Show SS E F A CL L T oft n 1 if I my lady la dy of the th north J e LOVE STORY tr A GRAY JACKET by randall parrish eAu V when WUde wad erness was king illustrations BY Y ARTHUR B williamson N MI W Copy rbt lit b A C i co kt at StAtion stationery stationers ers hall london Loin lon SYNOPSIS the tha story opens in a confederate tent ata rii t stage of the civil war genlee imparts to capt wayne an important message to longstreet accompanied by bergt craig an old army scout wayne starts on tits his mission they get within the lines of the enemy and in the darkness wayne la Is taken f for or a federal officer and a young lad lady 0 on horseback Is given in tits hla charge ae she Is a northern girl irl and attempts to escape one of the borses horses succumbs and craig goes through with the dispatches while wayne and my lady of the north aro are left alone they seek shelter in a hut and entering it in the dark a huge mastiff stacks wa wayno no the tha girl shoots the brute just in ame time the owner of the hut jed bungay and hla his rifet appear and soon a party of horsemen approach they are led by a man claiming to be red lowrie but who proves bof to be maj brennan a federal officer ahot whom the union girl recognizes hp orders t the a arrest of f wayne ats as a spy soy an and id he to Is brought belora bedora S sheridan erldean wilo who threatens him with death unless he reveals the secret message wayne believes edith drennan brennan to be the wife of maj drennan brennan ile he la is rescued by jed B bungay who starts to reach gen lee UM while IV ILI wayne in disguise penetrates to the ball room beneath which he had been imprisoned pi ile he Is introduced to a miss minor and barely escapes being unmasked edith drennan brennan recognizing wayne says slie she will save him securing a pass through the lines they are confronted by brennan who is knocked senseless then bidd bidding anfor edith adieu wayne makes a dash for liberty I 1 CHAPTER continued this gave me inspiration inspiration and before the speakers sullen growl had wholly ceased I 1 was again upon hands and knees silently groping my way along the bank toward tho the rear of the hut it proved to bo be a tiny structure containing but a single room probably a more mere hermans fishermans fla fis shack without windows but bui possessing a door at either end meeting no opposition I 1 crept within whole where I 1 felt somewhat safer from observation and then peered warily forth into the darkness extending between it and the river the picket rope stretched from one corner of the hut but where it seemed to be secured around the end of a projecting log out into the night evidently finding its other terminus at a big tree whose spreading top I 1 could dimly perceive shadowed against the sky along it were tethered the horses a few impatiently champing champine cham ping their bits and pounding with their hoofs on the trampled ground but the majority resting quietly their heads hanging sleepily down the one nearest me appeared a finely proportioned animal of a dark color and was equipped with both saddle and bridle of the soldier in charge I 1 could dis d nothing doubtless he was lounging on his back half asleep upon some soft patch of grass I 1 turned when it suddenly occurred to me that the deserted hut might contain something I 1 could use to advantage a firearm perhaps per naps or even a stray box of matches I 1 felt about me cautiously creeping along the hard earthen floor until I 1 had nearly reached the opposite entrance the light from the fire without leap leaped edep up and its glow revealed a saddle with leather holster attached hanging to a nail just within the doorway moving noiselessly I 1 managed to extract a iTo IVor but could discover no cartridges I 1 was yet fumbling in the helster pocket when tho the lieutenant rose from his seat without knocked the ashes from his pipe yawned dawned sleepily standing directly between me and the fire and then turning sharply walked slowly into the open door of the hut but I 1 sprang to my feet or he would certainly have stepped upon me and before he could realize the situation I 1 had bad him by the collar with the cold muzzle of my stolen revolver pressed hard bard against his cheek A single word or sound and I 1 ore firel I 1 said sternly I 1 have no recollection lon of ever seeing any one more completely astounded toun ded lie he gasped like a fish newly landed and I 1 doubt if he could have made utterance even had bad he dared come in a little farther I 1 commanded now look here lieutenant you do exactly as I 1 tell you and you will get out of this affair with a whole kin otherwise well im playing this game to the limit now answer ne me how many men have you mount td this we aide the ford tle he glared nt at TOO me sullenly yuU enly and 1 drew draw back the hammer with an oralu ous click caldr eyeing him fiercely well I 1 said shortly do you choose to answer or die tw two 0 I 1 on the other bank banat none lieutenant I 1 said speaking low but in a tone which left no doubt as to my exact meaning 1 I am an escaped prisoner and shall not hesitate to kill rather than bo be recaptured it Is your life or mine tonight and I 1 naturally prefer my own but ill give you one chance and only one obey my orders and I 1 will leave you hero here unhurt