BOOK IV. HOW I CAME BACK AND FOUGHT FOR HER. CHAPTER XIV.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 398, 31 August 1889, Page 5

BOOK IV. HOW I CAME BACK AND FOUGHT FOR HER. CHAPTER XIV.

INTO THE DARK COUNTRY. I had made up my mind to follow the road which led acro3s the State line into Henderson County, thence to Asheville, in Buncombe County, and the French Broad River, which >voul:l give me a direct route through one of the gaps of the Blub Ridge and Alleghany Mountains into East Tennessee. Now, fearing immediate pursuit, I whispered my change of plans to my wife. I determined to go somewhat off the direct route by way ot Rutherford County, which would probably throw any people following me off my track. Taking a few hurried directions from her lips, for Laura knew the country very well, I took the small road leading across the State line to Island Ford, in Rutherford County, Ncrth Carolina. Ifc was only a few miles distant, Jand in about an hour and a half, by riding rapidly, I had made the place. From here I passed rapidly along to Rutherfordton, a little village and county-seat, arriving there some time after midnight. From this place, after resting my horse, I followed the directions given me, and about three in the morning reached Green's Hill. The country was very thinly settled, and that night I was disturbed by nothing save the barking of a few curs as I passed along near the farmhouse on the road. I was approaching Green's Hill when I heard the clatter of a horse's hoofs behind me. Urging my tired beast to his speed, I kept along as rapidly a3 possible, but in spite of me the sound came nearer and nearer. Fearing that 1 was pursued, and knowing that it was by only one man, for I could hear only the noise of one horse, 1 drew up in the shade of some trees to let him pass me, or to see what he intended to do. I had not been in this poaition more than a minute or twe when a form of a man on horseback rapidly pasted me. By the uncertain light, it seemed familiar to me. I hallooed, "Is that you, Caucus V • Golly ! Fo' de Lord, Massa Bryant ! I came near passin' you ! You come right along wid me. Dey is fixin' up a party to pursue you down dar in Spartanburg. Dey ain'fc half an hour behind me. Miss Laura said I was to come along to tell you. Dis note's from her, and '11 give you all de statistic. Come along with me, quick !' Togethor we spurred along the road to beyond Green's Hill ; then turning to the north under Caucus 1 direction, who had been through this country before, we followed a little mountain path until we reached the stream called Otter Creek, which I balieve connects with the French Broad River further on. The country here was very wild, and our horses were quite tired, though they were fresh when we started, we having ridden over thirty miles that night. As soon as morning came, we turned from the road into the bushes, where we could hardly be discovered, made a lire, and after eating a breakfast which I had brought with me (though Caucus had brought a much more elaborate meal with him), and tethering the horses, we lay down to rest. I was so worn out that it was long after mid-day when I awoke with a start of misery. The negro snored contentedly by my side ; the horses, a liDtle way off, browsed upon the grass about them. What had happened to me ? 1 knew some sorrow had overtaken me. After a moment the scene brought my loss home to me. My wife, my companion, my sweetheart, was parted from me, perhaps for ever ! This recalled to me the note that Caucus had brought from her. The light had been too dim to read it when slumber fell upon me. I hurriedly tore open the epistle. It read as follows :—: —

• Monday Evening. Mt Barling Husband : I send these hurried lines to warn you that a party is being collected to pursue you. This ought to reach you about an hour ahead of them. They can hardly take the road before that time is passed. Your pistol shot attracted some men riding along the road. Bassett was able to tell them, and direct their movements. Thank God, ray sigter Belle had no hand in putting these bloodhounds on your track. Oh, my darling Lawrence, how 1 shall pray for you to-night ! Bereft of your presence, I feel like a widow now— that these are a widow's tears that fall upon this paper. Guard your life, for it is my life, my husband ! God grant that we may meet a^ain, is the one prayer that will ko up to heaven, my own, my darling one, from your loving, despairing wife.

' Laura Peyton Bryaxt, ' I signed My new name, dearest, for the first time. Oh ! God protect you ! L.' I had seen the dear handwriting many times before, but never had it despair in it like this, the first, perhaps the last note I should ever receive from my wife. My eyes tilled with tears an I cursed my selfish pastion that had caused this beautiful creature to risk her happiness on the existence of the hunted creature that I now was. As I re-read the letter, and the significance of the words, ' Guard your lite — for it is my life, my husband !' came fully to me, I determined to use a circumspection, forethought and prudence in my movements through the dark and bloody land of the guerilla and bushwhacker I was now coming to, that for my own sake I should hardly have contemplated. I awakened the negro with some difficulty. At first he seemed astonished, but after a moment recollected, and said, 'Fo' de Lord ! at first I reckoned I was out coon huntin', Massa Bryant, but now I 'members datyou an' me is de coons, an' somebody else is de hunters.' I directed Caucus to get us something to eat, which he did very quickly, as we thought it safer to make no fire and eat some of what was already cooked in our knapsacks. While we were doing this I questioned Caucus, and learned that there were probably about six men in the party pursuing us ; that he knew the country quite well, having hunted over it when living with Laura's aunt years before ; his acquaintance with the country roads and topography of the neighbourhood going pretty accurately as far as the boundaries of Yancey County, about twenty milea frotr where we were. Beyond that point his knowledge was vague, uncertain anc muddled. I had a general idea of the main lines oi travel to the gaps in the Blue Ridge myself and pondered long upon the route I should take. At first I thought of going directlj west via Asheville into Tennessee ; but thai would place 'me well south of the Uniot lines between Knoxville and Chattanooga and every highway between " thei?e ,tw( places was filled with detachments of Con

