here! Hold on! We 
 don’t do that,” he added hastily, as Samuel 
 attempted to break the straw remaining in 
 his hand. 
 
 “I was just fooling,” said Samuel, blandly. 
 “You’ve got me, all right.” 
 
 “I intend to keep you, too!” retorted Tay¬ 
 lor, sternly. 
 
 “Don’t you be too sure o’ that!” 
 
 Taylor did not reply, because at that mo¬ 
 ment word was passed that “supper” had 
 been provided for the prisoners. It is true, 
 sweet potatoes provided the sole article of 
 food, but the men were weary and hungry, 
 and all eagerly devoured their portions, evjen 
 Erwin joining in the repast with as great an 
 appearance of enjoyment as when his friend 
 had brought him food a little while before. 
 
 It was soon learned that the party was to 
 
CARRYING A LOAD 
 
 333 
 
 remain for the night in the place where it 
 then was. Taylor and Erwin, together with 
 the other prisoners, were taken to the local 
 jail, and the two boys, at their own request, 
 were assigned to one cell. Strong as was 
 Taylor’s desire to talk to his friend, he said 
 but little when night fell. To his delight Er¬ 
 win was soon sleeping soundly. When morn¬ 
 ing came and roasted sweet potatoes once 
 more were served, Erwin appeared like a 
 different boy from the one of the preceding 
 night. Food, even of such a quality as had 
 been provided, sleep, and, more than all, the 
 company of Taylor, had served to revive 
 somewhat the drooping spirits of the young 
 soldier. 
 
 As for Taylor, he was more firmly resolved 
 than ever he had been to attempt to escape. 
 The horrors of prison life were too vivid 
 still for him to be reconciled to the thought 
 of again being shut up in a pen. When at 
 last preparations for the departure of the 
 band were completed, he was rejoiced when 
 he discovered that Erwin, Samuel and him¬ 
 self were assigned to two men. Apparently 
 it had been deemed wise not to take the half- 
 
334 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 dozen prisoners in a body to their destina¬ 
 tion, whatever that might prove to be, but to 
 divide the party into two divisions, assign 
 an armed guard of two soldiers to each, and 
 leave the other men free to continue their 
 search for escaped prisoners, and for de¬ 
 serters from the Confederate army. 
 
 Soon after sunrise the three boys de¬ 
 parted. The guards both marched behind 
 the prisoners, directing them in their course, 
 but otherwise apparently in no fear of at¬ 
 tempts to escape being made. Each guard 
 was fully armed, carrying a carbine over his 
 shoulder, and a brace of pistols showing 
 threateningly from their belts. 
 
 “Here’s your place!” exclaimed Taylor to 
 Samuel, as they approached the ford in a 
 stream about twenty feet wide. “Carry Er¬ 
 win first, and then come back for me.” 
 
 The guards laughed, as they heard the de¬ 
 mand, but neither made any objection to the 
 proposal. 
 
 “Wait till we come to the next,” suggested 
 Samuel. 
 
 ‘ ‘ This is the next. Take up your load! ’ ’ 
 
 “That’s right, Yank,” laughed one of the 
 
CARRYING A LOAD 
 
 335 
 
 guard. “If yo’-all make it go, then we-uns 
 ’ll give yo’ another load.” 
 
 Apparently Samuel was about to refuse, 
 but thinking better of his action, stooped 
 morosely and Erwin placed himself on the 
 back of the tall young soldier. Entering the 
 stream, Samuel at once carried his burden 
 to the opposite bank of the stream, and then 
 called tauntingly to Taylor to follow. It 
 was only when the laughing guards threat¬ 
 ened to throw him into the water if he did 
 not live up to his promise, that Uncle Sam 
 re-entered the stream and crossed to the side 
 where Taylor was awaiting him. 
 
 “Now, be careful, Uncle Sam,” remarked 
 Taylor, when he was on his companion’s 
 back in midstream. ‘ 1 Go slow! Hi there! ’ ’ 
 he added as his carrier stumbled and almost 
 fell. 
 
 However, Samuel at last deposited his bur¬ 
 den safely, and the advance was at once re¬ 
 sumed. Taylor’s chagrin was as great as 
 Samuel’s elation, when they soon approached 
 a second ford. 
 
 “My turn now!” Samuel shouted, as he 
 threw his arms about Taylor’s neck. 
 
336 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “Not much, it isn’t!” retorted Taylor, as 
 lie flung his burden aside. “You will wait 
 till I have taken Erwin across.” 
 
 In spite of Samuel’s rage, his companion 
 was first taken. Then without a word, Tay¬ 
 lor returned, took the long, lank Samuel on 
 his back, advanced into the stream, and 
 when he was half-way across, deliberately 
 sat down, despite the angry shouts of pro¬ 
 test from his passenger. 
 
CHAPTER XXYII 
 
 THE JAIL 
 
 Letting go liis grasp on Taylor’s neck, 
 with a splash Samuel fell into the water. 
 Instantly darting forward to the bank, Tay¬ 
 lor halted there and called to his luckless 
 comrade, “You dropped something, Uncle 
 Sam! ’ ’ 
 
 Sputtering, splashing, apparently unable 
 to regain a foothold, the luckless victim be¬ 
 stowed a glance of anger upon his tormentor, 
 hut did not speak. 
 
 “Come here, Uncle Sam, and I’ll pick you 
 up,” called Taylor, banteringly. 
 
 Both guards laughed loudly at the discom¬ 
 fiture of their lank prisoner, and even Er¬ 
 win joined, the first time in many days that 
 he had betrayed any signs of mirth. 
 
 At last Samuel came stumbling to the 
 shore, and, almost beside himself with rage, 
 rushed upon Taylor. The derisive calls of 
 the guards increased the dripping prisoner’s 
 
 337 
 
338 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 anger. “I’ll show you!” lie shouted. “That 
 was a mean trick. I’m wet—” 
 
 “I’m sorry,” broke in Taylor. “I had no 
 idea that water was wet. It isn’t like—” 
 
 By this time Samuel was close upon him, 
 and stepping hastily to one side, Taylor 
 flung his arms about his angry comrade and 
 held him tightly. “Now, Uncle Sam,” he 
 said, soothingly, “be reasonable. I didn’t 
 want to do what I did. In the language of 
 our ancestors, ‘It hurt me more than it did 
 you.’ I was thinking only of your good. 
 You had not learned the lesson we all have 
 to learn, and that is, that every one must 
 bear his own burden. You did not seem to 
 take kindly to the part you agreed to take. 
 I feel it to be my duty to impress the needed 
 lesson. Besides, Uncle Sam, it will be your 
 turn next time, and if you want to, you can 
 douse me then. Will you be good!” 
 
 As Samuel had ceased to struggle, and his 
 resistance apparently was at an end, Taylor 
 released him and turned at once to his guard. 
 
 “I think we are all ready now. Thank 
 you for your kindness in waiting.” 
 
 The laughter of the two soldiers was re- 
 
THE JAIL 
 
 339 
 
 newed, and a deeper scowl appeared on the 
 face of the angry Samuel, but otherwise no 
 results of the “discipline” were apparent. 
 
 When another hour had elapsed, Erwin’s 
 weariness became so marked that his friend 
 begged their attendants to stop for the night. 
 The request, however, was unheeded, and the 
 little party proceeded on its way, Taylor fre¬ 
 quently being compelled to assist his well- 
 nigh exhausted companion. Uncle Sam had 
 not spoken since his mishap. He was morose, 
 and evidently still angry, and kept to himself 
 all the way. 
 
 Taylor was still watchful of an opportu¬ 
 nity to escape the vigilance of the soldiers. 
 The men were not ill-disposed, but their vig¬ 
 ilance was unrelaxed. The direction in 
 which the little band was moving was still 
 southward, and what their destination was 
 to be Taylor was satisfied he well knew. 
 
 They were passing through a long stretch 
 of woods now. Very few people had been 
 met on the way, and the plantations ap¬ 
 parently were for the greater part neglected 
 or abandoned. Doubtless the nearness of the 
 armies, Taylor concluded, had caused many 
 
340 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 of the people that dwelt in the region, to 
 seek safety in the nearest cities. 
 
 Suddenly one of the guards raised his car¬ 
 bine and fired. The shot was startling to 
 the prisoners, not one of whom had discov¬ 
 ered any danger on the way. 
 
 ‘‘I got him!” shouted the soldier. “Look 
 out for the men, Jim,” he added, as he 
 dashed into the woods. 
 
 Still the source of the man’s excitement 
 could not be seen. Erwin was trembling in 
 his weakness, and crept close to his friend’s 
 side. In a brief time the soldier returned 
 and, flinging a black squirrel upon the 
 ground at the feet of his comrade, said, “I 
 reckon we-all had better stop fo’ supper, 
 Jim.” 
 
 The second soldier hesitated. “We-uns 
 ought t’ be thar by midnight. ’ 9 
 
 “We’ll make it, suh. We’ll do better if 
 we-uns first have a bite.” 
 
 The protests ceased and preparations for 
 a fire were at once made. In this task Tay¬ 
 lor assisted, and in a brief time the squirrel 
 was being roasted. The savory odor was 
 tempting and tantalizing. Taylor’s heart 
 
THE JAIL 
 
 341 
 
 was heavy, as he watched the hunger ex¬ 
 pressed in Erwin’s eyes. He himself, how¬ 
 ever, was thinking of other things. The de¬ 
 termination to escape was now so strong as 
 to be almost overpowering. Had he been the 
 only prisoner, he would have leaped upon the 
 guard left in charge when his companion had 
 darted into the woods in search of the squir¬ 
 rel he had shot. The desperate project ap¬ 
 peared to be strongly attractive. The peril 
 was not to he considered in comparison with 
 the meaning of success. The project had 
 been abandoned, however, because of Er¬ 
 win’s manifest weakness. He could not, he 
 would not abandon his friend in such a time. 
 The thoughts of possible means of escape, 
 however, in all of which Erwin was included, 
 were still foremost in Taylor’s mind, as he 
 assisted in the preparation of the squirrel. 
 It was not probable that the prisoners would 
 be given any share in the repast, although 
 Taylor was not entirely without hope. If 
 a bit of the meat should be given him, he was 
 planning to give it all to Erwin. His 
 friend’s strength now was the most impor¬ 
 tant of all the problems to be faced. 
 
342 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 At last the browned and roasted squirrel 
 was taken from the spit, and the two sol¬ 
 diers prepared to divide it. Some corn 
 bread and roasted corn which they had 
 brought with them were placed on a log 
 nearby, and then one of the men took his 
 knife and divided the squirrel into two por¬ 
 tions. 
 
 “Jim, let’s share with th’ Yanks,” sug¬ 
 gested the younger of the two soldiers. 
 
 “Co’n bread is good enough fo’ the blue- 
 bellies,” growled Jim. 
 
 “Yaas, suh. I reck’n that’s so; but I’m 
 so doggoned tired o’ the whole wa’ I don’t 
 keer much if I don’t live toe git back t’ 
 camp. I reck’n we-uns mought as well be 
 good.” 
 
 His companion hesitated a moment, and 
 then said, sulkily, “We-uns will take half an’ 
 let th’ Yanks have th’ other half.” 
 
