IsHUfil Wfckly by the Hikk Hook Company, 37 Vandowiitrr Sln-i-t. Siifmcrliillnri l'nc<-, $^.M jht yi-iir. 
 Knlered at the New York Post OOlce as second-olaM matter, April, lnao. 
 
 yph III -No. 26, New Yopk, Septemher 26, 1896, Priee S Cents. 
 
 CAPTAIN JACK, THE UNION SPY; 
 
 OR, 
 
 IN VICKSBURG AND OUT. 
 
 By HAROLD T. ORAY. 
 
 'LKT GO vor VILLAIN*!' EXCLAIMED JACK IN DESPERATION, AS HE PLANTBD 
 r:z FOOT IN THE SECOND SCOUNDREL FACE. 
 
CAPTAIN JACK. 
 
 Captain Jack, the Union Spy; 
 
 — OR,— 
 
 IX rrcKSBUBo and out. 
 
 BY HAROLD T. GRAY. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE BATTLE. 
 
 "To arms! to aryis, boys! They're 
 coiuing like tlie whirlwind!" 
 
 Such was tlie ominous cry with which 
 Ca|>tain Jack Stanley summoned to- 
 gether liis compatiy of raw troops. 
 
 Before his men were fairly out of their 
 tents tlie gray lines of Confederate sol- 
 diers were seen advancinj; throuj^h the 
 thick woods in front of the Union carnp, 
 joining in a deadly fire as they pressed 
 forward. 
 
 Jack seized his sword and, undaunted 
 by the wild confusion and terror which 
 swayed hi< men and the Union forces all 
 about them, rallied his company and 
 made ready to withstand the awful on- 
 slaught. 
 
 The enemy's attack was a complete 
 surprise. 
 
 Tlie Union soldiers had small thought 
 of a battle, and liad been lounging about 
 their tents in a manner characteristic of 
 Sunday morning. 
 
 Many of them had not been in a gen- 
 eral engagement, and tlie first smell of 
 powder and the sight of the determined 
 rebel line filled their minds with fear and 
 caused a large number to turn ou their 
 heels and llee to the rear. 
 
 Captain Stanley's words, however, 
 called many of the older heads to their 
 senses, and before the adva-icing line had 
 reached the Union camp tlie iatter's bat- 
 tle line had been formed and a stubborn 
 defense Oegun. 
 
 " Grive it to 'eiu, boys!" Captain Stan- 
 ley cried to his men above the rattle of 
 musketry that was becoming louder every 
 instant; " we'll show 'em how to fight!'' 
 
 Like a rock he stood before his men, 
 and with his sword in one hand and his 
 revolver in the other, urged them to 
 maintain their position. 
 
 But a mountain could scarcely have 
 withstood that rusiiiug charge. 
 
 Like demons bent on the work of total 
 annihilation tlie gray lines came on. 
 
 Suddenly from a neighboring hillock a 
 battery of artillery openeil its destructive 
 fire on the Union troops and seemed to 
 direct all its energies against the brave 
 little company that held its place while 
 the troops on all sides of it were rapidly 
 —treating. 
 
 
 The brave men fell one by one untfl 
 nearly half their number luy prostrate oii 
 jLhe ground. ♦ 
 
 Captain Stanley finally saw the utter 
 uselessness of trying to maintain his 
 position, but was too determined io give 
 up the fight. 
 
 Writh flashing eyes he quickly raised 
 his sword above his head, and jn avoice 
 that seemed to ring down the lines like 
 the roar of a cannon, he sliouted: 
 
 "Forward, boys! Follow me! Don't 
 let 'em say they took our camp!" 
 
 Without waiting to see if his men fol- 
 lowed he rushed straight against the en 
 emy's column. 
 
 Half a dozen brave fellows who could 
 not withstand the force of their leader's 
 example rushed after hiui and tried to 
 stem the advancing flood, but it was 
 useless. 
 
 On the gray lines came, until Captain 
 Jack was forced back beyond his camp 
 and was compelled to see ihe enemy take 
 his flags into their possession. 
 
 ■' Boys!" he shouted again, " they must 
 not take those flags. Remember how we 
 promised to defend them when they were 
 presented to us when we ieft home, and 
 let's after them with htarts of steel. 
 Come, follow me!" 
 
 HTs band rallied at this call, and the 
 surrounding troops, catching his indom- 
 itable spirit, pre.ssed forward once more. 
 
 He led them straight toward the cus- 
 todians of the captured flags, and while 
 the enemy stood, amazed at his daring, 
 he struck down with his sword the men 
 who carried them, and snatching up the 
 loved standards, he slowly retreated. 
 
 Not without loss of blood, however, for 
 down his left arm there trickled a stream 
 of red that told only too plainly that a 
 bullet had found lodgment there. 
 
 In spite of the persuasioils of his men 
 he would not go to the rear, but with his 
 handkerchief bound tightly about the 
 wounded member he stood his ground. 
 
 But the overpowering force of numbers 
 soon made it impossible for the Union 
 foi-ces to longer attempt to stay the 
 progress of the rebel lines. 
 
 The Confederates swarmed out of the 
 woods like bees and rushed forward to 
 the assault with all the ardor of men al- 
 ready flushed with victory. 
 
 Their batteries, too, soon opened a 
 terrific fire and filled the air with explod- 
 ing shells and hurtling cannon-balls. 
 
 No human force could have withstood 
 that awful charge, and Captain Jack at 
 last, seeing the utter folly of trying to 
 keep up a show of resistance, gave the 
 order to retire slowly. 
 
 Before the line had retreated one hun- 
 dred yards, Ralph Hadly, a sergeant iu 
 
CAPTAIN JACK. 
 
 Jack Stanley's company, whom the 
 young captain had looked upon with a 
 great deal of favor, suddenly fell, pierced 
 ihroufjh the breast with a bullet. 
 
 Captain Jack saw liiin fall, and in- 
 stantly made up his mind to prevent the 
 body from falling into the hands cf the 
 enemy. 
 
 Though his face was of an ashen hue 
 anil his strength well-nigb spent from 
 the effects of his own wound, he turned 
 to his men, and in a comnianding voice 
 ordered them to halt and advance. 
 
 They were slow to obey his orders, bat 
 he waiteil not for support. 
 
 Casting aside his sword he bounded 
 forward amid the fearful fusilla<le in 
 front of him, and catching the sergeant's 
 body in his arms made his way back 
 almost to his own line. 
 
 Hut the effort was too great for him, 
 for before he had barely reached cover 
 he suddenly threw his unencumbered 
 arm into the air and di"oppiug his bur- 
 ilen at the same moment sunk to the 
 earth with a groan. 
 
 *' Sa,ve me, boys, save me!" he gasped, 
 as his closing eyes caught sight of the 
 advancing gray lines. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 IN A CONFEDERATE HOME. 
 
 Captain .Tack Stanley enlisted in ah 
 Ohio regiment abont six months before 
 ^he scene described in the pTeceding 
 chapter. 
 
 He had left his home and his old 
 mother, whose only support he was, al- 
 most at tiie first call to arms, and pledged 
 his strength and life to the defense of 
 his country. 
 
 A young man of indomitable courage 
 fl,nd widespread popularity, the company 
 a£ which he became a member were not 
 long in chosing him for their captain, 
 and as such he had thus far led the gal- 
 lant little l^and with unexampled skill 
 and bi-averj-. 
 
 His many acts of kindness and consid- 
 eration, moreover, had endeared his 
 men to him. and when they saw him fall 
 on the field of battle, after conducting 
 audi a gallant defense, to a man they 
 halted in their i-etreat, and with the en- 
 ergy of fiends once more dashed forward 
 io his rescue. 
 
 A sharp straggle ensued, and then the 
 rebels, as if in admiration of the devo- 
 tion of the little band to its heroic cap- 
 tain, slowly fell back and allowed the 
 two wounded men to be carried from the 
 deld. 
 
 A surgeon was quickly summoned to 
 >ti.ck s side,_and after a cursory examina- 
 
 tion pronounced him dangerously 
 wounded. 
 
 Indeed, he was already beginning to 
 show signs of delirium, and as the only 
 hope of saving his life the surgeon or- 
 dered him to be taken to some quiet 
 house in the vicinity. 
 
 An orderly was at once sent out in 
 quest of the desired retreat, accompanied 
 by Jack in an ambulance. 
 
 A ride across the fields soon took them 
 out of range of the battle and to a sub- 
 stantial country-house. 
 
 The orderly knocked at the door, and 
 in a polite manner asked to be allowed a 
 single room in the house for his wounded 
 captain. 
 
 An old colored servant ushered him 
 into the drawing-room, where two young 
 Southern girls and an elderly lady stood 
 gazing out of the window at the smoke 
 arising from the distant battle-field. 
 
 "This is a Confederate home," said 
 Rachel Wilson, the elder of the two girls,, 
 in reply to the orderly's request, "and 
 no \ankee officer can enter it without. 
 force." 
 
 "But, miss, he is dying, I fear, and he- 
 was as brave as a lion all day in the bat- 
 tle. Won't you please give him quarters 
 for a day or two?" / 
 
 "A Yankee officer, I care not how 
 brave, c<innot find a retreat in a home 
 which his army would only too willingly 
 devastate and destroy because we are 
 rebels." And the young woman moved 
 haughtily away. 
 
 Her younger sister had been of the 
 same spirit, but the young orderly turned 
 such a beseeching look upon her'tJiat bhe 
 quickly went to her sister's side and, 
 begged that the young officer be allowed 
 to come in. 
 
 *" I'll ^ive him my oAvn ro<om," sh« said, 
 in her eagerness. 
 
 "You had better let him 
 added the elderly lady, 
 
 "Yes, that's what I say, auntie," plead- 
 ed Teddy, the younger sister. 
 
 " Well, if he must come in, let him. 
 But remember, it is not with my con- 
 sent," And Rachel walked from the 
 room in anger. 
 
 Accordingly Captain Jack was carried 
 carefully up into one of those large, airy 
 upper rooms in which Southern homes 
 abound and placed on a couch, attended 
 by the orderly. 
 
 A surgeon soon after called and dressed 
 his wounds, but held oat scani hopes for 
 his living. 
 
 For two dajs Jack's life hung by a 
 thread. 
 
 Finally toward evening on the third 
 day it seemed as if he must quickly die. 
 ■ Rachel Wilson during this time had 
 
 come in,' 
 
CAPTAIN JACK. 
 
 not entered his room, but when Teddy 
 came to her just at dusk and told her 
 that the young capt»in was dying she 
 eonsented to go to his side. 
 
 Slowly and alone she entered the room 
 and approached the couch of the 
 wounded hero, and then for a long time 
 stood looking down into his handsome 
 face through the twilight. 
 
 Touched by pity for his sufferings she 
 placed her soft hand on his hot brow and 
 smoothed back the raven locks that hung 
 over it. 
 
 Suddenly Jack's great black eyes 
 slowlv opened and a faint smile over- 
 spread his handsome features as he 
 brpathed: 
 •'Mother!" 
 
 Frohi that hour Rachel became his con- 
 stant nurse and from that hour Jack 
 begun to grow better. 
 
 In a week he was on his feet and able 
 to go down-stairs, and in two weeks he 
 was almost himself again. 
 
 He longed once more to rejoin his com- 
 mand and march to the front, but Rachel 
 would hear of no such proceedings until 
 he was thoroughly recovered. 
 
 It may have been his bravery, it may 
 have been his beauty, it may have been 
 his suffering— who can tell ? Certainly 
 something had recently occurred to cause 
 Rachel to cherish a tender feeling for the 
 young officer, and when, on the day be- 
 fore Jack was to quit the house to rejoin 
 his comrades they found themselves to- 
 gether. Jack broached the subject of his 
 gratitude for her kindness, and ended .by 
 offering her his love. 
 
 In her shy Southern way she told him 
 that ostensibly she was engaged to her 
 cousin, a young Confederate oflficer, 
 whom she did not love, and finally ad- 
 mitted in answer to Jack's entreaties that 
 lier heart was all his own and had been 
 since she had first touched his hot brow 
 when he was supposed to be dying. 
 
 "But I cannot marry you for a long, 
 long time," she said, naively. 
 
 "No," answered Jack; "I would not 
 ask you to do that. My country needs 
 all my heart at present; but when this 
 cruel war is ended I will come to claim 
 you for my wife. And you will be so?" 
 
 •'Yes," she whispered, as Jack folded 
 her in his arms. 
 
 " No, by heaven, you shall not!" cried 
 a tall young Confederate officer, advanc- 
 ing into the room. "This man is a 
 sneak!" 
 
 " Fred, how dare you!" cried Rachel, 
 with flaming eyes. 
 
 "How dare 1? By the law of war. I 
 am a Confederate officer and will see that 
 luy will is carried out." And Fred Jack- 
 son drew his sword, and calling fr^m an 
 
 adjoining room two tough-looking gray- 
 coats, he ordered them to seize and bind 
 Captain Jack. 
 
 " Never!" cried Jack, as he retreated a 
 step and prepared to fight. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 SENTENCED TO DEATH. 
 
 A momentary struggle only was nec- 
 essary to overcome Jack in his weakened 
 condition. He was placed in a chair, 
 and the two Confederate soldiers with 
 drawn weapons stood guard over him. 
 
 For a moment Jack remained silent, 
 then turning his piercing eyes on Rachel, 
 said: 
 
 " Is this a trick?" 
 
 "No, Jack," she made haste to reply. 
 " I do not know by what means he came 
 here; I do know that I had no hand in 
 his coming." 
 
 "But we are within Union lines and 
 this man is a Confederate officer." 
 
 " A word of explanation may suffice to 
 gratify the curiosity of this Yankee inter- 
 loper in a true Southern home. I have 
 come here with these two companions to 
 spend my furlough because this is my 
 home and this woman here is to be my 
 wife. I came under cover of darkness, 
 and thus escaped captureat the hands of 
 your fellow-minions." 
 
 "Fred, you are forgetting yourself. In 
 the absence of my brother I am mistress 
 here. You have no right to enter here 
 and thus violate the sacredness of this 
 home. I command you to let that man 
 free!" 
 
 "You speak harshly, Rachel. More- 
 over, I do not feel inclined to obey your 
 command since this man is not only my 
 country's enemy, but also my rival in 
 love. I intend to deal with him sum- 
 marily." 
 
 " Don't you dare to harm a hair of his 
 head!" cried Rachel, her Southern spirit 
 beginning to manifest itself. 
 
 " Leave that to me!" sarcastically re- 
 plied the young Confederate; then turn- 
 ing to( the two guards, he continued: 
 "Take the fellow to his room and keep 
 him there till I give you further orders." 
 
 Jack was accordingly escorted irom 
 the drawing-room without any show of 
 resistance, for he saw it was useless to 
 combat with the two strong men in 
 charge of him. When he reached his 
 room his threw himself on his couch and 
 tried to form some plan by which he 
 could free himself. 
 
 Meanwhile Rachel and her cousin were 
 having a spirited debate below-stairs. 
 
 " My pretty young cousin, so this is 
 the way you are conducting yourself ia 
 your brother's absence, is it?" 
 
CAPTAIN JACK. 
 
 "That is my business, Fred Jaclison, 
 and it will be my brother's to reprimand 
 this insolence when he returns.'' 
 
 "Your brother will be here shortly. 
 To-morrow's sun will see the Confed- 
 erates advancing upon the Union lines, 
 and if all goes well the hireling Yanks 
 will be swept out of sight, and this man 
 whom you have quartered here and made 
 your hero, will be one of the spoils of 
 war." 
 
 "You're a coward and a knave, Fred 
 Jackson, and I hate you," and with an 
 indignant toss of the head, Rachel swept 
 out of the room. 
 
 "Ah, ha. my pretty one! so you are in 
 high dudgeon, eh? Well, we shall see 
 how you act in twelve hours from now," 
 and as he spoke he moved toward the 
 door. 
 
 Suddenly the dull boom of a cannon 
 fell on his ear, then another ana another. 
 
 "They've begun the fight already. 
 May it be a victory I""ejacu!ated Jackson, 
 as he sprung toward a window and gazed 
 out. 
 
 " A night attack, by heaven! Weshall 
 whip them, sure!" 
 
 The dull roar of artillery was soon fol- 
 lowed by the sound of screeching shells 
 and the long rattle of musketry, and in a 
 short time it was easy to tell that a terrific 
 contest was on. 
 
 For a while it was difficult to tell which 
 way the battle was going, but when the 
 oound of the engagement begun to grow 
 closer and closer, and now and then 
 scattered bodies of men in blue were seen 
 in gloom making their way in full re- 
 treat, it was plain that the Union forces 
 were suffering a reverse. 
 
 Jack, in his room with the two guards 
 near him, was in a fever of impatience. 
 
 From the sounds outside he knew that 
 an engagement was being fought, and 
 his martial spirit urged him fiercely to 
 the conflict. 
 
 Finally, he could stand it no longer, 
 and bounding from his couch he shot 
 between his guards and out of the door 
 like a flash. 
 
 He flew down the stairs and dashed 
 into the drawing-room where he sudden- 
 ly brought up before Rachel. 
 
 "Jack, what's the matter?" she cried 
 in alarm, as she saw his white face. 
 
 " My sword and cap!" he exclaimed, in 
 a broken voice, "where are they? I must 
 go and help them. See," and he pointed 
 through the window where in the dusk 
 long lines of Union troops could be 
 seen in full retreat, " They are falling 
 back. Let me go and lead them to vic- 
 tory." 
 
 "Jack," she said quietly, laying one 
 hand on his shoulder and leading him to 
 
 a chair, "you're ill and cannot leave this 
 house." 
 
 As she spoke he fell into a seat, over- 
 couje by his exertions. 
 
 By this time his guards had reached 
 the lower room and advancing upon the 
 stricken man were about to drag him 
 back to his prison when Rachel inter- 
 posed. 
 
 "Don't you dare to touch him!" she 
 cried, rushing in front of them with 
 flashing eyes, "I'll be responsible for his 
 safe-keeping." 
 
 She had scarcely finished speaking 
 before there was a loud clatter without 
 and the next instant Fred Jackson 
 rushed into the room, followed by two 
 Confederate troopers. 
 
