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to reconnoitre, he discovered that the ground around his hidingplace was only partially guarded, and had little difficulty in escaping. Eluding such parties as were still prowling around, he flanked the Federal pickets, travelled all night, and before daylight was safe within the Southern lines.

Such was the narrative of S―, related to me in my tent on the Rapidan. To suspect exaggeration or inaccuracy in the narrator would be to do a brave and truthful soldier great injustice; and I have recorded this true incident as a veritable illustration of the curious "scout-life" of the war.

III.

HOW SOVERHEARD HIS DEATH-WARRANT.

I.

IN "Hunted Down," I have attempted to give some idea of scout life on the Rappahannock during the late war. Another narative of the same description may interest those readers who relish wild adventure; and the present incident will be found more curious than the former. It befell the same personage, S-, one of General Stuart's scouts, and I again beg to warn the worthy reader against regarding these relations as fanciful. Imagination has nothing to do with this one; if it possesses no other merit, I am sure it does possess that of truth. It was told me by the brave man whom it concerns, and I never knew him to boast or exaggerate.

The incident took place during the summer of 1863, in the country beyond the Rappahannock, not far from the foot of the Blue Ridge. This region-the county of Fauquier—was the true Paradise of the scout. On its winding and unfrequented roads, and amid its rolling hills and mountain spurs, the scout and ranger wandered at will, bidding defiance to all comers. The thick woods enabled him to approach unseen until almost in contact with the Federal parties or their encampments; and if pursued, he had only to leap the nearest stone wall, rush under a crest of a hill, and disappear like a shadow, or one of those phantoms of diablerie which vanish in the recesses of the earth. For secret operations of every description, no coun

try in the world is more favourable; and the present writer has journeyed by roads and across fords in the immediate vicinity of hostile forces, by which a column of ten thousand men might have moved with no more difficulty than a solitary horseman. No prying eyes followed the scout upon his way; the extensive uplands were pasture ground for grazing great herds of cattle. The traveller went on, mile after mile, unespied by any one, and in presence only of tall forests and azure mountains. In Fauquier, Shad many friends whom he was fond of visiting on his adventurous excursions; but unfortunately he had also a number of enemies in the persons of Federal soldiers. Detached bodies of the enemy had pitched their tents in the region, and the Federal cavalry scouted the main roads, greatly harassing the inhabitants. To harass their parties in return was the work of the ranger; and scarce a day passed without some collision in the extensive fields or the forest glades, in which, on one side or both, blood would flow.

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Among the Federal forces, S had achieved a high repu tation as a scout and a partisan; and had also aroused in his enemies a profound hatred. His daring reconnoissances, secret scouts, and audacious attacks on foraging parties, had made' them pass a lively time-and great was the joy of a Federal Colonel commanding pickets on the upper Rappahannock when he received intelligence one day in this summer of 1863 that the well known S― was alone at a house not far from camp, where his capture would be easy.

S-was, in fact, at the house indicated, without the least suspicion that his presence had been discovered. He had been sent upon a scout in that region, and finding himself in the neighbourhood of the family with whom he had long been on terms of intimacy, embraced the occasion to visit them and rest for a few hours before proceeding upon his way. On the evening when the events about to be related occurred, he was seated in the parlour, conversing with one of the young ladies of the family, and perfectly at his ease both in body and mind. His horse an excellent one, captured a few days before from the enemy-was in the stable, enjoying a plentiful supply of corn;

he had himself just partaken of a most inviting supper, to which bright eyes and smiles had communicated an additional attraction; and he was now sitting on the sofa, engaged in conversation, not dreaming of the existence of an enemy within a thousand miles. Let it not be supposed, however, that Swas disarmed either of his caution or his weapons. His eye wandered unconsciously, from pure habit, every few moments toward the door, and around his waist was still buckled the well-worn belt containing his pistols. These never left his person day or night as long as he was in the vicinity of his enemies.

Such was the comfortable and peaceful "interiour" which the mansion presented when the incident I purpose to relate took place. S was tranquilly enjoying himself in the society of his kind hostess, and laughing with the light-hearted carelessness of a boy who finds a "spirit of mirth" in everything, when suddenly his quick ear caught the clatter of hoofs upon the road without, and rising, he went to the window to reconnoitre. A glance told him that the new-comers were the enemy; and the crack through which he looked was sufficiently large to enable him to see that they consisted of a detachment of Federal cavalry, who now rapidly approached the house. With such rapidity did they advance, that before S― could move they had reached the very door; and no sooner had they done so, than at a brief order from the officer commanding, several men detached themselves from the troop, hurried to the rear of the house, and in an instant every avenue of escape was effectually cut off.

Swas now fairly entrapped. It was obvious that in some manner the enemy had gained intelligence of his presence at the house, and sent out a detachment for his capture or destruction. The scout required no better proof of this than the systematic manner in which they went to work to surround the house, as though perfectly sure of their game, and the business-like method of proceeding generally on the part of the men and officers. To meet this sudden and dangerous advance of his foes, S saw that he must act with rapidity. alone save him, if anything could;

Skill and decision would

and in a few rapid words he explained the state of affairs. He informed his entertainers that he was the game for whom they were hunting; he had heard that a price was set upon his head; if there was no means of leaving the house or concealing himself, he did not mean to surrender; he would not be taken alive, but would fight his way through the whole party and make his escape, or die defending himself.

Such was the tenor of the brief address made by Sto his fair entertainers; but they informed him in quick words that he need not despair, they would conceal him; and then the brave hearts set to work. One ran to the window and demanded who was without; another closed the door in rear, the front door being already shut; and while these movements were in progress S was hurried up the staircase by one of the young ladies, who was to show him his hiding-place. Before he had reached the head of the staircase a novel proof was given by the Federal cavalry of the terror which they attached to his name. A sudden explosion from without shook the windows; six or eight carbine-balls pierced the front door, passed through and whistled around the ladies; and a loud. shout was heard, followed by heavy shoulders thrust against the door. It was afterwards discovered that the rattle of the door-latch in the wind had occasioned the volley; the noise was supposed to be that made by S as he was about to

rush out upon them!

The scout had, meanwhile, been conducted by his fair guide to his hiding-place, which was in a garret entirely destitute of furniture, with bare walls, and apparently without any imaginable facility for enabling a man to escape the prying eyes of the "party of observation." Here, nevertheless, S― was concealed; and his hiding-place was excellent, from its very simplicity. The garret had no ceiling, and the joists were even unboarded; but upon them were stretched two or three loose planks. The young lady hurriedly pointed to these. S understood in an instant; and, swinging himself up, he reached the joist, lay down at full length upon one of the planks next to the eaves, and found himself completely pro

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