I federate soldiers. I abandoned, but reluctantly, the route via Asheville, as it was much the more direct, and easier to travel. Had I not done so, the information that Caucus brought me from the road over which we had come the night before would have caused me to abandon the Asheville route. For while I was pondering the black had sneaked cautiously down to the highway, from which he returned in a state of great excitement. ' Great gosh ! Dey's on our scent, Massa Bryant,' he said. • Dem Homo Gardians from Spartanburg.' • Home Guards. How do you know that ?' 'Seed der tracks— seed 'em in de road— de marks of der bosses.' • What makes you think they are from Spartanburg ?' , \ * Seed de off fore shoe of de horse Miss Belle rode yesterday — it war broken. One ob dem fellahs took Belle's horpe to ride last night, and dar's de print of a broken off fore shoe in de road in front of us. Reckon dey's gone on to Marion to rouse 'em up to look for us.' * How many where they ?' '. Three, sah 1' * I thought you said the party of Home Guards numbered six ?' 'So I did, sah. Reckon the oders of dem went off de Asheville road to gibe us a deal if we come out dat way. 1 don't feel quite comfortable, sah !' 'Neither do I, Caucus,' I replied, as 1 saw another avenue of escape cut off, that by Marion — the main town of McDowell County, in which we now were. ♦ Look here, Cauk,' said I, ' do you know any by-path or mountain road leading from here, north, between Asheville and Marion ?' • Yes, sah. One by Three Forks.' •Whore's that?' ' About twenty miles from heah, on de borders of Yancey County.' 1 And after do you know the way to the north ?' ' No, sah ; but I's heerd folks speak about it. Dar's a place called Mitchell. 5 ' Any gap to go through the mountains into Tennessee ?' ' Don't know, sah. Reckon dar is. Dar's a riber up der called de 'Chuckey. ♦ You mean the Nolachucky, don't you ?' ' Don't know, sah. 1 neber heard it called nothin' but de 'Chuckey.' 'Very well,' said I, after some thought. ' We'll go to Three Forks to-night,' for I had already made up my mind to try and get through into Mitchell, a border county of North Carolina on the Blue Ridge, and then by going almost due west through the mountains into East Tennessee, I should strike Knoxville. ' Better not start till dark, sah,' remarked Caucus. ' Might meet dose Home Guardians on de back track.' ' Can you find the way at night?' 'Sure, Massa Bryant.' ' Very well, then ; we'll leave at dusk.' This we accordingly did after making our supper without lighting a fire, as the forethought of my wife had given me cooked provisions to last me several' days, and Caucus had taken a good stock for himself when he left in pursuit of me. I placed the precious letter from my darling Laura along with the few papers I carried with me, among them the passport belonging to the detective, Bassett. This might be of use to me in case of detention by Confederate scouts. I knew that we were now approaching rapidly the border country where some were Secessionists and others Union people, and that with each step we took our danger from bushwhackers and scouts increased. We had more evidences of this as we progressed. A burnt cabin by the roadside, a destroyed corn-crib, and the manner in which a man we met in the road took to the woods all showed me that we were gradually getting into the bloody ground of western North Cai-olina and East Tennessee, where neighbour fought with neighbour and brother slew brother. Soon after starting we turned to the north, leaving Marion on our right, and I gave a sigh of relief as Caucus informed me that he ' reckoned that we had now left de road where de Home Guardians might come back on us.' I knew in case of detention by Confederate troops that I must have some definite object in my journey, and determined to be travelling about buying up mules for the Confederate army. I explained this to Caucus, telling him he must pass as my servant ; and as we rode along asked him, as there were a good many Union men in this part of the State, if he could not recollect, in his experience here before the war, some one that he thought would now be true to the Old Flag. i" ' Yes, sirree ! I's takin' you to one now — up at Three Forks.' ' What makes you think he is a Unionist ' Wall, he corned down heah when he war a boy, sah, and dough he's trapped and hunted in de mountains heah for thirty or forty years, dey always call him afore de war "Old Yank."' Reckon he must be Old Yank still, sah.' • Perhaps so,' returned I. ' We'll try Old Yank, anyway. I like the sound of the name.' We travelled on till nearly morning over some very rough country, for Caucus took us by every out-of-the-way path he could think of, and after having gone nearly twenty-five miles, as near as I could judge, the black announced that he reckoned we was ' nigh onto Three Forks.' As the morning advanced and the light became stronger Caucus began to look about anxiously, and muttered : 4 Can't be possible I corned wrong !' Then suddenly cried : ' Crackey, I knowed I was right, Massa Bryant Why dar's Ole Yank's dorg, wid de cut-off tail. Hi, Badger 1' This last to a snarling hound who came running out of a farm-yard to bark at us. At sight of us, a girl coming out with a millc pail in her hand hurriedly re-entered the bouse, and a moment after ' Ole Yank ' himself, gun in hand, confronted us as we cama up to his front door. ' Why, dar's de 'ole man hisself. 'Clare to goodness, Mister Yank, I was skeered you war dead ! Don't you 'member Cauk — dat used to carry de grub for you out huntin' ?' 'Wall!' said the old gentleman. 'I guess I do — never forgot that h'ar of yourn. Dreamt of it one night — woke up, and found my hay-rick on fire. What brings you up here ? These aren't no good times 1 to travel.' "And the old man looked suspiciously at me. From the moment he used the word 'guess,' I felt pretty sure he came from the * North. ' i ' ' That's a rather dangerous title the * people give you about here,' I said, to test [ my idea. [ ' Yas, they've nailed we Old Yank, 'fore r the war, and I stick up for the name no ( w, ' Have yon anything to say agin it ?' Here te t *c looked significantly at his gun. 3 ' No !' replied I, ' but I want to speak to I you,' and without more ado I told him the truth about myself. f , 'Come right in here, I likes to look at fellows like you !' He grabbed my hand, ( ushered us into the house and cried out : T ' Cals, get a right smart breakfast for this k gentleman !' j His daughters, three comely, brighteyed, lithe but .buxom mountain maidens, 3 sprang to do.his^biclding. ' Old Yauk f - wag . an autocrat in his h9use. '