 “That’s right,” said Samuel, at once ad¬ 
 vancing and seizing one of the halves before 
 anyone could protest. 
 
 “Let me take your gun a minute,” said 
 Taylor, hastily, to one of the guards. 
 
 “I was goin’ to divide it,” exclaimed Sam- 
 
THE JAIL 
 
 343 
 
 uel quickly, before the man could respond. 
 
 “I’ll do tlie dividing,” said Taylor quietly, 
 as he held out his hand for the half portion 
 of the squirrel. 
 
 Uncle Sam hesitated an instant, and then, 
 without a word, gave the meat to Taylor. 
 The latter at once cut off the tail, which he 
 handed back to Samuel. “There! Your 
 thoughtfulness and generosity shall be re¬ 
 warded.” 
 
 “Give me my share,” shouted'Samuel. 
 
 “Softly, my friend. I am not deaf. The 
 voice is one of the surest methods of finding 
 out the physical condition of a man. If I 
 can judge from the sound of your’s, Uncle 
 Sam, I think you will live to the age of eighty- 
 nine years, ten months and thirty days. 
 That being the case, I was about to suggest 
 that you and I dine upon the bread and 
 roasted corn, and give this meat to our 
 friend Erwin, who is far from being in as 
 good condition as you or I.” 
 
 “I want my share,” declared Samuel, 
 though his voice was lower now. 
 
 “He is going to have it, as far as I am con¬ 
 cerned,” said Erwin quickly. “And you 
 
344 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 will take yours, too, Taylor, or I sha’n’t 
 have mine.” 
 
 “Just as you say,” laughed Taylor, who 
 for reasons of his own did not care to pro¬ 
 long the conversation. 
 
 A half-hour later, when the march was re¬ 
 sumed, it was evident that Erwin was greatly 
 refreshed by the repast, and Taylor’s hopes 
 of being able to discover some means of es¬ 
 cape returned. Samuel, still glum, had noth¬ 
 ing to say to his companions, a course which 
 met Taylor’s warm commendation. He had 
 already decided that Uncle Sam’s company 
 could not be endured. The plight of Erwin, 
 the sight of whose emaciated body and color¬ 
 less face strongly moved his friend, was so 
 great that success must not be imperiled by 
 the presence of Samuel, who was certain to 
 make trouble wherever he was. 
 
 But the guards were both alert, and when, 
 late in the evening, the party arrived at a 
 small town and the three prisoners were con¬ 
 fined within the walls of the jail there, 
 not an opportunity to escape had even sug¬ 
 gested itself. 
 
 Utterly wearied by the long march, the 
 
THE JAIL 
 
 345 
 
 boys ate the scanty food which was brought 
 them, and then flinging themselves upon the 
 brick floor, were soon asleep. 
 
 In the morning, when the boys were in¬ 
 formed that they were to remain where they 
 then were until further orders had been re¬ 
 ceived, at first Taylor was disappointed. 
 They were to be conducted, as he supposed, 
 to the Confederate lines, and every day the 
 difficulty of escaping would naturally be in¬ 
 creased. However, when he thought what 
 the rest would do for his friend, he was more 
 content, and striving to meet the conditions 
 with the best possible grace, he was thinking 
 of the means he might employ to aid him. 
 
 In response to his request, permission was 
 granted for the boys to spend a part of the 
 day in the open court adjoining the jail. A 
 high wall of brick had been built around 
 three sides of this open place, the fourth side 
 being protected by a fence of high palings. 
 
 Not long after the prisoners had been 
 granted this freedom, the straggling people 
 of the vicinity began to gather in front of the 
 fence and gaze with manifest curiosity at the 
 boys. 
 
346 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “I guess they thought all the Yanks had 
 horns/ ’ suggested Taylor demurely, as he 
 watched the assembly. Children, old men 
 and women were solemnly peering at the men 
 before them, seldom speaking and as seldom 
 turning away their eyes. 
 
 “Listen to me,” suggested Taylor a few 
 moments later, as he arose and approached 
 the fence—an action which caused some of 
 the children to draw back in manifest alarm. 
 
 “Good morning/’ called Taylor, pleas¬ 
 antly addressing an old man in the assembly. 
 
 “Mawnin’, suh,” replied the old man sol¬ 
 emnly. The curiosity of the assembly in¬ 
 creased and drew those who had retreated 
 back to a place where the conversation might 
 be heard. 
 
 “Any place near here where we might get 
 a little milk?” 
 
 “I dunno.” 
 
 “Where is milk kept?” 
 
 “I reck’n mos’ly in the cows.” 
 
 “Surely. I wonder why I hadn’t thought 
 of that before,” laughed Taylor. “Might I 
 inquire where the cows are kept?” 
 
 “The’ aint kep’, stranger.” 
 
THE JAIL 
 
 347 
 
 “Why not?” 
 
 “They has mos’ly been taken. TIP Yanks 
 took some, an’ what they didn’t take, the 
 Confed’rates took. They’re gone anyway.” 
 
 “Can we get anything to eat here!” 
 
 “I reck’n yo’ can.” 
 
 “Even if we can’t pay for it—now?” 
 
 The old man made no reply. Turning to a 
 lad near him he said, “Run home, boy, an’ 
 bring some o ’ the co ’n bread yo ’ maw baked 
 this mo’nin’.” 
 
 The boy departed, but without displaying 
 any propensity to “run.” 
 
 Corn bread! Apparently it was the chief 
 if not the sole article of food among the poor 
 people of the region. Not alone the armies 
 suffered in the struggle, thought Taylor. Pri¬ 
 vation was apparent in every face before 
 him. And no young men and only a few boys 
 to be seen in the curious assemblage! In 
 spite of his own sufferings and disappoint¬ 
 ments, Taylor appreciated now, as he never 
 had before, the meaning of the war. 
 
 In a brief time the “co’n” bread was 
 brought, but instead of being able to add it 
 to their supplies, as Taylor had hoped, he 
 
348 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 soon learned that it was to take the place 
 of the food which the guard might provide. 
 
 Striving to keep up the spirits of Erwin, 
 who slept a part of the day, and ignoring 
 Samuel, who still kept to himself, Taylor, as 
 night drew nigh, when most of the curious 
 people had departed, suddenly thought of a 
 plan which he at once prepared to test. 
 
 At his request one of the girls in the as¬ 
 sembly secured for him a sheet of paper and 
 a yellow envelope. A lead pencil was more 
 difficult to obtain, but at last that, too, was 
 found. Provided with these, Taylor with¬ 
 drew to a corner of the court and there, seat¬ 
 ing himself on the ground, at once began to 
 write. 
 
CHAPTER XXVIII 
 
 AN ENLARGED FORCE 
 
 Ignoring the curiosity of Samuel, who at 
 once approached and gazed in manifest in¬ 
 terest at his companion, Taylor soon wrote 
 his letter and sealed it in the yellow envelope. 
 What he had written was as follows: 
 
 Somewhere in the Land of Cotton, 
 
 Sometime in the Winter. 
 “My dear Miss Sallie: • 
 
 “Recalling your urgent request for me to 
 drop you a line, I am availing myself of a 
 few moments of leisure to fulfill my promise. 
 I regret exceedingly that I was unable, when 
 I departed from your house, to respond to 
 your cordial invitation to remain longer. I 
 fully appreciated your efforts to induce the 
 negroes to persuade me to remain, but it was 
 impossible, at the moment, to comply. The 
 loan of your brother’s horse, I am sure, was 
 very kind on your part. I returned the horse 
 on the following morning. Your brother is 
 a fine man. We had a very warm interview 
 when we met. I was reluctant to proceed 
 
 349 
 
350 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 without him, but he selected several of his 
 best friends to go with me, so I have not been 
 lonesome at any time. In fact, I am very 
 much taken by the people of the South. How 
 hospitable they are! They are so cordial 
 that they are not willing to have me out of 
 their sight. I have not changed my colors, 
 but I think it is quite likely I shall go to the 
 camp of General Wheeler, whose cavalrymen, 
 I understand, are not far from this place. 
 
 “I hope you will appreciate my inability to 
 depart from the Southland. I confess there 
 are moments when I feel homesick, and long 
 to see my family and friends of the North, 
 but the ties that bind me here are even 
 stronger. I simply can’t tear myself away. 
 
 4 ‘ What I want most of all, if this letter 
 finally reaches you, is for you to tell Captain 
 Hitt to look me up if he chances to be in 
 Wheeler’s camp—that is, if Sherman leaves 
 any camp, and there is anything left of 
 Wheeler. I have something very important 
 to say to your brother, and I promise you I 
 will treat him gently. Don’t forget either 
 that or the hated Yankee who was a guest in 
 your delightful home. 
 
 “Taylor Cooper.” 
 
 When this letter had been written, and the 
 envelope directed—though the young soldier 
 
AN ENLARGED FORCE 351 
 
 was by no means certain the directions were 
 accurate—the promise of the guard was ob¬ 
 tained that he would do his utmost to see 
 that it was forwarded. 
 
 Two days the prisoners were held in the 
 little jail, and then when a dozen more un¬ 
 fortunates were brought to the same place, 
 the entire band, early the following morning, 
 was ordered to proceed under a guard of 
 four men. 
 
 From the conversation of the soldiers and 
 the people, Taylor had become convinced that 
 the Confederate General Wheeler was not 
 far away. The affection for, and confidence 
 in the daring, dashing little leader of the 
 Confederate cavalry were so marked that 
 even the young prisoners almost shared in 
 the prevailing feeling. The thought, how¬ 
 ever, that the cavalry was in the rear of 
 Sherman’s army was what most cheered 
 Taylor, who was determined to escape and 
 find a way into the ranks of his near-by com¬ 
 rades, if escape was in anywise possible. 
 
 Repeatedly he had talked with Erwin dur¬ 
 ing the two days, and to Taylor’s delight his 
 friend now apparently was almost as eager 
 
352 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 as lie to make the attempt. The rest had 
 done great things for Erwin, who had slept 
 much of the time, and the food, though 
 coarse and uninviting, had been ample for the 
 needs of the three prisoners. 
 
 Early in the morning, the fifteen men, most 
 of whom were pale and emaciated, were 
 formed in line, and, with four soldiers as a 
 guard in command of a sergeant, the band 
 started southward. Halts were occasion¬ 
 ally made, but the prisoners had been in¬ 
 formed at the start that twenty-five miles 
 were to be covered that day. 
 
 When night fell it was not known whether 
 or not the requisite number of miles had been 
 covered, but the prisoners were so wearied by 
 their long march that, with the exception of 
 Taylor, every one was asleep as soon as the 
 opportunity was granted. For a long time 
 Taylor remained awake, more determined 
 than ever to find some way out of his diffi¬ 
 culties. His last hope was centered upon 
 Captain Hitt, though the young soldier fully 
 understood how remote were the chances, 
 either of Miss Sallie receiving the letter 
 he had written her, or of her brother paying 
 
AN ENLARGED FORCE 353 
 
 any attention to the request he had made in 
 case he was carried into the Confederate 
 camp. 
 