 "We've won, boys!" he exclaimed, his 
 cheeks aglow with excitemeiit. "The 
 Yankee hirelings are in full retreat and 
 our lines already encircle this house. 
 That man is a prisoner and a spy, boys. 
 Take him away, guard him well and at 
 to-morrow's dawn shoot him down like a 
 dog!" 
 
 At these words Rachel fell in a dead 
 faint, while Jack suffered himself to be 
 led away to his dooni without a word of 
 protest. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 ESCAPED. 
 
 Captain Jack's prison was a small out- 
 house in the rear of the Wilson home- 
 stead. 
 
 When first thrown into it he for a long 
 time lay in one corner, scarcely conscious 
 of his surroundings. 
 
 Finally he roused himself with an ef- 
 fort and peered out through a small 
 opening in the side of the structure. 
 
 It was a bright moonlight night, and 
 here and there in the vicinity were seen 
 the smouldering embers of the camp-fires 
 of the victorious Confederates. 
 
 Before the building stood a guard so 
 motionless that he appeared to be asleep. 
 
 Jack was about to attract his attention 
 when suddenly he heard the lock turn in 
 the door. 
 
 Before he could face about it was 
 swung open and a slight, little figure 
 glided into the room, closing the door 
 behind it. 
 
 One glance was all that Jack needed to 
 tell him who it was. 
 
 "Rachel!" he gasped, folding her in his 
 arms and implanting a kiss on her lips, 
 "have you ventured hex-e to bid me 
 good by?" 
 
 "No,'' she whispered, tremblingly; "I 
 have come to save you." 
 
 "But how? I am surrounded by ea- 
 
6 
 
 CAPTAIN JACK. 
 
 emies and can never hope to get through 
 their lines." 
 
 '• ru find a way, Jack," she replied, 
 confidently. 
 
 "But how did you get by the guard 
 outside V" 
 
 " I sent Mose to him with an abun- 
 dance of food, in which was also a 
 sleeping draught, in order that the 
 poor fellow might overload his stomach 
 and possibly fall asleep. He has just 
 done so." 
 
 In spite of his dangerous position Jack 
 could not repress a smile. 
 
 "Now for yourself. Jack, for we must 
 hurrj'. 1 want you to leave here and go 
 straight back to the stables. Keep in 
 the dark as much as possible. When 
 you get to the stables you will see Mose, 
 and he will lead you through the woods 
 beyond our lines and then give you a 
 horse. Ride then for your life in tiae 
 direction he points out to j'ou." 
 
 For answer Jack iu\printed a kiss on 
 the brave young girPs upturned lips. 
 
 "And now good by, Jack!" 
 
 " But I shall see you again?" 
 
 "Yes, when the war is over, as I trust 
 it soon will be, I shall expect to see you. 
 Jack." • 
 
 "And you shall also expect to become 
 my wife?" 
 
 A naive smile was Rachel's answer. 
 
 "Go now, Jack," she whispered, "and 
 mav Grod be with j'ou and protect you!" 
 
 A farewell kiss followed and then Jack 
 shot by the still-sleepingguarda:;d n)ade 
 his way to the stables, while Rachel 
 closed and locked the door of the out- 
 house and then returned to her home. 
 
 Jack sped with all the haste he dared 
 to the stables, where he was soon joined 
 by Mose. 
 
 "Dis way, Massa Jack!" whispered 
 Mose, and the next inoment he was lead- 
 ing tlie Union captain into a dark growth 
 of underbrush. 
 
 " Hev ter be keerf ul purty soon," Mose 
 whispered, after they had traveled about 
 half a mile. "Confed'rates hab der lines 
 'roun' heah somewhar, an" 'twon't do ter 
 run nigh o' any pickets." 
 
 These words were scarcely out of the 
 colored guide's mouth before a rustling 
 to the right told them that danger was 
 near. 
 
 " Drop down !"*said Mose to Jack as a 
 gray-coaled picket turned his head to- 
 ward where the two stood. 
 
 The noise they made, however, was 
 sufficient to attract the attention of the 
 picket and he at once starred in the direc- 
 tion of the cowering couple. 
 
 " He's seed us!" whispered Mose, "an' 
 you'll hev ter git. Wiien I grapples him 
 you light out an' keep straight through 
 
 here to the road. Dar you'll find a horse 
 ready. Take 'im an' ride norf ez fast ez 
 you kin, fer dey'U be after yer like blood- 
 houn's." 
 
 *Mose had scarcely finished before the 
 picket was upon them. 
 
 He was about to exclaim "Who goes 
 there?" when the old negro rose and 
 grabbed liim about the neck, and the 
 next instant the two had fallen to the 
 ground in a fierce struggle. 
 
 Jack took advantage of the situation 
 to steal forward as fast as he could, and 
 before he was out of hearing of the two 
 combatants he had reached tlie road and 
 was looking around for the hoi-se which 
 Mose had mentioned. 
 
 His sharp eye soon caught sight of the 
 animal tethered beneath a tree near by, 
 and he soon made his way to its side. 
 
 Before he could put his foot in the 
 stirrup, however, a dozen shots rung f- 
 in the direction from which he li;ul j . 
 come, and he at once knew that his c. 
 cape was discovered. 
 
 "Well," exclaimed Jack, as he threw 
 himself into the saddle and turned the 
 horse into the road, "they'll not catch 
 me without a struggle, that's certain." 
 And the ne.xt instant he dug his heels 
 into the sides of his horse and was gal- 
 loping at a mad pace up the road. 
 
 He had traversed probably a mile when 
 suddenly there struck his ears a sound 
 that filled him with terror. 
 
 A long, deep howl, then many short, 
 sharp barks told him that bloodhounds 
 had been put upon his track and were 
 fast bearing down on him. 
 
 Above the noise made bj- the dogs he 
 could also distinguish the clatter of 
 horses' hoofs behind him, and for an in- 
 stant he was prompted to stop his flight. 
 
 But only for an instant. 
 
 The thought of Rachel, of his uiother 
 and home, and of his country, spurred 
 him on and filled his heart with a de- 
 termination to die before he would give- 
 himself up. 
 
 The exigenc}' of his case demanded 
 that he should change his tactics, how- 
 ever. 
 
 Every moment the deep bark of the 
 bloodhounds iind the loud clatter of the 
 horses' hoofs of his pursuers grew nearer 
 and added to the certainty of hia re- 
 capture. 
 
 He looked around and in the moon- 
 light could see them coming after him 
 like the wind. 
 
 He tried to urge his steed to a faster 
 pace, but the animal was already begin- 
 ning to show signs of exhaustion, and he 
 became convinced that it could not hold 
 its present gait much longer. 
 
 Once more he turned his bead about to 
 
CAPTAIN JACK. 
 
 ^^ee the position of his pursuers, when his 
 iiorse tripjjeil antl stumbled and sent 
 ■iiu-.k whirling headlong into the ''-^st be- 
 fore him. 
 
 " I lu lost now, surel"' exclaimed .>.....^, 
 and in his mind's eye he could already 
 see the fierce bloodhounds tearing at his 
 throat. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 IN A BEAR'S DEN. 
 
 There was imbecU^ed in Jack Stanley's 
 nature that principle so common to all 
 .'ispiring American youths, the determi- 
 nation never to give up a fight until his 
 last breath was drawn, and nowhere on 
 the battle-field or in other t|i^ht places 
 <lid he ever give a better exemplification 
 of this principle than in his present pre- 
 dicament. 
 
 While his fall had for an instant bruised 
 and stunnetl him, it had uot rendered 
 him unconscious, and he had scarce 
 struck the ground before he was on his 
 feet and planning how to continue his 
 flight. 
 
 His horse had also by this time man- 
 aged to rise to its feet, and Jack no 
 sooner saw that tiie animal was not in- 
 jured than his plan was formed. With l lie 
 sound of his pursuers now frightfully 
 close, he once more uiour^ted his steed 
 and dashed a short distance down the 
 roail. ;' 
 
 ■A tall, thickly leafed tree with over- 
 hanging boughs stood beside the road, 
 and up to this Jack drew. 
 
 Then quickh' catching hold of one of 
 the limbs he rajse<l himself into the tree, 
 at the same time givin.a: the hor.se a re- 
 sounding kick and a loud word of com- 
 mand that sent it galloping down the 
 road. 
 
 He had scarcely time to hide himself in 
 the thickest part of the brandies before 
 the bloodhounds dashed up to the tree. 
 For a moment they stopped and sniffed 
 about suspiciously, and then, with a suc- 
 cession of short, sharp barks, dashed on 
 again after the flying horse. 
 
 in another instant the horsemen, all 
 well mounted Confederate troopers', 
 dashed on after the dogs without once 
 stopping at the tree where Jack was 
 hidd^). 
 
 ■' I've fooled them!" he exclaimed, joy- 
 fully. " The bloodhounds have lost tiie 
 scent and 1 am saved I"' 
 
 Jack remained in his retreat for nearly 
 an hour, when he heard his pursuers 
 returning. 
 
 In the moonlight he could see their 
 jaded steeds make their way back with 
 the bloodhounds at their heels. 
 
 ,When the last one disuppeiueil down 
 the road he gave a great .^igh of relief 
 and descended to l lie grouml. 
 
 After trying to get his stiffened limbs 
 back into their normal condition, he 
 looked once more down the road in the 
 dii-ection in which the Confederate 
 troopers had disappeared, and then 
 started out on a brisk trot in the oppo- 
 site direction. 
 
 He continued to walk and run at inter- 
 vals until he thought he had put a suflB- 
 cient distance between himself and the 
 enemy, when he set down to rest by the 
 road-side. 
 
 The moon had long since sunk to rest 
 behind the low mountain in the west, 
 and Jack, tired and exhausted, was cast- 
 ing about in search of a secluded nook 
 in which he might sleep, when he no- 
 ticed the first streaks of dawn showing 
 theuLselves in the eastern sky. 
 
 At the same moment a ciackling of 
 twigs behind him caused him to turn 
 and behold through the dusky light the 
 figure of a gray-coated sentry.' 
 
 "By heaven!" Jack exclaimed, "I'm 
 nearer danger than I thought I was. I'll 
 have to make quick tracks out of here." 
 
 So saying, he jrroped his way along the 
 road in the fnendly shade of a thick 
 hedge, and was finally out of sight of the 
 enemy's picket. 
 
 " Not knowing the position of the rebs, 
 it'll not be safe for me to show myself 
 very much. I think 111 just worry along 
 to the hills yonder and try to find a hid- 
 ing-place there." 
 
 A quiet journey of half an hour 
 brought Jack to a range of hills whose 
 sides were thickly grown with trees. 
 
 He worked about for a few moments, 
 and was soon rewarded by finding the 
 entrance to a small cave. 
 
 Without a thought of danger he 
 crawled in and tried to' make himself 
 comfortable a short distance from the 
 mouth of the cave. 
 
 It was not long before he had fallen 
 fast asleep. 
 
 He had probably lain in this condition 
 for nearly an hour, when he was sud- 
 denly awakened by a low growl in front 
 of him. 
 
 He quickly raised himself on his knees, 
 antl saw but a few feet before him a great 
 black bear with glaring eyes and sliining 
 teeth advancing slowly toward him. 
 
 Jack immediately drew back and felt 
 about his person in search of a weapon 
 of some kind. Luckily he found in one 
 of his pockets a large knife which he had 
 carried to war. 
 
 This he drew out and opened in haste. 
 
 The bear continued to advance, and 
 Jack, not wishing to engage such a foe 
 
8 
 
 CAPTAIN JACK. 
 
 if it were possible to escape without a 
 conflict, drew back. 
 
 He had continued these tactics until 
 he found himself unable to proceed 
 further on account of the smallness of 
 the cave. 
 
 Just as he had reached' this point an 
 ominous growl from beijind told him 
 that he was surrounded, and that his 
 only hope was to fight. 
 
 Without waiting for the bears to at- 
 tack him, he at once sprung upon the 
 animal in front of him, plunging his 
 ^ knife directly at its throat. 
 
 The blow was well-aimed, and with a 
 yelp of pain the wounded bear leaped 
 forward toward Jack. . 
 
 But Jack was prepared and met the 
 leap with another blow in the some spot 
 as the former one. 
 
 The blood spurted from the gaping 
 wounds and some of it dashing into our 
 hero's eyes almost blinded him for an 
 instant. 
 
 The animal behind him had not heard 
 the cries of- pain of its companion with- 
 out making a move. 
 
 It had crawled forward until it was 
 almost at Jack's feet and was just in the 
 act of catching him in its^embrace when 
 Jack's hand, suddenly drawn back to 
 give the animal in front of him the de- 
 spatching blow struck it squarely in the 
 eyes. 
 
 For a moment the bear was dazed, and 
 that moment Jack sent home the thrust 
 which caused the animal before him to 
 keel over in a death-struggle and expire 
 without a groan. 
 
 Jack then sprung in haste toward the 
 opening of the cave, but had not gone 
 half the distance when a blow from the 
 paw of the second bear struck him to the 
 ground. 
 
 In the fall Jack lost his hold upon the 
 knife and his' heart sunk within him as 
 he beheld it strike the ground entirely 
 out of his reach. ' 
 
 Before he could make up his mind what 
 to do the bear had seized him in its tight 
 clutch and was squeezing him in a man- 
 ner that threatened quickly to take the 
 life out of him. 
 
 CHAPTER VL 
 
 ON A SECRET MISSION. 
 
 Luckily for Jack one of his arms was 
 free, and quick a? a flash he fastened his 
 fingers in the throat of the black foe and 
 pressed with all his might. Bruin evi- 
 dently felt the pressure, for one of his 
 paws quickly loosened. 
 
 " Now's my chance!' thought Jack, as 
 he dug his fingers deeper into the ani- 
 mal's throat. 
 
 There was a dull, gurgling noise, and 
 then our hero had the satisfaction of see- 
 ing the bear keel over on his back, bring- 
 ing Jack witli him. 
 
 But Jack had his wits about him now 
 and was not slow to use his advantage. 
 
 He grabbed up his knife and with a 
 powerful blow sent it deep into bruin's 
 breast. 
 
 With a convulsive shiver the animal 
 straightened out and died. 
 
 " I'll stay here no longer," our hero ex- 
 'claimedlas he gazed on the two inanimate 
 forms before him. " I don't want to en- 
 gage in any more bear fights just at pres- 
 ent. I'd rather fight rebels." And with 
 a bound he was out of the cave, down 
 the mountain side and along the road at 
 a lively gait. 
 
 He had just passed a clump of thickly 
 growing bushes in his flight when he was 
 suddenly brought to a halt by a loud 
 "Who goes there?" and looking round he 
 saw one of the boys of his own company 
 with his gun leveled at him. 
 
 " Halloo, Phil," exclaimed Jack, rush- 
 ing back and grasping the picket's hand; 
 " you don't mean to say I'm within Union 
 lines?" 
 
 " Yes, captain," was the answer. "I 
 belong to the outside picket. Our camps 
 are beyond that big growth of trees." 
 
 "Thank God I'm safe again. But I 
 must hurry along. I'll see you again 
 shortly." And with a kindly smile that 
 had won for Jack the love of his boys he 
 dashed along the road and into the camp. 
 The men no sooner beheld their de- 
 voted captain than a loud cheer rent the 
 air and he was quickly lifted on to their 
 shoulders and carried to his tent. 
 
 He had scarcely made himself ac- 
 quainted with the surroundings before 
 an order came for him to present himself 
 at once at the headquarters of General 
 Grant. 
 
 Startled almost out of his boots Jack 
 spruced himself up as well as he could 
 and was escorted to the tent of the com- 
 mander of the army with a fast-beating 
 heart. 
 
 As Jack entered the general was seated, 
 surrounded by two of his chiefs, intently 
 surveying a military map and smoking 
 his usual cigar. 
 
 He looked up as Jack approached, and 
 seeing who it was, rose quickly t*> his 
 feet, and grasping Jack's hand, exclaimed 
 feelingly: 
 
 "Young man, you were one of the 
 heroes of Shiloh and I want to tender 
 you my thanks." 
 
 Jack blushed like a school-boy, but 
 managed to raise his eyes and say with a 
 firm voice: 
 " I only did my duty." 
 
CAPTAIN JACK. 
 
 9 
 
 "And it was well done, and for it I'm 
 going to attach you to my personal stall' 
 for special service. You will have those 
 straps changed when you leave here. Sit 
 a moment and I'll tell you what I want 
 done." 
 
 Jack waited in silence and in a short 
 time, when the other officers had with- 
 drawn, General Grant turned to him and 
 said: 
 
 " Young man, I want you to do the 
 most dangerous thing you have ever 
 done, or probably will ever again have 
 to do, in your life. I want you to get 
 into Vicksburg, which I now intend to 
 capture, and find out all you can regard- 
 ifig the strength and situation of the 
 opposing forces there. Will you do it?" 
 
 Without a moment's hesitation Jack 
 replied: 
 
 " I will, sir!" 
 
 " Well said, young man. You will get 
 your reward if you do your work well." 
 
 "When am I to start, general?" 
 
 " Within an hour. You must return 
 here in half an hour for further instruc- 
 tions. Meanwhile your time is your 
 own." 
 
 Jack returned quickly to his old com- 
 mand but thought it best to keep his lips 
 sealed regarding his future movements. 
 On leaving them, however, he bade them 
 all good-by affectionately, and gave a 
 special commission to one of his friends 
 which was to be rendered to his mother in 
 case he never returned. 
 
 Many a wet eye watched the handsome 
 young fellow as he made his way back to 
 General Grant's headquarters, and msny 
 were the conjectures as to his probable 
 ^mission. 
 
 "I cannot tell you any more than I 
 have already regarding your work, young 
 luan," said the general, walking up to 
 Jack; "I can only warn you to keep your 
 eyes and ears open all the time and be 
 .sure not to let the enemy find out who 
 you are. It is needless to tell you that 
 they will make short work of you should 
 they discover your real character. Now 
 go and may good fortune attend you!" 
 
 Jack touched his cap and left the tent 
 immediately. 
 
