CHAPTER IX

GUERRILLAS

AND RIOTERS.

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"WOULDN'T I like to have a coal-black pony," exclaimed Roger, on a harvest day, as, from his height on the hay-cart, he watched the plodding horses below. pony with a shining hide, a flowing mane, and a gallop to make the sparks fly! When the war is done, if prices come down, won't you buy me one, father? a Canadian, or Mexican, or suppose we say a horse-the Vermonters are handsome ones."

"Do you think you'd have more pleasure

than you take now, riding bare-back on Muff and Buff? I doubt whether a gay young pony would listen as composedly to your shouts and whistles as they do; he

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might trouble you with a broken bone now and then, by way of retort," said the father. They must have fine horses in the South," said Frank; "nearly every gentleman keeps one, or used to, Daniel told us ; besides, we hear often of their 'Black Horse' and other cavalry; all the guerrillas have horses too. Somewhere in Arkansas there is a band, and the story runs, that the captain, when it is to start, gives the word thus: 'First order: Prepare fur to git on to yer critters. Second order, Git!" "That's brevity, though it may not be the soul of wit," remarked Mr. Warren.

"Their famous guerrilla Morgan—what a quantity of horses he must have stolen by this time. Last winter he went on a raid to Kentucky; he's fond of playing tricks as he goes, for he's an audacious, treacherous fellow; I have an account of a bargain he made with a certain Mr. Clay, after stealing a famous horse named 'Skedaddle' from his barn. The owner felt so badly at the loss, that he

went after Morgan, and when he came up ' with him offered a fine span of horses, and six hundred dollars besides, as a last inducement for him to give up Skedaddle. Morgan looked at the animals carefully, and replied, "Wel, these will answer my purpose as well as the racer, and as I disposed to accommodate you, Mr. Clay"— Mr. Clay's face brightened.

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"As, ah-I am disposed to accommodate you, I will partly comply with your request."

Mr. Clay looked relieved, but slightly puzzled.

"I will, ah-partly comply with your request. I'll take the horses; but it will be impossible for me to spare 'Skedaddle' at present.

Mr. Clay was struck of a heap ;' before he returned to himself the men had also relieved him of his six hundred dollars, and left him to his own meditations.

"The story sounds like one of Morgan's

exploits," said Mr. Warren. "This year he has been through Kentucky, into Ohio and Indiana, lighting his track with burning buildings, robbing granaries, cutting telegraphs, and doing all possible harm. The difference in the conduct of National and Confederate troops is particularly noticeable as they pass through a border State. In it the Union boys share the rations saved for a march with hungry women and children, and large quantities of food and clothing are sent by our people to impoverished regions, such as East Tennessee. Not so with the rebels; they do violence to private property, and plunder, and spread terror along their course.

On the Fourth of July, which you remember was a memorable day for our arms, Morgan, in attempting to cross Green River, Kentucky, was checked by a band of two hundred Michigan soldiers; and when he summoned them to surrender, the Colonel informed him, that on that day, of all others, such a proposal couldn't be con

sidered for a moment. The raider gave battle, but, inasmuch as our men were not to be frightened away, he withdrew after losing fifty of his followers. Going by another route, to Lebanon, he heard that pursuers. were upon his track; these he distanced by racing ten miles in ninety minutes, with his troops and prisoners, one of the latter, who fell back, being shot dead by the way."

"They'd want faster horses than ours to catch him, if he travels at that rate," said Roger, "for he steals fresh ones when the others give out."

"After weeks of racing and chasing, in which the raiders were harassed nearly to death, he was caught, nevertheless," resumed the father. "They had tried to retreat by a ford of the Ohio, where they were saluted with rifle shots, and the roar of gunboats. They had ridden hither and thither, pausing finally at Belleville, hoping to cross the river without discovery, and had succeeded in debarking some of their horses, when, tramp! tramp! resounded