 The sergeant in charge of the band of pris¬ 
 oners was a dull-witted fellow, faithful in his 
 efforts to follow the directions given him by 
 his fellow officers, and plainly one who was 
 not to be easily turned aside. Taylor had 
 been observing him much of the time on the 
 march, desirous of learning what his weak 
 points were. Every one of the guard was 
 heavily armed and plainly much reliance was 
 placed upon this fact as well as upon the 
 weakness of the prisoners themselves, as a 
 prevention of escape. 
 
 The two days that followed were not un¬ 
 like the first except that the weakened condi¬ 
 tion of the prisoners prevented as long a 
 march. On the third day it was known that 
 the Georgia line had been crossed, and Tay¬ 
 lor was becoming almost desperate. The 
 vigilance of the guard had not once been 
 relaxed. To escape had been impossible. 
 
 As a method of aiding him in his ultimate 
 plan Taylor had been among the most docile 
 of the prisoners. Quick to heed every de- 
 
354 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 mand, laughing when others were groaning 
 or complaining, he had steadily endeavored 
 to banish any suspicion that might have 
 arisen concerning him. And in a measure 
 he had been successful, or so he believed. 
 The sergeant frequently had marched beside 
 him, and on occasions even entered into con¬ 
 versation with him. 
 
 On the fourth day a brief stop 4 had been 
 made at a humble abode near one of the 
 many swamps that were passed on the march. 
 The sergeant had gone to the house in a vain 
 attempt to secure food. When he had re¬ 
 taken his place beside Taylor, he said drawl- 
 ingly, “We-uns are a bearin’ erbout th’ 
 doin’s of Sherman’s men. This woman 
 back yere ’pears t’ be of th’ ’pinion it doesn’t 
 make a heap o’ dif’rence whether it’s a 
 Johnnie or a Yank that happens erlong. If 
 the’s anything on the place she says that 
 it’s gone when the men leave. This yere 
 woman let on that ‘Mr. Wheeler an’ his 
 critter company drove inter my back yard 
 t’other day, tipped my ash-hopper over, an’ 
 drawed out two streaks of light half a mile 
 long, with his wagon guns on the ends of ’em 
 
AN ENLARGED FORCE 355 
 
 —an’ when he went away he never paid me 
 nary cent. I allers thought yo’-uns was a 
 decenter set o’ men; but the Yanks tlieir- 
 selves is no wusser. Now ef yo’-uns don’t go 
 ’long an leave us what little we’ve got, we’ll 
 shorely perish.’ I felt for the woman,” 
 added the guard. 
 
 “Of course you did,” said Taylor cor¬ 
 dially. “I guess either army doesn’t al¬ 
 ways stop to apologize when it finds ra¬ 
 tions.” • 
 
 “I reck’n yo’re right. We’ll make Syl- 
 vany t’night.” 
 
 “Is that so!” exclaimed Taylor quickly. 
 
 “Yaas, suh. Tlie’ll be a round-up tliar, 
 I reckon. I’ll be ’mighty glad to turn yo’- 
 uns over toe the proper authorities.” 
 
 “We haven’t given you any trouble,” Tay¬ 
 lor suggested. 
 
 • “No mo’ yo’ haven’t, suh. But I’ll be 
 glad toe be shet on you.” 
 
 “How far is Sylvania from General 
 Wheeler’s army!” 
 
 “Caint say, suh.” 
 
 “I suppose the army shifts often—to 
 keep away from Sherman!” 
 
356 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “Mouglit be.” 
 
 “Have you beard how far away Sher¬ 
 man is!” 
 
 “No, suh.’ 
 
 “He can’t be very far if Wheeler is hang¬ 
 ing onto the rear of the army. ’’ 
 
 “Like’ enough.” 
 
 4 ‘ Have you ever been in Sylvania ! 9 9 
 
 “I have, suh.” 
 
 “How large a place is it!” 
 
 “It’s a right sma’t little town.” 
 
 “Thousand people there!” 
 
 “I caint say as ter thet.” 
 
 “Is it an important place!” 
 
 “I reck’n it is toe th’ people what live 
 thar. Th’ armies haven’t stopped there 
 much an’ the consequence is th’ isn’t a place 
 in tli’ whole o’ Georgia whar the’s less 
 known about th’ wa\ What yo’-all want ter 
 know so much ’bout Sylvany fo’!” 
 
 “I don’t know,” laughed Taylor, at once 
 reminded that perhaps he was displaying too 
 much interest. 
 
 “Yo’-all is pow’ful fond o’ askin’ ques¬ 
 tions. I’ve seen a good many Yanks in my 
 time, an’ they’re mos’ly all alike. They can 
 
AN ENLARGED FORCE 
 
 357 
 
 ask mo ’ questions than— Hi! I reckon we- 
 uns are right close V th’ place we’re seekin’. 
 That’s Sylvany!” indicated the sergeant as 
 he at once departed from Taylor’s side and 
 advanced to the head of the line. 
 
 The arrival in the little straggling town 
 was heralded after the same manner the ap¬ 
 proach to other villages had been. A motley 
 assembly of children, women, old men and 
 negroes solemnly watched the “Yankees” 
 when the prisoners had been conducted to a 
 large unoccupied house near the main street. 
 The curiosity of the assembled people soon 
 became more manifest than had been shown 
 in other places. Remarks were made ex¬ 
 pressive of the impressions received and 
 many began to ply the guard with ques¬ 
 tions—a proceeding that Taylor observed 
 with increasing satisfaction. If the soldiers 
 were busied with the people in the crowd, 
 then there would naturally be less vigilance 
 in guarding the prisoners. And Taylor was 
 determined to make an attempt to get away 
 that very night. 
 
 In front of the rambling old house a wide 
 piazza extended the entire length of the 
 
358 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 building. As darkness drew on, the prison¬ 
 ers all were assembled on this piazza, while 
 in front, in the form of a semicircle, the sen¬ 
 tinels were stationed. Apparently the num¬ 
 bers in the assembly of the natives increased, 
 as did also their questions and the replies 
 of the soldiers on guard. Taylor was mind¬ 
 ful of all that was occurring before him, 
 though as yet he had not spoken to Erwin, 
 nor had he any definite plan in his own mind. 
 He was simply waiting and watching for an 
 opportunity. 
 
 At last he arose from the place where he 
 had been seated and approaching Erwin, 
 touched him quietly on his arm, and nodded 
 his head toward the farther end of the pi¬ 
 azza. Erwin quickly arose and followed his 
 friend. As some of the prisoners were mov¬ 
 ing wearily about the place, the action of 
 the boys did not arouse any suspicion on the 
 part of the sentinels. 
 
 “We must try to-night, Erwin,” said Tay¬ 
 lor, in a low voice. 
 
 “I’m afraid I’m not fit to try anything. 
 I’m so weak I don’t believe I can walk a 
 
AN ENLARGED FORCE 
 
 359 
 
 mile. I haven’t any shoes, and my feet—” 
 
 “The guard isn’t very hilarious either, 
 after our march to-day,” interrupted Taylor. 
 “Don’t forget that.” 
 
 “You try it. Never mind me.” 
 
 “I don’t know yet what we’ll do,” con¬ 
 tinued Taylor, ignoring the suggestion. 
 “We are not far from the rebels, and that 
 means we’re not far from our men either, if 
 what we hear is true—and I think it is. 
 Keep watch of me and be ready when I— ’ ’ 
 
 Taylor stopped abruptly, as the sergeant 
 approached the place where the boys were 
 standing. “My foragers have just come 
 in,” he said, “and I’m giving you a word 
 in advance, suh. The co’n bread we all are 
 agoin’ toe keep fo’ ourselves, but th’ sweet 
 potatoes yo’ are free to help yo’selves toe.” 
 
 “Where are they?” 
 
 “Right yere, suh,” and the sergeant 
 pointed to some baskets in the yard, part of 
 which were filled with sweet potatoes, and 
 part with the corn bread. 
 
 “Thank you, sergeant,” replied Taylor. 
 “May I ask a question?” 
 
360 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “Yaas, suh. Sulit’nly, suh.” 
 
 “Why can’t we have a fire in the yard 
 and roast the potatoes there V 9 
 
 “I reck’n yo’ c’n,” replied the sergeant 
 hesitatingly. “It’s time yo’ all were shet 
 in the house—” 
 
 “But we can’t roast our potatoes in the 
 house,” said Taylor. “Your guard can 
 watch us out here just as well.” 
 
 “Yaas, suh. I reck’n they can. I done 
 tole yo’ first off so’t yo’ can be on hand 
 when the rush is made. Stay right whar yo ’ 
 be, suh.” 
 
 “Thank you! Thank you!” responded 
 Taylor, as the sergeant moved to the front 
 of the house and made his announcement to 
 the prisoners. 
 
 4 4 This is our chance! ’ ’ whispered Taylor to 
 Erwin. 44 1 know just what we’ll do! Come 
 on. Follow me!” 
 
CHAPTER XXIX 
 
 A FRIEND IN NEED 
 
 Running swiftly to the end of the porch 
 where the corn bread for the soldiers had 
 been placed, Taylor hastily filled his pockets. 
 The dim light and the eagerness with which 
 the hungry prisoners were listening to the 
 words of the sergeant greatly aided Taylor 
 in his efforts to secure food. 
 
 Returning quickly to Erwin, who had not 
 even attempted to follow his friend, Taylor 
 again whispered, “Come now! You must 
 come, Erwin! This is our chance.” 
 
 Joining their fellow prisoners, some of 
 whom already were pressing their way in the 
 crowd toward the sweet potatoes, both boys 
 soon secured what their dilapidated pockets 
 would hold, and then Erwin followed as his 
 friend, instead of returning to the front 
 yard, at once darted toward the bushes in 
 the rear. The main guard was stationed in 
 front of the house, either in the yard or on 
 
 361 
 
362 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 the sidewalk. For the most part the pris¬ 
 oners were kept within the house itself, or 
 else granted the freedom of the yard in front. 
 Because of this fact, Taylor, in his investi¬ 
 gations, had not been able to discover any 
 guard in the rear, and for this reason he was 
 resolved to make his attempt to get away 
 there. He was trusting also in the some¬ 
 what careless or easy-going ways of the 
 sergeant, who had frequently entered into 
 conversation with his prisoners and was dis¬ 
 posed to be more lenient than any whom 
 Taylor had as yet found. 
 
 The two boys had barely entered the 
 bushes when they were startled by the voice 
 of the sergeant: “Doggone! Those Yanks 
 have taken th’ co’n bread,” he shouted. 
 “Whar’ be they?” A hasty search re¬ 
 vealed the absence of both Taylor and Er¬ 
 win, although both were still in the yard 
 crouching behind the thick bushes. 
 
 “They’ve gone!” shouted the guard once 
 more. “They’ve gone, o’ course, by th’ 
 Springfield road. Heah, yo’ Simon!” he 
 called to someone whom neither of the boys 
 could see, “Yo’ go up t’ the major’s and 
 
A FRIEND IN NEED 363 
 
 bring out th’ dogs. We’ll have th’ Yanks 
 back yere befo’ yo’ can wink yo’ eye!” 
 