 He was taken in charge by one of the 
 general's aides and supplied with a good- 
 ly amount of money, and a civilian's suit 
 .)f clothes. He was then escorted to the 
 outer lines of the camp and with a hearty 
 Godspeed directed on his mission. 
 
 Though weaK and exhausted from his 
 recent experience Jack'tj ambition served 
 to keep him at work, and he started on 
 his journey with almost a light heart. 
 
 He continued to go forward, asking 
 information from time to time from the 
 houses along the road. 
 
 Finally he reached a small town 
 through which a railroad run, and board- 
 ing the cars was soon whirling along 
 toward danger. 
 
 Jack took advantage of the favorable 
 opportunity to secure much-needed rest, 
 and before thetiain had proceeded far 
 he Was fast asleep. When he awoke 
 he found that it was growing dusk. He 
 looked around to find the conductor, 
 when he noticed directly in front of him 
 two officers dressed in Confederate 
 uniform, earnestly engaged in conversa- 
 tion. 
 
 He learned forward to get a closer look 
 at them and to hear their words, when 
 one of the officers, chancing to turn 
 slightly, afforded Jack a view of his face. 
 
 It was Fred Jackson, Rachel's cousin, 
 and his rival in love! 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 WITHIN THB enemy's LINES. 
 
 Jack instantly drew his face into an 
 obscured corner, when he recognized the 
 young Confederate officer, but determined 
 to hear what the conversation was about. 
 So he leaned forward as far as possible, 
 resting and partly concealing his face in 
 his hands. 
 
 "The young whelp got away the other 
 niglit in the dark," Jackson was saying 
 to his companion, who was none other 
 than the brother of Rachel and Teddy 
 Wilson, " and I firmly believe that 
 Rachel had a hand in his escape. He 
 was pursued in hot haste after the dis- 
 covery of his flight, but only his horse 
 which was riderless was brought back. 
 It's soniething of a mystery what became 
 of him." 
 
 Jack almost smiled at these words and 
 wondered how the two men in front of 
 him would act if they knew that the 
 captive of the night before was so near 
 them. 
 
 "But what arp you going to do at 
 Vicksburg?" asked Paul Wilson. " Your 
 command is not there." 
 
 " It's special service I've been sent to do 
 by General Beauregard. He's heard that 
 Grant intends to immediately move on 
 that city, and that the Union spies are 
 already within the place learning of its 
 strength. I am deputized to see if I can 
 discover any of them." 
 
 "But why didn t they select somebody 
 in the city? I'm there with my com- 
 mand. Why didn't they pick me out?" 
 
 " That's one of the things, dear fellow, 
 that I don't know." 
 
 "But entrance to the city is closed!" 
 
 "Yes, To everybody but those who 
 have clear credentials, which are possible 
 to obtain only from headquarters." 
 
10 
 
 CAPTAIN JACK. 
 
 "This train doesn't run into Vicks- 
 bur<r?" said Paul, after a pause. 
 - " No, it stops six miles north of here, 
 and I'll have to tramp that distance along 
 a dark road to-night to reach the city. 
 But if I'm to have you for a companion 
 I'll not mind it much."' 
 
 " But I'm not going through now-. I've 
 got to stop near here and order some 
 forage and then ride into the city on 
 hor.se baciv." 
 
 ''But you'll get into the city to-night, 
 won't you?" asked Jackson, anxiously. 
 
 "Oh. yes, I'll be there before you are, 
 Fred, for I've got to attend a ball there 
 to-night." 
 
 "The one you were telling me about?" 
 
 "Tlie same; but here's my getting-off 
 place," he answered hastily, as he jumped 
 from his seat and made for the door; 
 "good-by, and take care of yourself." 
 
 The next moment he had swung him- 
 self from the train. 
 
 "You'll not be in the same lively spirits 
 you are now the next time we meet, I'm 
 thinking," Jackson muttered under his 
 breath as he saw his cousin depart. 
 
 He looked about the car but paid no 
 particular attention to the closely-muffled 
 figure directly behind him. 
 
 Another half-hour's ride brought the 
 train to the end of its route, and the 
 Confederate officer quickly left the car, 
 and after making a few inquiries as to 
 the route to Vicksburg, he started down 
 the road. 
 
 It was already beginning to grow dark, 
 and Jack, after allowing his rival to get 
 a considerable distance ahead, madeafter 
 hiiu, trusting to the night to offer him 
 sufficient concealment. 
 
 ''l must have his credentials," said 
 Jack to himself as he plodded along; "if 
 I get them 1 can enter the city in safety 
 and do my work in short order." 
 
 The roiaid along which the two men 
 were now passing was thickly grown on 
 both sides with heavy timber, which cast 
 its shade so thickly that Jack almost lost 
 sight of the officer he was following. 
 
 Neither house nor habitation of any 
 kind was to beseen and the surroundings 
 seemed absolutely deserted. 
 
 " Now's my chance!" exclaimed Jack, 
 and pulling his revolver, he started on a 
 silent trot after Jackson. 
 
 He had approached within a half-dozen 
 paces of his man when the latter, hearing 
 the footsteps behind him, suddenly 
 turned and confronted Jack. 
 
 He did not recognize him in the dusk, 
 but he saw the flashing revolver and in- 
 stantly made a move to draw his own 
 weapon. 
 
 "Put up your hands!" cried Jack, 
 leveling his revolver at the other's head. 
 
 Jackson instantly recognized the voice 
 of his rival, and forgetting the command 
 in his excitement, exclaimed: 
 
 " How did you get here?" 
 
 "Put up your hands!" ordered Jack 
 again, and the click of his revolver 
 sounded ominously on the young Con- 
 federate's ear. 
 
 Jackson threw his hands into the air 
 and waited in anxious silence for Jack's 
 next move. 
 
 " Now, sir, I don't want to injure you, 
 although you deserve to be after your 
 cowardly conduct. I'll treat you with- 
 out violence if you'll juat kindly and 
 quickly hand over the credentials whioii 
 you have on your person and which are 
 necessary to secure an entrance into 
 Vicksburg." 
 
 "So you're a spy, eh?" exclaimed Jack- 
 son, with a sneer. 
 
 " It does not matter what I am at pres- 
 ent. 1 want those papeus, and in a 
 hurry, too,'' Jack said as he stepped one 
 pace nearer Jack.^on. 
 
 "Well, you'll have to have them, I 
 suppose," he replied in a manner that 
 showed our hero at once that he was ti'y- 
 ing to gain time. 
 
 " Yes, and in a hurry if you don't want 
 the contents of this revolver," said Jack 
 in a voice that showed he meant what hs 
 said. 
 
 Jackson put his hand in an inner 
 pocket as if to draw out the papers de- 
 manded, but itjstead he pulled out H re- 
 volver, and before Jack was aware of his 
 pui'poss shoved it into our hero's face 
 and fired. 
 
 Jack drew away just in time to save 
 himself and then quickly knocked the re-* 
 vol ver from Jackson's hand to the fur- 
 ther side of tlie road. 
 
 "I dislike to wound you intentionally, 
 and do not intend to take unfair advtin- 
 tatre cf you, but I niu.st h.uve tiiu.x'-' papers. 
 There's my revolver.'' And Jack laiil ic 
 in the road beside his foe's. '" Now exjuie 
 on if there's any figlit in you, antl show 
 the stuff you're made of." 
 
 Beft)re Jacksi>u had any time to draw 
 back or take to his le^i's our hero had 
 seized him about tiie neck and borne him 
 to the ground. Tlie iiexc iijsr;ii>t he lia<l 
 pressed his knee upon the fallen man's 
 breast and firmly seeuretl him. Then he 
 took the handkerchief from his pocket 
 and lur ling Jackson on his face tightly 
 bound Ills hands and arms behind liim. 
 
 He then took his own handkerchief 
 and bound firmly together liis rival's 
 feet. 
 
 Jackson gnashed his teeth in rage when 
 he fouiid himself so utterly powerless, 
 anil looked on with muttered threats a» 
 Jack took from his pocket his credentials. 
 
CAPTAIN JACK. 
 
 11 
 
 " Now, sir," our hero continued, with a 
 grim smile, " I'm going to trouble yon 
 for your coat, vest and trousers. They'll 
 fit me very well and will stand me ia good 
 stead in the little job I'm about to under- 
 take." 
 
 Jackson at first attempted to resist but 
 he found himself so utterly helpless in 
 Jack's hanJs that he gave up in despair 
 and quietly allowed his clothes to be 
 removed and Jack's to be substituted. 
 
 "You'll rue this, my fine fellovvl' he 
 finally exclaimed, when Jack had com- 
 pleted dressing himself in the Confed- 
 erate uniform. 
 
 "All's fair in war, ray friend; it may be 
 your turn to be on top to-morrow." 
 
 So saving Jack placed the credentials 
 in his pocket and picked up the revolvers 
 and disposed them about his person. He 
 then dragged his helpless foe to the side 
 of the road and with a sarcastic adieu 
 started down the road on a run. 
 
 In an hour he reached the Vicksburg 
 outposts and was soon stop{3ed by pickets. 
 His credentials, however, signed by a 
 Confederate general, quickly secured for 
 him passage through the lines, and in a 
 very short time he was within the rebel 
 city. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 AT HEADQUARTERS. 
 
 The night was quite dark when Jack 
 finalh' found himself alone, and for a 
 long time he wandered up one street and 
 down another in an indefinite way, try- 
 ing to get the lay of the land. 
 
 The city was alreadj' under military 
 control, and tlie guards he Uiet scanned 
 him in a suspicious manner. Paying 
 but little attention to them he tried to 
 formulate some plan by which he could 
 reach the headquarters of General Peui- 
 berton, who was in commana of the 
 city. 
 
 " ril have to hustle if I want to get my 
 information from that quarter," he said 
 to himself, "for the young gentleman I 
 left down the road will surely be on my 
 heels in a very short time. Wonder 
 where the general's quarters are, any- 
 way?" 
 
 He was standing in a dark corner as 
 he ujused thus, with his eyes bent on a 
 large stone dwelling that stood well back 
 from the street. Light streamed from 
 the windows and there was all the signs 
 of a scene of gayety within. Guests now 
 and then hurried by the spot where he 
 stood and made their way into the lighted 
 Uiansion. 
 
 Suddenly there passed close to him 
 two men with slouch hats and the gen- 
 
 eral appearance of men of doubtful 
 habits. They did not notice Jack, who 
 kept silent as he listened to their words. 
 
 "You're sure he's in there to-night, are 
 you. Bob?" the heavier man aiked, ex- 
 tending his hand toward the lighted 
 mansion. 
 
 "Sure's I got the letter fix>m young 
 Captain Jackson to-day, Billy," aswered 
 his companion. 
 
 " Bat it seems a mighty strange thing 
 that young Jackson would want to get 
 his own cousin out o' the way. I don't 
 understand that part of it." 
 
 "Humph, that's easy, Bill. Y'ou see 
 Jackson has been a big gambler and lost 
 all his own money and bon-owed heavily 
 from from his cousin. Now Jackson's in 
 love with his cousin's sister, and if he can 
 get him out of the way and marry her, 
 why, he'll come in for a good share of 
 her money; otherwise he's a dead duck. 
 Beside, his cousin, who knows all about 
 his gambling and all his other bad habits 
 would never let his sister marry him." 
 
 "Well, if that's w'ac he's after he's 
 nothing but a mean, skulkin' varmint 
 au' I ain't the man to do his dirty work. 
 Yer better get somebody else in my 
 place. Bob," said Bill, turning away. 
 
 "But, see here. Bill," said the other, 
 catching his companion by the arm, 
 " you ain't a-goin' back on a' feller, now, 
 are j'ou? Jest look at the money there is 
 in it. Two hundred apiece, man, and 
 the risk ain't nothing to speak of. Come, 
 come, brace up, and move along with me 
 now," and Bob tried tried to drag his 
 companion along. 
 
 At first Bill hesitated, but his pal's 
 arguments soon overcame his scruples, 
 and the two made their way slowly over 
 the fence of the lighted i-esidence and 
 stole along cautiously in the shadow 
 until they reached a low window. 
 
 "The villains!" exclaimed Jack, look- 
 ing carefully after them. "They mean 
 to kill the young fellow 1 saw on the 
 train to-day. So that's the kind of a 
 fellow I dealt with this afternoon, is it? 
 Well, if lie works iiis plans successfully 
 and wins Rachel's hand by such deviltry 
 as this, may I never show my face 
 again." 
 
 So sajing. Jack made his way toward 
 the house by another route and slowly 
 crawled to the spot where the two 
 ruffians crouched. 
 
 "D'ye know him w'en you see him?" 
 he heard Bob ask. 
 
 "Yes, seen him many a time about 
 camp here." 
 
 " But you ain't going to strike now be- 
 fore he goes in''" 
 
 " No; when he starts to go home we'll 
 fall on him from behind, strike him hard 
 
12 
 
 CAPTAIN JACK. 
 
 on the head and then throw him in the 
 nearest sewer-hole." 
 
 " So that's the plan, is it?" Jack mur- 
 mured, crawling slowly away. " Well, 
 then, I've just three hours to work those 
 headquarters and get back and balk 
 their little game. I can't afford to stay 
 here and warn him, for I don't know 
 when he'll be along, and if I waited too 
 long, why it would only give that young 
 wretch a chance to get after me. Now 
 for headquarters," and leaping the fence 
 lightly, Jack was off down the street. 
 
 By making diligent inquiries of some of 
 the guards he met. Jack was finally able, 
 after an hour's work, to reach the head- 
 quarters of Grenei-al Pemberton. He 
 passed the double sentinels at the door 
 and was escorted into a large room where 
 he was given a seat and told to wait until 
 the general's aide appeared. 
 
 Jack's escort was no sooner out of the 
 room than he begun to make note of 
 everything about. On one of the tables 
 lay several maps and a number of un- 
 finished drawings. These he scanned 
 with an eager eye, and with a thrill of 
 joy found that they contained much 
 valuable information. 
 
 He continued his quiet quest about 
 the room keeping an eye constantly upon 
 the door to be prepared for any one. In 
 books and on paper which he caught up 
 he saw many figures and plans that gave 
 him a valuable insight into the strength 
 of the city. 
 
 His eye all at once seized upon a little 
 note-book lying on a desk with the name 
 of the Confederate commander upon the 
 cover. He picked it up and found it to 
 contain a full statement of the various 
 bodies of military within the city. 
 
 "Just what I want!" exclaimed Jack, 
 and the next instant he had hidden it 
 beneath his coat. 
 
 Almost at the same moment the door 
 suddenly opened and a tall officer dressed 
 in Confederate uniform stepped into the 
 room. 
 
 Jack was a little confused by this sud- 
 den entrance, but quickly assumed a 
 nonchalent air and made a proper salute. 
 
 ''Well, sir, you're making yourself at 
 home, I see," tlie oflBcer said, seating 
 himself at his desk. 
 
 " Improving my time, sir," Jack re- 
 plied. 
 
 " Well, let's get down to business im- 
 mediately. General Pemberton ia sick 
 to-night, and has delegated me to assign 
 you your task. I presume your com- 
 manding officer has already given you an 
 \dea as to what it shall be." 
 
 " Nothing definite," aswere^^ Jack, in 
 a non-committal manner. 
 
 " Well, it's this: Halloo, what's that?" 
 
 the officer exclaimed, as a perfect babel 
 of voices from the outer door broke in on 
 his ears. 
 
 The next moment the door of the room 
 in which the two were was suddenly 
 bursted open, and Fred Jackson, mud- 
 bespattered and with clothing all disar- 
 ranged, dashed in. 
 
 " So you've f;ot this far, have you?" he 
 cried, looking at Jack with blazing eyes. 
 " Well, this is as far as you will get. This 
 man, he said, turning to thedumfounded 
 officer, " is a spy who overtook me down 
 the road, stripped me of my clothing and 
 made his way here by that means. Ar- 
 rest him at once before he gets any more 
 information." 
 
 Jack saw that his game was up at once 
 if he did not put on a bold face. 
 
 "My credentials are here to be ex- 
 amined if there is any doubt as to my 
 identity." 
 
 "Your credentials? They're mine," 
 exclaimed Jackson, angrily. " Why 
 don't you have him taken into custody 
 at once," he continued, turning to the 
 officer. 
 
 " Who can identify and substantiate 
 your claim, young man?" asked Jackson. 
 
 " Your officer of the guard who stands 
 at the door, and who came from the same 
 county I did." 
 
 " Bring him in." 
 
 "Do you know this man?" asked the 
 officer, when the chief of the guard ap- 
 peared. 
 
 "I do." 
 
 " Who is he?" 
 
 "Captain Fred Jackson, of Company 
 B, Tenth Volunteers." 
 
 " You can vouch for that?" 
 
 " I can." 
 
 " Then take thisimposter to the guard- 
 house, double-iron him and let him be 
 tried as a spy in the morning." 
 
 Jack was accordingly led away between 
 a double-guard, placed in a loathsome 
 cellar beneath the building, and heavy 
 iron chains placed on his ankles and 
 wrists. When left alone he sunk on a 
 low bench near the wall and buried his 
 face in his hands. 
 
 " I can't even save Rachel's brothe/ 
 now," he cried. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 WITH BYES WIDE OPEN. 
 
 "My God!" exclaimed Jack, as h« 
 heard the door of his prison closed with 
 a clang, and the key turn in the lock; 
 " I can never stay here while those two 
 villains are about to take that man's life. 
 I must get out and save him." 
 
 When Jack heard his guards slowly re 
 
CAPTAIN JACK. 
 
 13 
 
 treat along the passage-way that led to 
 the upper floor, he rose to his feet and in 
 the darkness looked about him. 
 
 A pale stream of light directed him to 
 the one small window in the walls of his 
 prison. Making as little noise with his 
 clanking chains as possible, he ap- 
 proached this and peered out. A small 
 yard bounded by a high stone fence was 
 all that met his gaze. 
 
 The window itself was protected by 
 heavy iron bars between which there 
 was scarcely room enough for Jack to 
 pass his hand. 
 
 " I never can get out there," he said, 
 with a sigh. " Wonder if there's anything 
 I can pry 'em out with?" 
 
