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Show (Continued from first page) in ills ear, and tlio two men rode oil Into In-to the darkness. No sooner were they beyond hearing hear-ing from tlio station than they changed chang-ed their course and bore oir to the north for Dlsputantn, on tho Norfolk and Petersburg road, and wero getting along finely until about live miles from Stony Creek, when, as tliov came to the etlgo of a long stretch of piny woods, a gruff voice called out: "Haiti Who comes there?" It was too dark to see whether tho challenge was Confederate or Federal, but our two gentlemen were not along in making up thclrmlnds to recognize them its Confederates anyhow. If they turned out to bo a Federal party, tho matter could bo llxed farther along, and Hogan sung out: "An oillccr and orderly, mounted." "Dismounted one, advanco and give the countersign." "By what right do you demand tho countersign? At any rate, I can't yell It out to you from here." "I'll satisfy you about tho right tar-nal tar-nal sudden If one of you tins don't dismount dis-mount right smart an' give that countersign coun-tersign If you've got it." And the persuasive click of firearms became painfully distinct, whereupon Morgan slid of his horse and, walking gingerly forward In the gloom, found n cavalryman looking at lihn along the barrel of a carbine Inquiringly. "Lynchburg," lie whispered as near to this fellow's ear as ho could get. and as soon as the challenger said "All right" lie at once asked: "What are you grand rounds?" "No; patrol out after a couplo of Yankee spies, but 1 guess it's a water haul." "That's our errand, too, an' wo aro goin' to give it up an' get back to Reams." The party proved to be tho sergeant and ills men from the station, and they wero anxious their new friends should come back with them and rest until morning, and It was only by tho most persistent lying that excuses sufficiently suf-ficiently powerful could bo advanced : for going. As they parted tho sergeant ser-geant called after them. "You'd better bet-ter turn oil to tho left beforo you get to Dlsputantn, or else you'll run Into the plaguy Yanks." Then they thanked thank-ed lihn and rode off. Daylight was Just breaking when they camo to tho railroad, which they crossed and wero about laying their course direct for City Point when they heard horses coming behind them at a rate that boded no good. Without hesitation they took tho llrst brldlo patli that led olT tho road and followed It with all the speed Micro was In their tired horses. After half an hour's hard riding rid-ing they ventured to stop and listen for horses' hoofs, but Instead thev heard the sharp crack of a couplo o'f carbines, whoso bullets sang uncomfortably uncom-fortably near. Our two gentlemen wanted no more lmformatlon In that neighborhood, but left without further fur-ther hint and never drew rein until they crossed tho headwaters of the Blackwater, where Just as the sun was rising a blue coated cavalry vedetto pulled up his carblno and yelled "Haiti" In a tone that meant to be obeyed and added a second after: "Hollo. Johnny! Where bo you folks oil In such a darnatlon hurry?" "Wo want to come lnsldo tho liner." "Yes, an' 1 calkllate you'd better come In too. Throw up your hands an' come In nice an' quiet now." And, with tho.vendetto and ills partner carefully covering Miein with their carbines, they wero welcomed Inside the lines ami, being taken before be-fore the otllcer in charge, wero sent to the Sixth corps headquarters and after a short rest reached Grant's headquarters at City Point In a little less than forty-eight hours after they eft S hcrldan at Columbia. |