andersonville-第74部分

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and　talents　as　a　dodger；　to　imagine　that　I　could　make　it　difficult　for
him　to　hit　me。　　But　in　walling　with　my　back　to　him　I　was　wholly　at　his
mercy。　　Fortune；　however；　favored　us；　and　we　were　allowed　to　go　on　with
our　worknight　after　nightwithout　a　shot。

In　the　meanwhile　another　happy　thought　slowly　gestated　in　Davis's　alleged
intellect。　　How　he　came　to　give　birth　to　two　ideas　with　no　more　than　a
week　between　them；　puzzled　all　who　knew　him；　and　still　more　that　he
survived　this　extraordinary　strain　upon　the　gray　matter　of　the　cerebrum。
His　new　idea　was　to　have　driven　a　heavily…laden　mule　cart　around　the
inside　of　the　Dead　Line　at　least　once　a　day。　　The　wheels　or　the　mule's
feet　broke　through　the　thin　sod　covering　the　tunnels　and　exposed　them。
Our　tunnel　went　with　the　rest；　and　those　of　our　crowd　who　wore　shoes　had
humiliation　added　to　sorrow　by　being　compelled　to　go　in　and　spade　the
hole　full　of　dirt。　　This　put　an　end　to　subterranean　engineering。

One　day　one　of　the　boys　watched　his　opportunity；　got　under　the　ration
wagon；　and　clinging　close　to　the　coupling　pole　with　hands　and　feet；　was
carried　outside。　　He　was　detected；　however；　as　he　came　from　under　the
wagon；　and　brought　back。




CHAPTER　LIII。

FRANK　REVERSTOCK'S　ATTEMPT　AT　ESCAPEPASSING　OFF　AS　REBEL　BOY　HE　REACHES
GRISWOLDVILLE　BY　RAIL；　AND　THEN　STRIKES　ACROSS　THE　COUNTRY　FOR　SHERMAN；
BUT　IS　CAUGHT　WITHIN　TWENTY　MILES　OF　OUR　LINES。

One　of　the　shrewdest　and　nearest　successful　attempts　to　escape　that　came
under　my　notice　was　that　of　my　friend　Sergeant　Frank　Reverstock；　of　the
Third　West　Virginia　Cavalry；　of　whom　I　have　before　spoken。　　Frank；　who
was　quite　small；　with　a　smooth　boyish　face；　had　converted　to　his　own　use
a　citizen's　coat；　belonging　to　a　young　boy；　a　Sutler's　assistant；　who　had
died　in　Andersonville。　　He　had　made　himself　a　pair　of　bag　pantaloons　and
a　shirt　from　pieces　of　meal　sacks　which　he　had　appropriated　from　day　to
day。　　He　had　also　the　Sutler's　assistant's　shoes；　and；　to　crown　all；　he
wore　on　his　head　one　of　those　hideous　looking　hats　of　quilted　calico
which　the　Rebels　had　taken　to　wearing　in　the　lack　of　felt　hats；　which
they　could　neither　make　nor　buy。　　Altogether　Frank　looked　enough　like　a
Rebel　to　be　dangerous　to　trust　near　a　country　store　or　a　stable　full　of
horses。　　When　we　first　arrived　in　the　prison　quite　a　crowd　of　the
Savannahians　rushed　in　to　inspect　us。　　The　guards　had　some　difficulty　in
keeping　them　and　us　separate。　　While　perplexed　with　this　annoyance；　one
of　them　saw　Frank　standing　in　our　crowd；　and；　touching　him　with　his
bayonet；　said；　with　some　sharpness：