 He felt his way slowly about the floor 
 but could find nothing that would an- 
 swer for a pry. 
 
 Finally he reached the low bench on 
 which he had sunk when he first entered 
 the place. It was made of wood. Seiz- 
 ing one of its legs firmly he tried to 
 loosen it. At first the support remained 
 immovable, but after working it until 
 his hands were sore and his muscles tired, 
 he managed to wrench it loose without 
 making any noise. 
 
 Springing to the window, he placed 
 his improvised pry between two of the 
 iron bars, and putting all his strength 
 to the effort tried to loosen them. 
 
 For fifteen minutes he continued to 
 exert himself but was at last compelled 
 to gi. fe up the attempt to escape by that 
 way. But he by no tbeans gave up the 
 struggle to get out. He wormed his way 
 around the cellar floor in search of 
 some instrument or weapon that would 
 assist him. 
 
 Suddenly, over in one corner, a noise 
 like the trickling of a small stream of 
 water reached his ears. Jack hastily 
 found his way thither and put his ear 
 close to the wall. It was surely the sound 
 of running water that he heard. He felt 
 around with his hand and finally struck 
 a small opening in the wall. Shoving 
 his hand into this it touched cold water. 
 
 "It must lead to the sewer," he ex- 
 claimed to himself, when he had gone 
 thus far; " if I can only crawl through 
 I'll risk it, for if I stay here it'll be sure 
 death, whereas if I get out I may have a 
 chance to live." 
 
 Shoving his arm further into the hole 
 he found that it was quite large after 
 the opening was passed. As soon as he 
 made this discovery he immediately set 
 himself to work to enlarge the small 
 space that led through the opening. 
 
 Several mortared stones of consideiable 
 size gave w,ay before his fierce efforts, and 
 by scraping with the sharp edges of the 
 iron chain that bound his wrists he was 
 
 able to remove a large part of the sand 
 and earth that stood in his way to 
 freedom. 
 
 Working steadily for a half-hour he 
 was at last able to remove the small 
 sewer crock at the opening and make a 
 hole large enough to allow his body to 
 pass into the sewer proper. 
 
 "Now I'd be all right if I had my 
 hands and feet loose. As it is, I'll no 
 sooner get outside than some of those 
 pesky sentries will be after me," Jack 
 murmured to hijuself as he drew away 
 from the hole and gave one long look 
 about his dark prison. 
 
 The next moment with a " Heaven 
 help me!" upon his lips, he started to 
 make his way through the loathsome 
 hole. 
 
 At first the stench was frightful, almost 
 unbearable, and nearly overcome he was 
 several times tempted to turn back and 
 wait for his fate. 
 
 But each time the thought of Rachel 
 and her brother in his imminent danger 
 forced him onward, and he had scarcely 
 screwed his way more than fifty feet 
 through the small sewer before he 
 emerged into a much larger one in which 
 the air was much purer. 
 
 A feeling of delight entered his heart 
 as he stopped and took a long breath. 
 He found he could move along now by 
 simply stooping his-^head and wading 
 knee-deep in the running water. 
 
 "This is a main sewer," he exclaimed; 
 "now if I can only reach a basin I'll be 
 all right." 
 
 He wormed himself slowly along, feel- 
 ing the walls frequently for an opening 
 of some kind.* 
 
 A small gleam of light a few feet ia ad- 
 vance suddenly struck his eye. He 
 hastened forward with a half-suppressed 
 cry of joy. It was the reflection of a 
 street-lamp coming down through a sewer 
 basin. 
 
 In hot haste he crawled through into 
 the basin, and raising his arms sought to 
 force the iron cover from its place and 
 thus make an egress for himself. 
 
 At first the cover refused to move. 
 Jack's strength, moreover, was well-nigh 
 exhausted from his recent severe exer- 
 tions, and he stood in his loathsome sur- 
 roundings with scarcely enough ambition 
 to raise his arms again. 
 
 An approaching footstep warned him 
 to desist for a moment, but when it had 
 passed he drew several long, deep breaths 
 throujrh the grating. This seemed to 
 give him new life. 
 
 He put his strength to the task once 
 more, and his heart lightened as he felt 
 it give way and finally fall over, making 
 a way for his escape. 
 
14 
 
 CAPTAm JACK. 
 
 He caught hold of the stone edges, and 
 wirh a light leap managed to pull him- 
 self tlirough to the walk. 
 
 Utterly exhausted, he reeled abo>ifi:t in 
 his soaking garments and finally fell in a 
 dead faint iu the gutter. 
 
 How long he lay thus he could never 
 tell, but a sound of subdued voices near 
 him some time later called him to his 
 senses. 
 
 They were near, very near, almost over 
 biin. 
 
 He slowly and quietly tiirned his head 
 around, but found that the overhanging 
 edge of the basin screened him from, the 
 men who were talking. 
 
 "Funny, ain't it?" whispered one fel- 
 low, whose voice was thick with liquor, 
 and whom Jack at once knew to be the 
 man Bob whom he had fallen in with 
 earlier in the evening. " This is the very 
 place we wuz goin' to settle 'im, an' ther 
 top's off ez nice ez kin be. Wonder 
 w-who did it?" 
 
 "Dunno," answered his companion, 
 finding'needed support against the lamp- 
 post; "dunno n-nothin' jest now, d'ye, 
 Bob?" 
 
 " Halloo!" was Bob's answer m a thick 
 but excited voice; "who's this?'' And 
 the next moment both men were stoop- 
 ing over our friend Jack. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 SHACKLES LOOSENED, 
 
 " Wy, I'll be blowed ef he h'ain't got 
 bracelets on!" exclaimed Bob,after he had 
 scrutinized Jack more carefully; "got 
 ■"em on his feet, too. Wy, Bill, w'at's 
 this we've struck? Speak up, feller; w'at 
 yez a doin' hero wi' them tilings on?" 
 
 Jack made no answer until he had 
 managed to reach a sitting posture on the 
 curbstone. Then, with a well -feigned 
 leer of drunkenness and a shaky voice, he 
 said: 
 
 " Wy, j'ou know, b-boj^s, I was boozin' 
 to night, and because w'en I g got back 
 to my quarters I was noisy they put me 
 in tlie guard-house and put these things 
 on me." And Jack shook the iron chains 
 tliat seemeil just now to stand between 
 him and liberty. 
 
 " I say, b-boys, won't you li-help me to 
 get 'em off? They're tearing m-uiy flesh," 
 he continued, when he saw that the two 
 men before liim did not intend to make 
 any effort to release him; "I'll pay j^ou 
 well for it if you will." 
 
 The proujise of pay speedily put the 
 men in the proper humor. 
 
 Bob drew alieavy knife from his pocket 
 and carelessly taking hold of his com- 
 panion's revolver, he laid the shackles 
 
 about Jack's wrists on the hard pave- 
 ment, and with several quick blows suc- 
 ceeded in separating them. 
 
 Jaclc raised his afrms in an ecstasy of 
 relief and joy when the chains fell from 
 his hands, and immediately set himself to 
 work to loosen those about hia ankles. 
 The free use of the knife enabled him 
 finally to release himself completely. 
 
 "Now, w-where's the money yer said 
 yer'd give us?" asked Bob, in a threaten- 
 ing tone. 
 
 "Money?" answered Jack, with a quick 
 glance at the weapons which the two 
 m,en now held in their hands; " wh\', I 
 promised you no money." And with a 
 bold grasp he seized the knife and re- 
 volver from them, and turning on hia 
 heel fled down a neighboring street with 
 all his speed. 
 
 After running a block he lapsed into a 
 smart walk in order not to attract atten- 
 tion. He could hear the curses of tha 
 two men behind him as they tried with 
 unsteady steps to make after him. 
 
 Jack secreted the two weapons about 
 his person and then felt for the precious 
 volume which he had picked up in thj 
 Confederate headquarters. 
 
 From beneath his coat where it had 
 lodged he pulled it, and under a conven- 
 ient lamp-post he stopped a moment tc 
 examine it. , , 
 
 It was thoroughly soaked. apKl' seme of 
 the maps and figures were klightly 
 blurred. »■ • 
 
 "But it'll have to do now," he ex- 
 claimed, as lie replaced it in a pocket a»d 
 continued on his way. " It'll not be safe 
 for me to remain in this town a moment 
 longer now than is absolutely necessary, 
 for every guard and picket will soon 
 know of my escape and be on the watch 
 for me. If I was only sure that those two 
 fiends woulJn't undertake their blood- 
 thirsty job to-night I could iskip now, 
 but I can't go'when I know that >t)un{5 
 fellow's in danger. If I could only sef 
 and warn him. Wonder what he'd say ii 
 he'd see me now in his cousin's clothes?" 
 
 Communing to himself thusJack made 
 hia way back to that part of the city in 
 which the great party %yas being held. 
 
 He finally reached it after narrowly 
 escaping several times from running inter 
 the hands of a guard. 
 
 He took his stand in a dark door-way 
 which afforded him a complete view of 
 the scene, and from that vantage ground 
 he awaited developments. 
 
 It was growing rapidly on toward mid- 
 night, he could see from the lew people 
 who moved along the streets. Moreover, 
 from the great mansion across the way 
 the guests liad already begun to d€par<i 
 in considerable numbers. 
 
CAPTAIN JACK. 
 
 li 
 
 Just as the bells of the city tolled out 
 the hour of twelve tliere issued from the 
 house opposite two youiijj; ladies, fscorted 
 by <i. liaudsouie j'oung officer in dress- 
 uiiiroiia, that Jack instantly rccofirnized 
 as the young luan lie had seen on the 
 train with Fred Jackson — Rachel's 
 brother Paul. 
 
 When he had assisted the young ladies 
 into their carriage, which was drawn up 
 iit the walk, and had directed his eyes 
 longingly after it as it disappeared down 
 the street, he turned slowly and started 
 on his way toward his quarters. 
 
 When Jacic saw that he was alone and 
 that there was no fear of his discovery, 
 he hurried after Paul. He had not cov- 
 ered half the distance that separated 
 them, however, before Paul passed the 
 Ktreet corner, and as he did so the two 
 ruffians sprurjg upon him. 
 
 One of them caught hold of his arms 
 w\iile the other tried to throw him to the 
 groutid. 
 
 He struggled in their grasp for a mo- 
 ment. That moment was long enough 
 for Jack to reach Ills side. 
 
 Seizing Bill he hurled him across the 
 walk with sufficient force to cause him to 
 fad in a heap in the gutter. 
 
 Bob no sooner saw that the game was 
 up tiian he relea,sed his hold and made 
 dcwn the street with unsteady steps, his 
 companion following as soon as he was 
 able to regain his feet. 
 
 "Here, you skulking thieves!" ex- 
 eh?iiued Paul as he started after the two 
 nun with the intention of capturing 
 th'^m; "stop, or I'll slioot!" 
 
 "Let them go," said Jack, seizing hold 
 of the officer's arm and detaining hiir; 
 " my assistance probably has saved your 
 life. If an alarm is raised it will possibh' 
 result in the loss of mine. Now do me 
 the favor to give me a little assistance." 
 And Jack turned his eyes appealingly on 
 tho other. 
 
 '* Why, who are you?" exclaimed Paul, 
 turning his eyts full on our hero. " And 
 how can the capture of those men possi- 
 bly hurt you? Why, you have on a Con- 
 fetterate uniform, and an officers, too. 
 W;ioare you, anyway?" 
 
 " Come alontr, or we'll attract atte^n- 
 ti'Hi," replied Jack, dragging Paul down 
 a«ide street where lights were few. 
 
 "Now, j-ou'll be surpriseil by my story, 
 no doubt," begun Jack, as he noted the 
 mj'stified look on his companion's face. 
 ■• But I am going to trust you with my 
 secret and ask you for assistance in leav- 
 ing this place. 1 am, in brief, the man to 
 whom your cousin referred on the train 
 »o Vicksburg to-day." 
 
 " Not a Union spy!" 
 
 "The same!" 
 
 "Then, by heaven, FU turn you over 
 to the guard!" 
 
 So saying, Paul seized our hero about 
 the waist and made an outcry that . 
 quickly brought a Confederate sentinel 
 to the spot. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 ILL-LUCK. 
 
 Just as the Confederate guard dashed 
 up to the spot where the two men stood, 
 Jack managed to turn in the other's 
 grasp and whispered in his ear: 
 
 " Give me five minutes to explain all 
 to you, and if I do not make everything 
 satisfactory I'll let you turn me over to 
 the guard." 
 
 "Well, go on, then," said Paul, as he 
 dismissed the guard with an instruction 
 that he return in five minutes, "and 
 make your storj- short, for I have no time 
 to waste on spies." 
 
 "Have you ever liad any reason to 
 suspect your cousin, Fred Jackson, of 
 harboring ill-will against you?" Jack 
 asked, quietly. 
 
 "How does that affect you?" 
 
 "You will please answer my questions 
 if I am to clear myself in five minutes." 
 
 " Well, j-es, tiien," answered Paal 
 Wilson, with a pained expression on 
 liis face. 
 
 " To the extent of having you put out 
 of the way, or in other wordskilled?" 
 
 "My God, no!" exclaimed Paul, with a 
 start, and then the whole vile plot grad- 
 ually dawned on him. " Were those the 
 minions wlio just now pounced upon 
 me?" 
 
 Jaeli nodded his head in the affirma- 
 tive. 
 
 " But how do 3-0U know this?" 
 
 Our hero briefly related the manner in 
 which he liad overheard the plans of 
 Fred Jackson's two hired assassins. 
 
 "And but lor you 1 would probably 
 now be dead. You have saved my life," 
 and in the exubei'ance of his feelings, the 
 young man seized Jack's hand and wrung 
 it forcibly. 
 
 "But." he continued, as a look of pain 
 crossed his face, " you are a spy by your 
 own statement. You probably have al- 
 readj" obtained the information for which 
 you risked your life within our lines. I 
 would be untrue to the cause for which 
 I am fighting and for which I am willing 
 to lay down my life if I allowed you to 
 escape now. And yet I owe j'ou mj' life, 
 for you have but just saved it. What 
 can I do; what can 1 do?" and the young 
 man's voice sunk to a whisper, and he 
 looked into Jack's face with an expres- 
 sion in which pity and pain were both 
 couibined. 
 
16 
 
 CAPTAIN JACK. 
 
 " Do not allow yourself any pain on 
 my account, ujy dear fellow," !<aid Jack, 
 nonchalantly, clapping the other famil- 
 iarly. " I'll find a way out of this dilem- 
 ma without bothering you." 
 
 Then, with a sudden turn on his heel, 
 Jack broke away on a dead run in a 
 direction opposite to that in which the 
 guards had retired. For a moment Paul 
 was so dazed by the turn of events that 
 he was absolutely speechless. He looked 
 after the rapidly retreating figure of his 
 savior. Then he drew his hands across 
 his eyes as if to clear his vision, and 
 cried: 
 
 '' After him, boys; he's a Union spy !" 
 Paul did not wait to see if the sentinels 
 followed, but started after Jack with all 
 his speed. But our hero had played his 
 game so cleverly that he had already 
 traversed several squares. He dropped 
 into a long, dark alley when he had 
 traversed thus far, and in a moment as 
 he lay' still his heart gave a thrill of joy 
 as he saw Paul, closely followed by the 
 guards, continue their pursuit along the 
 street. 
 
 "Now I can get out of this place as 
 fast as my legs can carry me. I have 
 nel{)ed .hiiii out of his predicament and 
 I've got the information that General 
 (xi-auc wants." 
 
 60 saying. Jack stole cautiously down 
 t!i.; alley into which he had turned in 
 search of an exit. A high board fence 
 impeded his way before he had traversed 
 a dozen paces. Silently he climbed it. 
 In his haste he did not notice what M'as 
 beneath him on the other side, but 
 dropped to the ground. 
 
 " Lord save us!" exclaimed a gruff voice 
 as Jack felt his feet come heavily into 
 contact with some one's else. 
 
 He stumbled and fell backward to the 
 ground. When he tried to regain his 
 feet he found two men standing over 
 him in a threatening attitude. One 
 had raised on high a fierce-looking blud- 
 geon, the other had grasped in his right 
 hand a long, shining steel blade. 
 
 One look told Jack that they were the 
 two would be murderers whose game he 
 had so recently balked. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 INTO OPE N ARMS. 
 
 •'Who is it, Bill?" asked the man with 
 the knife. 
 
 "Dunnoan" don't care," replied Bill 
 with an oath; '' but I knows he hurt my 
 steppers. Search 'im an' see if he's got 
 anything wuth takin'." 
 
 Bob knelt down and made a move as if 
 to unfasten Jack's coat. 
 
 Jack thought of the precious v'olume 
 which it contained, and like a flash 
 leaped to his feet and drew back for a 
 struggle. 
 
 '•Now see here, you scamps!" he ex- 
 claimed, retreating as the two men ad- 
 vanced upon him; "I've blocked one of 
 your murderous games already, and. 
 though I don't want to get into the 
 clutches of the guard, I'll be blamed if I 
 don't make an outcry and call them to 
 rope you in if you don't quit this non- 
 sense." 
 
 There was a ring of determination in 
 Jack's voice that for a moment awed the 
 two wretches. They stopped and luoked 
 toward each other, uncertain what to do. 
 Then Bill exclaimed: ' 
 
 "So you're the bloke we helped outen 
 a hole, are you? Wal, I reckon our word 
 'ud be just as good as yours in court, so 
 unless yer want ter be turned over, jest 
 you peel off them duds an' let us go 
 through 'em." 
 
 " I'll do nothing of the kind," answered 
 Jack; "don't you see I'm a Confederate 
 officer and that I can have you fellows 
 sent up if I said the word." 
 
 " Officer, eh?" said Bill; " an' with iron 
 bracelets on too, eh? Wal, that's kinder 
 funny. An' yer don't want ter be took 
 up, eh? Seems to me, young man, as 
 you're summat of er spy, an' being such, 
 we'll jest do our cause a service by turn- 
 in' you over." 
 
 Jack saw that his only hope of escape 
 was by intimidation. 
 