 The departure of Simon, though neither 
 of the crouching boys knew whether the mes¬ 
 senger was a black man or white, was the 
 signal for confusion among the prisoners. 
 So marked was the excitement that the 
 sergeant speedily gave orders for all to be 
 driven within the house and the guard was 
 increased. What the sergeant’s feelings 
 would have been had he known that the two 
 missing men were still within the yard the 
 boys could only conjecture. 
 
 ‘ 4 Come on, Erwin,” whispered Taylor to 
 his companion. “It’s time we made a start 
 anyway. Be careful. ’ ’ 
 
 Without replying, Erwin at once arose and 
 together the boys stealthily withdrew from 
 the place. Ignorant of the region, not even 
 aware of the location of any of the roads ex¬ 
 cept the one over which they themselves had 
 been brought, their very lack of information 
 was likely to prove to be their greatest source 
 of peril. 
 
 Undismayed, however, Taylor was deter¬ 
 mined to make the attempt, and Erwin fol- 
 
364 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 lowed without comment or complaint. 
 Either guards had not been stationed at all 
 in the rear of the place they were leaving, 
 or they successfully evaded them, for in a 
 brief time the boys found themselves in a 
 road. Taylor had a vague idea as to the 
 general direction in which the army of Gen¬ 
 eral Sherman was likely to be found, but 
 beyond that he had no information. 
 
 He hastily examined the road in the dim 
 light, and though it was far from promising, 
 yet he suspected that it was the Springfield 
 road to which the sergeant referred when 
 he had announced the disappearance of the 
 two prisoners. 
 
 A woman was approaching and Erwin 
 hastily drew back into the darkness. His 
 friend, however, advanced and inquired, “Is 
 this the road to Springfield V 9 
 
 “I reck hi hit is, suIl,” she replied with a 
 drawl. 
 
 “Thank you.” 
 
 “Yo’-all ’s goin’ in th’ wrong d’rection,” 
 cautioned the woman, as she stopped after 
 she had passed. “Springfield is back yon- 
 dali, suh.” 
 
A FRIEND IN NEED 
 
 365 
 
 4 ‘Yes. Yes. I know,” said Taylor has¬ 
 tily. “We’ll understand. We won’t have 
 any trouble. I just wanted to make sure 
 this was the Springfield road, that’s all. 
 We’ll find our way there all right. Thank 
 you. Thank you.” 
 
 In spite of the nearness to their prison 
 house, Taylor had not dared to betray to the 
 woman his eagerness to leave. Apparently 
 her suspicions had not been aroused by what 
 he did say, and as soon as she was gone, 
 Taylor ran to the place where his comrade 
 was hiding, and then the two boys resumed 
 their flight. 
 
 How long it would be before the dogs would 
 be in pursuit of them, Taylor could only con¬ 
 jecture, although he was convinced that it 
 would not be long. Two things were evident 
 now—one that the boys must go as far as pos¬ 
 sible before the inevitable chase was begun, 
 and the second was that they must somehow 
 leave the Springfield road and also without 
 leaving behind them any evidence that they 
 had done so. 
 
 Soon they came to a low-spreading tree 
 whose branches reached across the road. 
 
366 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “Here!” whispered Taylor, instantly turn¬ 
 ing to liis friend. 
 
 Without a word from Erwin, the boys 
 turned to the tree, hastily climbed into the 
 lowest branch, worked their way across to 
 the opposite side of the road and then 
 dropped into the sluggish waters of a small 
 stream that was there. 
 
 Breathlessly the two boys followed the bed 
 of the stream, Taylor leading the way, and 
 frequently being compelled to slacken his 
 speed to assist his comrade, who already was 
 struggling hard. Taylor was even fearful 
 that the labored breathing of his friend 
 would betray them, and so, despite his own 
 intense desire to proceed swiftly, he was 
 compelled to favor the weakness of Erwin. 
 
 The boys had not gone far on their way 
 before they arrived at a place where an¬ 
 other stream entered the one through which 
 they were wading. The water was much 
 deeper now, and their progress more difficult. 
 In a little while the boys found themselves 
 in what apparently was a swamp or great 
 marsh, and though he knew not what lay 
 before him, Taylor helped his comrade on- 
 
A FRIEND IN NEED 
 
 367 
 
 ward until at last it was apparent that Erwin 
 could go no farther. 
 
 “You go on, Taylor, and leave me here,” 
 gasped Erwin, as he seated himself on a log 
 on the bank. 
 
 “Thank you,” replied Taylor. “I’ll do 
 nothing of the kind.” 
 
 “I can’t go on.” 
 
 “We won’t try to, then.” 
 
 “But you must. Hark! What’s that?” 
 
 Taylor recognized only too well the start¬ 
 ling sound to which Erwin had directed his 
 attention. The dogs had been found and 
 the chase was begun. The weakness of Er¬ 
 win was now so apparent that Taylor bit¬ 
 terly regretted the attempt to escape. So 
 eager had he himself been that he had suf¬ 
 fered what was commonly called among the 
 prisoners “the fever,” by which term the 
 men referred to those of their number who 
 were so filled with the determination to es¬ 
 cape that they talked or thought of little else. 
 Even the fact that they were now in Georgia, 
 and probably at no great distance from their 
 friends in Sherman’s army had served only 
 to increase the strength of Taylor’s purpose. 
 
368 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 To attempt and fail was better than not to 
 make any attempt at all he had said to him¬ 
 self again and again. Indeed, that was his 
 true feeling as far as himself was concerned; 
 but Erwin’s manifest weakness was now a 
 new and serious problem to be met. And 
 Taylor, with the sound of the pursuers now 
 heard in the distance, heartily wished that he 
 liad not trusted to the easy-going ways of the 
 sergeant who had brought them to Sylvania. 
 Tlie indifference of the man had been more 
 apparent than real, and now it was quite 
 probable that the efforts the boys had made 
 to avoid leaving tracks behind them in their 
 flight would be futile. 
 
 Something must be done and at once. Tay¬ 
 lor, almost in desperation, darted into the 
 woods behind him, but there was no pros¬ 
 pect of aid to be found in that direction, and 
 he speedily returned. He held a stout club 
 in his hands and Erwin had another, al¬ 
 though it had now fallen from his grasp. 
 Erwin was apparently even more helpless 
 than he had been a half-hour before. 
 
 All about the place where the boys were 
 seated grew trees, some of which were ever- 
 
A FRIEND IN NEED 
 
 369 
 
 greens. Taylor looked into tlie branches, 
 but no refuge was promised there, and even 
 if there had been, his companion was now 
 too ill to climb. Almost in despair, Taylor 
 stopped and listened. The appalling sound 
 was much clearer now. Manifestly the dogs 
 were coming nearer, and with the dogs were 
 men! The thought was not consoling. And 
 yet Taylor was not willing to abandon him¬ 
 self to the threatening fate. 
 
 He turned to his friend, who now was 
 leaning against a tree. Taylor could see 
 that his eyes were closed, and in the dim 
 light his face was ghastly. Sick at heart, 
 troubled as he had not been in all his ex¬ 
 periences in the prison camps, the young 
 soldier grasped his club more tightly and al¬ 
 most in despair turned for a moment to listen 
 to the weird cry which plainly was much 
 nearer than it had been. 
 
 As Taylor turned back almost in despera¬ 
 tion to look again at his friend, a low ex¬ 
 clamation escaped him, and lifting his club 
 he drew back prepared to defend himself. 
 There before him, standing beside Erwin, 
 was a man so large that at first he seemed 
 
370 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 to be like some shadow giant. How the man 
 had approached, or where he had come from, 
 Taylor could not understand. All he saw 
 was that the giant was before him, though 
 whether he was friend or enemy was not 
 yet manifest. 
 
 “Yo’ come!” said the man in a low voice 
 which was so deep that it almost seemed to 
 remind Taylor of the mutterings of distant 
 rumbling thunder. 
 
 ‘ 4 Where V 9 the young prisoner whispered, 
 hope returning for a moment as he became 
 aware that the man before him was a negro. 
 
 “ 00106 ,” repeated the black man, as he 
 turned and listened intently to the sound of 
 the dogs that now could not be far away. 
 
 “Come, Erwin. We’ve found a friend. 
 Get up! You must try!” whispered Tay¬ 
 lor encouragingly, as he bent low over his 
 friend. 
 
 Apparently Erwin did not hear. His 
 head had fallen forward and he sat motion¬ 
 less. 
 
 Almost sobbing, Taylor turned to the black 
 man and said—“He’s sick. He’s abso- 
 
A FRIEND IN NEED 
 
 371 
 
 lutely exhausted. I don’t believe he can 
 stand upon his feet.” 
 
 The black man bent over the silent boy 
 for a moment, then lifting Erwin in his arms 
 he said to Taylor, simply, “Yo’ follow me.” 
 
 The negro’s burden was not heavy, for Er¬ 
 win at the time did not weigh more than 
 eighty or ninety pounds, Taylor thought. It 
 was speedily evident that the black man was 
 not delayed, for as he sped forward into the 
 woods Taylor had to exert himself to the 
 utmost to follow him. 
 
 Leaping in the marshy places from one 
 mound to another, the man sped forward, 
 Taylor following as best he was able. Om 
 and still on, the man made his way until he 
 halted at last on the border of a little pond. 
 
 “Dis yere’s de place,” said the negro with 
 a deep chuckle. 
 
 As Taylor glanced eagerly about him he 
 was unable to perceive any “place,” but he 
 did not speak as in surprise he watched the 
 giant before him. 
 
 From some place of concealment the black 
 man freed a rope which was hanging from 
 
372 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 the oak tree beneath which the men were 
 standing. Hastily adjusting this rope be¬ 
 neath Erwin’s shoulders, the negro then 
 grasped the rope above, and as soon as he 
 had gained a foothold among the branches 
 he drew Erwin, now apparently unconscious, 
 up after him, while Taylor looked on in 
 wonder. 
 
 In a moment the rope was lowered for 
 him also, and quickly he, too, was drawn up 
 into the tree by the powerful negro. Not a 
 word was spoken, and the only sound that 
 broke in upon the stillness of the night was 
 the cry of the hounds that evidently now 
 had entered the swamp. And yet, though 
 Taylor could not have explained its cause, 
 his feeling of hope had in a measure re¬ 
 turned. 
 
 From a place in the branches the black 
 man, still holding Erwin in his arms, pro¬ 
 duced a board which he extended to a limb 
 of the nearest tree. Across this board he 
 moved swiftly, and as soon as Taylor fol¬ 
 lowed, the negro again placed his strange 
 bridge in such a manner that he passed on 
 to another tree, and Taylor again followed. 
 
A FRIEND IN NEED 
 
 373 
 
 The process was repeated many times be¬ 
 fore the negro grasped a rope hanging from 
 the tree where the final stop had been made, 
 and slid to the ground. Taylor again fol¬ 
 lowed, and as he alighted he saw that the ne¬ 
 gro, as soon as he had secured the rope, 
 again produced his strange bridge, and the 
 party in this manner advanced from one lit¬ 
 tle mound to another until at last they 
 stepped upon firm ground. 
 
