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THE WAR LIBRARY.
ROUGH AND READY; .
OR,
Imto the Cannon’s Mouth.
A Story of the Carnage at Gettysburg.
BY ANTHONY P. MORRIS.
CHAPTER I.
THE SUTLER’S CHILD. .
In the early morning of July 1, 1863, there,
was a sound of guns in the vicinity of the
little hamlet of Gettysburg.
West of the town, on the Chambersburg
Turnpike, was a doubly thrilling scene.
Sweeping onward from the gaps of South
Mountain were the gray hostsof Hilland
Longstreet, trampling the soil of the state
within the fastness of the Union govern-
ment.
Bold with past successes, in the flower of
strength and confident of disrupting the
states of the North, General Lee was march-
ing steadily onward to meet a foe he and his
army had grown to despise because of hay-
ing so frequently defeated it.
The other scene—a female, who was spur-
ring a. noble horse to its utmost over the
road, over the swelling ground, on, on to-
ward Willoughby Run. .
Behind her were several horsemen in hot
pursuit.
Not regular cavalry, for the command of
Stuart was not then with the Confederate
army, he having been cut off from commun-
ication with Lee by the fact of Hooker in-
_ terposing.
Johnnies, nevertheless, and their object
evidently being to capture the fair and dash-
ing rider who sped on—on, with an occasion-
al glance behind,
To her left the guns of Rhodes, confronted
then by Buford's cavalry; and forward
through the hills the columns of blue that
were hastening to meet the bold invader.
‘There were volleys and waves of volleys
Anon she glanced off in the direction of
the booming sounds, While her spurred heel
continued to ply on the sides of her straining
horse.
A face of striking beauty was hers, and on
itnow wus not one trace of fear as she cast
those glances, too, back at her yelling pur-
suers.
Nearer she came to the stream, and then
she saw another sight of gray soldiery com-
ing at au angle that would bring them di-
rectly in her path.
The divisions of Pender and Heth were
coming from the south of the road.
**On, good fellow!” she urged, to the ani-
mal, as this new danger presented.
The Confederates in her rear, seeing those
of their own colors in a position to intercept
the girl, redoubled their yells in a way to
attract attention, and though the words of
their shouts were not distinguishable, their
gesticulations could not be misunderstood.
From the nearer companies, there was a
movement to intercept the girl.
But the light of confidence was now great-
erthan ever in her lovely face as she took
off her gay cap and waved it high in a de-
fiant manner; and then:
She vanished!
Horse and rider seemed to melt into in-
visibility within the trees at the base of the
And when a minute later her pursuers
were at the point, not a sound was to be
heard to betray her whereabouts.
Then these riders in gray, who had in
theirappearance a stamp that was foreign
tothe soldierly bearing of the others who
were advancing under the leaders Heth and
Pender, performed a singular thing. |
Apparently relinquishing their object of
capturing the girl, they wheeled and dashed
back again in the direction whence they
had come.
Wild riders were they, and the remark
that was made by a young Confederate
captain there told thestory of their identity.
“Tmboden!”
Not far had the girl gone through the
woods at the base of the hill, when she was
halted by a man who stepped out from be-
hind a tree ata spot that was gloomily
dense,
“ Uarlal”
*Dullam—you are here?”
“Of course, ny girl. Did I not say I
would be here. That wasa close shave for
ou. What news?”
“Would it not_be better for us to get
further away? Hark! they are already
fighting, and this very ground willsoon be
swarming with the blue and the gray.”
Through the shady recesses of the dingle
were penetrating those distant rumblings
and detonations of the early opening battle.
Beyond the hills the crack of carbines and
the reverberating bursts from the horse
artillery. -
The man and girl turned off along the
bank of the stream, following a path that
was searcely defined, and hardly broad
enough for her horse to make its way with
ase.
Across that path had marched the division
of Rhodes,
But for the intervening hill, the pair
would have been in the very midst of the
Confederates who were advancing steadily
toward Gettysburg.
e end of a short walk, they came
upon a wagon with a pair of fine horses
hitchea toit, asif it had but stopped there a
few moments before.
In the wagon was a large supply of vari-
ous stores.
For Dorn Dullam had till recently been
with the Union army in the capacity of an
independent sutler.
It would appear that an accident had
placed him where he now was—having ad-
vanced from the immediate vicinity of the
town asif totally unexpecting that the Con-
federates would come so quickly and so
powerfully between him and the army of
the North.
Dullam wasa rather rough specimen of
man, His attire was careless, his face red
with a great beard, and: in his eyes a con-
stant glance of mingled shrewdness and
alertness.
Uarla—whose every outline of feature and
form was, by actual loveliness, in such
strange contrast with the man, was sup-
posed by all who knew Dullam to be his
daughter.
And when within the lines, her beauty
had attracted the attention of officers and
men, who bought, sometimes, of the sutler
more for the purpose of seeing his lovely
daughter than because they really needed
anything.
But it was a strange pair, this father and
child—if such Uarla really was; for she ad-
dressed him in 2 way very unlike the usual
address of one speaking to a parent.
‘**What have you learned?” he asked,
when they had reached the wagon, and
while he made preparation to be moving
from the spot.
