Vilas County news. [volume], January 31, 1912, Image 3

About Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927

Image provided by: Wisconsin Historical Society

                
SYNOPSIS.
The story opens In a Confederate tent
At a critical stage of the Civil War. Gen.
Lee imparts to Capt. Wayne an Important
.message to Longstreet. Accompanied by
oergt. Craig, an old arm)’ scout. Wayne
starts on his mission. They get within
.he lines of the enemy and in the dark
ness Wayne is taken for a Federal of
ncer and a young lady on horseback is
given in his charge. She is a northern
girl and attempts to escape. One of the
<lv! e Fv. sIJCCUm k s an d Craig goes through
with the dispatches, while Wayne and My
Lady of the North are left alone. They
seek snelteT in a hut and entering it in
the dar.; a huge mastiff attacks Wayne
The girl shoots the brute just in time.
■i °X’ neT of the hut, Jed Bungay, and
nis wife appear and soon a party of
horsemen approach. They are led by a
man claiming to be Red Lowrie, but who
proves to be Maj. Brennan, a Federal
officer whom the Union girl recognizes.
”e orders the arrest of Wayne as a spy
and he is brought before Sheridan, who
threatens him with death unless he re
tne secret message. Wayne believes
Ldlth Brennan to be the wife of Maj.
Brennan. He is rescued by Jed Bungay,
who starts to reach Gen. Lee. while
Wayne in disguise penetrates to the ball
room. beneath which he had been im
prisoned. He is introduced to a Miss
Minor and barely escapes being unmask
ed. Ldith Brennan, recognizing Wayne,
aays she will save him. Securing a pass
through the lines, they are confronted by
Brennan, who is knocked senseless. Then,
bidding Edith adieu, Wayne makes a
ham for liberty. He encounters Bungay;
they reach the Lee camp and are sent
with reinforcements to join Early. In the
battle of Shenandoah' the regiment is
overwhelmed.
CHAPTER XXIII.
Field Hospital, Sixt-i Corps.
My head 'ached so abominably
when I first opened my eyes that I
was compelled to close them again,
merely realizing dimly that I looked
up at something white above me,
which appeared to sway as though
blown f ently by the wind. My grop
ing -hand, the only one I appeared
able to move, tolu me 1 was lying
upon a camp-cot, with soft sheets
about me, and that my head rested
upon a pillow. Then I passed once
more into unconsciousness, but this
time it was asleep.
When I once more awakened tye
throbbing pain had largely left my
hot temples, and I saw that the sway
ing white canopy composed the roof
of a large tent, upon which the
gulden sunlight now lay in checkered
masses, telling m 3 the canvas had
been erected among trees. A faint
moan caused me to move my head
slightly on the gratefuily soft pillow,
and I could perceive a long row of
cots, exactly similar to the one I
■occupied, each apparently filled,
stretching away toward an opening
that looked forth into the open air.
A man was moving slowly down the
narrow aisle toward me, stopping
here and there to bend over some
rufferer with medicine or a cheery
word. He wore a short white jacket,
and was without a cap, his head of
heavy red hair a most conspicuous
object As he approached I en
deavored to speak, but for the moment
ray throat refused response to the ef
fort. Then 1 managed to ask feebly:
“Where am I?”
The blue eyes in the freckled, boy
ish face danced good-humoredly, and
he laid a big red hand gently upon
my forehead.
“Field hospital, Sixth Corps,” he
Baid, with a strong Hibernian ac
cent. “An’ how de ye io.ike it, John
ny?”
"Better than some others I’ve seen,”
I managed to articulate faintly. “Who
won?"
"DLvil a wan of us knows,” he ad
mitted frankly, “but your fellows did
the retratin’.”
It was an old, old story to all of us
by that time, and 1 closed my eyes
wearily, content to ask no more.
I have r j way of knowing how long
I rested there motionless although
awake, my eyes closed to keep out the
painful glare, my sad thoughts busied
with memory of those men whom I
had seen reel and fall upon that
stricken field we had battled so vainly
to save. Once I wondered, with sud
den start of fear, if I had lost a limb,
if 1 to be crippled for life, the
one thing I dreaded above all else.