 "Well," he spoke up briskly, "you 
 fellows just let me get within sight of an 
 officer or sentinel and I'll show you 
 mighty quick what I am."" 
 
 The two ruffians quailed a bit at this 
 speech. 
 
 "We'll go through yer duds an' see 
 what ye've got about yer, anyhow," said 
 Bill, advancing once more upon Jjick. 
 
 Our hero had by this time, however, 
 fully recovered his senses and made up 
 his mind as to how he should act. 
 
 He drew off and with a clenched fist 
 struck Bill a terrific blow in the face. 
 
 Bill fell like a log, while Jack turned 
 and avoided the deadly stroke which Bob 
 aimed at him with his bludgeon. 
 
 With a clear way Jack now started to 
 
 climb the fence and continue his escape. 
 
 He had scarcely mounted to the top, 
 
 however, before a loud shot broke the 
 
 stillness of the night. 
 
 This was instantly followed by several 
 loud shouts of " Halt!" 
 
 Jack looked back and through the 
 darkness saw several dusky forms climb- 
 ing the fence which inclosed the opposite 
 side of the yard into which he had de- 
 scended. 
 
CAPTAIN JACK. 
 
 17 
 
 The flashing of weapons and the ioud 
 noise which th^y made told Jack at once 
 that they beloug»»a To the nijjht guard. 
 
 Bob, too, had by this time once more 
 got into action and ^eued on Jack's leg 
 ■with a stout hold. 
 
 "Let go, you villain!'- exclaiujed Jack 
 in desperatit)n as he gave ^ob a blow on 
 the pate that produced tne same effect on 
 him as it h»vd on liis companion. 
 
 Once more unencumbered Jack slid 
 over the fence just as the guard jeached 
 it. 
 
 He broke into a run in the shadow, 
 and had just reached the street when he 
 ran directly into the arms of an ofiticer, 
 who was accompanied by two privates. 
 
 " Heaven save me!" murmured Jack to 
 himself, for one fleeting glance into the 
 face of the man who held him was suf- 
 ficient to show him that his captor was 
 Qone other than Captain Fred Jackson. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 HANGING IN MID AIR. 
 
 "So, my slippery bird, you've come up 
 with a round turn at last, eh?" exclaimed 
 Jackson when he recognized that his cap- 
 tive was Jack; "here, boys," he contin- 
 ued, shoving Jack toward his two com- 
 panions, " take care of this fellow. If 
 you let him get away now it'll be as much 
 as your life is worth." 
 
 These words were scarcely out of Jack- 
 son's mouth and his men had no chance 
 to observe his orders before the men who 
 had fired on Jack came up with a rush. 
 
 The foremost jostled rudely against 
 Tackson in ti»e dark, Avhereupon the lat- 
 ter yelled: 
 
 " Look out there where you're going! 
 Can't you use your eyes?" 
 
 "Oh, you wretch !" came from the 
 other, and in a flash he had grasped 
 Jackson about the neck and borne him 
 to the ground. " You will plot against 
 my life, will j'ou?" 
 
 It was Paul Wilson, and in a fever of 
 rage he had thrown himself upon his 
 cousin. 
 
 Everything was instantly confusion. 
 
 Jackson's two companions forgot all 
 about their captive and hastened to 
 separate the two men who were now roll- 
 ing about on the ground in a deadly 
 struggle. 
 
 The man who had come up with Paul 
 did the same. 
 
 Jack was not long in seizing the oppor- 
 tunity to flee. 
 
 He sped down the dark street like the 
 wind. 
 
 He had not traveled far before he saw 
 Uie gleam of water before him. 
 
 " It's the Mississippi," he exclaimed to 
 himself, and the next instant he had di- 
 rected his course towartl it. 
 
 At the same time he heard far behind 
 him the loud outcry and hubbub which 
 told him at once that he was pursued. 
 
 Anotiier half-mile run brodght liim to 
 the edge of the high bank which de- 
 scended to the river. 
 
 The bank was at this point so precip- 
 itous that it would have been at the risk 
 of his life to have tried to climb down it. 
 
 Every moment his pursuers were get- 
 ting nearer. 
 
 There was no possible place of conceal- 
 ment about him. 
 
 There was no time to try to reach a 
 point where he might make a safe de- 
 scent. 
 
 He stooped over in the darkness and felt 
 the side of the bank in the hope of find- 
 ing a crevice where he might lodge his 
 foot. 
 
 As ne did so his hand came in contact 
 with a heavy twig projecting from the 
 bank. 
 
 In a moment his mind was made up. 
 
 "Ill risk it, anyhow," Jack said to 
 himself, and grasping hold of the frail 
 support with both hands, he swung him- 
 self slowly and lightly over the edge of 
 the bank. 
 
 In another moment he would have 
 been caught, for he had scarcely disap- 
 peard below the bank before three of his 
 pursuers came rushing up breathlessly 
 and halted on the very brink. 
 
 "Queer," exclaimed one of them, as he 
 scanned all about him. '' I was sure I 
 saw liis light uniform aliead of us all the 
 time, and here he's disappeared as sud- 
 denly as though the earth had swallowed 
 him up." 
 
 "Mebbe he rushed over the bank in 
 the dark," continued one of the others. 
 
 "Not if he had any eyes at all in his 
 head," answered the first, "and I'm 
 pretty sure he had, and sharp ones, 
 too." • ■ ' - 
 
 " Well, the best thing we can <d now 
 is to go back and report we caut find 
 him, and then there'll be the dev^il to 
 pay," answered the third man, as the 
 three started to turti back. 
 
 Jack's hold on his support was by this 
 time becominL"- very infirm, and he felt 
 every momtnt that he must let go. 
 Moreover, the twig; itself was beginning 
 to show alarming signs of giving away. 
 
 It snapped ominously once or tw'ice, 
 and then just when the three men wtre 
 leaving the spot fur good it broke short 
 off and sent Jack spinning below. 
 
 "That's him," they exclaimed in one 
 breath. "To the beach; we'll surely 
 find him dead there after such a fall." 
 
18 
 
 CAPTAIN JACK. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 AMID FLAME AND SMOKE. 
 
 Jack's fall was rapid, but through it 
 all he managed to retain his senses. 
 
 Even in after years he never foi-got 
 the fleeting thoughts which passed 
 through his mind during that terrible 
 descent. 
 
 Home, mother, Rachel, his. mission, 
 his future, and a thousand other things 
 flitted thi-ough his brain, rfnd all com- 
 bined to form a wish that he might live. 
 
 But he could not hope for that. 
 
 Below him was the low, sandy beach, 
 and though he might even be so fortunate 
 as to land upon his feet, he could not 
 hope to withstand such an awful shock. 
 
 At the very instant when he had given 
 up all hope of living through the fall, his 
 foot lightly struck a ledge in the project- 
 ing rock. 
 
 Quicker than a flash Jack exerted all 
 his t^ti-ength and pushed himself far out 
 from the bank. 
 
 It was his salvation, for in another in- 
 stant he had dropped into the shallow 
 water of tlie Mississippi. 
 
 The shock was of cour.se a severe one, 
 but the cool water quickly restored him 
 to full consciousness, and he struck out' 
 manfully for a small cabin that was 
 built a little way from the shore. 
 
 A few strong strokes brought him to 
 it and with a light leap he found himself 
 seated upon a few rougli unsteadj' planks 
 which served for a walk about the little 
 cabin. 
 
 He had scarcely regained his breath 
 before two well-known but vastly differ- 
 ent sounds reached his ears. 
 
 One came from the shore, distant from 
 him only a few paces — it was the con- 
 fused voices of his pursuers; the other 
 came from far out on the river^t was 
 the long, loud boom of a cannon. 
 
 " It's the Yankee fleet trying to pass 
 the town!" exclaimed Jack, referring to 
 the latter sound and unconsciously duck- 
 ing his head as he heard the great shot 
 whistle by some distance from him and 
 strike the higli bank with a deep thud. 
 " Now if I was only aboard one of those 
 ships what a relief it would bel'' 
 
 But Jack had lictle time to soliloquize. 
 Almost before the dull boom of the first 
 shot had died away on the night air he 
 saw the long line of Confederate batteries 
 on the brow of the hill belch forth their 
 awful missives of destruction and make 
 the darkness lurid and thick with flame 
 and smoke. 
 
 The Union fleet replied with interest, 
 and after the lapse of a few moments, 
 during which each side seemed to be try- 
 ing to get the exact lay of the others 
 
 position, both sides had begun a fierce 
 midnight cannon-battle. 
 
 Jack's position was not asafeand much 
 less a comfortable one. 
 
 He was directly in the range of the 
 Yankee guns, and every few moments a 
 great cannon-ball would whiz by his head 
 and cause him to shiver as he heard it 
 plow its way into the bank. 
 
 " I've got to get out of this pretty 
 quick, or I'll be getting one of those big 
 fellows so close that there won't be any- 
 thing left of me. I can't go back to the 
 store, for the whole town is now awake 
 and I'd be gobbled up in less than a jiffy. 
 Grant will need those papers mighty 
 quick now, too, for he'll want to move on 
 the town with the fleet in front here like 
 that. Now if I could only reach one of 
 those little fighters out there in the river 
 they'd make short work of setting me on 
 land in the right place. I'll risk it, anj'- 
 way. I know ifs mighty dangerous to 
 venture out there with those rebel balls 
 falling like hail, but I'd rather be killed 
 out there by a rebel ball than to be gored 
 to pieces here by a Yankee one without 
 trying to help myself." 
 
 As he finished a great whizzing shot 
 struck the corner of the shanty, ripped a 
 dozen boards from their places ^ud scat- 
 tered them dangerously about Jack's 
 heail. 
 
 " That's a Godsend if it was a close es- 
 cape!'' he exclaimed, and instantly he 
 started to arrange them in a raft. 
 
 Three of them together he found would 
 support him easil)'. A fourth he used as 
 a paddle. 
 
 Removing his shoes and coat to be 
 readj' for any emer^ ency, and satisfying 
 himself that his precious volume was 
 safe, he knelt upon his frail craft, and 
 pushing off started to paddle braveh" out 
 into the river which now seemed like a 
 mass of flame and smoke. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 vow OF A FIEND. 
 
 Let US rieturn for a moment to see how 
 the affair between Jackson and his cousin 
 has progressed. 
 
 Tlie two men were very evenly matched 
 in strength, but the impetuosity of Paul 
 Wilson's attack had given him an advan- 
 tage which he was not slow in making 
 use of. His rage was perfectly unre- 
 strained, and with the fierceness of a 
 tiger he fastened his fingers into Jutek- 
 son's throat with a clutch that shortly 
 forbode disaster to that worthy. 
 
 Jackson was black in the face and his 
 strength had entirely left him before the 
 onlookers could tear Paul away. 
 
CAPTAIN JACK. 
 
 11) 
 
 When they finally did succeed in sepa- 
 rating the two men and held tliem apart 
 Paul, with a glaring eye, looked into the 
 livitl face of his cousin and fairly shouted 
 in his anger: 
 
 "You're a miserable, skulking villain; 
 and tliQugh thwarted now, I intend to 
 get even with you by my own hands. 
 But I'll be man enough to give you a 
 show and not strike you down like a 
 coward." 
 
 Jackson never answered a word, but 
 calling his men to him, whispered: 
 
 "Where's the Yankee?'' 
 
 *• He's gone, with some of the men after 
 him." 
 
 "Then we'll follow." And they started 
 in the direction Jack and his pursuers 
 had taken. 
 
 But Paul and the men who accom- 
 panied him did not continue the chase. 
 
 He dismissed them with a word, and 
 then taking a hasty look in the direction 
 in which his cousin had gone strode 
 hastily down an opposite street. 
 
 A brisk walk of ten minutes brought 
 him to his quarters. 
 
 Ho rearranjieil his clothing, picked up 
 several jirticles which seemed to betoken 
 his departure on a journey, and then 
 hastened to the headquarters of the 
 oflHeer of the day. 
 
 "I want a permit for seven daj^s' ab- 
 sence,'' he said, saluting that ofBcial. 
 
 " But do you not hear the guns of the 
 enemy and our own warning us of a land 
 attack in the near future? We cannot 
 spare you in the present exigency," an- 
 swered the .officer of the day cleeisi vely. 
 
 "Then I shall apply to General Pem- 
 "berton; this is a matter which maj' mean 
 life and death. I must go, if rot with 
 ofBcial permission, then without it," and 
 Paul strode out of the room. 
 
 Another brisk walk brought Paul- to 
 the headquarters of Pemberton. A few 
 -words and the exchange of the counter- 
 sign gave him admittance to the presence 
 of an aide. 
 
 " I want to see General Pemberton," 
 Paul announced. 
 
 " Bat he is indisposed and cannot be 
 disturbed," replied the aide, firmly. 
 
 "But I must see him; he is surely 
 awake wirh all this bombardment going 
 on. Go to him, please, and tell him that 
 I wish but a moment's conference which 
 may niean much to me." 
 
 Paul's voice shook a httle as he made 
 this request, and the aide,, seeing that 
 the young officer was stransely moved, 
 left the room. 
 
 In five minutes he returned. 
 
 "General Pemberton will see you 
 now," he announced, briefly. 
 
 Paul therefore hastened into the pres- 
 
 ence of tlie Confederate leader, whom he 
 fount! propped up in bed, surroimdwd by 
 several of his statT. 
 
 Paul made Ids salute, and then said, 
 hastily: 
 
 " General, the oflBcer of the day refused 
 me permission to leave the city for a few 
 days. As it may be a matter of more 
 than ordinary moment, I have taken the 
 liberty of applying to you." 
 
 " Why do you desire to go?"' 
 
 Paul approached the bedside, and in 
 tones too low to be heard by the officers 
 present, whispered: 
 
 " I have a cousin, a member of the 
 army now in the city, who is plotting 
 against my life. Having failed in his at- 
 tempt on it, I fear, for reasons which I 
 cannot divulge, that he will turn his 
 liatred against n)y two sisters alone at 
 home. In 'the present emergency I de- 
 sire to go to them and place them beyond 
 the reach of his villainous hands." 
 
 "But at present we need the assistance 
 of every man. In another twenty-four 
 hours Grant may have surrounded us by 
 land," said the general. 
 
 ," And delay may mean the wrecking of 
 my home, and the loss of two dearly- 
 beloved sisters." 
 
 "Well, you may go," he responded, 
 after a moment's pause, and Paul, thank- 
 ing him earnestly, left the room. 
 
 "And now for home and to protect 
 them," he murmured, as with furlough 
 carefully sealed in his pocket lie made 
 his way through the outer lines. 
 
 Jackson continued after Jack's pursu- 
 ers, and finally found them at the water's 
 edge. 
 
 '• He's escaped," they said, briefly. 
 
 " Escaped, you fools!" Jackson cried, 
 in alarm. "But where? How?'' 
 
 The men briefly explained. 
 
 "By heaven, I will not be foiled," he 
 exclaimed, angrily; "here, men. go to 
 your places; I need you no more." 
 
 . Jackson gazed .at their retreating fig- 
 ures, nodded his head as a whistling' shot 
 passed in close proximity to his ear, and 
 then hastened to a, place of safety. Here 
 he stopped to think. 
 
 " By heaven 1" he muttered, '• I'll make 
 both these fools suffer for their worKaad 
 that in a waj' they little anticipate." 
 
 He paused for a moment with his fin- 
 gers on his lips. 
 
 " I have it," he finally exclaimed, with 
 a fienilish gasp of exultation. "I 
 never can hope to win Rachel now, for 
 that Yank stands in the way. For the 
 rest of the faujily I don't care a straw. 
 They're as well out of the world as in it, 
 and it'll be one way of paying cff my 
 score against Paul. By heaven. I'll do 
 it, and do it riglit awavl" 
 
20 
 
 CAPTAIN JACK. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 HEDGED IN BY FLAMES. 
 
 In another lioui- Fred Jackson was 
 slowly working his way through the Con- 
 federate outposts, for'he was leaving his 
 coiuiuand without a permit. 
 
 Several times he narrowly escaped 
 being seen by the sentries who, in view 
 of the firing on the river front, had re- 
 ceived orders to double their vigilance. 
 
 When he had finally cleared the lines 
 he laroke into a run, which he kept up 
 until he reached the little railroad sta- 
 tion, where he intended to take a train 
 for the nearest point to the Wilson 
 homestead. 
 
 He was just about to enter the little 
 building that served as a depot when, 
 happening to glance through the window 
 into the little waiting-room, he saw the 
 form of his cousin, Paul Wilson, drawn 
 up on a seat with his head bent as if in 
 deep thought. 
 
 "By heaven, he's bound for home, 
 too," exclaimed Jackson as he stepped 
 back into the shadow; "now, curse it, 
 that will spoil all my plans." 
 
 He meditated a moment and then an 
 expression of exultation crossed his 
 face, "no, he must perish with them. 
 Let the work be done up brown," he 
 mattered half-aloud. 
 
 A long wait of an hour in the early 
 morning hours was finally rewarded by 
 the arrival of the train. 
 
 Both men leaped lightly aboard, but 
 Jackson took pains not to be seen by his 
 cousin. 
 
 He bundled himself up in the rear 
 coach when he saw Paul take the middle 
 04ie. 
 
 It was broad daj- light when the train 
 drew iiito the station near the Wilson 
 hoiuestead. Paul hastened from the 
 train and taking the first vehicle at hand 
 started for his home. 
 
 Jackson alighted on the opposite side 
 of the train, and when it pulled out of 
 the station Paul was almost out of sight 
 around a bend in the road. 
 
 " So good, so far," chuckled Jackson, 
 as he made his way slowl}' into the 
 station, which at that early hour was 
 almost entirely unoccupied; "now if I 
 can only manage to keep out of their 
 sight until to-night, it'll be good-by Paul 
 Wilson and his ha-jghty little sister and 
 the rest of the household. And as for 
 that Yank;ee liireling, Stanley, why, he'll 
 find I'm able to balk his little game in a 
 way that he won't like." 
 
 Before the station-master or his assist- 
 ants had a chance to recognize him, 
 Jackson hurried down the road toward 
 the Wilson home on foot. Within half a 
 
 mile of it he stopped and found a hiding- 
 place in a deserted outhouse. 
 