〃See　heah；　you　must　stand　back；　you　musn't　crowd　on　them　prisoners　so。〃；

Frank　stood　back。　　He　did　it　promptly　but　calmly；　and　then；　as　if　his
curiosity　as　to　Yankees　was　fully　satisfied；　he　walked　slowly　away　up　the
street；　deliberating　as　he　went　on　a　plan　for　getting　out　of　the　City。
He　hit　upon　an　excellent　one。　　Going　to　the　engineer　of　a　freight　train
making　ready　to　start　back　to　Macon；　he　told　him　that　his　father　was
working　in　the　Confederate　machine　shops　at　Griswoldville；　near　Macon；
that　he　himself　was　also　one　of　the　machinists　employed　there；　and
desired　to　go　thither　but　lacked　the　necessary　means　to　pay　his　passage。
If　the　engineer　would　let　him　ride　up　on　the　engine　he　would　do　work
enough　to　pay　the　fare。　　Frank　told　the　story　ingeniously；　the　engineer
and　firemen　were　won　over；　and　gave　their　consent。

No　more　zealous　assistant　ever　climbed　upon　a　tender　than　Frank　proved　to
be。　　He　loaded　wood　with　a　nervous　industry；　that　stood　him　in　place　of
great　strength。　　He　kept　the　tender　in　perfect　order；　and　anticipated；
as　far　as　possible；　every　want　of　the　engineer　and　his　assistant。　　They
were　delighted　with　him；　and　treated　him　with　the　greatest　kindness；
dividing　their　food　with　him；　and　insisting　that　he　should　share　their
bed　when　they　〃laid　by〃　for　the　night。　　Frank　would　have　gladly　declined
this　latter　kindness　with　thanks；　as　he　was　conscious　that　the　quantity
of　〃graybacks〃　his　clothing　contained　did　not　make　him　a　very　desirable
sleeping　companion　for　any　one；　but　his　friends　were　so　pressing　that　he
was　compelled　to　accede。

His　greatest　trouble　was　a　fear　of　recognition　by　some　one　of　the
prisoners　that　were　continually　passing　by　the　train　load；　on　their　way
from　Andersonville　to　other　prisons。　　He　was　one　of　the　best　known　of　the
prisoners　in　Andersonville；　bright；　active；　always　cheerful；　and　forever
in　motion　during　waking　hours；　every　one　in　the　Prison　speedily　became
familiar　with　him；　and　all　addressed　him　as　〃Sergeant　Frankie。〃　　If　any
one　on　the　passing　trains　had　caught　a　glimpse　of　him；　that　glimpse　would
have　been　followed　almost　inevitably　with　a　shout　of：

〃Hello；　Sergeant　Frankie！　　What　are　you　doing　there？〃

Then　the　whole　game　would　have　been　up。　　Frank　escaped　this　by　persistent
watchfulness；　and　by　busying　himself　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　engine；
with　his　back　turned　to　the　other　trains。

At　last　when　nearing　Griswoldville；　Frank；　pointing　to　a　large　white
house　at　some　distance　across　the　fields；　said：

〃Now；　right　over　there　is　where　my　uncle　lives；　and　I　believe　I'll　just
run　over　and　see　him；　and　then　walk　into　Griswoldville。〃

He　thanked　his　friends　fervently　for　their　kindness；　promised　to　call　and
see　them　frequently；　bade　them　good　by；　and　jumped　off　the　train。

He　walked　towards　the　white　house　as　long　as　he　thought　he　could　be　seen；
and　then　entered　a　large　corn　field　and　concealed　himself　in　a　thicket　in
the　center　of　it　until　dark；　when　he　made　his　way　to　the　neighboring
woods；　and　began　journeying　northward　as　fast　as　his　legs　could　carry
him。　　When　morning　broke　he　had　made　good　progress；　but　was　terribly
tired。　　It　was　not　prudent　to　travel　by　daylight；　so　he　gathered　himself
some　ears　of　corn　and　some　berries；　of　which　he　made　his　breakfast；　and
finding　a　suitable　thicket　he　crawled　into　it；　fell　asleep；　and　did　not
wake　up　until　late　in　the　afternoon。