Feeling feebly beneath my bed-cloth
ing 1 tested, as best I could, each
limb. All were apparently intact, al
though my left arm seemed useless
and devoid of feeling, broken no
doubt, and I heaved a sigh of genuine
relief. Then I became partially
aroused to my surroundings by a
voice speaking from the cot next
mine.
“You lazy Irish marine!” it cried
petulantly, “that beef stew was to
have been given me an hour ago.
“Sure, sor,” was the soothing reply,
“it wasn't to be given yer honor till
two o’clock.”
“Well, it’s all of three now.”
“Wan-lhirty, on mo sowl. sor.
That first voice sounded oddly
familiar, and 1 turned my face that
way, bui. was unable to perceive the
speaker.
“I* that Lieutenant Caton?” I rsked
doubtfully.
“Most assuredly it is, ’ quickly.
“And who are you?”
“Captain Wayne of the Confederate
Army.”
“Oh. a yne? Glad you spoke, but
extremely sorry to have you here.
i ‘’dly hurt?”
“Not seriously. 1 think. No limbs
mis-ing anyhow, but exceedingly
weak Where did they get you?
"In the side a musket ball, but ex
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tracted. 1 would be all right if that
lazy Irish scamp would only give me
half enough to eat. By the way,
Wayne, of course I never got the
straight of it, for there are half-a
dozen stories about the affair flying
around, and those most interested will
not talk, but one of your special
friends, and to my notion a most
charming young woman, will be in
here to see me sometime this after
noon. She will be delighted to meet
you again, I’m sure.”
“One of my friends?” I questioned
incredulously, yet instantly thinking
ing of Edith Brennan. “A young wo
man?”
“Sure; at least she has confessed
enough to me regarding that night’s
work to make me strongly suspicious
that Captain Wayne, of the Confed
erate Army, and Colonel Curran, late
of Major-General Halleck’s staff, are
one and the same person. A mighty
neat trick, by Jove, and <t would have
done you good to see Sheridan’s face
when they told him. But about the
young lady—she claims great friend
ship with the gallant Colonel of light
artillery and her description of his ap
pearance at the ball is assuredly a
masterpiece of romantic fiction. Come,
Captain, surely you are not the kind
of man to forget a pretty face like
that? 1 can assure you, you made a
deep impression. There are times
when I am almost jealous of you.”
“But,” I protested, my heart beat
ing rapidly, “I met several that eve
ning, and you have mentioned no
name.”
“Well, to me it chances there is
but one worthy of mention,” he said
earnestly, “and that ono is Celia
Minor.”
"Miss Minor!” I felt, a strange sense
of disappointment. “Does she come
alone?”
“Most certainly; do you suppose she
°ould expose me in my present weak
state to the fascinations of any one
else?”
“Oh, so the wind lies in that quar
ter. does it, old fellow? I congratu
late you, I’m sure.”
My recollection of Miss Minor was
certainly a most pleasant one, and I
recalled to memory the attractive pic
ture of her glossy black hair and
flashing brown eyes, yet I felt ex
ceedingly small interest in again meet
ing her. Indeed I was asleep when
she finally entered, and it was the
sound of Caton’s voice that aroused
me and made me conscious of the
presence of others.
“I shall share these grapes with my
cot-mate over yonder,” he said laugh
ingly. “By the way, Celia, his voice
sounded strangely familiar to me a
short time ago. Just glance over
there and see if he is any one you
know.”
I heard the soft rustle of skirts,
and, without a smile, looked up into
her dark eyes. There was a sudden
start of pleased surprise.
“Why,” she exclaimed eagerly, “it
is Colonel Curran! Edith, dear, here
is the Rebel who pretended to be
Myrtle Curran’s brother.”
How the hot blooa leaped within my
reins at mention of that name; but
before I could lift my head she bad
swept across the narrow aisle, %nd
was standing beside me. Wife, or
what, there vas that within her eyes
which told me a wondrous story. For
the instant, in her’ surprise and agita
tion, she forgot herself, and lost that
marvellous self-restraint which had
held us so far apart.