CHAPTEE XXX 
 
 A STRANGE REFUGE 
 
 With every advance the hoard, which had 
 served as a bridge, was withdrawn and used 
 again with each forward movement. Even 
 when at last a firmer foothold had been ob¬ 
 tained, the huge negro insisted that his com¬ 
 panions should stand upon the hoard instead 
 of the ground. Taylor saw that the negro 
 was not unmindful of the pursuit, for he had 
 turned his head in the direction of the 
 sounds every time he had reached the mound 
 he was seeking, but he had not for a moment 
 delayed the flight. 
 
 When at last the little party arrived at 
 the place where apparently the ground was 
 less broken than it had been elsewhere, the 
 negro placed Erwin in the hands of his com¬ 
 panion while he himself disappeared for a 
 moment. As Taylor glanced about him he 
 was aware that he was standing on what ap¬ 
 peared to be a small island in the midst of 
 
 374 
 
A STRANGE REFUGE 
 
 375 
 
 the surrounding swamp. Rank bushes grew 
 all about the border, and from the center of 
 the island, which Taylor concluded was not 
 more than twenty-five feet in diameter, sev¬ 
 eral tall trees rose, their branches hidden in 
 part by the high brush, and, where they ex¬ 
 tended above the bushes they reached far out 
 over the foul waters of the marsh. 
 
 Why the huge negro had brought them 
 to the place, Taylor was not able to under¬ 
 stand. The sudden appearance of the black 
 man in their time of greatest need, who the 
 man was, or why he should have befriended 
 them as he did were also mysteries for which 
 as yet the young soldier was unable to find 
 any explanation. 
 
 Taylor had not long to wait for the reap¬ 
 pearance of his strange friend. From a 
 long limb of a near-by tree the negro sud¬ 
 denly hailed him in a low voice, and as Tay¬ 
 lor looked up quickly he saw a ladder made 
 of twisted vines suddenly let down almost 
 directly in front of him. Down this ladder 
 the negro came with an agility surprising in 
 one of his immense size. Quickly taking Er¬ 
 win in his arms, the negro rapidly climbed 
 
376 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 the ladder again and disappeared with his 
 burden among the thick branches of the 
 nearby trees. 
 
 To Taylor, wearied and anxious as he was, 
 it seemed as if the sounds of his pursuers in¬ 
 dicated that they had not been led astray in 
 spite of all the attempts of the negro to hide 
 their tracks. The shouts of men also could 
 he heard, and for a moment Taylor believed 
 that he had been seen, when an unusually loud 
 shout was followed by a prolonged cry from 
 the dogs. The young soldier glanced fear¬ 
 fully about him. In his eagerness he placed 
 his hands on the swaying ladder of vines, but 
 as he was about to ascend, the negro suddenly 
 reappeared on the branch directly above him. 
 
 ‘ 4 Bring up de bo’d,” whispered the black 
 man. 
 
 Taylor instantly turned and seizing the im¬ 
 provised bridge at once began to ascend 
 the swaying ladder. As soon as he gained the 
 branch, the negro leaned forward, drew the 
 ladder of vines up to him, unfastened it, and 
 then taking the board from Taylor’s hands, 
 without a word began to move from one 
 
A STRANGE REFUGE 
 
 377 
 
 branch to another, stepping in this manner 
 from tree to tree, supporting himself in part 
 as he did so, by grasping other branches 
 that almost interlaced those upon which he 
 was moving. 
 
 Without waiting for any instructions Tay¬ 
 lor at once followed. When he arrived at 
 the third of the trees he saw before him what 
 at first sight he thought was a cluster of tall 
 evergreens that had grown up close to the 
 trunk. When the negro bent low, however, 
 and thrusting aside the covering crawled 
 within, Taylor at once understood. On this 
 tree in the midst of the swamp, a small hut, 
 not unlike a wigwam in its shape, had been 
 erected. As he entered the strange place, 
 silently following the example of his guide, 
 he was aware that a platform of boards had 
 been laid upon the branches, and that a small 
 room was there enclosed by canvas which, 
 doubtless, at some time, had served as a tent 
 for the soldiers in one of the contending ar¬ 
 mies. The top was open and sufficient light 
 entered to enable Taylor to see all about 
 him. The dark evergreens that were out- 
 
378 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 side the room doubtless had been cut and 
 then planted or arranged as a shelter for the 
 hiding place. 
 
 The room itself was about eighteen feet 
 from the ground. The approach to it by the 
 pathway along the branches of the near-by 
 trees was of a character that left no trail. 
 The use of the board as a bridge, the care 
 with which the board was withdrawn each 
 time after it had been used, the final ap¬ 
 proach to the place by means of a ladder 
 and the branches of the trees were all ex¬ 
 plained now. iWith a sigh of relief, for dis¬ 
 covery seemed almost impossible, Taylor 
 turned to Erwin, who was stretched upon the 
 floor on one side of the room, which was about 
 twelve feet square. 
 
 “He done tired out,” said the negro, as he 
 noted Taylor’s glance. 
 
 “I’m afraid it’s worse than that,” said 
 Taylor anxiously, as he stooped to examine 
 his friend. Erwin was breathing regularly, 
 but his emaciated face and ghastly appear¬ 
 ance both served to increase his friend’s 
 anxiety. It was remarkable, he thought, 
 how well he himself had endured the terrible 
 
A STRANGE REFUGE 
 
 379 
 
 strain and suffering, both of the life in the 
 prisons and the no less difficult hardships of 
 the escape. With his companion, however, 
 how different it was. He thought of Erwin 
 as he was when the two boys had left home. 
 How eager he had been. How strong and 
 vigorous he was. And now—. The contrast 
 was so marked, so horrible that as Taylor 
 looked down upon the wasted frame before 
 him, it did not seem possible that it really 
 was Erwin. 
 
 There was no opportunity afforded for 
 even such thoughts to be dwelt upon, and in 
 a moment Taylor was recalled to the neces¬ 
 sity of action by what the negro was doing. 
 Around the sides of the room the young sol¬ 
 dier saw four guns—two of which plainly 
 were rifles, and one a musket, and one an old- 
 fashioned shotgun. This last the negro took 
 and loaded heavily with buckshot, crooning or 
 moaning softly to himself as he did so. The 
 two rifles next were loaded, and then the 
 musket. Apparently not satisfied with what 
 he had done, the negro next produced a half- 
 dozen long knives. The blade of each had 
 been ground to a point, and it was evident 
 
380 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 that as a means of defense the knives in the 
 hands of the giant negro were not to he 
 despised. Next, the man produced three 
 wire nooses which he placed carefully on the 
 floor near him so that any of them might he 
 readily seized in case of need. 
 
 All through his various tasks the negro 
 had been crooning a weird, strange melody, 
 though his voice could not have been heard 
 outside the hut. 
 
 His eyes were lighted by a strange fire, 
 and a smile occasionally appeared on his im¬ 
 mense mouth. To Taylor the smile was even 
 more suggestive than the weapons, which 
 were almost fondled by the black man in his 
 weird preparations. 
 
 “Wha’ dat?” suddenly the black man said 
 in a whisper. Standing erect he peered 
 from the place through an opening in the 
 canvas. Not a sound could now be heard, 
 even the baying of the dogs apparently hav¬ 
 ing ceased. 
 
 As Taylor had not heard any alarming 
 sound, he was at a loss to discover what the 
 actions of the startled negro implied. For 
 several minutes the black man remained at 
 
A STRANGE REFUGE 
 
 381 
 
 the porthole, and when at last he turned 
 again to Taylor he merely grinned and did 
 not speak. 
 
 A half-hour afterward the negro said, 
 “Yo’ stay yere.” 
 
 44 Where are you going?’’ inquired Taylor 
 quickly. 
 
 The negro grinned broadly, pointed to two 
 of the nooses, which he slipped over his 
 shoulder, thrust two of the knives into his 
 belt, and without a word departed from the 
 place. 
 
 Unable to decide whether the man had 
 merely gone forth to investigate, or had 
 heard something that had aroused his sus¬ 
 picions, Taylor at once approached the open¬ 
 ing through which the negro had been peer¬ 
 ing. At first he was unable to see anything 
 except the dismal swamp that extended all 
 about him. 
 
 Suddenly, however, he saw a sight that 
 was as alarming as it was startling. Sixty 
 feet away, near the spot where the party 
 had first entered the trees, he saw a huge 
 dog. Not a man was in sight and the dog, 
 in manifest confusion, apparently had lost 
 
382 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 the scent. The fierce animal was sniffing, 
 first on the ground, and then at the base of 
 the tree. It was plain that the dog had fol¬ 
 lowed a part of the way, even after the board 
 had been used by the fugitives, but now he 
 had become confused. Apparently the vic¬ 
 tims it had been seeking had not climbed the 
 tree, for the animal circled the base and was 
 unable to find any footprint. Wheeling 
 about, the bloodhound again returned to the 
 mound, sniffing quickly about him and still 
 evidently at loss what next to do. 
 
 Again the hound approached the tree and 
 then a strange thing happened. Suddenly, 
 and without any cause that could be seen, the 
 dog was jerked into mid air and hung there, 
 pawing frantically, but apparently unable to 
 emit a sound. Excitedly Taylor watched 
 the struggling animal. He was unable to 
 obtain a glimpse of the negro, whom he more 
 than suspected to be the unseen actor in the 
 strange scene. Several minutes elapsed be¬ 
 fore the dog ceased to struggle, and then, to 
 Taylor’s great surprise, the body was drawn 
 swiftly upward until it disappeared among 
 
A STRANGE REFUGE 
 
 383 
 
 the branches of the tree, which was beside 
 some of the tall evergreens. 
 
 Suddenly from the direction from which 
 the dog had come a man was seen approach¬ 
 ing. He was crouching low and carried a 
 rifle in his hands. When he arrived at the 
 mounds he stooped and carefully examined 
 them, and then, apparently convinced by 
 what he saw that someone must have pre¬ 
 ceded him, he cautiously advanced. He was 
 peering intently about him, but not once did 
 he look up into the trees. To Taylor it 
 seemed as if the man was following the foot¬ 
 prints of the hound, and was looking about 
 him for the animal itself. 
 
 The man at last arrived at the tree where 
 the dog had so abruptly disappeared. He 
 bent low to inspect the footprints, and as he 
 did so, suddenly from the tree itself the body 
 of the dog shot swiftly downward, striking 
 the crouching man full in the back of the neck 
 and driving him, face downward, into the 
 soft mud. Not a sound could Taylor hear, 
 and not even a smothered cry came from the 
 man as he fell. The heavy body of the dog 
 
384 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 rested upon the man’s head and held it. 
 
 Fascinated by the sight, Taylor watched 
 the woods in the rear, expecting other dogs 
 or men now to appear. The man who had 
 been struck down by the body of the blood¬ 
 hound lay motionless. Not a sound broke 
 in upon the stillness of the great swamp. 
 The moments passed slowly and still the 
 silence was unbroken. Neither man nor dog 
 could be seen approaching, nor did the ne¬ 
 gro, whom Taylor believed to be the one who 
 had flung the dead body of the hound upon 
 the crouching soldier, appear. 
 
 At last, as Taylor was about to turn away 
 to look to the condition of Erwin, the giant 
 negro suddenly stepped upon the platform, 
 and thrusting aside the protecting covering, 
 quickly entered the hut. 
 
