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THE SUNNY SOUTH.
i
3i - Suardian - SSlizzard.
CHAPTER XII.
HELP, OH, HELP!
John Grayson had conducted himself so
valiantly on the night of the battle of the
cliff that he was at once elected to the lieu
tenancy made vacant by the loss of Lieutenant
Msnsfield. And at a subsequent engagement
the loss of Captain B. raised him to that
office.
Captain Grayson had,'with a small detach
ment, escorted some prisoners to Fort Quin-
ten for exchange. And, after effecting the
exchange, he had sent his men with their re
leased comrades back to camp, and keeping
his canoe in waiting had gone on horseback
to the Halford farm to see his nominal guar
dian. But, as may be conjectured, he did
not find her at home, and so returned to find
his canoe gone.
Supposing that some of the boys had ap
propriated his canoe for an hour or so, he
started in search of it, and came on his guar
dian, who was angling, not far from the fort.
On hearing of his loss she volunteered to
convey him back to camp in her fishing boat.
Thus it happened that they chanced to find
the canoe while Vi was breakfasting like the
birds on winter grapes.
“ As Captain Grayson disappeared up the
river, Vi scrambled down from the tree, and
confronted the woman, whose face expressed
wonder, doubt and incredulity combined. As
the young girl approached as near as possible
to the occupant of the boat, the woman’s face
regained its usual expression of stoical in
difference, as she inquired:
“Where did you come from?”
“Please, madam, I’m a poor, lost girl,”
said Vi, not favorably impressed by the harsh
grating voice and the keen, piercing eyes.
“Ugh ! if that’s all, there’s plenty to bear
you company. But that doesn’t answer my
question. You certainly didn’t germinate in
that tree, for you are too tall to belong to
the race of tree toads.”
Smiling in spite of her grief and terror,
Vi said, “I {peg your pardon, madam, but I
have suffered fflauueh that^f £>ardly know
iw < jTL-rgrn U^YeTTydu VtJyXthng. ’ 5
“Begin at the Loginning, child,” said the
Blizzard, mollified by the extreme youth and
evident nervousness of the young girl. Then
a quick tug at the hook claiming her atten
tion, she gave a lusty jerk, at the same in
stant hauling a huge sucker into the boat.
“That puts me in my best humor, now step
into the boat, and sit beside me while you
tell me all; for having suffered myself, I
know how to feel for others.”
Reassured by this kindly speech, Vi took
the offered seat, and told her all.
During the recital the Blizzard’s face un
derwent a variety of changes, indicative of
regret, anger and compassion, and as Vi con
cluded her story she inquired:
“Did you learn the name of your abduc
tor ?”
“The reporter called him Shelton.”
“Just as I suspected,” said the Blizzard, as
if communing with herself, and then, in a
tone of self accusation added: “Oh, what
an execrable wretch I am ! I try to drive all
before me, and am myself daily driven into
deeper depths of misery !”
Vi was frightened, as the thought occurred
to her that she had sought the aid of a mani
ac. She moved, with a startled look on her
face, towards the bow of the boat, prepara
tory to springing out, and reascending the
tree. But checking her outburst, the Bliz
zard said in a kinder tone than she had before
used :
“Don’t mind me, child, but trust me as a
friend, and I can and will help you, more
effectively than could your own father.
Come, let us be going.”
“Will you go home with me?” Vi asked
with a bounding heart.
“I’ll consider the matter as we journey,
but at present you are safer anywhere else
than at home.”
“I should be safe with father,” said Vi,
uneasily. “Oh, madame, please tell me the
way to my home; if you will only do this I
ask no more.”
“Tush, child, you would be caught on the
way, and forced off to a life ot degradation.
Or even if you could by chance reach your
home in safety, the skulking curs would
soon be on your track. No it. will never do.
But you may trust me to take you to a place
of safety, where that incarnate fiend and his
lackeys can not molest you.”
“Is this Red River?” Vi asked.
“No, this is Sabine River.”