“Captain Wayne!” she cried, and
her ljved hands fell instantly upon
my own, where it rested without the
coverlet. “You here, and wounded?”
I smiled up at her, feeling now that
my injuries were indeed trivial.
"Somewhat weakened by loss of
blood, Mrs. Brennan, but not danger
ously hurt." Then I could not for
bear asking softly, “Is it possible you
can feel regret over injuries inflicted
upen a Rebel?"
Her cheeks flamed, and the audaci
ous words served to recall her to our
surroundings.
"Even although I love my country,
and sincerely hope for the downfall of
her enemies," she answered soberly,
“ T do not delight in suffering. Were
you in that terrible cavalry charge?
They tell me scarcely a mat among
them survived.”
“I rode with my regiment."
“I knew it was your regiment—the
name was upon every lip, and even
our own men unite in declaring it a
magnificent sacrifice, a most gallant
deed. You must know 1 thought in
stantly of you when I was told it was
the act of the —th Virginia.”
There were tears in my eyes, I
know, as I listened to her, and my
heart warmed at this frank confes
; sion of her remembrance.
“I am glad you cared sufficiently
for me," I said gravely, “to hold me
i: your thought at such a time. Our
command merely performed the work
given it, but the necessity has cost
us dearly. You are yet at General
Sheridan s headquarters?”
“Only temporarily, and simply be
cause there has been no opportunity
to get away, the movements of the
army have been so hurried and un
certain. Since the battle Miss Minor
has desired to remain until assured
of Lieutenant Caton’s permanent re
covery. He was most severely
voundea, and of course 1 could not
well leave her here alone. Indeed
I am her guest, as we depart tomor
row for her home, to remain ndefi
nitely.”
“But Miss Minor is, I unders and, a
native of this State?"
“Her home is in the foot-hi s of the
Elue Ridge, along the valley of the
Cowskin, —a most delightful old South
ern mansion. I passed the summer
there when a mere girl, previous to
the war.”
“But will it prove safe for you
now?”
“Oh, indeed, yes; everybody says
so. It is entirely out of the track of
both armies, and has completely es
caped despoliation. But you, Captain
Wayne; surely you have already
risked enough?”
“There is much suffering upon both
sides, but 6urely even you would not
wish me to be other than true to
what I look upon as a duty?”
“No; I —l think I—l respect you
the more." ;
I clasped her hand close within my
own.
“Your words encourage me greatly,”
I said earnestly. “I have done so much
to bring you trouble and sorrow that
I have been fearful lest it had cost
me what I value more highly than you
can ever know.”
These words were unlortunate, and
instantly brought back to her a mem
ory which seemed a barrier between
us. I read the change in her averted
face.
“That can never be, Captain
Wayne,” she returned calmly, yet ris-
“Captain Wayne!” She Cried.
ing even as she spoke. “You have
come into my life under Circumstances
so peculiar as to make me always
your friend. Celia,” and she turned
toward the others, “is it not time we
were going? I am very sure the doc
tor said you were to remain with
Lieutenant Caton but a brief time.”
“Why, Editn,” retorted the other,
gayly, “I l ave been ready for half an
hour —haven’t I, Arthur? —but you
were so deeply engrossed with your
Rebel I hadn’t the heart to interrupt.”
1 could see the quick color as it
mounted over Mrs. Brennan’s throat.
“Nonsense,” she answered; “we have
not been here that length of time.”
“Did the Major emerge fror out the
late entanglement unhurt?” It was Ca
ton’s voice that spoke.
“Much to his regret, I believe, he
was not even under fire ” The tone
was cool and collected again. “ T will
say good-bye, Lieutenant; doubtless
we shall see you at Mountain View so
soon as you are able to take the jour
ney And. Captain Wayne, I trust I
shall soon learn of your complete re
covery.’’
My eyes followed them down the
long aisle. At the entrance she
jlaneed back, and I lifted my hand.
Whether she marked the gesture I
dc not for tne next instant
both ladies had disappeared without.
