North Carolina Newspapers

SYNOPSIS. The story opens !h a Confederate tent at a critical stage of the Civil War. Gen l.ee Imparts to Capt. Wayne an Important message to Lonfatreet. Accompanied by Sergt. Craig, an old army scout, Wayne starts on his mission. The two, after a , wild ride, get within the lines of the enemy In the darkness. Wayne Is taken for a Federal officer who came to keep an appointment, and a young lady on horse back is given in his charge. She is a northern girl and attempts to escape but falls. One of the horses succumbs and Craig iroes through with the dispatches, while Wayna and My Lady of the North nre left alone. They seek shelter in a hut and entering: It In the dark a huge mastiff attacks Wayne. The girl shoots the brute ,1ust In time. The owner of the nut, one Jed Bungay, and his wife appear and soon a party of horsemen approach. CHAPTER VIII. Continued. "Do not permit the darkness to alarm you," I whispered softly, bend ing down as I spoke until I could feel her quick breathing against my cheek. "Our visitors are not likely to "remain longer than will be necessary to get something to eat. They need never suspect our presence, and all we have to do is to wait patiently until they move on. I only wish I could discover something upon which you might sit down." "Pray do not think me a coward," she answered, "but I have heard of this man Lowrie in the Federal camps, and I would rather die than fall Into his hands." 1 had heard of him also, and of his outrageous treatment of women. The memory caused me to clasp my hand warmly over hers, and set my teeth hard. "It may not prove to be Lowrie at all," I said soberly; "but all these gentry are pretty mu-n-alike, I fear. However, I promise that you shall never fall alive into the hands of any of their breed." ": . Before she could answer me other than by a slight nestling cl06erln the darkness, Bungay whispered: "This yere hole, Cap, leads down ter the right, an' comes out in a sort o' gully 'bout a hundred feet back. Thar's light 'nough ter see ter wslk by a'ter ye turn the corner, 'bout twenty feet er so. You uns kin go on down thar if ye'd rather, follerin' ther dorgs, but I reckon as how T'll stay right , yere an' sorter see how ther ol' woman comes out. "'Where, where was Roderick then? One blast upon his bugle horn Were worth a thousan '. men.' Ii you uns like ter see a durned good fight maybe ye better stay tew ther ol' woman is pisen if she once gits her dander up." His voice was expressive of great expectations, and I had reason to be lieve his faith in Maria would be justified. Before any of us, however, had time to change our positions we heard the fellows come stamping roughly into the cabin. The thin slabs which divided us scarcely muffled their loud voices. "Well, old woman," exclaimed one in voice so gruff as to seem almost as sumed, "pretending to be alone, are you, with all those dishes sitting out on the table; just beea eaten off, too. Have n't seen no strange party along the road this morning, have ye?" , "Nary a one," said Maria, and I kr.ew from her voice she was standing close beside the fireplace. "Are you Mrs. Bungay?" "I reckon I am, If it's any o yer business." "Don't git nifty, old woman, or we're liable to give you a lesaon in polite ness before we leave." The leader dropped the butt of his gun with a crash on the floor. "WLere is the lit tle sneak, anyhow?" "What do you want of him?" "Want him to go 'long with us; we're hunting some parties, and need a guide. They tol' us up tho road a bit be knew every inch o' these yere mountings." There was a pause, as if Maria was endeavoring to decide as to the hon esty 'of the speaker. Her final answer proved the mental survey had not proven satisfactory. "Wal, I reckon." shj said calmly, "as you uns '11 be more likely ter find him down 'bout Connersville." "Then whut's all these yere dirty dishes doing on the table?" "Hed sum Yankee officers yere ; . they just rode on down ther trail as you uns cum up." "Like hell!" ejaculated the fellow with complete loss of temper. "See here, old woman, we're too old birds to be caught with any such chaff. We'll take a look aroun- the old she bang anyhow, and whilo we're at it you put something on the table for me and my mates to eat.". The voice and manner were rough, but I was impressed with a certain ac cent creeping into the man's speech bespeaking education. More, in spite of an apparent effort to make it so, hjs dialect was not that of those moun tains. Even as be uttered these last words, ' throwing into them a threat more in the tone than the language, I became aware of a thin ray of light pene trating the seemingly solid wall Just in front of me, and bending silently forward could dimly distinguish the elliptical head of Bungay as he applied one eye to a small opening he had ladnetriouslv made bttween the legs. lteXowSiosiofAGir vluiliorcfWra WlEDSENE&y ii i iicrmfirNMc rrv fYTHnrsT im 1 1 Grasping Mrs. Brennan firmly by the hand so that we -hould cot become separated, I crept across the interven ing blackness, and reached his side. "Holy