After breakfast t explained my plans him, arid he said": 'You stay fiere" bill t<? morrow morning. ' You'll' need a r,esu before you tackl6 the job ahead of you, for it's a powerful nasty one. I'll think over your matter, and, give you a little good advico> ' To this I readily consented. , I explained my position and plans to him, and ha answered me in about; "these wotds : 4 To mosti'men I'd say go back—to you I pays go ahead, sonnyj it' 3 your only chance. From here on every step you ' take 1 becomes more dangerous. But Lord ! boys like you has to tako some chances. Now I'll help you all I kip. You'd 'betters light oqt early to-morrow morning to Tittle's place It's about four hours' travel north , of heie on the borders of Mitchell County. Give him this grip,' here he seized my hand. 'He'll return it so/ with this he grabbed me' again. ' Then he'll tell you what you'd better do next. Remember that grip, my, lad ; the mail that can't return it to you in these parts, look out for, and git ready to have the drop on lxim. Take a paper and make yourself comfortable, while I do the chores.' He handed me the ' Raleigh Weekly Standard,' the office of which was afterward demolished by a mob of Confederates. We passed a very comfortable day here, Caucus looking after our horsesAfter supper in the evening, the girls diew around fcho fire, together with tho old gentleman, who amused us with anecdotes of his early life in the mountains and some original remarks upon the war. Then one of the girls said : * Dad, suppose some of the rebs come here to-night, what will you do with this gentleman ? You know they don't like you any too well, and I bhink you ought to have some plan to guard against any surprise in the middle of the night.' * Wall,' said Old Yank, ' they do come round here quite often. They seem to have a grudgo agin me. P'raps it's fur my name ; but then I allus manage to git along without much trouble. Why, one night half a dozen of them fellers came ridin' up here an' said they'd corns fur me, an' I'd have to go into the army ; but I jest reached 'round tnedoorand pulled out my Henry rille, an' , my gals understood it an' got their double barreled shotguns, an' I jest told ' them boys I had lived too long in the mountains to be scared that way, an' if they wanted to stop in my house they was welcome, but if they laid hands on an ole man like me they'd never do it agin, fur my gals bad the bead on 'em. One of 'em said they didn't want any trouble : all they wanted was to get some supper. You see,' continued the old man, with a chuckle, 4 they knowed mighty well I would shoot, an' I reckon they didn't want to be laid out jist then.' I said I didn't wish to expose them to any danger. Rather than that I would leave their house. But Old Yank remarked, sternly : " Sonny, you stay right here ! I kin take keer of myself, an' you, too !' Then he led me to a bed that seemed indeed luxurious after the night I had passed in the woods. Caucus made himself comfortable in the stable with the horses. He said he could ' take to de woods quicker from de barn den de house.' (To be Continued.)