The night Jrew slowly dovm, and
as it darkened,* only e miserable
.amp shad its dim days throughout the
great tent; nurses moved noislessly
from cot to cot. and I learned some
thing o? the nature of my own in
juries from the gruff old surgeon who
dressed the wound in my chest and re
'aetened the splints along my arm.
It must have been midnight, pos-
sibly even later when a number of
rapid shots fired outside the tent
aroused me, and I heard many voices
shouting, mingled with the tread of
horses’ feet. The night-watch had al
ready disappeared, and the startled in
mates of the tent were in a state of
intense confusion. As I lifted myself
slightly, dazed by the sudden uproar
and eager to learn its cause, the tent
flap, which hau been lowered to ex
clude the cold night air, was hastily
jerked aside, and a man stepped with
in, casting one rapid glance about
that dim interior. The flaring lamp
ov jrhead revealed to vie a short,
heaVy-set figure, clad in z gray uni
form
‘No one here need feel -larm,” he
said quietly. “We are not making war
upon the wounded. Are there any
Confederates present able to travel?”
A dozen eager voices answered him,
and men began to crawl out of their
cots onto the floor.
“We can be burdened with no help
less or badly wounded men,” he said
sternly. “Only those able to ride. No,
my man, you are in too bad shape to
travel. .Very sorry, my boy, but ii
can’t be done. Only your left arm,
you say? Very well, move out in front
there. No. lad. It would be the death
of you, for we must ride fast and
hard.”
He came to a pause a half-dozen
cots away from me, and seemed about
to retrace his steps. Dim as the
light was, I felt convinced I had for
merly seen that short figure and stern
face with its closely cropped beard.
“Mosby,” l called out, resolved to
risk his remembrance. “Colonel Mos
by, isn’* it possible to take me?"
“Who are you?” he questioned
sharply, turning in the direction of
my voice.
“Wayne,” I answered eagerly,
“Wayne, of the —th Virginia.”
In an instant he was standing be
side my cot, his eyes filled with
anxious interest.
“Phil Wayne, of Charlottesville?
You here? Not badly hurt, my boy?”
“Shot ana bruised, Colonel* but I’d
stand a good deal to get out of this.”
“And, by the Eternal, you shall;
that is, if you can travel in a wagon.
Here, Sims, Thomas; two of you carry
this officer out. Take her clothes and
all —easy now.”
The fellows picked me up tenderly,
and bore me slowly down the central
aisle. Mosby walked beside us as
far as the outer opening.
“Put him down there by the fire,"
he ordered, “until I look over the rest
of these chaps and divide the wheat
from the chaff.”
CHAPTER XXIV.
A Night Ride of the Wounded-
It was a wild, rude scene without,
yet in its way typical of a little-un
derstood chapter of Civil War. More
over it was one with which I was not
entirely unacquainted. Years of cav
alry scouting, bearing me beyond the
patrol lines of the two great armies,
had frequently brought me into con
tact with tuose various independent,
irregular forces which, co-operating
with us, often rendered most efficient
service by preying on the scattered
Federal camps and piercing their lines
of communication. Seldom risking an
engagement, n the open, their policy
was rather to dash down upon some
outpost or poorly guarded wagon
train, and retreat with a rapidity ren
dering pursuit hopeless. It was parti
san warfare, and appealed to many
ill-adapted to abide the stricter dis
cipline of regular service. These bor
dr - rangers would rendezvous under
some chosen leader, strike an unex
pected blow where weakness had been
discovered, then disappear as quickly
at they came, oftentimes scattering
widely until the call went sorta for
some fresh assault. It was service
not dissimilar to that performed dur
ing the Revolutionary struggle by
Sumter and Marion in the Carolinas,
and added in the aggregate many a
day to the contest of th- Confederacy.