smoke. Cap," the little man muttered in suppressed excitement, as he realized my presence, "It's a goin' ter, be b'ilin' hot In thar mighty soon. Mariar's steam is a risin'." He silently made room for me, and bending down so as to bring my eye upon a level with his, I managed to gain some slight glimpse of the scene within the cabin. Mrs. Bungay stood with her back to the fireplace, an iron skillet firmly gripped in one hand. Her face was red with indignation, and there was a look in her eyes, together with a defiant set to her chin, which prom ised trouble. In front of her, care lessly resting on the table, his feet dangling in the air, was a sturdy looking fellow of forty or so, with red, straggling beard covering all the lower half of his face, and a weather worn black hat pulled so low as al most to conceal his eyes. His attire was nondescript, as though he had patronized the . junkshop of both armies. In his belt were thrust a re volver and a knife, while within easy reach of his hand a musket leaned against a chair. Two others of the party, younger men, but even more roughly dressed than their leader, were .lounging between him and the door. ' Bungay chuckled expectantly. "O Lord! if they-only git the ol' gal Just a little more riled," he whis pered hoarsely, jumping up and down on one foot In his excitement, "they'll hev ther fight of their life." "Do you know the fellows?" I asked. "Is that Red Lowrie?" He shook his head. "Never laid eyes on any of 'em afore, but ye bet they're no good. Reckon they're a part o his crowd." The man who posed as the leader of the party picked up the empty coffee-pot beside him and shook it. "Come, now, Mrs. Bungay," he com r.anded, "I tell you we're hungry, ,so trot out some hoecake and fill up this pot, unless you want t reckon with Red Lowrie." The woman stood facing him, yet never moved. I could see a red spot begin to glow in either cheek. If I had ever doubted it, I knew now that Maria possessed a temper of her own. "You ain't no ReC Lowrie," she re torted. The fellow laughed easily. "No more I ain't, old woman, but I reckon we ain't so durn far apart when it comes to getting what we go after. Come, honest now, where is the little white-livered cur that runs this shebang?" Whatever Maria miht venture to call her lord and master In the privacy of home, it evidently did not soothe her spirit to hear him thus spoken of by another. "If Jed Bungay wus hum," she an swered fiercely, her eyes fairly blaz ing, "I reckon you would n't be sprawl in' on thet thar table fer long." "Wouldn't I, now Well, old hen, we've fooled here with you about as long as I care to. Bill, go over there and put some of that bacon on to fry If she doesn't get out of the way I'll give her something to Jump for." And he patted the stock of his gun. Instinctively I drew my revolver, and pushed its black muzzle into the light under Jed's nose. "Shall I give him a dose?" I asked eagerly. "Not yit; O Lord, not yit!" he ex claimed, dancing from one foot to the other in excitement "Let ther ol' gal hev a show. I reckon she's good ter ther whole three of 'em, iesa they shoot." ' Bill came up grinning. He evident ly anticipated some fun, and as he reached out a grimy hand for the slab of bacon, took occasion to make some remark. What it was I could not hear, but I noted the quick responsive flash in the woman's eyes, and the next instant with a crash Bhe brought the iron skillet down with all her strength on top of the fellow's head. Without even a groan he went plunging down, face foremost, in front of the fire. In another moment she was battling like a wild fury with the other two. It was a quick, intense struggle. The man near the door chanced to be the first in, and he received a blow from the skillet that most assuredly would have crushed his skull had he not dodged; ns it was it landed upon his shoulder and he reeled back sick and helpless. By this time the fellow with the red beard had closed upon her, and wrested the skillet from her hand. Struggling fiercely back and forth across the floor, Maria tripped over the body of the dead dog and fell, but as she did so her fingers grasped the red beard of her antagonist. It yielded to her hand, and bare of face, save for a dark moustache, the man stood there, panting for breath, above her. Then suddenly, almost at my very ear, a voice cried, "Frank! Frank! I am here!" CHAPTER IX. In the Hands of the Enemy. In the first surprise of that unex pected joyful ery ringing at my very ears all my senses, seemed confused, and I stood motionless. Then I heard Bungay utter a smothered oath, and knew he had wheeled about in the darkness. Unable to distinguish the slightest outline of his figure, I was yet Impressed with the thought that he was endeavoring to muffle the girl, to prevent her uttering a second cry. Impelled by this Intuition I flung out my arm hastily, and by rare good luck it came in contact with his hand. "None of that, you little cur!" I mut tered sternly, unmindful of his efforts to break away. "No hand on her, mind you! Mrs. Brennan, what does this