 Without a word, he replaced the knives and 
 hung the wire nooses on the wall. Stooping 
 beside Erwin, who was either unconscious or 
 sleeping, Taylor could not determine which, 
 the black man examined him carefully, and 
 then rising, turned to Taylor. 
 
 “Wha’ yo* do if old Richard had hi’ he’p 
 yo’l” 
 
A STRANGE REFUGE 
 
 385 
 
 “I don’t know. We would have been 
 taken back to the other prisoners, I sup¬ 
 pose.” 
 
 The negro laughed silently and nodded bis 
 bead vigorously. 
 
 “How did you find us? How did you 
 know we were there? Why did you help 
 us?” 
 
 Again the huge negro grinned broadly, 
 but be did not speak. Nor was Taylor able 
 to learn at the time who the black man was, 
 or why he had his strange place of refuge 
 in the swamp. 
 
 “Some more men and dogs will be here 
 soon, won’t they?” Taylor at last suggested 
 anxiously. 
 
 “The’ cum no farder ’n th’ place whar 
 de dawg is.” 
 
 “Why not?” 
 
 Once more the negro laughed and did not 
 reply to the question. A half-hour after¬ 
 ward he again leaned over Erwin and lis¬ 
 tened intently to the young prisoner’s breath¬ 
 ing. Apparently satisfied by his inspection, 
 he stepped outside the hut, peered cautiously 
 in every direction, and then swiftly de- 
 
386 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 scended to the ground. Not a word of ex-, 
 planation did he give Taylor, and when, 
 after an absence of another half-hour, he re¬ 
 turned to the room, he was holding a wicker 
 basket in his teeth. 
 
 Taylor could scarcely credit the evidence 
 of his own eyes when he saw the negro open 
 the basket and take from it some fried 
 chicken, a part of which he handed the as¬ 
 tonished boy. Boiled rice also was there, 
 and some roasted sweet potatoes, and all 
 was warm, showing that the unexpected pro¬ 
 visions had recently been cooked. 
 
 The negro awakened Erwin, but only gave 
 him some of the rice, while he and Taylor 
 feasted upon the other food. The rain was 
 falling now, and, as the black man declared, 
 there was consequently no longer danger of 
 pursuit or search. He became more talka¬ 
 tive, and, as Taylor listened to the strange 
 tale told him by his host, he almost forgot 
 his peril in his interest until the negro sud¬ 
 denly arose, and with a whispered word of 
 caution, stepped hastily to the opening in 
 the canvas and looked out. 
 
CHAPTER XXXI 
 
 FROM NIGHT TO NIGHT 
 
 The negro remained at the opening a long 
 time, and, as he did not speak, Taylor’s 
 alarm naturally increased. However, at last 
 the black man resumed his seat, and as he 
 did not betray any anxiety in his manner, 
 the fears of the young soldier in a measure 
 were relieved. 
 
 Calmly, as if there was no danger threat¬ 
 ening, Richard, for such Taylor had already 
 learned the name of his strange host to be, 
 resumed his story. From his account, Tay¬ 
 lor drew several conclusions. One was that 
 the negro was almost unbalanced in his mind, 
 though he was not insane. Then, too, evi¬ 
 dently he was an object of fear and respect 
 among the negroes of the region. From 
 them he had drawn his support for more 
 than a year—maintaining a shelter or home 
 in the midst of the swamp. Either no 
 thorough search for him had been made, or 
 
 387 
 
388 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 in the multitude of troubles that threatened 
 the country his hiding place had not been 
 discovered. And Richard had become fear¬ 
 less, fully believing that he had a charmed 
 life. Recklessly he had gone by night to 
 the quarters of the negroes on the planta¬ 
 tions for miles adjacent, levying his tax of 
 food or ammunition, regardless of possibili¬ 
 ties of betrayal or capture. Time and again 
 he had been chased by white men and dogs, 
 but he had been able to hide his tracks so 
 cleverly that he had always succeeded in baf¬ 
 fling his pursuers. 
 
 In the midst of all the peril and excitement 
 of his life Richard had maintained one al¬ 
 most insane purpose—that of aiding the 
 Yankees in their troubles in the South. He 
 had even gone to their camps miles away 
 and repeatedly had conducted escaping pris¬ 
 oners to their friends. In every event, how¬ 
 ever, he had returned to his improvised 
 home among the trees on the little island in 
 the swamp. 
 
 By chance he had been near the border of 
 this swamp when Taylor and Erwin had been 
 
FROM NIGHT TO NIGHT 389 
 
 fleeing. Instantly concluding that the two 
 boys were what they really were, he had 
 hastily brought his timely aid—an aid, as 
 Taylor clearly understood, that had rescued 
 them from the hands of their pursuers and 
 the teeth of the dogs. 
 
 The condition of Erwin made all thoughts 
 of fleeing, or even of attempts at departure 
 from the place, not to be thought of for a 
 time. Richard was positive in his declara¬ 
 tion, and Taylor, although he was by no 
 means so confident as the black man in the 
 safety of the shelter, was also convinced that 
 his friend was too weak to face the demands 
 of a flight. 
 
 Four days passed, and Erwin slowly re¬ 
 gained strength under the care of the faith¬ 
 ful Richard. The negro every night left the 
 place, and when he returned in the early light 
 of the morning, he never failed to come laden 
 with food. How he was able to secure it in 
 the poverty-stricken condition of the adja¬ 
 cent country Taylor was unable to under¬ 
 stand. However, he was glad to receive the 
 food which both he and his comrade needed 
 
390 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 so much, and asked few questions, though it 
 could hardly he said his silence was “for 
 conscience’ sake.” 
 
 Convinced that the improved condition of 
 Erwin was such as to warrant a resumption 
 of their efforts to make their way to Sher¬ 
 man’s army, Taylor said to Richard, when 
 the latter was about to leave the hiding place 
 the evening of the fifth day—‘ ‘ If you are able 
 to get us a little extra food I think we’d bet¬ 
 ter go on to-morrow night.” 
 
 The black giant laughed good-naturedly 
 and did not reply, as he swung himself from 
 the tree and vanished in the darkness. In 
 the absence of the negro, Taylor had en¬ 
 deavored to keep guard, hut after two nights 
 and the positive assertion of Richard that 
 such precautions were not necessary, he had 
 in a measure abandoned the task and had 
 slept almost as soundly as his friend. 
 
 For some reason which he was unable to 
 explain, a feeling of uneasiness possessed 
 Taylor this night after Richard departed. 
 Perhaps, he thought, his alarm might be in 
 part due to his own desire to escape. The 
 confinement had been welcome for a time, 
 
FROM NIGHT TO NIGHT 391 
 
 until lie liad recovered from the violence of 
 his labors in their flight from Sylvania; but 
 now, when both he and Erwin were in much 
 better condition than they had been for a 
 long time, the longing to he gone was too 
 strong to be suppressed. 
 
 A half-hour after Richard’s departure 
 Taylor stepped forth upon the platform. 
 About him were the trees festooned with 
 creepers, the waters of the swamp, and the 
 mounds across which he and the negro had 
 moved in their successful flight from their 
 pursuers. How weird and strange it all ap¬ 
 peared in the dim light. How different it 
 was from the country in which he had his 
 home. The thought of the little New York 
 State village added to the gloom of the young 
 soldier. A feeling of restlessness swept 
 over him. He was weary of the inactivity 
 of the past few days. 
 
 Returning hastily to the hut, Taylor said 
 to his friend, ‘ 4 Erwin, I think I’ll take a lit¬ 
 tle look about the swamp. ’ ’ 
 
 ‘ i Don’t! Stay right here where we know 
 we are safe.” 
 
 “I think I’ll be safe almost anywhere now. 
 
392 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 Tlie Johnnies are quick, but they don’t seem 
 to hang on very well.” 
 
 ‘ 6 Hang on! ” retorted Erwin. ‘ ‘ Any other 
 people on earth would have quit this war 
 months—years ago! ’ ’ 
 
 “That’s all right, hut it isn’t what I 
 meant. I was thinking of the sergeant. 
 Really he was a good-hearted fellow, and he 
 was more decent to us than any man we’ve 
 met except Lieutenant Evans. He was too 
 easy with us—that’s what got him into his 
 trouble. What I meant was, that when we 
 got away and the Johnnies started after us, 
 they gave us a hot chase for awhile, but they 
 didn’t hang on very long.” 
 
 “You don’t know whether they’ve given 
 up or not.” 
 
 “If they haven’t given up they haven’t 
 shown themselves or found us anyway,” 
 laughed Taylor. It did the young soldier 
 good just to hear his friend speak. 
 
 That very afternoon he had laughed 
 when Erwin had declared he was almost, 
 
 7 
 
 if not quite ready to leave the place. 
 How much good food and rest had done for 
 him! 
 
FROM NIGHT TO NIGIIT 
 
 393 
 
 “If we were sure of that, we’d be ready 
 to leave to-morrow night.” 
 
 “I think we’ll leave anyway.” 
 
 “Where’ll we go?” 
 
 “We’ll just keep on,” said Taylor lightly. 
 
 “Let us hope so. I wonder if Eichard 
 will go with us part of the way.” 
 
 “I think he will, though I haven’t said any¬ 
 thing to him about it.” 
 
 “Did you ever see a stronger man than 
 he is?” 
 
 “No, I don’t think I ever did. Think of a 
 man drawing that big hound up into the tree 
 and then throwing the body down just as if 
 it was a light stone! I never saw anything 
 like it.” 
 
 “Eichard said the man wasn’t killed, but 
 that both the man and the dog were gone.” 
 
 “Yes, and I don’t know exactly what to 
 make of that,” said Taylor thoughtfully. 
 
 “Why? What do you mean?” 
 
 “I think the man was dead. He may not 
 have been killed by the force of the blow 
 when the dog hit him, but it drove him face 
 forward into the mud, and the body held him 
 down. ’ ’ 
 
394 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “Perhaps it didn’t. At all events, the 
 man got np and went away.” 
 
 “Did he? I wish I was snre of that.” 
 
 “Don’t yon believe he did?” demanded 
 Erwin quickly. 
 
 “I have my fears. Of course we know 
 both bodies are gone. The dog was dead, 
 and I think the man was, too. Now, if he 
 was dead, tell me how he got up and walked 
 off and took the dead dog with him, too. ’ ’ 
 
 “Of course he couldn’t and didn’t do any 
 such thing.” 
 
 “Do you believe he would have taken 
 a dead dog with him through all this 
 swamp ? ’ ’ 
 
 “It doesn’t seem reasonable, does it?” 
 said Erwin thoughtfully. “What do you 
 think?” 
 
 “I don’t know what to think. I know 
 what I’m afraid of, though?” 
 
 “That others found him?” 
 
 “Yes.” 
 
 “Why would they take a dead hound 
 away ? ’ ’ 
 
 “That I don’t know.” 
 
 “Do you think we ought to keep watch?” 
 
FROM NIGHT TO NIGHT 395 
 
 “I do. I’m going out a little way and look 
 around. ’ ’ 
 
 “Don’t go. Don’t leave the place. I’ll 
 stand guard here,” protested Erwin eagerly. 
 “You won’t gain anything by going into 
 the swamp. Besides, you don’t know the 
 way, and if you are lost—” 
 
 “I shan’t be lost. I’m not going far; hut 
 I must have a little look about the swamp. 
 Besides, it will do me good—Hark!” Taylor 
 sharply interrupted himself, and both boys 
 listened intently. 
 