Vi’s hopes collapsed on hearing this, for,
although she had thought it unlike Red
River, yet she had hoped it was, and had
felt intuitively that, by following its course
up or down, it would, lead her eventually to
Washington’s Landing and home.
“Oh, I do so long to go home,” she said,
with tears in her voice. “My father is suffer
ing agony on my account.” and, at the men
tion of her idolized father, the tears burst
forth copiously.
“I would glady conduct you home, were it
compatible with your safety, but you know
what has already befallen you, and another
time it might be worse; you would not be
permitted to escape.”
Just then Vi noticed that they were going
down stream and exclaimed in dismay:
“Oh, must we pass by that horrid fort?”
“It is our nearest route, and should we go
the other way, there is another fort as near,
and sand bars innumerable, for the waters are
very low considering the time of year.”
“I’m afraid that horrid man will see me,
if we pass there.”
“Well, he might, and might call up others
to assist him in the recapture. I’d ask him no
odds singly, but we must guard against num
bers. Here,” she added, drawing from the
locker a new suit of masculine clothes, “put
these on, and then, if they see you they won’t
know you. I brought this suit as a present for
my ward, who was a lieutenant some months
ago, but when I found him, lo, he had budded
into a full-fledged captain, with epaulets to
show his rank.”
Still handling the coat, while she looked
critically at Vi, she said :
“We had better take these signs from the
shoulders and collar, for your face is too
young for an officer.”
“But my hair,” said Vi, doubtfully.
“Oh, I have a pair of shears, and can soon
snip it off a la mode. - The girls are all wear
ing their hair shingled now, to show their
approval of the soldier boys’ style.”
In a few minutes Vi was transformed into
a soldier in grey, very much like the “spring
chickens,” of a subsequent conscription act.
“Now,” said the Blizzard, “we are in
trim to defy Yankees, and if we can avoid
sandbars we may hope to get clear of these
forts by night. And to-morrow we may ac
complish the remainder hi the journey rver
land, that is, if we can get horses, and I guess
we can.”
It was the Blizzard’s intention to lodge
with the Crowells at Langdon’s Cove, and
accordingly, soon after dark she ran her little
barge high up on the sandy beach of the cove,
and securing it to a tree, struck out on a nar
row path through heavy timber, with Vi fol
lowing at her heels.
“There is our resting place,” said the
Blizzard, pointing to a farm house in a clear
ing that just then hove into view. “But for
the life of me I can’t think why there is no
light, surely they have not yet gone to bed,
it can’t be later than eight o’clock.”
On reaching the gate, she paused, saying
in a whisper to Vi, “we must make ourselves
heard from here, for there’s a guard that will
present any intrusion.”
“A dog?” whispered Vi, uneasily.
“Yes, two bulldogs that could rout a
score of blue coats.”
She then hallooed in a clear, shrill voice:
“Hello!”
But only an echo from a distant hill an
swered back :
“Hello!”
“They must be gone, dogs and all,” she
said after repeated shouts and no response.
So opening the gate, they went in. After
knocking the door with similar results, she
opened it and entered the house, and, taking
a tinder box from her capacious pocket, she
lighted a fire, which was acceptable to both,
for the night was chilly.
A few pieces of broken furniture was all
that remained in the house.
“Fools!” said the Blizzard, looking round,
“as if they could expect to mend matters by
running. They had better stayed at home,
and kept what little they had together, for the
Yankees wouldn’t a-bothered them. Well,
I suppose we must make the best of it for
night, for when one family in a neighbor
hood take the refugee fever they will all
catch it, and we might travel all night with
out finding better quarters than this—lucky
they left this old lounge, it will make a bed
for you, and these old rugs will keep you
warm if they are not as clean as my mother’s
counterpane used to be, and this sheepskin
spread on this broken chair here by the fire
will do for my bed.”
Daylight shone murky through the cur
tainless windows next morning when Vi
opened her eyes, and seeing the Blizzard sit
ting by the fire, the young girl approached it.
“Sit down, child, and keep warm while go
to the boat and bring some bread and ham
for breakfast, for it’s ugly weather outside*—
its lucky we’re pretty well victual led.”