Among these wild, rough riders be
tween the lines no leauer was more
favorably known of our army, nor
more dreaded by the enemy, than
Mosby. Daring to the point of reck
lessness, yet wary as a fox, counting
opposing numbers nothing when
weighed against the advantage of sur
prise, tireless in saddle, audacious in
resource, quick to plan and equally
quick to execute, he was always
where least expected, and it was
seldom he failed to win reward for
those who rode at his back. Pos
sessing regular rank in the Confed
erate Army, making report of his op
erations to the commander-m-cnief, his
peculiar talent as a partisan leader
had won him what was practically an
independent command. Knowing him
as I did, I was not surprised that he
should now have swept suddenly out
of the black night upon the very verge
of the battle to drive his irritating
sting into the hard-earned Federal vic
tory.
An empty army wagon, the “U. S.
A.” yet conspicuous upon its canvas
cover, had been overturned and fired
in front of the hospital tent to give
light to the raiders. Grouped about
beneath the trees, and within the glow
of the flames, was a picturesque squad
of horsemen, hardy, tough-looking fel
lows the most of them, their clothing
an odd mixture of uniforms, but ev
ery man heavily armed and admirably
equipped for service. Some remained
mounted, lounging carelessly in their
saddles, but far the larger number
were on fcot, their bridle-reins wound
about their wrists. All alike appeared
alert and ready for any emergency.
How many composed the party 1 was
unable to judge with accuracy, as they
constantly came and went from out
the shadows beyond the circumference
of the fire. As all sounds of firing
had ceased, I concluded that the work
Planned had been already accom
plished. Undoubtedly, surprised as
they were, the small Federal force
left to guard this point had been quick
ly overwhelmed and scattered.
The excitement attendant upon my
release had left me for the time being
utterly forgetful as to the pain ot my
wounds, so that weakness alone held
me to the blanket upon which I had
been left. The night was crecldely
chilly, yet I had scarcely begun to
feel its discomfort, when a man strode,
forward from out of the nearer group
and stood looking down upon me. He
was a young fellow, wearing a gray
artillery jacket, with high cavalry
boots coming above the knees. 1 no
ticed his firmly set jaw, and a pearh
handled revolver stuck carelessly in
his belt, but observed no symbol of
rank about him.
“Is thjs Captain Wayne?” he asked,
not unpleasantly.
I answered by an inclination of the
head, and he turned at once toward
the others.
“Cass, bring three men over hgjre,
and carry this officer to the same
wagon you did the others,” he com
manded briefly. “Fix him comfort
ably, but be in a hurry about it.”
They lifted me in the blanket, one
holding tightly at either corner, and
bore me tenderly out into the night.
Once one of them tripped over a pro
jecting root, and the sudden jar of his
stumble shot a spasm of pain through
me, which caused me to cry out even
through my clinched teeth.
“Pardon me, lads,” I panted,
ashamed of the weakness, “but it
slipped out before I could help it.”
“Don’t be after a mentionin’ av it,
yer honor,” returned a rich brogue.
“Sure an me feet got so mixed oup
that I wondher I didn’t drap ye en
toirely.”
“If ye bad, Clency,” said the man
named Cass, grimly, “I reckon as how
the Colonel would have drapped you."
At the foot of a narrow ravine, lead*
ing forth into the broader valley, we
came to a covered army wagon, to
which four mules had been already at
tached. The canvas was drawn aside,
and I was lifted up and carefully de
posited in the hay that thickly covered
the bottom. It was so intensely dark
within I could see nothing of my im
mediate surroundings, but a low moan
told me there must be at least one
other wounded man present. Outsida
1 heard the tread of horses' hoofs, and
then the sound of Mosby’s voice.
“Jake.” he said, “drive rapidly, but
; with as much care as possible. Take
! the lower road after you cross the
: bridge, and you will meet v.ith no pa
! trols. We will ride beside you lor »
! couple of miles.”
i vTO BE CONTINUED.!
USEFUL FOR KITCHEN
ZINC-TOPPED TABLE IS A GREAT
CONVENIENCE.
Ingenious Bride Contrives Home-
Made Affair That Is Constant De
light—ls Wonderful Saver of
Time and Labor.