 In a brief time their fears were increased 
 when it became manifest that someone was 
 certainly approaching. Before either could 
 act, the opening into the hut was darkened 
 and Richard himself stepped within the 
 room. 
 
 Instantly it became manifest that the giant 
 negro was greatly excited. He did not speak 
 at first, but he was busying himself in strap¬ 
 ping two guns to his shoulders and thrusting 
 several of the knives into his belt. He sol¬ 
 emnly handed a gun to each of his compan¬ 
 ions and then said brusquely, “We-uns 
 mus’ leab dis yere place right sma’t.” 
 
396 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 “.What’s wrong? Have they found us?” 
 inquired Taylor. 
 
 “Yaas. Come on.” 
 
 Quickly the trio departed from the strange 
 hut. The board was used as it had been 
 when the boys had first approached the place, 
 but this time even the negro was cautious. 
 The little party had barely gained the firmer 
 ground when they were startled by a fierce 
 shout that rose behind them. Plainly the 
 yell came from a band of men and was speed¬ 
 ily followed by a volley of shots. 
 
 “Hey sho’ly done foun’ de place dis 
 time,” muttered Richard savagely, as he 
 urged forward the flight. Swiftly the boys 
 followed their huge leader. Occasionally the 
 black man insisted upon his companions re¬ 
 maining behind while he advanced alone to 
 make sure of his ground. Every time when 
 he rejoined the boys his demand for haste 
 increased. Several times, too, he sharply 
 changed the direction in which the little party 
 was moving, the boys following obediently, 
 aware that their sole hope consisted in im¬ 
 plicitly obeying the directions they received. 
 
Quickly the trio departed from tiie strange iiut. 
 
 Page 396. 
 

 
 . 
 
 ■ 
 
 
 
FROM NIGHT TO NIGHT 
 
 397 
 
 At last the road was gained and here Rich¬ 
 ard insisted upon each one leaping across it. 
 He did not explain what the purpose of his 
 demand was, hut each hoy was confident that 
 he understood and made no protest. 
 
 Across the fields, through another great 
 stretch of woods, into still another road, 
 where again the hoys leaped at the negro’s 
 bidding, the little party fled. For an hour 
 or more the flight was continued before the 
 negro halted. When at last the boys stopped 
 they were aware that they were in a worn 
 path that apparently led the way among 
 some hills. 
 
 After a brief rest the flight was resumed 
 until Erwin declared he could go no further. 
 He was dripping with perspiration and his 
 body was trembling with weakness. Despite 
 his recent improvement, his strength was not 
 sufficient to meet the demands of the power¬ 
 ful Richard. 
 
 After another brief rest the black man 
 brusquely ordered Erwin to place himself 
 on his (Richard’s) hack and then the party 
 again started. The load which the negro 
 
398 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 carried apparently did not greatly impede 
 him, and an hour elapsed before another halt 
 was called. 
 
 They had stopped before a lonely cabin 
 and there in response to Richard’s hail the 
 door was opened and a colored man ap¬ 
 proached. After a brief conversation be¬ 
 tween the two black men the boys were bid¬ 
 den to enter the building. 
 
 “Dis yere’s safe now,” said Richard. He 
 further explained that the boys were to lie 
 in hiding in the hut until the following night, 
 when he promised to return and guide them 
 to a place of safety farther on. His fear of 
 pursuit apparently was gone. The two boys 
 were so utterly wearied that neither asked 
 any questions nor made any protest, glad of 
 the opportunity of securing rest and food. 
 
 Throughout the day that followed Richard 
 did not appear, but early in the evening he 
 came and reported that his strange refuge in 
 the swamp had been burned and that the 
 white men, who at last had discovered his 
 hiding place, believed that he and the two 
 boys had escaped and that all further at¬ 
 tempts to pursue them were useless. 
 
FROM NIGHT TO NIGHT 399 
 
 The confidence of the negro was an in¬ 
 spiration to both boys, and more eagerly, 
 because both were now more hopeful, they 
 followed their strange guide as he led them 
 through the darkness. Familiar with the 
 places of refuge in the region, Richard halted 
 each morning before sunrise, and in some se¬ 
 cure or hidden place the hoys slept each 
 day. From unaccountable sources the ne¬ 
 gro obtained supplies of food, and as a con¬ 
 sequence the privations and sufferings of the 
 flight were less severe, although on several 
 occasions Richard still insisted upon carry¬ 
 ing Erwin upon his hack. Indeed, the de¬ 
 votion and determination of the black man 
 did not once flag. 
 
 Early in the morning of the sixth day of 
 the flight, the hoys were startled when in the 
 dim light they discovered what plainly were 
 the outposts of an army. It was still too 
 dark to enable them to perceive what the uni¬ 
 form of the men was, but upon the earnest 
 advice of Richard they all three advanced 
 until they were halted by the sharp challenge 
 of the sentinel before them. 
 
CHAPTER XXXII 
 
 CONCLUSION 
 
 Only a few minutes were required to con¬ 
 vince the guard that friends and not ene¬ 
 mies were approaching. The little party of 
 three was sent within the lines and explana¬ 
 tions made and received. The fluttering flag 
 of the camp roused even Erwin to a show 
 of enthusiasm. 
 
 ‘‘For the Stars and Stripes!” shouted 
 Taylor; and his words were followed by a 
 cheer from the men in blue that quickly gath¬ 
 ered about the newcomers. Richard insisted 
 upon remaining in the camp and a place for 
 Erwin was soon found by the hospital corps. 
 The young soldier was so completely worn 
 out by the terrible experiences through which 
 he had passed that the care of nurses and 
 physicians was required. Through Taylor’s 
 representations a promise was secured that 
 as soon as his friend was able to endure the 
 strain of the long journey he should be sent 
 
 400 
 
CONCLUSION 
 
 401 
 
 north on a furlough of at least three months. 
 
 As for Taylor himself—he declared that 
 the return to the army and the escape from 
 the horrors and sufferings of the prison pens 
 were sufficient rewards for him, and that he 
 now was able to take his part in the heroic 
 struggle that still continued. Among his 
 first duties, however, was that of writing two 
 letters. One was sent to his mother in the 
 little far-away village in New York State. 
 In it he described only a part of his recent 
 experiences, and assured the anxious ones at 
 home that he was well and full of hope that 
 the struggle was drawing near its close. The 
 other letter was to a certain Miss Sallie Hitt, 
 in which he begged for information concern¬ 
 ing the conditions that surrounded her, and 
 also gave minute instructions as to how a re¬ 
 ply might be sent him. Knowing her loyalty 
 to her own cause as he did, Taylor was not 
 hopeful of receiving any response to his re¬ 
 quest ; but for reasons which he did not fully 
 explain to any one, he sent the letter and 
 waited until the result should become ap¬ 
 parent. 
 
 Meanwhile the young soldier, filled with in- 
 
402 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 terest in liis surroundings and doubly pa¬ 
 triotic after his break for freedom, eagerly 
 received the information which his comrades 
 in arms were able to give him. From them 
 he learned that, as early as the preceding 
 May, Grant and Sherman had begun the ad¬ 
 vance which then had been planned. Grant, 
 taking Sheridan with him, went to Virginia, 
 there to meet Lee. The constant “hammer¬ 
 ing” which Grant had employed in the west 
 had won him his victories there, and now he 
 was the lieutenant-general, having command 
 of all the Union forces. 
 
 Between Fredericksburg and Richmond 
 was a region crossed from west to east by 
 many rivers. Here Lee had erected many 
 fortifications from behind which he fought 
 Grant successfully for two weeks, repulsing 
 the attempts of the Union men to take the 
 places by storm. This region was known as 
 the Wilderness, and here occurred the blood¬ 
 iest fighting of the war. In the first three 
 days of the Wilderness battles, Grant lost 
 38,000 men; in the next eleven, at Spottsyl- 
 vania Court-house, 26,000 more were lost—a 
 total of 64,000 in two weeks. Lee’s loss in 
 
CONCLUSION 
 
 403 
 
 the same time was only about one-third that 
 of Grant, in part at least indicating some¬ 
 thing of the difference between attacking 
 and defending a position. 
 
 Grant now resorted to skill rather than to 
 mere force of numbers. At each of Lee’s 
 defenses he attacked lightly in front and at 
 the same time pushed forward a part of his 
 force to the left to attack Lee’s army in the 
 rear. In this manner Lee’s army was “ham¬ 
 mered” until it was inside the main defenses 
 of Eichmond, the center of which was at Cold 
 Harbor. 
 
 The entire army under Grant was hurled 
 against Cold Harbor, but the defense was 
 wonderful. In twenty minutes the assault 
 was repulsed. Cold Harbor cost the Union 
 army 15,000 men; the Confederates losing 
 only a little more than one-tenth that num¬ 
 ber. 
 
 Eichmond had such strong defenses on the 
 north that Grant now decided to move his 
 army across the James river and attack 
 the place from the south. By June (1864) the 
 movement had been accomplished, but the 
 problem of Grant was not less difficult than 
 
404 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 before. Lee liad moved bis own army as bis 
 opponents moved. From Petersburg, about 
 twenty miles south of Richmond, the Con¬ 
 federate fortifications ran in an irregular 
 curve to the north of Richmond—a distance 
 of about thirty miles. 
 
 Grant made one strong attempt to storm 
 Petersburg. A mine was dug under one of 
 the Confederate forts. This mine was filled 
 with four tons of powder, and when it was 
 exploded (July 30) the fort and its garrison 
 were blown to pieces. But the assault which 
 was to follow was badly managed, and the 
 Union troops were driven back, suffering a 
 heavy loss. Later, in September, the Union 
 army in the Shenandoah Valley, was at¬ 
 tacked at Cedar Creek, about twenty miles 
 below Winchester. The Confederates at 
 first drove the Union men before them, but 
 in the afternoon of the same day, Sheridan, 
 who was at Winchester, rejoined the army, 
 rallied his men, and drove the Confederates 
 far up the valley. 
 
 Meanwhile, General Sherman had been 
 moving from Chattanooga with his army. 
 
CONCLUSION 
 
 405 
 
 Opposed to Sherman was Johnston, and the 
 two leaders were among the most skillful of 
 the generals on either side in the great strug¬ 
 gle. Johnston’s plan was to draw Sherman 
 away from Chattanooga and meet him in bat¬ 
 tle where the field might favor the Confed¬ 
 erates. Sherman’s plan was to avoid a bat¬ 
 tle as long as possible, and hold Johnston 
 in the south so that he could not go north to 
 aid his hardly beset comrade-in-arms, Gen¬ 
 eral Lee. 
 
 As Sherman advanced, all his supplies had 
 to be brought by the single railroad behind 
 him. This railroad had to be guarded or the 
 Confederate cavalry would work into the re¬ 
 gion in the rear of Sherman’s army, destroy 
 this railroad, ana so cut oft all supplies. To 
 leave a guard for the railway as Sherman 
 advanced required many men, and, as a con¬ 
 sequence, the army was steadily weakened 
 by the withdrawal of every new force of 
 guards. This was exactly what the skillful 
 General Johnston had planned to bring to 
 pass, and his plan to attack the diminished 
 forces had already been made, when suddenly, 
 
406 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 unexpectedly, the Confederate leader was re¬ 
 moved from his position and Hood was ap¬ 
 pointed in his place. 
 
