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THE WAR LIBRARY.
uy
Speak, or I'll have your hide tanned on your
body to-morrow!” :
“Wa'n’t doin’ nothin’ Mars Shephard.
Ony de ole mars he tole me to clean out de
loft in de mornin’ afore I go to de field, an’ I
strike a match to see how much ob de corn
husk dar,” and Pete glided out of the door,
“The infernal black imp,’’ growled the
testy overseer. “Lhalf believe he lies, and
that there’s some deviltry afoot among the
slaves. By the powers, I’ve a notion to see
into the matter myself.”
I could hear his hand striking a bar of the
ladder as he spoke.
Feeling positive that he wascomingup with
his lantern, I pulled back the hammer of my
revolver and began to edge closer to the
opening, so as to be able to take advantage
of the opportunity thut would soon be offer-
ed me, to rid the world of a scoundrel,
The overseer Came not, however.
Second thought was probably averse to
such an exertion, and with a few more mut-
tered words he finally withdrew from the
corn-crib.
Notwithstanding the fact that I had stood
ready to usher the hated overseer out of this
world by the back door, and would have
done wy duty likea man had affairs been
brought to that pass, I breathed easier when
the tellow retired, for I did not particularly
fancy having his blood on my hands, even
though I regarded him much as1 woulda
wolf
olf.
Poor Chloe, who had been crouching in
mortal terror upon the floor of the Toft
while the overseer was below, now regained
her feet, breathing blessings to Heaven for
drawing the overseer away.
“He'd doue killed us bofe, honey, if he
come up hyar,”’ she said, earnestly.
Probably she had not noticed the fact of
my having my revolver ready to blow the
fellow's few brains abroad at nbout the time
he discovered me.
It was evident tome that the overseer on
this plantation was dreaded worse that
Beelzebub, himself.
Some day one of the maddened slaves,
rendered desperate by continual beatings,
would knock him over the head, and then
take to the swamp, whose intricacies had
been familiar to him from childhood, and
where he would be safe from pursuit.
Waiting a short time, we heard Pete again
asceuding the ladder, accompanied by sev-
eral comrade3, whose hearts were swelling
with thankfulness because they were per-
mitted to assist one of Uncle Sam’s boys.
I eat to suffocation.
While thus engaged, old Chloe madeupa
parcel from the fragments, which I was to
take with me.
As long as IliveI shall never forget that
time.
At the peril of their lives these slaves took
the keenest delight in assisting me simply
because, in spite of the moustrous fies circu-
lated through the South to the effect thatin
order to settle the war, the Northern soldiers
had determined to murder all the slaves, as
they were really the cause of the trouble,
they, in commou with the rest of their peo-
ple tirmly believed the Yankees to be their
best frends. ; .
{left there followed by their best wishes.
Pete walked a mile or two beside me, giv-
ing me directions whereby I might finda
route to Hooker’s army.
Isaw there was something on his miud,
and asI took his hand to say good-by, he
spoke;
“Mars,” said he, in broken tones, ‘I may
nebber see you again. God bless you, mars.
Somehow it’pears to me dat tingsam comin’
tou focus at de plantation. L can’t stand
’em much longer. I reckonsashow de ober-
seer Will lay de stripes ou for tellin’ ob dat
lie, as soon as he sees de mars, and finds out
dat he didn’t tell me to clean de loft. Ef he
do, den Vl hab his blood, ef I die forit.
Dey will kill me mos’ likely, Mars Sojer, an’
dat am what I wants to talk about.
“T come from dear ole Caroline county,
Maryland, av’ on de farm ob Joe Chambers
Ienab lef’ a wife un’ three picaninnies. Ef
cud see dem loved ones once more I feel as
ifleud die happy. I’ma poor black man,
mars, but I bab feelin’, an’ I say a curse
upon deinstitution dat tears a man from de
wife ob his bosom an’ his own chillen, to
send him Souf.
“Dot wa'n’t wat I wanted to say, Mars.
De fac’ am ef you find yourself in ole Car-
oline will you hunt up Joe Chambers’ place
an’ tell my Phoebe dat Inebber hab forgot
her, an’ dat I mean ter runaway ef it costs
memy life. I would rather be dead that to
lib in dis way, far off from my loved ones. I
ask dis a3 a favor, Mars Linkum’s man.”
* And itis a favor I shall take the greatest
pleasure in doing, my noble fellow. Hide
this card about your person, Itis my New
York address. If you ever run away and go
North, hunt up that address. If Lam not
there myself tell your story to the gentle-
man in the office, and, my word for it, they’ll
make you happy. And now good-by, Pete.
God grant we may meet again after this war
is over, When you are a free man.”
He breathed some words to Heaven, as if
his feelings would not permit him to speak
aloud, kissed my hand passionately, then
turning ran down the road—going back into
bondage,
I knew just as sure as I lived, that he had
obtained a glimpse of freedom through his
intercourse with me, and that nothing could
make him satisfied with the old life now.
Before long he would be making one bold
stroke for freedom.
This would probably be brought about by
some act of inhuman cruelty on the part of
the overseer, and in the black’s present state
{ felt that I would not like to be in Mr.
Shepherd's boots very much,
The rupture came sooner than I had cal-
culated upon, but of this more anon.
When Pete had disappeared from sight I
trudged along the road steadily.
There was much satisfaction fh the thought
that every step brought me closer to the
Union lines and took me further away from
hated Richmond.
The moon shone brightly, in fact too
brightly to suit me, for I would have pre-
ferred starlight, fearing discovery by
chance.
Iremembered Pete’s directions well, but I
had much difficulty in carrying them out.