“Oh,” said Vi, with a glance at the wi n-
dow in the corner near which she stood, “ it
is snowing. Oh, what shall we do?”
“Be thankful that we’ve a roof over our
heads,” said the woman and, wrapping her
self in a coarse woolen shawl she departed to
bring from her store in the boat a substantial
breakfast.
Vi still stood watching the feathery flakes
as they fell thicker and faster, while tears of
disappointment rolled down her cheeks.
“Oh!” she moaned, “shall I never reach
home? Alas, ray poor, dear father!” and,
shivering with cold, she turned to the fire,
and sat gazing sadly into the crackling blaze
After an hour spent in this way, it occurred
to her that the woman was staying a long
time. It was not above half a mile to where
the boat was moored, and she began to won
der what was keeping the woman so long,
p Opening the door she looked out. The
snow was falling in a blinding storm, but
through it she saw what almost froze her
with horror, a great number of men with
guns, bayonets, horses and wagons. They
were so laden with snow that she could not
distinguish colors of uniform, but her sole
idea being “Yankees,” she attempted to fly,
but instead, stood as if transfixed, gazing at
the incomng multitude. As they neared the
door, Vi recovered sufficient energy to re
treat into the adjoining shed room, intent on
escaping through the rear door, but here she
was met by a little negress, who, with the
most grotesque grimaces, pulled her toward
the adjacent woods.
With fleet steps the little negress conducted
Vi to a hollow in the dense woods, where a
long sheltered structure, now empty, showed
that it had recently been used as a stable and
cattle shed.
“Now, we be safe from de pesky Yanks,”
said the little negress. “We’re to wait here
for mistis. She dars’nt show herself to ’em.”
“Will she come to us?” asked Vi.
“Yes, sir, she’ll be here soon es dey leave,
and dat won’t be long, for it’s a most quit
snowin’ a’ready. ”
“What’s your name?” asked Vi.
“I’s Taffy, dat’s all.”
“The woman,” (Vi could not bring herself
to say Blizzard, although the owner of the
unique sorbriquet had given no other name,)
“is she your mistress?”
“Miss Blizzie is all de mistis I’se got, and
all I wants. She said I must call you Marse
Frank, but I spects dar something else to it,
but she didn’t have time to tell me all.
“Frank Hall,” said Vi, with a glance
at her uniform, which she had forgotten.
“Here’s whar Marse Crowell used ter hide
his hosses and cattle,” said Taffy, as she
gazed around on the empty stalls, “but they
done gone now, hosses, niggers, cattle and
all, and its a good thing dey is, fer de Yanks
done cum dis time fer sho’.”
“Oh, they are coming here,” said Vi, as
she saw several men approaching. “Oh,
what shall we do?”
And she started to run, but was soon inter
cepted by the blue coats, and one of their
number, in a gruff voice, demanded :
“Who is there?”
Vi was too much frightened to answer, but
Taffy, equal to the occasion, said:
“Please, marse, a young gen’Ieman what’s
lost his reck’nings. Wont ye please, sir, tell
us de way ter de big road?”
“Yes,” said the man, “come on, and
we’ll show you.” And taking Vi by an arm,
he led the way to the wagons, which were
loaded with sutlers’ stores, and accompanied
by a detachment of General H.’s men, who
were conducting a squad of prisoners that had
been taken at the battle of Del Mar.
After a short parley with the officer of the
detachment, the man who held Vi ordered
her too get into the foremost wagon, where
were several men in grey uniform.
In the meantime Taffy capered around the
wagon as if fearful of being left, and notic
ing her, one of the men said :
“Get along with you, you are no soldier.”
‘‘Let me ’long wi’ Marse Frank, he’s
sick.” Vi had fainted.
“Well, hop in,” said the man. “We’ll
take you on to the first station, anyhow.
When Vi recovered consciousness Taffy
was wiping her face with a wet towel.
All day they drove on without halting,
and, as night came on, the slow, steady march
was kept up. Faint from fasting and fright,
and almost stupified with grief, Vi slept by
snatches throughout the long night. Once,
in her waking moments, she heard the driver
and another man in conversation, saying :
“Another young rebel who ought to be in
the nursery.”