 The day passed slowly to Jackson. He 
 would have suffered severely from hun- 
 ger had not the spirit of revenge which 
 had taken so complete possession of him 
 occupied all his thoughts. 
 
 But night came at last, and with its 
 approach he left his place of concealment 
 and made his way cautiously toward the 
 Wilson homestead. 
 
 Like a thief in the night he sneaked 
 about the venerable building and gazed 
 in at all the windows. 
 
 He saw his cousin Paul in the center of 
 the happy home circle, surrounded by 
 the anxious faces of his pretty cousins 
 and aunt. 
 
 He ground his teeth in rage at the 
 sight, and longed for the moment when 
 he yiight begin his diabolical work in 
 safety. 
 
 " Paul has scented danger and has hur- 
 ried home here to try to prevent it. But 
 he little expects how I shall strike him. 
 You are doomed, my man, along with the 
 fair ones about you." And Jacksou 
 shook his fist fiercely at the unconscious 
 group. 
 
 At length he saw the lights in the 
 house go out one by one. 
 
 "They're retiring," he said. "In an- 
 other hour I can begin my work." 
 
 The hour came and found Jackson in- 
 tent on his work. 
 
 Opening one of the basement windows 
 of the house, he entered and made his 
 way along to the fuel room. Here l.e 
 gathered together an armful of shavings 
 and light wood, and carrying it softly u^ 
 to the first floor, deposited it carefully iu 
 several places throughout the house. 
 
 Then he returned, and procuring a 
 large can of oil, poured it liberally upon 
 and about each pile of shavings. 
 
 "I'll make a sure job ot it," he mur- 
 mured, as he paused in his work and 
 looked up the main stair-way, at the foot 
 of which he intended to begin his fiendish 
 work. 
 
 The house was completely wrapped in 
 slumber. 
 
 The occasional tapping of a branch 
 swayed by the light breeze against a win- 
 dow pane was the only sound that broke 
 the stillness of the night. 
 
 But the quiet seemed to work no effect 
 on Jackson. 
 
 Stealthily he took a match from his 
 pocket, and igniting it applied the flame 
 to a little fuse of oil and shavings which 
 connected with the pile at the stair- way. 
 
 When he saw it blaze up he hastened 
 to the rear stair-way, where he had ar- 
 ranged aijother heap of inflammable stuff 
 and lit that also. 
 
CAPTAIN JACK. 
 
 31 
 
 Then the two remaining heaps were 
 hastily ignited. 
 
 So fast did the first heap burn and so 
 well was it arranged that before Jackson 
 had finished his work tlie whole front 
 Gtair-way was in flames and dense clouds 
 of smoke were rolling through the liouse. 
 
 Woodwork and carpets and curtains 
 and furniture quickly added fierceness to 
 the flames, and almost before Jackson 
 had time to reach a window, open it and 
 leap lightly out upon the lawn and sneak 
 away into the shadow of a neighboring 
 hedge from which he could watch in 
 safety the progress ofi his fiendish work, 
 the whole lower story of the house was a 
 raging furnace. 
 
 The flames as they rolled out of the 
 lower windows lit up the night and made 
 it as light as day. 
 
 Suddenly Jackson saw a startled face 
 appear at an upper window.- 
 
 The next instant the window was 
 thrown hastily open and a voice raised 
 high above the roar of the flames shouted: 
 
 "Help! help!". 
 
 It was Paul Wilson. 
 
 For an instant he gazed wildly out 
 upon the night and then turning back 
 upon the flames that were already 
 beginning to light up the second story 
 windows seemed to dasli directly into 
 them. 
 
 Paul had scarcely disappeared from 
 view before Jackson saw two wliite, 
 frightened faces appear at another 
 window. 
 
 / " It's Rachel and TeddyJ" he exclaiuaed, 
 with a chuckle of fiendish glee; '• ah, ha, 
 my fine birds, you've cast your last saucy 
 loo'-\s on me?" 
 
 The two girls attempted to raise their 
 windows but could not. Then they beat 
 frantically against the glass but it did 
 not yield to their efforts. 
 
 Dense clouds of smoke rolled about 
 their half-clad forms. Now and then a 
 sheet of flame shot into their room. 
 
 Then suffocated and overcome by the 
 smoke and heat they both sunk to the 
 floor out of sight. 
 
 " That ends them!" exclaimed Jackson, 
 as he rose to his feet and started to quit 
 the scene. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIL 
 
 STOPPED BY A BRACK OF PISTOLS. 
 
 " I hope I may never get into such a 
 tight place again, if I ever live to get 
 safely out of this," exclaimed Jack, as 
 amid a shower of shells, shot and flame, 
 and surrounded by clouds of smoke so 
 thick that he could scarcely see the 
 gun-boats for which he was steering, he 
 
 paddled his way slowly out into the 
 Mississippi. « 
 
 His work of itself was most difficult, for 
 his raft was unwieldy and his means of 
 locomulion very crude and exhaust'ing. 
 
 Adding to this the terrors of his most 
 dangerous situation, the fear that every 
 instant a 'hurtling cannon-ball would 
 sweep him to death, it may readily be 
 seen that Jack's wish was not without 
 some reason. 
 
 But inspired by the immediate impor- 
 tance of his work he pressed on with all 
 the strength at bis command. Twice 
 shots from the Confederate batteries tore 
 away sections of his scanty support and 
 he was almost on the point of takin-r to 
 the water entirely when a shell : -f so 
 close to him that in exploding a pic^ce of 
 it struck the remaining plank and swept 
 it from beneath him. 
 
 The next instant he was floundering 
 about in the water. " 
 
 The board which he held in his hands 
 he pushed out before him. 
 
 It afforded him support and with his 
 feet he managed to make some progress. 
 
 In his dilemma he did not forget the 
 precious volume beneath his coat, but 
 managing to extricate it before it was 
 very wet he placed it beneath his cap. 
 
 Suddenly there loomed up directly 
 before him the great black side of an 
 iron-clad. 
 
 "Saved," thought Jack. 
 
 But alas, the next instant a piece of 
 shell struck his left arm just below the 
 elbow and cut a long gash in the flesh. 
 
 The blood flowed freely and caused our 
 hero to loosen the hold of his left hand 
 upon his support. 
 
 Still he pushed on. 
 
 The loss of blood was weakening but 
 the object his journey was to attain was 
 worth more to his country than his life. 
 
 His heart finally gave a great throb of 
 joy as through the thick smoke he saw 
 that he had reached the side of the 
 Union iron-clad. 
 
 But still he was in a dilemma. 
 
 Above the awful roar of artillery he 
 could not expect to make his voice heard 
 by the men aboard. 
 
 And the great black sides of the vessel, 
 with here and there a port-hole from 
 which a cannon protruded, afforded him 
 no chance of making himself seen. 
 
 "I'm as bad off 'as ever,"' he murmured 
 as he looked up at the belching mouths 
 of the cannon above him. 
 
 Then an inspiration struck him and he 
 pushed his way along to the bow of the 
 boat. 
 
 A moment's search was sufficient for 
 him to discover a projecting iron rod on 
 which he laid firm hold and managed to 
 
CAPTAIIS JACK. 
 
 drajr himself slowly out of the water on 
 to the boat. • 
 
 He clambered along its side until he 
 reached a port-hole. 
 
 Here he waited until he saw the 
 cannon which projected from it discharge 
 its missile of destruction. 
 
 Wlien it was pulled back to be re- 
 loaded and the port-hole was left vacant 
 Jack quickly slid down and crawled 
 througli into the midst of a group of 
 astonished gunners. 
 
 Intent as they were on their work they 
 all stopped when Jack made his appear- 
 ance, and gazed at him with puzzled 
 eves. 
 
 " •■ Whv, he's a Johnnie," exclaitiied the 
 officer in charge of the gun, noticing the 
 grav suit wliich Jack still wore. 
 
 "No, Fm not, sir," responded Jack, 
 quieth', "and I'll trouble you to show 
 nie to the captain at once." 
 
 Jack's words carried weight, and in a 
 moment more he was ushered into the 
 presence of the captain of the iron-clad. 
 
 A few words explained iiis mission, his 
 adventures, and his urgent desire to 
 reach land and return to General Grant 
 as scon as possiVjle. 
 
 "Well done, my brave boy," exclaimed 
 the captain, as he gazed in admiration at 
 the modest and youthful figure before 
 him. "You'll get a mention for this, 
 surely. But your arm, what ails it?" 
 
 "Oh, it's only a scratch. A piece of 
 shell and it got'into a contest out there, 
 and t!ie flesh had to give in," said Jack, 
 with a grim smile. "I'll trouble you to 
 have the surgeon fix it up, though." 
 
 "To be sure," and Jack's wounded 
 member was soon neath* bound up. 
 
 "And now, if you'll kindly assist nie 
 in reaching a t^Tace along the shore, 
 you'll be doing General Grant a great 
 favor, I'm sure." said Jack, as he moved 
 toward the door. 
 
 " 1 dislike to have any of mj' men ven- 
 ture into such a storm of iron as this," 
 answered the captain, slowly. 
 
 "But I've just come through it with 
 only a scratch." 
 
 "Well, since it's so important, I sup- 
 pose 1 must risk it. You can't wait till 
 morning or until this fight closes, I sup- 
 pose?" 
 
 " I can't wait ten minutes," responded 
 Jack, decisively. "If you can't give me 
 any help, why I'll have to try it alone, 
 that's all." 
 
 "Oh, I couldn't think of that," safd the 
 captain, and he ordered two of his men 
 to launch a small boat from the unex- 
 Dosed side ol" his craft, and implicitly 
 ^^y Jack's orders. 
 
 "ack nastily made use of the captain's 
 offer. 
 
 Leaping into the small boat, he took 
 the tiller and commanded the two men 
 to take the oars and pull hard. 
 
 They, did as ordered, and Jack steered 
 deftly through the great flotilla of Union 
 boats without the slightest injury, and 
 was soon making for a point of land some 
 distance above Vicksburg, which an 
 hour's hard pull enabled him to reach. 
 
 Jack leaped lightly ashore when the 
 boat touched land, and after instructing 
 the ^ two sailors to return, made his way 
 toward a small cabin in the gray dusk ot 
 the morning. 
 
 By dint of much rapping and oft re- 
 peated calls he finally managed to arouse 
 the inmates. 
 
 "Wha' you want, wakin' folks dis 
 yere time a-mornin'?" 
 
 " I want to know the way to the Union 
 lines, and ip a hurry, too," replied Jack. 
 " Take er straight cut 'cross ribber t(i 
 whar dem pesky gun-boats been blaziu' 
 'way an' keepin' folks scart outen their, 
 wits all dis yere bressed night." 
 
 " But I want to know where the lines 
 on land are," exclaimed Jack, who could 
 not suppress a smile at the negro's re- 
 mark. 
 
 "Oh. dat's nuther thing, massa," and 
 the voice seemed to soften a little. "But 
 it's a long way, nigh on twenty-five miles 
 'cross country, and thirty-five by road." 
 " Well, and where's the road?" 
 "Take that one yunder, massa, an' 
 keep straight 'long all de way till you'se 
 gets to de Union seut'uels; dey'U tell you 
 de rest." 
 
 " And can I get a horse here?" 
 " Han't got none here, but mebbe 
 you'se kifi get one up de road by de 
 squire's." 
 
 Without waiting for further informa- 
 tion. Jack hastened to the road and 
 jogged along a mile until he reached a 
 larire mansion with a stable in the rear. 
 
 Daj-light had no^ yet fully come, so 
 Jack leaped the fence and entered the 
 open stable doors. 
 
 "This is a clear ease of must," he ex- 
 claimed to himself, as his eyes lit on a 
 tine-looking steed. " I'll have to take it 
 at any cost," and Jack entered the stall 
 where the animal stood. 
 
 "I guess not, young man," said a 
 strange voice behind him. Jack turned 
 about to see where the voice came from, 
 and found himself confronted by two 
 grav-uniformed men and a brace of vil- 
 lainous-looking pistols. 
 
 CHAPTER SVIU. 
 
 r^'O JOH3f>riES FOOLED. 
 
 I Jack did not lose his nerve for an in 
 
 t stunt- 
 
CAPTAI2J JACK. 
 
 Minutes were invaluable iii his present 
 hasre. He knew that it was absolutely 
 necessary that he should submit to no 
 delay. 
 
 He determined to put on a bold face 
 and press his way out. 
 
 " Well, what do you fellows want?" he 
 demanded angrily, taking a step toward 
 them. 
 
 •'Guess it's our place ter ask what you 
 want," said the tallest Confederate, as he 
 made a move as if to seize Jack. 
 
 *• Hands off me," the latter exclaimed, 
 drawing back a step. *' And if you fel- 
 lows continue to interrupt me I'll report 
 you to headquarters." 
 
 This speech caused the two pistols to 
 drop. The two i;ebels looked at each 
 other in dismay. Finally the spokesman 
 said: 
 
 " But what right hev you ter come 
 into er strange stable an' try ter ruu off 
 with the best horse in it?" 
 
 "When a man's on spy business from 
 headquarters and has orders to make 
 double-quick time and take everything 
 on his way that is necessary to help him 
 along, it's expected he'll have to seize the 
 best horses he finds." 
 
 Jack did not risk this statement with- 
 out some backing. 
 
 He had figured its efTect and knew how 
 to push it. 
 
 " But how d'we know yeraspy?" asked 
 rebel Ko. 1, in a voice that contained a 
 sound of respect and admiration. " How 
 do V e know yer even a Johnnie?" 
 
 "Don't you see I wear a gray uniform 
 the .same as yourself?" said Jack, point- 
 ins; to the bedraggled suit which he had 
 taken from Fred Jackson, and with wiiich 
 he had n<"t yet separated. 
 
 '• Ye^, that's all right, but yer papers? 
 Don't they tell as yer a spy?" 
 
 It was a tight hole but Jack saw a way 
 out of it. He quickly drew out the 
 
 f)recious little book which he had pur- 
 oined from General Pemberton's head- 
 quarters at Vicksburg, and opening to 
 the title-page, displayed to the two rebels 
 that Confederate leader's autograph. 
 
 They l)oth looked. at it silently for lome 
 time. Finally, No. 1 said: 
 
 "Guess it's all right, eh. Bill?'' 
 
 Bill's education liad been restricted. 
 and the chances are that if Jack had 
 shown him the ssigiiature of General 
 Gi'ant iie would have known no more of 
 it than he did of the one now displayed. 
 
 Bill, however, was anxious to conceal 
 his lack of learning, so he slowly drawled 
 out: 
 
 "Wall, it looks er little bit queer, but 
 I guess it's all light." 
 
 Jack shut the book and replaced it in 
 his coat. 
 
 '* I hope you're satisfied now," he said, 
 with an assumption of dignity. 
 
 "But hadn't yer better wait an hour 
 er so. Pemberton's chief aide's been 
 stoppin' in that house all night, an' 1 
 reckon he'll be movin' shortly. Don'r 
 yer want ter see him?" continued rebel 
 No. 1, with a persistence that nearly 
 caused Jack to lose his temper. 
 
 " I tell you I'm on urgent business 
 from headquarters anil can't stop to see 
 any sleeping aide. Come, where's the 
 saddle for this horse?" 
 
 In less time than it takes to tell it the 
 two deluded Johnnies had saddled the 
 horse and led it out of the stable. 
 
 Jack then quickly mounted, and dig- 
 ging his heels into the animal's sides made 
 toward the road. He had hardly reached 
 the gate before he heard a window iii 
 the house swing open and a loud voice 
 cry out: 
 
 " Ho where are you going with that 
 horse?" 
 
 Jack turned his head and saw the form 
 of a partially-clad Confederate officer 
 protruding from the window. 
 
 " None of your business,'" called back 
 Jack. 
 
 The next instant he was in the road, 
 and with a loud whoop he urged the 
 animal forward at full speed. 
 
 The discharge of a revolver and the 
 sound of a bullet whizzing past in close 
 proximity to his ear told him that he 
 was in danger. But it would have taken 
 a whole troop of whizzing bullets to have 
 stopped Jack then. 
 
 Before another shot could be fired at 
 him he was almost out of range. 
 
 He smiled grimly to himself and then 
 turned to look back. 
 
 " Great Scott," he exclaimed, " they've 
 started after me!" 
 
 He was right. The two rebels whom 
 he had so neatly fooled in the stable, 
 were now mounted and issuing into the 
 road. They stopped a moment to re- 
 ceive orders from the form in the window; 
 then they started in mad pursuit after 
 our hero. 
 
 It was an exciting race, but Jack's 
 horse was sure-fo>oted and long-winded, 
 and though several times his pursuers 
 got close enough to fire several badly- 
 aimed volleys, they never stood any 
 chance of overtaking him, and after a half- 
 hour's hard run finally gave up the 
 chase and returned to the stables. 
 
 Jack sped on in the early morning 
 with a haste that caused many woolly 
 heads which he passed to shake in 
 wonder, and many voices to exclaim: 
 "Must be gwine on mighty pow'ful 
 business!" 
 It was nearlv noon when Jack reached 
 
24 
 
 CAPTAIN JACK. 
 
 the Union outposts. At first there was 
 a little difficulty in getting through the 
 lines, owing to the deceiving uniform 
 which he wore, but once his mission 
 becoming known he was urged hastily 
 forward. A 
 
 " We're only waiting for you, to begin 
 the forward movement," said t]ie first 
 officer he met. 
 
 Scenes on all sides confirmed the 
 statement. Tents had been struck, 
 baggage loaded and men drawn up in 
 line, all ready for the movement on the 
 Coiifedei-ate city. 
 
 In ten minutes from the time when 
 Jack passed the Union outposts he found 
 himself before General Gfrant's head- 
 quarters, an old fashioned stone building, 
 formerly a Southern mansion. 
 
 He leaped from his hor.'^e and started 
 for the door. For the first time he 
 thought of the terrible strain he had 
 been under, and the awful pain he was 
 suffering from his wounded arm. 
 
 An iron man could not have endured 
 much more. It was too mucti for Jack. 
 