mean?" She made no attempt to answer, but I could hear her now groping her way through the darkness toward the place of our entrance. Bungay detected the movement also, and made a violent effort to break loose from my grip, that he might hurry after her. "You lit go o' me," he cried ex citedly, "er, by goll', I'll use a knife. She'll give this - whole thing away if she ever gits out." For answer I hurled him backward with all my strength and sprang after the fleeing woman. But I was already too . late to stop her, even had that been my intention. With strength yielded her by desperation, she thrust aside the heavy cupboard, and as the light swept in, sprang forward into ihe rude shed. With another bound, gath ering her skirts as she ran, she was up the steps and had burst into the outer room. A moment later I also With a Crash She Brought the Iron stood in the doorway, gazing upon a scene that made my blood like fire. The fighting had evidently ceased suddenly with her first cry. Maria stood panting in one corner, the dead ly skillet again in her hand, her hair hanging in wisps down her back. Still unconscious from the blow he had re ceived, one fellow lay outstretched on the floor, his head barely missing the hot ashes of the fireplace; while his companion nursed his bruises and scowled from a safe refuge behind the table. The unshaven faces of several others of the gang were peering curi ously in through the open door. I know now I saw all this, for the picture of it is upon the retina of memory, but at the moment every thing I appeared to perceive or hear occurred in the centre of the room. The man who had posed as the lead er stood there alone facing us, his expression a strange mixture of amazement and delight He was a powerfully built man, with keen gray eyes deeply set In their sockets. His right hand rested heavily upon the hilt of a cavalry sabre, the scabbard of which was concealed beneath the folds of the long brown coat he wore. As Mrs. Brennan burst through the doorway he stepped eagerly forward, his eyes brightening, and they met with clasped hands. "Is It possible Edith?" he cried, as t. the recognition could scarcely be credited. "Oh, Frank!'' she exclaimed, eager ly, "it seems all too good to be true. How came you here?" "Hunting after you, my fair lady. Did you suppose you could disappear as mysteriously as you did last night without my being oarly on the trail? Have these people injured you in any way?" And he glanced about him with a threat is bis gesture. Jacket WA KMGVK Am f "Oh, no, Frank," hastily; "every one has been most kind. It wa3 a mere mistake. But how strangely you are dressed! how very rough you look!" He laughed, but etlll retained his warm clasp of her hands. "Not the pomp and circumstance of glorious war which you expected, girl?" he asked lightly. "But we have all sorts of conditions to meet down here, and soon learn in Rome to do as the Romans do." As he finished speaking he per ceived me for the first time, and his face changed instantly into cold stern ness. I saw him sweep one hasty glance around, as though he suspected that I might not be alone, and his hand fell once more upon hi3 sword hilt, in posture suggestive of readi ness for action. "Who have we here?" he asked, staring at me in amazement. "A John ny Reb?" "Whatever I am," I retored, my gorge rising suddenly at his contempt uous term, and stepping out into the room before him, "I at least wear the uniform of my service and rank, and not the nondescript uniform of a guerilla." . The scornful words stung him; I noticed the quick flush of anger in his eyes, and was not sorry. "You are insolent, sir. Moreover, you go too far, for as it chances you are well within our lines, and we will see to what extent honor is consistent with the work of a spy. The uniform of your ; service, indeed!" he echoed Skillet Down With All ner Strength. hctly, pointing as he spoke across the room; "that cavalrr cloak over yonder tells its own story. Peters, Steele, ar rest this fellow." "Frank, don't do that," she urged earnestly. "You mistake; that wa3 the cloak I wore." If he heard her he gave no sign. "Bind him," was the stern order, as the two men advanced. "Use your belts if you have nothing else handy." Angry as I most assuredly was, swept also by a new emotion which 1 did not in the least comprehend, I yet fully realized the utter helpless ness of my position in point of re sistance. They were twenty to one. However much I fonged to grapple with him who mocked me, the very thought was insanity; my only pos sible chance of escape lay in flight. To realize this was to act. I leaped backward, trusting for a clear field in my rear, and an opportunity to run for it, but the door by whih I had Just entered was now closed and barred Bungay- had made sure his retreat The man. watching my every move ment, with sword half drawn in his hand, saw instantly that I was secure ly trapped, and laughed in scorn. "You .je not making war on women now," he said with a cutting sneer. "You will not find me so easy a vic tim." , The taunt stung me, but more