‘““Your last dispatches to Lee seemed to
have stirred him. He and the army are
ready, after Fredericksburg and Chancel-
lorsville, to attempt anything. And hehas
received notification from the Confederate
capital that if he wishes rations, he must
seek them on the soil of Pennsylvania.”
“They will fight, then?”
“He must—though some of his generals
are advising against it. Ewell is coming for-
ward from York and Carlisle.” <
**Good! Then we shall soon see the anni-
hilation of Meade.” -
“fam not sa sure of that.”
“Why?”
“*T think Lee is about to place himself in
atangle from which he cannot escape.”
Dullam had mounted to the box of his
wagon, and started the horses along the
narrow road which followed the stream
away from the base of the mountain.
Uarla, keeping close in the rear, was pres-
ently arrested by something that transpired
at one side .of the route they were pursu-
ing.
A figure was flitting along, keeping pace
with the wagon, though in sucha way as to
constantly iuterpose a tree between itself
and the team.
Asa place was reached where more light
penetrated from the umbrageous dome
above, she discerned that it was a man.
Aman with white hair that flowed, al-
most hke the tresses of a woman, from under
a soldier's cap.
He wore asuit of blue, and on his shoul-
ders were the straps to indicate that he was
a captain.
A strange place for such & person—where
the Confederates were liable to pounce upon
him at any moment. .
His eyes followed the movements of the
girl hungrily.
Dullam did not observe the singularly
liding figure; his attention was devoted
exclusively to guiding the horses along the
narrow, winding way.
Persistent asashadow clung the man in
blue with the long, white hair,
Presently he made a beckoning motion.
Then again, while Uarla gazed in surprise,
he waved one hand in a way that said:
“Come this way. I wish to speak with
ou.’
CHAPTER II.
A BRAVE GIRL.
Upon first seeing the mysteriously gliding
figure, Uarla had murmured, lowly, to ber-
sell: -
“Ab! there is the man with the white
hair, who has haunted me in camp, and even
outside the lines at times, since the day of
the storming of the heights of Fredericks-
burg. Why has he since clung so closely on
my track? Does heintend to do me harm?
1 think I shall haye that question settled
once forall. Itis not very pleasant to feel
that there is some onealways hovering near,
watching, skulking.” :
She permitted her horse to fall behind
gradually, and when many yards were sepa-
rating her from the man, Dullam, she came
abruptly toa halt, and looked toward the
spot In the border of the woods. where’ she
had Jast seen the man in blue.
A moment later he stood before her.
Of very commanding mien was he. , His
age about sixty years; his face, smoothly
shaven, was not unpleasent to gaze upon, yet
there was a something in its expression that
would rather suggest a mind unsound.
His captain’s suit of blue was worn by
service—and Uarla knew that when she haa
first seen him, inthe hot conflict at Freder-
icksburg, he was proving himself 2 boldand
valiant soldier.
“What do you want with me?” she asked,
bluntly, and meeting his gaze steadily.
He folded his arms, and seemed pausing to
contemplate her before replying.
an spoke, his voice was even weirdly
ued.
“Girl, who are you?” was the counter
question.
“My nameis Uarla. I am
of Dorn Dullam, the sutler.”
“ Are you sure of that?’ queried the low
and monotoned voice. .
“Yes. Why should Inot be sure? Why
do you ask me these questions?”
There was that about the man which
seemed almost to compel the replies which
she so promptly gave.
“Thad a wife once who was your image.”
“Indeed ?”*
‘Anda daughter, too, who would be, at
this date, just about your own age, I judge.
She is dead—my wife, I mean. Who is that
man?” pointing after the wagon that was
just turning in a bend of the road.
“Dorn Dullam, my father.”
‘“‘Areyou sure that is his name?”
‘Why should I doubt it?”
“Because he is the image of 2 man who
oncedid meagreat wrong. But I cannot
swear to his being the man. There is a cloud
over here,” stroking one palm over his
bro, ‘which Iam not able to drive away.
IfI could see clearly, I could say whether
ovaremy daughter. Itis a sad thing to
ose Doth wife and daughter, don’t you think
so?’
Intently was the gazing now.
Suddenly she urged her horse forward,
and reached down to lay one hand on the
arm of the strangely speaking man.
‘“Who are you?”
‘Tam Captain Horace Raymond.”
** But—but—who—what else?”
‘‘Nothing more.”
Then the strange man indulged in alow
laugh, waved one hand as if in courteous sal-
utation and wheeled away, making off brisk-
ly through the woods.
At the same instant Dorn Dullam appeared
coming around the bend, where he had
evidently halted his wagon.
‘““ What is keeping you here?” he demand-
ed, alittle brusquely.
“TY have had an adventure.”
“What like?” casting his shrewdly gleam-
ing eyes about.
‘A man with white hairand wearing the
Union blue stopped me for a talk.”
The skin under Dullam’s beard grew red.
Something like an oath was muttered
under his breath, andagain he glanced
about, asifexpecting or hoping to see the
man of whom Uarla spoke.
“What did he say to you?”
“That I was the image of 2 woman who
was his wife—"’
**Curse him! I shall find the meddler!””
The girl’s eyes were fixed hard upon him
as he strode off nlong the road back to where
his wagon bad been left.
But hardly had he reached the bend when
there wasa puff of smoke—Dullam reeled
the daughter
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