‘The road was a pike and well traveled.
Every five minutes orso I was compelled
to seek shelter in the bushes or trees, or, it
might be, behind an adjoining fence, because
I heard voices one way or the other which
told me I was about to meet or be overtaken
by some one.
First it was a farmer, shouting to his
horses to increase their speed, and likening
their haltiug steps to the slow government
at Richmond, that gathered immense stores
and let its soldiers go ragged and barefooted
to inspire them in battle to fight the more
desperately in order to secure the booty
they needed.
Then again it was a pack of mules headed
for the Confederate capital, and guided by
several men-monkeys on horseback, who
dashed hither and thither directing the
drove, to which there was no leader.
When [heard them coming I was not a
little alarmed, for, from the racket, I could
not imagine what it might be, unless the
fiends had broken loose from the lower re-
gions, or else the whole rebel army from
Fredericksburg was in full retreat toward
Richmond,
A dozen times mounted soldiers in gray
passed ine, and they seemed to be going in
all directions.
oce I came near running intoa squad of
foot soldiers, conducting a prisoner of some
importance in the direction of Libby.
‘hey made so little noise that I did not
know of their advance until they suddenly
loomed up in the moonlight.
Luckily I had taken the precaution to
keep Close to one side of the road.
Thus I was ready to dodge into shelter at
a second’s warning.
No sooner had I sighted the approaching
squad of soldiers than I dropped on all fours
and shot into the bushes at iny side,
Fiattening myself out upon the ground I
grasped my revolver in one hand, anda
stone in the other, then anxiously awaited
events.
At this point the bushes formed a screen
about three feet in thickness, and on the
other side of this I lay.
There was trees scattered about here and
there, but they were small and not capable
of giving shelter. .
I suspected that I might have been
seen by some of the rebel soldiers, and this
was why I lay iu readiness for any emer-
gency.
As I feared, they had seen me, at least one
sharp-sighted fellow had,
“T could swear [saw some object run in
hyar,” cried this fellow, 43 the squad came
toa halt directly in front of my hiding
place.
‘Nonsense! you were mistaken, Tom,”
laughed a second, evidently the officer in
charge,
“My oath on it. I thoughtit was a man
aud I wouldn't swear otherwise yet,’’ re-
turned Tom.
“If it was anything, the chances are to its
being a wildhog. To satisfy your mind,
send a few bullets into the bush at the point
you suspect.” -
This was getting warm,
My wry worst fears were brought to
pase pull had prepared even for this pos-
si y-
No sooner had I heard the officer give
Tom the opportunity to satisfy his suspic-
ions by sending several Dullets into the
bushes, a thing I did not relish at all, than I
sent the stone I held in my hand about
twenty or thirty feet down the road.
It landed among the bushes just as Tom
was cocking bis revolver.
The crash was very like such a noise as
an animal of hog species would make in
rushing through the bushes.
the There, down by that tree,” cried one of
ne men.
Immediately following came several sharp
rep .
‘Then Tom dashed down to see what dam-
age he had done.
{eanwhile I lay quiet as a mouse, not dar-
ing to move lest I should be heard.
Twas not yet safe.
Supposing Tom should take a notion,
after finding nothing in the bushes below, to
explore the spot where he had seen the sup-
posed porker vanish.
If this should happen, all that was left for
me was to show fight.
I would at least have the advantage of be-
ing prepared, and I tlattered myself with
the thought that I could send a succession
of balls into the little squad of rebels, avoid-
ing the Union officer whom I could plainly
see, that would not only astonish but utter-
ly demoralize them.
Fortune was favorable, however.
Tom, not finding 1 dead porker to reward
him, on the spot where he had sent his bul-
lets, did not care to look further, but re-
joined his comrades grumbling at his want
of luck, and with the captain laughing at
him, he moved along with the squad. ;
I breathed easier when they were gone.
Although Ihad determined to fight the
whole lot, and was ready to give them as
much war as they couldstand, still, I con-
fess that I did not hanker after such an en-
gagement.
Those soldiers never suspected that when
Tom fied into the bushes they were within
five feet of 2 Yankee, one of the daring
band that bad so recently made every in-
habitant of Richmond tremble with fear.
I waited until they were well out of sight
before I crawed forth from my place of con-
cealment.
After that narrow escape I was even more
careful than before, because I realized that
eternal vigilance was to be the price of my
liberty.
Ten miles from where I left Pete I was
to strike arailroad and turn upon it to the
right.
f traveled under such difficulties along
the pike, having to secrete myself so often
that it was within two hours of dawn, ac-
cording to my watch, when I came in sight
of the railroad.
CHAPTER VI.
AMONG THE DESERTERS.
The first intimation I had that I was near
a railroad was a shrill scream from a loco-
motive whistle that almost frightened me
out of my boots.
Then I heard the rumbling of a train, and
presentl judged that the line must be about
ialfa mile ahead of me, and that it was a
heavy laden freight train which had passed
by, probably going with stores to Lee’s
army further north. :
1 walked on a short distance.
Then seeing a light ahead, moving and
stationary, the former white, the latter red,
Irealized that I was close upon the track
and that there were a number of persons
there.
To avoid an encounter with these parties
was now my leading thought. :
In order to accomplish this I would of
necessity be compelled to make a bee line
for the track some little distauce away from
the station.
This I proceeded to do.
The moonlight still assisted me, though I
could not hope for its guidance much lon-
There were some houses in my way, clust-
ered about in the vicinity of the station.
In one of these was a dog which was pos-
sessed of & most savage nature,
Not content to guard his master’s proper-
ty he must needs leap the fence and come
toward me like a,whirlwind.