the tone and manner of the speaker, and the hot blood of youth cast all caution tc the winds. With a 6ingle spring, fo'geiful of my own wound, I was at hi3 throat, dashed aside his uplifted hand, and by the sheer audacity of my sudden, unexpected onset, bore him back crashing to the floor. He strug gled gamely, yet I possesred the ad vantage of position, and would have punished him geverojy, but for the dozen elrcng hands which instantly laid hom upon me, and dragged me off, still righting madly, although as helpless as -nild. My opponent ustantly leaped to his feet and starte forward, drawing a revolver as he cat:-. His face was deathly white from pesJ&n, and there was a look in his eyes wLVh told me he would be restrained nor toy no rule of -.7ar. "You cowardly spy!" he cried, ana my ears caught the sharp click as he drew back the hammer. "Do you think I will let that blow go un avenged?" "I assuredly trust not," I answered, gazing up at him from behind the gun muzzles with which 1 was yet securely Finned to the floor. "But if you are, as I am led to believe, a Federal offi cer, with some pretensions to being also a gentleman, and not the outlaw your clothes proclaim, you will at least permit me to stand upoii my feet and face you as a man. If I am a spy, as you seem inclined to claim, there are army courts to try me; if not, then I am your equal in standing and rank, and have every right of a prison er of war." "This has become personal," hoarse ly. "Your blow, as well as your con nection with the forcible abduction of this young lady, whose legal protector I am, are not matters to be settled by ar. army court." "Then permit me to meet you in any satisfactory way. The murder of helpless man will scarcely clarify you honor." I knew from the unrelenting .. eh pression upon his face that my pie was likely to prove a perfectly useles one, but before I had ended It Mrs. Brennan stood between ns. "Frank," she said calmly, "you shall not This man is a Confederate offi cer; he is no spy; and during all the events of last night he has proven himself . friend rather than an enemy Only for 'my sake is he here now." Ignoring the look upon his face she turned toward me, Impetuously waved aside the fellows who yet held me prostrate, and extending her hand lifted me to my feet. For an instant as if by accident, our eyes m?t, and a sudden flush swept across her throat and cheeks. "It is my turn sow," she whispered softly, so softly the words did not car ry beyond my own ears. Then she stood erect between us, as though in her own drawing room, and gravely presented us to each other, as if she dared either to quarrel longer in he' presence. "Major Brennan, Captain Wayne." We bowed to each other as men salute on the duelling field. In his eyes I read an unforgiveness, a bitter personal enmity, which I returned vith interest, and secretly rejoiced over. "The lady seems to be in control at present," he said shortly, shoving back the revolver into his belt "Neverthe less I shall do my military duty, and hold you as a prisoner. May I inquire your full ame and rank?" "Philip Wayne, Captain th Vir ginia Cavalry, Shirtley's Brigade." "Why' are you within our lines?" "I attempted to pass through them last night with despatches, but wae prevented by my desiro to be of as sistance to this lady." "Indeed?" He smiled incredulously. "Your tale is quite interesting and rather romantic. I presume you yet carry tl papers with you as evidence of its truth?" "If you refer to the despatches, I dc not. I sincerely trust they are already safely deposited in the hands of the one for whom they were intended." A malignant lcok crept into Breo nan's face, and his jaws set ominously. "You will have to concoct a far better story thanthat, my friend, be fore you face Sheridan," he said in solently, "or you will be very apt to learn how a rope feels. He is net inclined to parley long with such fel lows as you. Bin his hands, men, and take him out with you into the road." The two soldiers grasped me in stantly at the word of command. For a single moment i. braced myself to resist, but even as I did so my eyes fell upon a slight opening in the wall and I caught a quick glimpse of Bun gay's face, his finger to his lips. Ever, as I gazed in astonishment at thi& sudden apparition, a lighter toucfc rested pleadingly on my arm. '""o not struggle any longer, Captala Wayne," spoke Mrs. Brennan's voice, gently. "I will go to General Sheridan myself, and tell h'-i taj entire story." I bowed to her. and held out my hands to be bound. "I yield mysielf your prisoner, madam," I said r oaningly, aud not unconscious that her glance sank be fore mine. "I even imagine the bondi may prove not altogether unpleasant." Brennan strode between us hastily, and with quick gesture o his men. "Bind the fellow," he said sternly. "And mind you, sir, one word more, and they shall buck you as well. It may be valuable for you to remember that I am in command here, however I may seem to yield to the wish ol Mrs. Brennan." (TO BE CONTINUED.) 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