 Hood was a hard tighter, but not nearly so 
 skillful a leader as Johnston. The change 
 was fortunate for the Union army. Hood 
 made three savage attacks on Sherman’s 
 army but was repulsed in every one; and on 
 September 2 (1864) Sherman and his men 
 entered and took possession of Atlanta. 
 
 Hood now led his army northwest. His 
 hope was that Sherman would be compelled 
 to follow him, and that the war thus would 
 be carried north. Sherman had been hop¬ 
 ing that Hood would do the very thing he 
 did do, something that Johnston never would 
 have done at all. Pretending to follow 
 Hood’s army until he was satisfied that it 
 had really started for Tennessee, Sherman 
 quickly returned to Atlanta, tearing up the 
 railroads as he advanced,—in that manner 
 preventing Hood from coming back, at least 
 with any speed. General Sherman also had 
 sent nearly half his army to Tennessee, un¬ 
 der the command of General Thomas—one 
 of the ablest of the Union generals. 
 
CONCLUSION 
 
 407 
 
 Thomas defeated Hood’s army both at 
 Franklin and Nashville, and pursued it so 
 vigorously that the troops were scattered in 
 every direction. In this manner one of the 
 two great armies of the Confederates had 
 been put out of the conflict. 
 
 General Sherman had an army of 60,000 
 men when he returned to Atlanta, and be¬ 
 tween him and Virginia there was not an 
 organized Confederate army to be met. In 
 the middle of November, Sherman burned 
 Atlanta, cut all the telegraph wires to the 
 north, and then began his famous march to 
 the sea. His real aim, after he should have 
 reached the coast, was to turn northward 
 and attack the rear of Lee’s army in Vir¬ 
 ginia, while Grant was attacking it in front. 
 Hood’s mistake or incompetency had placed 
 almost the entire Confederacy at the mercy 
 of Sherman. 
 
 In four columns, covering a strip of coun¬ 
 try about sixty miles wide, Sherman’s army 
 advanced. Railways were destroyed, bridges 
 and depots burned, and the army lived upon 
 the supplies it took from the region through 
 which it was moving. 
 
408 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 Fort McAllister, which guarded Savannah, 
 was stormed in a wild rush of fifteen minntes, 
 about a month after Sherman set forth from 
 Atlanta. Outside Savannah, a fleet of Union 
 ships was blockading the town. Sherman 
 opened communication with this fleet of 
 blockaders, Savannah was besieged and after 
 eight days, was taken. There Sherman and 
 his men remained until February (1865). 
 And with them was Taylor, restored fully to 
 health now, and eager in his defense of the 
 Stars and Stripes. 
 
 On the first day of February (1865) Sher¬ 
 man moved out of Savannah, marching di¬ 
 rectly north to Columbia, South Carolina. 
 While his army held that place, the city was 
 burned, each side accusing the other of hav¬ 
 ing set it on fire. Again Sherman started 
 northward, following almost the same route 
 which the British general, Cornwallis, had 
 taken in 1781. Thus far Sherman had met 
 little armed opposition. There was no army 
 to face him, the people were suffering from 
 lack of food, and the Confederate money was 
 now of so little value that a dollar was worth 
 only two cents. Still the spirit displayed by 
 
CONCLUSION 
 
 409 
 
 the people of the Confederate States was 
 marvelous. Even the women and children, 
 who were suffering most of all, were still de¬ 
 termined and loyal to their cause. 
 
 When Sherman’s army arrived at Fay¬ 
 etteville, their troubles were increased, for 
 now General Johnston had been recalled and 
 was facing them with an army of 40,000 men 
 drawn from the various straggling bodies, 
 and from the defenses of the coast cities. 
 And Sherman well knew the spirit and the 
 ability of his opponent and respected both 
 alike. 
 
 At Goldsboro, Johnston furiously attacked 
 the army under Sherman (March 19). For 
 a time the issue of the battle was in doubt, 
 but at last Sherman drove Johnston back 
 and entered Goldsboro, where he was joined 
 by fresh troops. Both armies now waited 
 for the outcome of the work in Virginia, 
 where it was Grant’s purpose to compel Lee 
 to lengthen his lines and so weaken his 
 force. 
 
 Sheridan, with 10,000 picked cavalry, now 
 scattered the Confederate troops in the 
 Shenandoah Valley (under Early), and after 
 
410 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 the railroads and bridges between Richmond 
 and Lynchburg had been destroyed and by 
 this means mncli of Lee’s supplies had been 
 cut off, he joined General Grant. 
 
 Soon Sheridan made another movement to 
 the southwest and held his ground at Five 
 Forks. To meet this new danger, Lee again 
 extended his lines, which now were so long 
 that his 40,000 men were not sufficient to 
 guard them. Grant at once advanced his 
 army of 100,000 and broke through Lee’s en¬ 
 trenchments (April 2). In the night Lee 
 retreated westward, and the Union troops 
 entered Richmond and Petersburg. 
 
 General Lee was retreating between the 
 James and Appomattox rivers, striving to 
 reach Lynchburgh and make his way into 
 North Carolina and have Johnston join him 
 there. But Grant was in hot pursuit, and be¬ 
 fore Lee could reach Lynchburg, Sheridan 
 passed him, and with his troops was between 
 the Confederate army and the place it was 
 seeking. Lee’s retreat was cut off, he was 
 caught between the two armies, his men were 
 almost worn out, and supplies had failed. At 
 Appomattox Court-house (April 9) Lee sur- 
 
CONCLUSION 
 
 411 
 
 rendered. Grant was as brave and generous 
 as his enemy. All he required was the prom¬ 
 ise of Lee that the Confederate troops would 
 no longer bear arms against the United 
 States. They were to give up public prop¬ 
 erty, but every man was to keep his horse to 
 help in the spring ploughing. 
 
 Sherman at once pushed forward from 
 Goldsboro to Raleigh, where Johnston sur¬ 
 rendered (April 26). Johnston’s men, like 
 Lee’s, were dismissed on their promise not to 
 do any further act of war. Early in May, 
 the other Confederate forces east of the Mis¬ 
 sissippi, and later in the same month those 
 west of the same river, also surrendered. 
 The war was ended. The Confederate sol¬ 
 diers went back to their desolate homes as 
 brave to begin the struggle for existence 
 there as they had previously been on the field 
 of battle. 
 
 The armies of Grant and Sherman, 200,- 
 000 strong, proceeded to Washington, where, 
 near the end of May, they were reviewed by 
 their leaders and the officers of the govern¬ 
 ment. Two entire days were required for 
 the lines of bronzed and brave soldiers to 
 
412 FOR THE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 pass through the streets. The music of the 
 military bands, the great displays of flowers, 
 the cheers and shining faces of the people, 
 who had assembled from every part of the 
 country, were not the least interesting. 
 
 The armies were paid and sent home at 
 the rate of 300,000 a month until nearly every 
 soldier had departed, though nearly 300,000 
 brave men on either side in the awful strug¬ 
 gle had given up their lives. The loss of 
 property in slaves, the purchase of war ma¬ 
 terial, payment of soldiers, losses in busi¬ 
 ness, pensions granted, and all the various 
 costs of such a terrible war mounted up to 
 sums beyond our comprehension. The sor¬ 
 row and suffering, the dead and the maimed, 
 the sickness and disease that followed can¬ 
 not even be reckoned. The old enmity is 
 gone or going, and the best we can cherish 
 to-day is the memory of the many brave 
 men who fought and died for the land they 
 loved. 
 
 Among the first to return to their homes 
 was Taylor—older, more bronzed, wiser than 
 when, two years before, he had enlisted. Of 
 his welcome we know little except that it was 
 
CONCLUSION 
 
 413 
 
 tender and strong. Erwin had not recovered 
 sufficiently to re-enter the army and he was 
 on the platform of the little village station 
 eagerly awaiting the coming of his friend, 
 when Taylor stepped down from the train. 
 
 Another to greet Taylor warmly was the 
 huge Richard, who had previously made his 
 way to the little village and was living in 
 Erwin’s home. The coming of the black 
 man was an event long remembered, for 
 many had never before seen a negro. Rich¬ 
 ard’s enthusiasm and interest in his new life 
 long continued and he remained in the home 
 of Erwin until his death, ten years after the 
 close of the war. 
 
 Of Samuel—“Uncle Sam”—not a word 
 came. Whether he ever escaped from the 
 bushwhackers, or had cast in his lot with the 
 Southern people, or met a fate which could 
 only be surmised, no one ever knew. His 
 worn little mother professed to believe, even 
 to the day of her death, that her boy would 
 return, but her hope was never fulfilled, and 
 she died without seeing him. 
 
 Not many weeks after the close of the war 
 a letter from South Carolina come to Tay- 
 
414 FOR TEE STARS AND STRIPES 
 
 lor, who already liad written several which 
 he had addressed to Miss Sallie Hitt. The 
 note which Taylor received was brief, but 
 no less interesting to him, at least, because 
 of that fact. 
 
 “If you could see the desolation in my old 
 home you would understand why I have no 
 heart for writing. My father and brother 
 both were shot—by whom I think you know. 
 We are so poverty-stricken that we scarcely 
 know where our next meal is to be secured. 
 Some of our negroes have remained with us, 
 but they are almost a burden because we do 
 not know how they are to be fed. We have no 
 one to help us, and yet neither my sisters nor 
 myself have any thought of giving up. We 
 shall do our best and I am sure we shall find 
 some way out of our difficulties. My heart 
 is full of bitterness at times when I think of 
 our home as it was, and then as it is to-day. 
 As a class—you know how I feel toward the 
 Yankees. Perhaps you understand. Some¬ 
 times I think you do, better than some of 
 your fellow soldiers. Of course there are 
 exceptions. If good could come out of Naza¬ 
 reth it may be that a good man may still be 
 found in the midst of bad company. I do 
 not know what to say to you in reply to your 
 kind offer to come to our aid. The little we 
 
CONCLUSION 
 
 415 
 
 did for you was done, not because you were 
 a Yankee soldier, but because of your sister 
 and mother. You can’t be altogether bad— 
 to speak of them as you did to me. I have 
 not forgotten your words. All I can say is, 
 that we can and we will live on—somehow. 
 We are not asking nor are we receiving aid. 
 Of course, if by any chance you should ever 
 happen to be in this vicinity, you will be an 
 exception to the general feeling we have. 
 You have a sister and mother, and for their 
 sake, if for no other, you will be welcome. I 
 cannot, I will not invite you, but if you come 
 I will try to be generous and not unmindful 
 of your kind words. ’ ’ 
 
 The letter bore the signature of Sallie Hitt. 
 The following day Taylor started for South 
 Carolina. 
 
 THE END 
 
RARE BOOK 
 COLLECTION 
 
 THE LIBRARY OF THE 
 UNIVERSITY OF 
 NORTH CAROLINA 
 AT 
 
 CHAPEL HILL 
 
 Wilmer 
 
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