After　another　meal　of　raw　corn　and　berries　he　resumed　his　journey；　and
that　night　made　still　better　progress。

He　repeated　this　for　several　days　and　nightslying　in　the　woods　in　the
day　time；　traveling　by　night　through　woods；　fields；　and　by…paths　avoiding
all　the　fords；　bridges　and　main　roads；　and　living　on　what　he　could　glean
from　the　fields；　that　he　might　not　take　even　so　much　risk　as　was　involved
in　going　to　the　negro　cabins　for　food。

But　there　are　always　flaws　in　every　man's　armor　of　cautioneven　in　so
perfect　a　one　as　Frank's。　　His　complete　success　so　far　had　the　natural
effect　of　inducing　a　growing　carelessness；　which　wrought　his　ruin。
One　evening　he　started　off　briskly；　after　a　refreshing　rest　and　sleep。
He　knew　that　he　must　be　very　near　Sherman's　lines；　and　hope　cheered　him
up　with　the　belief　that　his　freedom　would　soon　be　won。

Descending　from　the　hill；　in　whose　dense　brushwood　he　had　made　his　bed
all　day；　he　entered　a　large　field　full　of　standing　corn；　and　made　his　way
between　the　rows　until　he　reached；　on　the　other　side；　the　fence　that
separated　it　from　the　main　road；　across　which　was　another　corn…field；
that　Frank　intended　entering。

But　he　neglected　his　usual　precautions　on　approaching　a　road；　and　instead
of　coming　up　cautiously　and　carefully　reconnoitering　in　all　directions
before　he　left　cover；　he　sprang　boldly　over　the　fence　and　strode　out　for
the　other　side。　　As　he　reached　the　middle　of　the　road；　his　ears　were
assailed　with　the　sharp　click　of　a　musket　being　cocked；　and　the　harsh
command：

〃Halt！　halt；　dah；　I　say！〃

Turning　with　a　start　to　his　left　he　saw　not　ten　feet　from　him；　a　mounted
patrol；　the　sound　of　whose　approach　had　been　masked　by　the　deep　dust　of
the　road；　into　which　his　horse's　hoofs　sank　noiselessly。

Frank；　of　course；　yielded　without　a　word；　and　when　sent　to　the　officer　in
command　he　told　the　old　story　about　his　being　an　employee　of　the
Griswoldville　shops；　off　on　a　leave　of　absence　to　make　a　visit　to　sick
relatives。　　But；　unfortunately；　his　captors　belonged　to　that　section
themselves；　and　speedily　caught　him　in　a　maze　of　cross…questioning　from
which　he　could　not　extricate　himself。　　It　also　became　apparent　from　his
language　that　he　was　a　Yankee；　and　it　was　not　far　from　this　to　the
conclusion　that　he　was　a　spya　conclusion　to　which　the　proximity　of
Sherman's　lines；　then　less　than　twenty　miles　distant…greatly　assisted。

By　the　next　morning　this　belief　had　become　so　firmly　fixed　in　the　minds
of　the　Rebels　that　Frank　saw　a　halter　dangling　alarmingly　near；　and　he
concluded　the　wisest　plan　was　to　confess　who　he　really　was。

It　was　not　the　smallest　of　his　griefs　to　realize　by　how　slight　a　chance
he　had　failed。　　Had　he　looked　down　the　road　before　he　climbed　the　fence；
or　had　he　been　ten　minutes　earlier　or　later；　the　patrol　would　not　have
been　there；　he　could　have　gained　the　next　field　unperceived；　and　two　more
nights　of　successful　progress　would　have　taken　him　into　Sherman's　lines
at　Sand　Mountain。　　The　patrol　which　caught　him　was　on　the　look…out　for
deserters　and　shirking　conscripts；　who　had　become　unusually　numerous
since　the　fall　of　Atlanta。

He　was　sent　back　to　us　at　Savannah。　　As　he　came　into　the