 Just as he reached the door he fell head- 
 long in a dead faint. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 SAVED FROM FLAMES. 
 
 The first man to reach Jack's side was 
 General Grant himself. He knelt down, 
 and raising our hero's head to his knee, 
 rubbed his cheeks gently and ordered 
 one of his aides to bring a stimulant. 
 
 A single draft served to bring Jack to 
 consciousness. He opened his eyes slowly 
 anil looked up into the general's face. 
 
 "Excuse me, sir; 1 didn't mean to act 
 like this/' he said, in a voice that told of 
 the pain he was suffering from his 
 wounded arm. 
 
 '•Oil. that's all right, my boy,'' re- 
 sponded the general kindly, as he ordered 
 his aides to assist Jack into his room. 
 
 Jack was placed in a big easy-chair, 
 while General Grant took a seat before 
 him. 
 
 '"Your arm, my lad; is it hurt?" he in- 
 quired. 
 
 '■ Only scratched," Jack replied. " It 
 can wait until after I have told you the 
 results of my journey." 
 
 *■ Not much," said the general, hastily. 
 "Here,"' he continued, addressing an 
 aide who stood near, "send my surgeon 
 here immediately." 
 
 In a moment that functionary ap- 
 peared, and gave Jack's arm a thorough 
 examination and dressing. 
 
 " Nothing but a flesh wound; you'll be 
 over it in a week or two," he said, on leav- 
 ing the room. 
 
 Jack then begun a clear and concise 
 narrative of his experiences. 
 
 The general gave no sign of his pleas- 
 ure, although he listened with rapt at- 
 tention until Jack iianded him the 
 precious book. 
 
 He opened it, scanned it hastily, and 
 thep exclaimed: 
 
 " My lad, you're a brick!" 
 
 When Jack finished his story, which he 
 had told with a modest attempt to keep 
 himself in the background, General » 
 Grant grasped his uninjured hand and 
 wrung in heartily. 
 
 "My boy, you'rs a hero. When I sent 
 j'ou out it was with a strange foreboding , 
 that I should never see you again. I 
 appreciated the dangers of the task and 
 .should not have been in the least sur- 
 prised if 5'ou had never shown up alive. 
 But since you have, and with informa- 
 tion which could not be more complete 
 or rendered in better shape, I want to 
 congratulate you. And you may bo 
 sure, when Vicksburg falls, as fall it 
 surely will, your work will receive much 
 of the credit." 
 
 "I only tried to do my duty to you and 
 to my country. I ask for no other re- 
 ward if I am convinced that I have done 
 that." said Jack, with a quivering voice. 
 
 "You have done your duty and done it 
 noblv," responded General Grant, warm- 
 ly, "and you shall not go without some 
 reward. But I must hasten our forward 
 movement. I was waiting only for this 
 to begin it," and the next instant orders 
 were being dispatched in various direc- 
 tions for the advance. 
 
 "And now," the general said, turning 
 again to Jack, "I suppose you want a 
 furlough to get rested up in?" 
 
 " Oil, no, " said our hero. "I'drathei 
 move forward with the army, for I want 
 to be present when Vicksburg falls." 
 
 " You're a pluckj^ lad. But never fear. 
 Vicksburg won't fall for a while yet, and 
 meantime you can have a couple of weeks 
 for your own personal use. Here's your 
 furlough," and General Grant handed 
 over an official-looking document, signed 
 by himself. 
 
 " I chank you, sir."' 
 
 " And, by the way, here's a letter lef< 
 here two days ago by an old colored man 
 who was bent on putting it into your 
 own hands until convinced that it waa 
 impossible." 
 
 So saying, the general took from the 
 mantel a dainty envelope and handed it 
 to the spy. 
 
 Jack tore it open in haste and scanned 
 it hastily, the general observing it with 
 a smile. 
 
 "From 3-()ur sweetheart, eh?" he asked, 
 whpn Jack looked up with a red face. 
 
CAPTAIN JACK. 
 
 25 
 
 " Yes, and she's in trouble, sir, and I 
 must go to her at once. You see, she 
 only lives a short way across the country 
 with a youuger"*sister and a maiden aunt, 
 and it seems our troops here have been 
 frightening and molesting them. You'll 
 gpve me an order for a small guard to 
 protect them, will you not, sir?" 
 
 "Assuredly," and in another moment 
 the necessary order was in Jack's hand. 
 
 '"Thank you, sir," he said, ;is he rose to 
 his feet and moved toward the door. 
 
 "But you're not going to venture on 
 that journey in your present weakened 
 condition and with night coming on so 
 Boon. Better wait till morning." 
 
 "No, I'll go now if you'll have the 
 kindness to allow me the horse I purloined 
 this morning." 
 
 "No, not that one-but a better, one of 
 my own." 
 
 In ten minutes Jack was mounted arid 
 riding across the country in the direction 
 of the Wilson home as fast as his injured 
 arm and feeble condition would admit. 
 
 Darkness had already fallen before 
 half the journey had been accomplished, 
 and his stops to rest were so frequent 
 that he feared his arrival would be so 
 late as to find the occupants of the house 
 all retired. 
 
 "I'll be able to save them from further 
 annoyance, anyway," he consoled him- 
 self, as he looked through the night before 
 him and listened to the steady tramp of 
 many thousand feet away off to his rear. 
 
 At last he readied the well-known road 
 on which the Wilson home stood. He 
 strained his eyes in an attempt to see the 
 outlines of the place that held his love 
 when suddenly, just where he knew the 
 house stood, a great flame shot up. 
 
 " It's fire !" exclaimed Jack, excitedly, 
 and the next instant he dug his boots 
 into the sides of his horse and dashed 
 madly forward toward the burning 
 building. 
 
 The entire lower story was ablaze when 
 he arrived, and all of the hands about 
 the plantation, who luckily lived in the 
 quarters apart from the house, were 
 rushing wildly around wringing their 
 hands in an agony that allowed them no 
 opportunity to render assistance to the 
 imperiled ones within. 
 
 Jack did not wait to ask how the blaze 
 had started. 
 
 Other work than that was cut out for 
 him in the present emergency. 
 
 The first thing he had distinctly be- 
 held within the burning house was the 
 figure of Rachel, as she sunk to the floor 
 before her chamber-window. 
 
 "A ladder! A ladderl" cried Jack, in 
 a frenzy, to the old servant Mo.-<e, who 
 stood near him. " Bring it quick!" 
 
 But there was no time to wait for 
 ladders. 
 
 Forgetful of his exhausted condition; 
 forgetful of his wounded arm; forgetful 
 of everything but his perishing sweet- 
 heart. Jack rushed to the side of the 
 building and seized hold of a climbing 
 vine that had grown up the window 
 ledges almost to the roof. 
 
 The vine held his weight, and hand 
 over hand he ascended to the window of 
 the young ladies' chamber. 
 
 With his elbow he broke in the panes 
 of glass and then crawled through the 
 aperture himself. 
 
 The smoke poured about him in blind- 
 ing volumes, and the flames darted so 
 close as almost to touch his skin. 
 
 He groped about until his hand came 
 in contact with warm flesh. 
 
 " 'Tis she!" he exclaimed, and the next 
 instant he threw wide open the window, 
 seized the slight form firmly beneath his 
 injured arm, and grasping the vine by 
 which he had ascendedj^ slid slowly to the 
 ground. 
 
 Jack laid his burden down and looked 
 into the death-like face. 
 
 It was Teddy he had saved. 
 
 Rachel was still in the burning build- 
 ing. 
 
 Like a flash he turned, and started to 
 ascend. 
 
 But help was now close at hand. A 
 ladder had been procured, and it was 
 raised to the broken window. 
 
 Two rounds at a time Jack ascended 
 it and disappeared into smoke and flame 
 while the few spectators looked on in 
 terror. 
 
 In an instant he reappeared with a 
 white form in his arms, and with un- 
 steady steps came down the ladder and 
 laid his second burden beside the first. 
 
 "Look well to them!" he said to the 
 women standing about. "They only 
 need fresh air and stimulant; give them 
 both. I've got other work to do." 
 
 The next moment he had mounted his 
 steed and was plunging down the road. 
 
 " I'm sure it was Fred Jackson I saw 
 sneaking away as I came up. If it was, 
 he's had a hand in this awful work, and 
 if I find him, by heaven, he'll pay se- 
 verely!" 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 COXCLCSIOI^. 
 
 In spite of Jack's weakened condition, 
 he had never been so full of fire as he 
 was when he galloped down the road in 
 pursuit of the man whom he thought he 
 had recognized as Fred Jackson. 
 
 The memory or all past insults surged 
 
CAPTAIN JACK. 
 
 throujih his mind, and coupled with the 
 •suspicion that Rac.hel's cousin started 
 liie lire, they made his brain surge and 
 liis heart call out for reven;;e. 
 
 Jack iKid not traveled over half a mile 
 before he caught; sig:ht of the figure of a 
 in;iM .s;:ulkin.<? along the hedge that grew 
 Iv tlie road -side. 
 
 He rode up quickly, and leaping from 
 l;is horse confronted tlie man. 
 
 ■'So. I was ri^-ht, you miserable 
 wretch ["exclaimed Jack, as he grasped 
 J.ickson— for it was he— by The neck. 
 • It was you who fired yonder home and 
 tried to 'destroy two young lives, was 
 itv" 
 
 .Jackson trembled for an instant in 
 Jack's clutch, then freeing himself he 
 retreated a step, and exclaimed: 
 
 "Yes, it was I who did it. I'm not 
 afraid to acknowledge it, now that your 
 noisy tongue is to be stilled forever," and 
 as he finished speaking he pulled a knife 
 from his pocket and made a savage lunge 
 at Jack. 
 
 But our hero, though unarmed, was 
 prepared to receive the blow. 
 
 He seized the hand that held the knife 
 and forced Jackson back a .step. 
 
 Then with a sudden movement be 
 threw his arm about theother's neck and 
 forced him to the ground. 
 
 Then ensued a desperate struggle for 
 the knife. 
 
 The two men rolled and tossed about, 
 lii-st one uppermost and then the other. 
 
 Jack, however, always' managed to 
 
 kee[) tlie blade away from his own body. 
 
 But he felt his strength goingfast now, 
 
 and foresaw that if tlie contest was not 
 
 soon ended l:ie would be the loser. 
 
 Accordingly he summoned all his 
 strength for one grand effort. 
 
 With a grip of iron he wrenched Jack- 
 son's arm which held the knife so fiercely 
 tliat at length that worthy, with a cry of 
 V)ain, relinquished his hold and the blade 
 fell to the ground. 
 
 Like a flash, Jack raised himself to bis 
 knees and at the same time reached down 
 and picked up the knife. 
 
 Then, before his opponent could regain 
 lus feet, Jack forced Jiim backward and 
 planted his knees on his breast. - 
 
 "You miserable villain, prepare to 
 meet your just fate!" exclaimed Jack, as 
 he elevated the knife on high preparatory 
 to striking a fatal blow. 
 
 But something in the man's terrified 
 face made him pause. 
 
 Then he continued, with a quick shake 
 of the head: 
 
 " No, I'll not kill you; I'll leave you to 
 the law whicli I trust will take care of 
 yon." 
 
 Before Jack had finished speaking, 
 
 three figures on horseback '••t'e up and 
 alighted. 
 
 The foremost was Paul Wilson; his 
 companions wei'e Union soidiers who iiad, 
 at liis urgent request, started after Jack 
 on learning of his strange and sudden 
 flight. 
 
 Paul grasy) Jack by the hand, then 
 looked at his cousin. 
 
 " I thought so," he said, with a bitter 
 ring in his voice. "But I didn't think 
 that you could stoop so low." 
 
 He turned to the two soldiers who \ver« 
 just about to seize hold of Jackson. 
 
 But the latter was desperate. 
 
 His last hope was gone, and he knew 
 if he was arrested it woult} mean an 
 ignoble death. 
 
 His proud spirit could not bear that. 
 
 Before any one c.ould interpose h< 
 seized his knife from Jack's grasp and 
 plunged it into his own breast. 
 
 He gave one convulsive gasp an^l feli 
 over dead. 
 
 Jack and Paul looked down in horroi 
 at the bloody figure, and then all foui 
 men moved away, Paul with anlinsteady 
 gait and a strange light in his eyes. 
 
 "lean never thank you enough for 
 saving my sisters, Jack," Paul said, as 
 they rode slowly back to the burned 
 house. " I was going to their room my- 
 self when I met aunt fainting on tha 
 stairs, and was obliged to carry her out. 
 When I started to return they told m« 
 of your noble work. I can never repay 
 you for it." 
 
 " Oh, yes, you can," responded Jaekj 
 uneasily. 
 
 "How^?" 
 
 " By giving your consent to the union 
 of Rachel and myself." 
 
 "With all my "heart." 
 
 And so — though not until the war was 
 over and Jack, by continued meritorioui 
 service, had won the rank' of colonel- 
 there was a quiet wedding at the newly- 
 built Wilson home, -in which Jack antf 
 Rachel were the principals, and a loving 
 mother from a Northern home an inter- 
 ested spectator. 
 
 THK KXD. 
 
 Running the Blockade. 
 
 " Did I ever tell vou about the closesi 
 shave of my life?" inquired the old sea 
 dog, as he settled himself back in hia 
 arm-chair, knocking the ashes from his 
 pipe in a meditative mood. 
 
 He was fond of spinning yarns, fighting 
 his old battles over again, and, having 
 retired from sea, his principal amuse- 
 
CAPTAIN JACK. 
 
 27 
 
 ment consisted in surroundine: himself 
 in his snuf? bachelor quarters with a 
 circle of interested neighbors, with a 
 ju;; of stifT punch brewed by himself. 
 
 It was suspected by some of the au- 
 dience that tlie old gentleman sometimes 
 indulireil in a sailor's love of romance, 
 and allowed his imiigination to get the 
 upper liand of his veracity; but no one 
 imong the circle ever had the temerity to 
 intimate their suspicions to their host, 
 who, witiiall his social Qualities, smacked 
 slightly of the martinet. 
 
 "'Fill your glasses and I'll tell you 
 something about the blockade in our 
 late war. I am a loyal man, understand, 
 and love the old flag with as much de- 
 votion as anyone afloat; but you see, 
 times were bad, the Alabama had raiser! 
 the mischief with our commerce, so I 
 took charge of the Fleetwing, a full- 
 rigged brig, and as smart a craft as ever 
 crossed the Western ocean. 
 
 "I remember her as distinctly as if it 
 ■were only yesterday." and the' old man 
 sighed iieavily as a flood of bygone recol- 
 lections flitted through his brain^ 
 
 " The hull was of exquisite mold, with 
 a clear run, bows sharp and snakish, 
 rising with a gentle sheer. 
 
 '•The taper spars raked well aft, and 
 the yards, though long, and spreading a 
 large amount of canvas, harmonized 
 exactly with the outer portions of the 
 vessel. 
 
 "All combined, she was the prettiest 
 thing that ever attempted to run Uncle 
 Sam's blockade. 
 
 "I had cleared from Liverpool with 
 an assorted cargo for Nassau, and from 
 there I watched mj' chance, finally slip- 
 ping into Charleston without so much 
 as sighting a cruiser. You see they had 
 all been blown off shore in a heavy gale, 
 and left the coast clear. 
 
 " You may depend the cloths, medical 
 stores, ammunition, small arms, and a 
 thousand notions found a ready market 
 with the rebs, and it hurt my conscience 
 to seethe rich goods tumbling out on 
 Palmetto wharf; but I had to live, you 
 see, sol loa'ded down to the scupper with 
 cotton, took on a deck-load, picked uiy 
 crew, and was all ready for sea. 
 
 " In the offing beyond Fort Sumter I 
 could see the spars of the blockading 
 fleet, and, confound 'em, they did loom 
 up terrible large and formidable at times, 
 as 1 6to6d on the battery taking them 
 all in with my binocular. 
 
 *■ I had dropped out into the stream, 
 waiting for a favorable sLint, having one 
 passenger on board, a Confederate brig- 
 adier, going over with a batch of dis- 
 patches from Jeff Davia, for Louis Napo- 
 leon, who was always heart and soul with 
 
 the Confederacy, confound him. But he 
 got his just deserts from the Dutchmen 
 for wishing us ill-luck, and it served hiu^ 
 riglit. 
 
 "The right night came at last. The 
 wind was blowing a taut breeze from the 
 west-south-west directly off shore. There 
 was no mooi), while the twinkling stars 
 were^partially obscured by drifting masses 
 of heavy clouds, every moment growing 
 denser and denser. In fact, the weather 
 had a decidedly dirty appearance; 
 the barometer was steadily falling, 
 which, of course, was all in our favor, 
 and against the Joluniy haal-tauts keep- 
 ing watch and ward in the olBng. 
 
 "The anchor was runup to the bow 
 and catted, sail made, all lights extin- 
 guished, and the binnacle carefully cov- 
 ered up. 
 
 ' Every precaution I could think of 
 had been taken to insure success, and 
 while the brigadier was busy securing 
 his papers and traps in the cabin, I 
 buttoned up my watch-coat, acting as 
 my own pilot, which was no small under- 
 taking when you understand that 
 beacons, buoy and range-lights had all 
 been removed. 
 
 "In lieu of thein torpedoes had been 
 planted thick as mustard seed, or weevels 
 in a barrel of hard-tack, but I had the 
 bearings of them all, you may depend. 
 
 " Heeling over to the breeze, we sped 
 rapidly down the main ship channel, 
 passed Fort Sumter, looming up grim 
 and silent, then hauled up for Sullivan's 
 Island, yrid you may say I was fairly 
 clear of the harbor. 
 
 " I heard the chimes in old St. Michaers 
 steeple toll out the hour of ten o'clock, 
 and somehow it sounded dismal like, for 
 at any moment now I might expect to 
 encounter a stray picket launch from the 
 fleet. 
 
 "They were awful dare-devils, these 
 sailors, and had be^n known to comb 
 right up under the walls of Sumter. 
 
 " I threaded the channel in safety, and 
 was headed east by south, with the broad 
 Atlantic before mc, and everything 
 drawing that could possibly be set on the 
 Fleetwing. 
 
