atmosphere, were dismal enough. I surmised, from what my guide had told me before we started out, that the Federal pickets must be somewhere near, and I concluded that it was time for me to get rid of the darkey; so I said to him, "Isn't that the church where you said you saw the Yankee soldiers?"
"Yes, miss, dat's de place; dey's jes' beyond dat church a bit, or dey was las' week."
"Well, I want to find them; but I guess, if you don't want them to catch you, you'd better get back as quick as you can."
"Lord, miss, I doesn't want dem to catch me, sure."
"Well, then, you will have to travel off as fast as you are able; if you don't, they will have you, and will run you off, and give you to the abolitionists."
I said this in a very severe way, and it evidently made an impression on the darkey, who probably thought the abolitionists were cannibals, who would proceed to use him as a substitute for beef. He opened his eyes as big as saucers, and his teeth chattered so that he could scarcely say, "Good-by, miss," as he darted off, clutching the ten-dollar Confederate bill that I had handed him in payment for his services.
Watching the old negro until he was out of sight, I rode up to the church, and dismounting, entered the building. My first care now was to get rid of my pistol, as I thought it would most probably be taken from me if the Federals found that I had it; and the discovery of it, secreted upon my person, would be not unlikely to cause me to be suspected of being a spy, which, of course, was the very thing I was most anxious to avoid. Raising a plank in the flooring, I put the pistol under it, and covered it well with dirt. My intention was to return this way, and I expected to get the weapon, and give it back to General Ferguson. Circumstances, how ever, induced me to change my plans j and as I have never visited the spot since, if the church is still standing, the pistol is probably where I placed it, for I buried it tolerably deep, and smoothed the dirt well over it, so that it would not be likely to be discovered except by accident.
As I stated before, my disguise, as I had arranged it with Lieutenant Shorter, was that of a poor countrywoman, and the story I was to tell was, that I was a widow, and was flying for protection to the Federal lines. Having disposed of the pistol, I sat down for a few minutes to think over the situation, and to decide upon the best method of procedure with