disobey and your life Is not worth the snap of a finger move back now you face the door and dont forget my pistol Is within an inch of your ear and this Is a hair trigger what la Is your sorge sergeants ants name handley order him to take ten tea men on toot foot one hundred yards west vest on the pike and wait further orders handley he called out his voice so choked with rage as to make mo me fearful it might arouse suspicion take ten men on foot to the crossroads and wait there until you hear from me I 1 could plainly note the dark shadows of the follows fellows as aa they filed out past the fire but I 1 never ventured to take eye or gun oft off the man I 1 watched how flow many remain there now seven any noncom non com among them A corporal have him take them all south on the crossroads cross roads jones he called out huskily yes sir air take w what hat men you have left a hundred yards south on the crossroad we could hear bear them crunching their way through the bushes until the sound finally died out in the distance now lieutenant you come with me softly and keep your distance we moved back slowly step by step until we came to the rear door of the shed shad I 1 reached out into the darkness but without turning my face away from him and silently severed th the a picket rope retaining the loosened end in my grasp it was so intensely dark where we stood that I 1 slipped the pistol unobserved into my belt face to the rear I 1 said sternly As he turned to obey this order with quick movement I 1 tripped him sprang backward and ad shut the door in a single bound I 1 was upon the back of the black and had bad flung the severed ropes end at the flank of the next horse in line there was a rush of feet a sharp snapping of cords a wild scurrying through the bushes as twenty frightened horses stampeded up the bank and then lying face down over the saddle pommel I 1 sent the startled black crashing down into the shallows of the ford the fellow oa 01 guard tried his best beat to stop us but we were past him like the wind he did not fire and doubtless in the darkness saw merely a stray horse ai V 1 A single word or OP sound and I 1 fire broken from the picket rope the othor other fellow took one swift shot but K R went wild and I 1 heard beard the voice of the enraged lieutenant damning in the distance then with a rush we went up the steep bank on the eastern shore and I 1 sat eat upright in the saddle and gave the black hla his rein I 1 CHAPTER A demon on horseback I 1 felt positively happy then the thrill of successful achievement was mine and with the exult exultation attoh of 0 a soldier in having surmounted obstacles and peril I 1 nearly forgot for the moment the heart tragedy left behind the swift impetus of the ride the keen night air sweeping past jast me the fresh sense of freedom and power engendered by that reckless rec klesa dash through the darkness till all conspired to render me neglectful of everything save the loy joy of present victory the spirit of wild adventure vis in my blood A dozen spits of fire cleaved ibe intense blackness behind and I 1 know knew tho the widely scattered patrol were send ing chance shots shota across the stream A clam of hoofs rug ran out upon the A I 1 rocks but I 1 could distinguish h ath th lug ing indicating a large pursuing a 1 airty probably the tha two who were ma 10 ted at the ford with possibly other 3 th or fol lowing when they caught their ir str stayed y horses I 1 had bad little to tb tear fear fro frohbach froh WN ks Buch ch halfhearted half hearted pursuit as this wai uro suro to be the swift powerful stride of the animal I 1 rode assured me ine that I 1 was not III mounted and there was small chanco chance of contact with federal outriders outsiders out riders before I 1 should reach the protecting picket lines ot of our own army I 1 laughed grimly as aa I 1 leaned slightly tack tac in saddle and listened it was like a play so go swift an ex citing had bad been the passing events so so unexpected their ending I 1 won dered what plausible story the ibe discomfited ed lieutenant would C concoct to account tor for his predicament and whether the others had bad yet missed me back at the mansion house the stars appeared to bo be paling somewhat down in the east for the coming day dawn was already alread y whitening the horizon I 1 glanced at my watch venturing to strike a L i atch for the purpose and found the hour after three early I 1 knew was at sowder bondor church and his advance cavalry pickets ought to be as far west as the warrentown Warren town road the distance between by hard riding might be covered in three hours my horse seemed fresh his breath came naturally and without effort and I 1 pressed him along rapidly for my whole ambition now centred upon bringing the information 1 I possessed within our own lines bu bungay n agn i beyond doubt had been recaptured recapture dr long ong since for my own experience told me how extremely vigilant were the federal guards to one unacquainted as h was with military customs it would wood prove impossible to penetrate their lines hence everything g must depend upon my mi getting through in safety then my thoughts drifted to the one I 1 had left in such serious predicament if I 1 had loved her before I 1 I 1 oved loved her doubly now tor for she