A home-made zinc-topped table is
a convenience that is a constant de
light in the home of an ingenious
bride. She carried out the idea very
inexpensively, after admiring a cost
ly metal-topped table with a raised
border of the metal all around the
edge to keep small objects from roll
ing off when the surface was wet
and slippery. She had noticed in her
girlhood home that the kitchen table
in constant use caused considerable
annoyance in keeping it clean and
sightly after hard service. In spite
of constant care, grease spots fre
quently penetrated the wooden sur
face and refused to be removed. Dish
washing stains from pots and pans re
sulted from mishaps when the dish
washer was too busy to take the usual
precautions. Stains and marks from
canning and preserving, knife-marks
from careless bread cutting, meat
stains and evidences of various forms
of cookery left their mark, until it
seemed almost impossible to keep
the table presentable while in con
stant use.
The metal-topped tables (especially
the desirable zinc-topped tables)
proved out of the reach of the mod
erate pocketbook of the bride in
search of novelties and convenient
devices in kitchen furnishings. She
determined, however, to improve on
the old methods in furnishing her
new kitchen, and to consider first of
all every possible method of labor
saving. She avoided the usual stumb
ling block of considering anything
good enough for the kitchen —the cast
offs from other parts of the house
usually relegated to kitchen limbo —
and studied the developments of the
newer science in housekeeping dis
played in the attention paid to the
construction of kitchen furniture and
furnishings.
In her crowning achievement —of
developing a home-made zinc-topped
table —she chose the smallest of her
kitchen tables, without drop leaves;
and purchased a piece of zinc to ex
actly cover it, giving the dimensions
of ths table top, without allowing an
edge for turning under. Then to give
a smooth finish and prevent the slip
pery edge that turned-under zinc
would give, and also to avoid the
rough sharp edge, she nailed secure
ly all around the edge of the zinc—•
flush with the extreme edge of the
table —a bit of wooden beading well
rounded and smoothed.
Chestnut Stuffing,
Peel one quart of large chestnuts
and cook in boiling water until the
skins loosen and rub off easily be
tween the thumb and forefinger. Then
put the nuts into stock or boiling
salted water, and cook until tender.
While still hot, pound smooth or rub
through a coarse colander. Divide the
amount of mashed nuts and lay aside
for the cause to go with the turkey.
Mix with the remainder one cup of
fine cracker crumbs, a teaspoonful of
salt, one-half teaspoonful of pepper,
a teaspoonful of chopped parsley and
the grated yellow rind of one-half a
lemon. Moisten with just enough of
hot water to swell the crumbs, but
not enough to make the force meat
soggy; add one-half cup of melted but
ter, mix thoroughly and stuff. One
half cup raisins seeded and cooked in
water to cover until plump may be
added, if desired.
How to Cook Cabbage.
Take one-half small cabbage, soak
it one hour in salt and water, wash
it well, and cut in small pieces, put
on to boil in plenty of boiling water.
Let it boil on the front of stove with
cover on for five minutes, then remove
lid or cover from the pan you are
cooking the cabbage in, and put it
back where it will just simmer for 25
minutes longer. You will find the cab
bage cooks tender and there will be no
odor while it is cooking. Be sure
and remove the cover.
Curtain Rods.
Small curtain rods that spring into
| the window frame and hold them
selves there without fixtures save
i much trouble in putting up and tak
ing down curtains. The rods are of
the extension kind that may be made
longer or shorter by screwing or un
screwing them, and they have fiat rub
ber disks on the ends which cling to
the casing of the window when they
are screwed in tight. The rods are
strong enough for sash curtains of
long as well as short length.
Rooks.
One and one-half cups brown sugar,
three eggs beaten separately, one cup
butter, one and one-half pounds wal
nuts chopped, two and one-half cups
I flour, one pound raisins, one teaspoon
| cinnamon, three level teaspoons bak
| ing powder, pinch salt. Make in balls
«nd bake a dark brown.
Wellesley Fudge.
Boil a quarter of a cake of choco
late, a pound of granulated sugar (2
i cups), a cup of milk and a teaspoon
j of butter five minutes.
■ Then remove from the fire and add
\ a pound of marshmallow's cut into
| small pieces; beat it until it begins to
j tiffen and pour in buttered tins.
1 V