 " It would have done your eyes good to 
 have seen her a clipping of it. I never 
 saw any tiling glide through the water so 
 rapidly and make so little fuss. The 
 water just rolled off from either side of 
 the sharp cut-water, dancing astern, 
 leaving a broad wake of bubbles and 
 foam to mai'k her passage. 
 
 "All hands were on deck, the look- 
 outs were doubled, a careful hand at the 
 wheel, and the log indicating ten and a 
 half knots large. 
 
 "We were now getting the benefit of 
 
28 
 
 CAPTAIN JACK. 
 
 the full strength of the breeze, which 
 was increasing every moment, and 
 showers of spray began to wet the bonnie 
 deck-load of cotton worth almost its 
 weight in gold; but I would not start, 
 tack or sheet, the spars were tough, 
 rigging and canvas new, and there would 
 be plenty of time to take in sail when I 
 felt assured that all danger was well 
 astern of the Fleetwing. 
 
 "It was intensely dark; not an object 
 con Id be seen, with the exception of the 
 white caps forming the crests of the 
 waves as they heaved up in the gloom, 
 hissing and frothing in impotent fury, 
 at times striking us under the counter 
 with terrific force, lifting the stern 
 bodily from the sea, and depiessing the 
 bows in a corresponding manner, while 
 the brig almost flew over the boiling 
 surges. 
 
 " Suddenly, the mate from the fore- 
 castle hailed: 
 
 " ' Light right ahead, sir!' 
 
 " 'Confound it, Mr. Barnes, I am not 
 deaf. Be careful of your voice, sir, or 
 you'll have a swarm of shells a-bostin' 
 around our ears worse than so many 
 yaller-headed hornets. Form a line, lads, 
 from the break of the house to the 
 forecastle, and pass the word along 
 promptly. 
 
 " I was getting warmed up to the work, 
 while the brigadier figeted about on the 
 lee side of the quarter-deck like a fish 
 out of the water. 
 
 " ' Light on the starboard bow! Light 
 on the port bow! Light to leeward! And 
 lights to windward!' was reported in 
 rapid succession, and confound it, for a 
 moment it looked as if there was noth- 
 ing but lights all around us. But it was 
 too late to back out; it was neck or noth- 
 ing with the Fleetwing, and I hustled 
 up and down that quarter-deck pretty 
 lively, I can tell you, with the lights 
 growing brighter every moment, and 
 flashing in my eyes in a sort of semi- 
 circle. 
 
 " Go which way I would, I had got to 
 run between some of 'em, and I made up 
 my mind that Uncle Sam would soon be 
 expendin' some shots and burnin' gun- 
 powder. 
 
 " A low cry from the brigadier who was 
 gazing intently to leeward, followed by a 
 hoarse yell, and the report of a rifle, the 
 ping of the ball whistling in uncomf6rt- 
 able proximity to my ear, made me cut 
 a pretty lively pigeon wing, I can tell j^ou. 
 
 "Dodging down to leeward, I looked 
 in the direction pointed out by the sol- 
 dier. I just caught a glimpse of an in 
 distinct object disappearing in the gloom 
 and mist of the gathering gale. It looked 
 like a boat, and I presume it was, but I 
 
 could not swear to it, and you may depend 
 I did not stop to inquire. 
 
 " The next instant a train of glittering 
 sparks rose with a rush above the dark 
 horizon. A cluster of colored stars hov- 
 ered on high for a moment, then all was 
 dark as before. But Lord love ye, you 
 have no idea what an effect that cussed 
 rocket had. They commenced going up 
 in all directions, like an exhibition of 
 fireworks on a Fourth of Jul}' celebra- 
 tion. Occasionally I could hear the 
 muffled roar of a gun, and as I com- 
 menced to get into the midst of the muss, 
 I almost wished myself back safe along- 
 side the wharf. 
 
 "The lee braces were now checked in 
 slightly, and the course of the brig 
 changed so as to pass under the stern of 
 a large frigate, so I judged her from the 
 row of blazing lights flashing through 
 the open ports, while all was bustle and 
 activity on her decks. 
 
 " We passed not a cable's length from 
 her spanker boom, and I could distinctly 
 see the battle-lanterns triced up in the 
 riggings^ but fortunately we escaped 
 her notice, for one gun of her broadside 
 would have been sufficient to have 
 knocked all the profits out of the Fleet- 
 wing's cargo. 
 
 " I now took my station on the top- 
 gallant forecastle, where I could see bet- 
 ter what was going on around me. 
 
 " ' Luff,' I muttered as my eye caught 
 a dark, indistinct mass ahead, which I 
 knew full well could be nothing but a 
 blockader. Naught was now heard but 
 the roaring and whistling of the gale as it 
 tore through the rigging, causing the 
 pitch pine spars to sway backward and 
 bend like whip-handles. I was forced to 
 let the royals and flying jib be taken in, 
 which was done as quietly as possible. 
 The next moment and we were in close 
 proximity to the second watch-dog. 
 
 "This time we were compelled to cross 
 the bow of the man-o'-war, and the end 
 of her jib-boom seemed to be terribly 
 close to us as we tore by. The low boom 
 of breakers to leeward could Qccasionally 
 be heard booming above the wash of the 
 sea under our bows, which made a noise 
 not unlike the roaring of Niagara. 
 
 " I could almost see the forefoot of the 
 vessel of war as she rode to her anchors, 
 rising and falling, rolling and wallowing 
 in the trough of the Atlantic. roll. In 
 another instant we were lapping her 
 bows, and rushing by with the speed of 
 a race-horse. 
 
 " We were so close that the lights fr«m 
 her lanterns streamed across our deck, 
 and I can tell you that those bales of 
 cotton looked terrible small in my eyes 
 as I caught a glimpse of some three hun- 
 
CAPTAIN JACK. 
 
 29 
 
 dred beads peeping above the hammock 
 nettings and tlirough the open ports. 
 A sudden commotion was apparent, a 
 hail came faintly to my ears, and just as 
 the gleam of the cabin-lamps shot out 
 through the stern ports, I saw a flash, 
 followed by the rush of a round-shot as 
 it tore through the spanker. 
 
 " The man at the vvheel could not stand 
 that; it was too much for his nerves; the 
 wheel slipped from his grasp as he 
 stretched himself at full length on deck, 
 while the brig shot up into the wind 
 with everything shaking and snapping 
 like a white squall on a spree. 
 
 *• Well, now you can just bet it did not 
 take this old man long to get aft, and in 
 less time than it takes to relate it, I had 
 the wheel myself, and the Fleetwing pay- 
 ing off, while shot and shell were flying 
 around just as if the people had not been 
 taxed to death to furnish the cussed 
 things. But I reokon the old brig knew 
 her danger as well as her master, for 
 such getting up and getting I never saw 
 before. I looked aloft a little anxiously, 
 but beyond some rents in the canvas, a 
 rope cut here and there we had escaped 
 the dose without suffering materially. 
 
 "But the worst was yet to come, and I 
 must confess 1 felt my hair curl as I took 
 it all in. You see, the blockaders had 
 dumped a of lot tar barrels overboard, all 
 a-blazin' and in every direction they 
 were boboin' about, lighting up the en- 
 tire scene, and of course revealin' us to 
 their gaze, while they amused them- 
 selves by training their cussed guns on 
 us. But a vessel under way, pitchin' and 
 rolliu\ is a very uncertain mark, and al- 
 though I calculated that close upon two 
 ton of solid iron and fully as much gun- 
 powder was burned, we did not suffer 
 any damage to speak of, and I hung to 
 it through all. 
 
 "Directly to windward, and coming 
 down upon with a most vicious-looking 
 bone in his mouth, was a sloop-of-war, 
 and at every plunge she made I could see 
 the spray fly clean over the foreyard. 
 She was under all sail, her guns run out, 
 with the crew all mustered at quarters. 
 I thought for a moment she would run 
 clean over us, and my heart was in my 
 mouth. 
 
 "Bang! came a bow-chaser, and you 
 ought to have seen the splinters fly from 
 the tough old mainmast. The shot 
 grazed it, taking out a good sized chunk, 
 then slid over to leeward and buried 
 itself harmlessly in the bosom of a big 
 sea. But the old stick never budged, 
 despite the wound it had sustained. 
 
 "Then it was that the brigadier came 
 to me, his face looking white in the faint 
 glare of the binnacle. 
 
 " ' Captain, we are about to be cai>- 
 tured,' he said. 
 
 " ' Who says so?' I demanded, carefully 
 watching the distance between me and 
 the sloop-of-war. 
 
 " 'Why sir, can't you see for yourself? 
 We are right under the guns of that 
 Yankee sloop-of-war! Curse the luck! 1 
 am in for it, and I must destroy my 
 papers. I wish I had never taken pas- 
 sage on your old tub!' and he ground the 
 heel of his boot into the deck with rage 
 as he turned to go below. 
 
 "I had no time to answer the darned 
 saucy rebel, although 1 was near enough 
 to have knocked the gray-coated critter 
 clear over the taflfrail. 
 
 "Another shot tore clean through the 
 foresail, driving the mate and all hands 
 off of the forecastle, and I saw them crawl- 
 ing behind the cotton bales for protec- 
 ion, like Jackson and his men, when 
 they whipped the Britishers at New 
 Orleans. 
 
 •• I was just worked up, I tell you, and 
 felt — oh. Lord! how I felt — as I put the 
 wheel down, bringing the Fleetwing to 
 the wind, with the guns of the sloop 
 covering me as she sagged off to leeward. 
 
 "A fierce squall of rain at this moment 
 swept over the vessel, the rush of the 
 rain pattering like hailstones as it poured 
 on the deck. The tar-barrels had died 
 out, the man-of-war was hailing me, 
 looming up to the leeward like an old 
 shapeless building. 
 
 "'I surrender!' I yelled. 'Come and 
 take us, for 1 believe the brig is sinking 
 sure. Only don't fire any more of those 
 cussed balls this way. You might hurt 
 somebody.' 
 
 " I heard the indistinct roll of a drum, 
 the chirp of a boatswain's whistle, as some 
 boat was called away, then the obscure 
 mass disappeared entirely from sight as 
 the gloom of the squall settled down 
 thicker and thicker. 
 
 "Now is our time, I thought. At all 
 events it will do no harm to trv. It will 
 take some time for the man-of-war to 
 pick up the boat's crew, so here goes. 
 
 " The main yard of the Fleetwing had 
 been laid aback when we hove to, but it 
 did not take me more than two minutes 
 to kick those cussed skulkers from out 
 between the cotton-bales. The braces 
 were manned, j'ards laid square, and 
 away we went again with my shoulder 
 to the wheel. Glancing astern, I saw 
 rocket after rocket going up, but they 
 might just as well have saved the pooty 
 things — I paid no further ^attention to 
 them. 
 
 "'Light oh — right ahead!' roared the 
 lookout frantically 
 
 "'The devil th-^re is!' I muttered, as 
 
30 
 
 CAPTAIN JACK. 
 
 I surrendered the wheel to a sailor, and 
 hastened forward to to see what the 
 character of the etrauger wivs. 
 
 "Hastening on to the forecastle, I took 
 one look— and it was enough. 
 
 " We were right on top of the man-of- 
 war schooner that lay at anchor directly 
 in our path. At the speed we were ruu- 
 nin<i-, tiiere was no time to shift tlie wiieel 
 or ia the slightest degree alter the course 
 of the brig. With the speed and fury of 
 a shark in pursuit 5f its prey, The Fleet- 
 wiug was almost leaping from wave to 
 wave. 
 
 " The battle-lanterns were swingmg to 
 and fro in the rigging, and I caught the 
 glitit uf a long-torn in the imsteady rays 
 as it was pivoted amidships. 
 
 "The watch on deck had evidently 
 seen us, but demoralized with terror, 
 were unable or powerless to help them- 
 selves, as they ran aimlessly about the 
 deck. 
 
 "With a terrible shock we struck the 
 unfortunate schooner almost amidships, 
 taking me clean off my feet, our thin, 
 wedge-like cut-water and sharp, slim 
 bows cutting through her like a knife. 
 
 "A yell of agony, mingled with the 
 grinding and crushing of woodwork rang 
 in my ears as I scrambled out of the lee 
 scuppers, then all was still save the 
 whistle of the wind, and the flapping of 
 torn and tattered canvas. We were 
 alone upon the foaming waters, with 
 only here and there a phosphorescent 
 patch of shooting streaks of light dart- 
 ing hither and thither as some denizen of 
 the deep played in sportive circles about 
 us. 
 
 "Not a vessel or a vestige of the block- 
 ading fleet could be seen, and I nmst ad- 
 mit I felt grateful for that fact. My neck 
 felt verv uhcomfortable, and it was 
 months 'before the terrible cry ceased to 
 haunt mv dreams. 
 
 " I would have averted the awful ca- 
 tastrophe if I could, but it was not to 
 be. They dieil like men at their post of 
 duty, and another tiihe their fate might 
 have been mine. 
 
 "JBut perhaps I didn't express myself to 
 the brigadier when the danger was all 
 over! I bad not forgot his sharp words 
 about cruising onboard of my old tub, 
 as he expressed it. 
 
 "He was meek and lowly enough the 
 balance of the passage, and when I had 
 landed him safe at Liverpool he would 
 have hugged me; but 1 kept him at his 
 distance. 1 never did like a rebel, and I 
 have always considered that this govern- 
 ment was by far too lenient in settling 
 up with thein cusses. If I had had the 
 figuring of the trial balance I would have 
 added up a fardiflferent result. 
 
 " But come, neighbors, fill yourglasses. 
 My throat is as dry as a herring, talking 
 so much, and this jug of punch is un- 
 common good. We'll drink to the Ameri- 
 can Unipn, Free Trade, and Sailors 
 Rights." — Newark paper. 
 
 The Glothes-Line Telegraph. 
 
 In the early part of 1&63, when the 
 Union army was encamped at Fal- 
 mouth, and picketing the banks of the 
 Rap[>ahaunock, the utmost tact and in- 
 genuity were displayed, by the scouts 
 and videttes, in gaining a knowledge of 
 contemplated movements on the other 
 side; and here, as at other various times, 
 the shrewdness of the African camp 
 utteiidants was very remarkable. 
 
 One circumstance in particular shows 
 how quick the race are in learning the 
 art of communicating by signals. 
 
 There came into the Union lines a negro 
 from a farm on the other side of the 
 river, known by the name of Dabney, 
 who was found to possess a remarkably 
 clear knowledge of the topography of the 
 whole -region; and he was employed as 
 cook and body servant at headquarters. 
 
 When he first saw our system of arniy 
 telegraphy, the idea interested hiiu in- 
 tensely, and he begged the operators to 
 explain the signs'to him. 
 
 They did so, and found that he could 
 understand and remember the meaning 
 of the various movements as well as any 
 of his brethren of paler hue. 
 
 Not long a<ter, his wife, who had come 
 with him, expressed a great anxiety to 
 be allowed to go over to the other side as 
 a servant to a "secesh woman." whom 
 General Hooker was about sending over 
 to her friends. 
 
 The request was granted. Dabney's 
 wife went across the Rappahannock, and 
 ia a few days wjis duly installed as 
 laundress at the headqwarters of a prom- 
 inent rebel general. 
 
 Dabney, her hnabaud, on the north 
 bank, was soon found to be wonderfully 
 well informed as to all the rebel plans. 
 
 Within an hour of the time that a 
 movement of any kind was projected, or 
 even discussed, among the rebel generals. 
 Hooker knew all about it. 
 
 He knew which corps was moving, or 
 about to move, in what direction, how 
 long thev had been on the march, and 
 in what' force; and all this knowledge 
 came througn Dabney, and his reports 
 always turned out to be true. 
 
 Yet Dabnev was never absent, and 
 never talked with the scouts, and seemed 
 
CAPTAIN JACK. 
 
 to he always taken up with his duties as 
 uuok and f:;ro()ni about hea(!quarters. 
 
 iiow he obta.iue<l his ijf'oruiatioa re- 
 juained for some time a puzzle to the 
 Union officers. 
 
 At I'.'Mf^th, upon much solicitation, he 
 iiMlui'UMi his niarvelous secret to one of 
 our tjflicers. 
 
 TaKin<r hiiu to a point where a clear 
 view t'oulil be obtained of Fredericks- 
 burg, he pointed out o. little c;tbin in tlie 
 subuibs near the river bank, and ;tsked 
 him *f he saw that clothes-line with 
 clothes on it to dry. 
 
 " W eli," said he, "that clothes-line tells 
 me in lialf an hour just what fjoes on at 
 life's headquarters. You see my wife 
 over *here; she washes for the officers 
 and cooivs, and waits arounvl, and as .soon 
 as she hears about any movement or any- 
 vliinfj ^oino: on, she comes down and 
 mover the clothes on that line so I can 
 understand it in a miini'.e. Tliat there 
 fjcray shirt is Lonjzstreet; and wlien she 
 takes it off, it means lie's iione down 
 about Richmond. That white sliirt 
 means Hill; and when she moves it up 
 CO ths Vest end of the line, Hill's corps 
 
 has moved np stream. That red one i.-< 
 Stonewall. He's down on the right now, 
 and if he moves, she will move that red 
 shirt." 
 
 One morninj^ Dabney came in and re- 
 ported a movement over there. 
 
 " But," says he, *'it don't amount to 
 anything:. They'reonly making believe." 
 
 An officer went out to look at the 
 clothes-line telegraph through his field- 
 glass. 
 
 There had been quite a shifting over 
 there among the army flannels. 
 
 "But how do you know but there is 
 something in it?" 
 
 "Do j'ou see those two blankets pinned 
 together at the bottom?" said Dabney. 
 
 " Yes; but what of it?" said the officer. 
 
 "Why, that's her way of making a 
 Ssh trap; and when she pins the clothes 
 together that way, it means that Lee is 
 only trying to draw us into his fish-trap." 
 
 As long as the two armies lay watch- 
 ing each other on opposite banks of the 
 stream. Dabney, with his clothes-line 
 telegrapiv. continued to be one of the 
 promptest and most reliable of Greneral 
 Hooker's scouts. 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
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