had proven herself a woman among women in time of danger and clearly her face with those dark sweet eyes and the wealth of crown 1 ing ng hair rose before me while word by word I 1 reviewed all that had passed between us dwelling upon each look or accent that could evince her possible interest in me then reason returned to my ayt ald aid and resolutely determinedly edly inspired by every instinct i of soldierly honor I 1 res resolved alved that I 1 would put her from my thoughts forever she was not mine either to love or possess unless the uncertain fate of war should chance to set her free even to dream of her to ci cherish lerish her IL memory while she remal remained nd the wife of but an affront to her purity and womanhood I 1 would prove myself a man entitled to her respect a soldier worthy worth Y my service and corps if ever again my namo name chanced to find mention in her presence it should be spoken with honor I 1 was musing thus lulled by the steady lope of ray my horse and totally 11 iL sensible to any possibility of peril when clear upon my ears instantly instants awakening me ae from such reverie there rang through the night silence the sharp clang of iron on the road behind rue me all sound of pursuit had long since died away and I 1 supposed the effort to recapture me ine had been abandoned but there was no mistaking now at least one horseman riding recklessly through the black night was pressing hot upon my trail the lieutenant I 1 thought the lieutenant burning with anger at the trick played up upon on him has pushed far ahead of his troop doubtless mounted upon a better horse determined to risk everything if he may only bring me bark back dead or alivo alive this thought awoke me in an in stant from my dreaming and I 1 spurred my horse furiously glancing anxiously backward as I 1 rode atit iut unable through that dense gloom to distinguish the form of my pursuer yet the fellow was coming coming faster than any speed I 1 could possibly conjure conjura out of the weary black I 1 bertrode bea either by whip or spur closer and closer upon me came rushing down that pounding of iron hoofs on the liard hard eatn heavens Heaven sl how like a very demon the man rode As a trooper I 1 could not withhold admiration from the reckless audacity with which the vengeful follow fellow bore down upon me in spite of my utmost efforts it almost seemed as aa if we were standing s till still surely nothing less than hate and a thirst for vengeance batter as death implacable as fate could ride like that through the 66 black night might on the jhb track of a hunted man I 1 I 1 was able to trace dimly lils hla out lines now as he be rose on an eminence an in my rear his horse fiorese looming dark against the iho sky like tho sq g giant I 1 a n t I 1 steeds that snorted fire in my childs picture books at homo home and than with increasingly ly louder thunder 4 f hoof beats he fie came charging str sarn 1 down toward me in sheer desp abion i glanced on either side seeking some come avenue of escape but the hig big h banks were my sole r i lining aning hope lay in a abt which sh ehte drop that cr crazed zed arute acute before hi altu truck c k ad and crushed me riding aiding u w 1 b best 01 with all the skill J I 1 th the le service I 1 ay coy body 81 s emayo bac brrning ang myself v fl amly in the deep saddie caddie and took steady aim the hammer or canio camo down with a dull dead click the revolver was ch bli argless and with an exclamation of baffled rage I 1 hurled the useless weapon tull full at the advancing brute almost at the instant we struck my borso went down with the impetus while over us both as it ir shot from a can cannon noll plunged our pursuer his horse turning a complete somersault the rider falling so close that I 1 was uron upon him almost as soon as he the ground A dip of the lying flying hoof had cut a shallow gash across my forehead and my hair was wot wet with blood yet bruised and half stunned ns as I 1 was from the hard bard fall my sole longing was to reach and throttle that mad man who had ridden me down in such demon style you unchained bovill I 1 cried savagely whirling him over upon his back 1 I spared your life once tonight but by all the gods ill not do it again V gosh goah cap Is thet you asked the voice of the other feebly I 1 started back nid and lost my hold upon him bungay in an astonishment that nearly robbed me of utterance good i god mani man to Is this really you its shuts left 0 o me he answered solemnly sitting up and feeling his 5 J k it 17 bout all I 1 know cap till I 1 lit yere head as if expecting to find it gone thet bout ther worst ride I 1 ever took 1 I should think it likely I 1 exclaimed my anger again as I 1 thought of it what in heavens name do you mean by riding down on me like that holy goo cap he explained pen yo ye dont go ter think I 1 over ever uld it a purpose do yo ye why ther gosh burned old thing run away ran rail away sure I 1 ve bin a hangin on ter ther mane 0 thet that critter for fer nigh von pon three mile an a for fer 9 a feather bee ter light on its my dinst on en ther cavalry ye bet I 1 ne never ver seed abne none 0 yer steam keers but I 1 reckon they dont go no faster ne thet blame hoss boss gosh cap ye aint got no call ter fer ter git mad I 1 couldn coulden a stepped |