“Yes,” replied his companion, “but there
is no help for it. I suppose we must keep on
killing and capturing till the race is extinct;
that seems to be the only remedy for such a
war.”
As day dawned the teams were stopped, and
the drivers fed them, while others of the
party kindled a fire and prepared breakfast.
When it was ready Vi, with the other prison
ers, was summoned to partake of it, and
among the number she recognized Captain
Merit
Made and Merit Maintains the confidence
of the people in Hood’s Sarsaparilla. If a
medicine cures you when you are sick; if
it cures your neighbors and your friends
when they are ailing; if it makes wonder
ful cures of many diseases everywhere,
then beyond any question that medicine
possesses merit. That is just the truth
about Hood’s Sarsaparilla. Prepared by
acombination, proportion and process un
known to other medicines, it has curative
powers peculiar to itself. We know it
possesses great merit because it has
de
Cures, not once or twice or a hundred
times, but in thousands and thousands
of cases. We know it cures, absolutely,
permanently cures, when all others fail to
do any good whatever.
Hood’s Sarsaparilla is known to possess
merit or the power to cure disease; it is
known to be the best building-up medicine
on earth; it is known to be honestly adver
tised, and for these reasons the people
buy and take Hood’s Sarsaparilla almost
to the exclusion of other preparations.
In fact, Merit Made and Merit Maintains
the confidence of the people in
Sarsaparilla
The One True Blood Purifier. All druggists. $1.
__ j, rfc*«* cure l‘ ver His; easy to
nOOd S rlllS take, easy to operate. 25c.
Grayson. He was very attentive to her
throughout the repast, and Vi thought she
had never seen such searching eyes as his,
and she found her own shrinking, and her
cheek flushing under his steadfast gaze.
A few hours’ march after breakfast brought
them to a railroad station, and thence they
were transported in double-quick time to the
city of A., where the prisoners were placed
in the barracks.
No one seemed to notice Taffy, and she
went in and out at will.
CHAPTER XIII.
DARK HOURS.
As the cold, wet winter gave place to
balmy spring sunshine the health of the
people of the Red River bottoms had im
proved so much that only a few convalescents
now remained in the sanitarium,
r Tom Lee, who had taken his share in the
vicissitudes of war, had been brought home
some months before suffering from a danger
ous wound. The wound was now healed, and
he was growing strong, but, alas, his sight
was gone.
Led by Adolphe, he took daily rambles in
the odorous woods while thinking sadly of
the past spring-times when his cousin Vi
had walked by his side in their search for the
first and sweetest of spring’s floral offerings.
How she had laughed and sang in mimicrv
of the birds, with her hands full of the lovely
blossoms. How like an overgrown flower
she had looked. But now she was lost to
them, lost to him forever. He tried to be
cheerful for the sake of the loved ones still
left to him, and who so truly sympathized
with his great misfortune, but it was im
possible to repress the melancholy depression
that frequently assailed him. He often said
to his mother:
“Dear mother, your kind thoughtfulness
ought to reconcile me to the benighted life
before me, and I think it might, if we could
know the fate of my poor cousin. If I could
once more hear her voice, and feel the touch
of her hand, I would no more repine at my own
gloomy lot. But, alas, her fate is darker than
mine since she was snatched from us how or
for what purpose, we can never know.”
His father and uncle often read to him, but
instead of being interested, amused or edified,
he caught himself contrasting their voices
with hers, the dear voice he could never hear
again.
Doctor Maroney had observed that the
wounded eye had shrunk, while the other,
the right eye, still retained its natural size
and appearance, except that a thin film cov
ered the iris. This film he thought might be
removed with the knife, and sight restored.
But fearful of exciting hopes that might
suffer disappointment, he did not speak of
this to the patient, but talked it over witl
Mr. Lee and Mr. Washingon. The lattei
fully agreed with the doctor, and Mr. Le>
insisted that the doctor should perform tk