Page:The woman in battle .djvu/467

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A CAPITAL GOOD JOKE.
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quently dropped into a general conversation, of no interest to the reader.

The detective seemed determined to be as polite to me as he could; and on leaving the cars he carried my satchel, containing eighty-two thousand dollars belonging to the Confederate government, and a variety of other matters which he would have taken possession of with the utmost pleasure, could he have known what they were. When we passed on board the boat I took the satchel from him, and thanking him for his attention, proceeded to get out of his sight as expeditiously as I could.

When the custom-house officer examined my luggage, I gave him a wink, and whispered the password I had been instructed to use, and he merely turned up the shawl which was on my arm, and went through the form of looking into my satchel.

The Detective Baffled.

On reaching the Canada shore I was met by Mr. L., who gave me a very hearty greeting ; but I cautioned him to say as little as possible just then, as we might be watched. Glancing back, I saw my friend the detective, anxiously surveying the passing crowd; and calling Mr. L.'s attention to him, I said, "Do you see that heavy man with the black eyebrows and scrubby mustache, who looks as though he had lost some thing?"

"Yes. What of him?"

"He has been travelling on the train with me all day, and has been exceedingly polite and attentive. He is a detective, and I am the individual he is after, but he isn't half smart enough to catch me."

I then, as we moved off, related my adventure with the detective to my Canadian friend. He thought it a capital good joke, and said that I seemed. to be tolerably well able to take care of myself.

On my arrival in Canada I was welcomed with great cordiality by the Confederates there, who were eager to know all about my trip, how things were looking at Richmond, whether I had letters for so and so, and anything else that I was able to tell them. I distributed my letters and despatches according to instructions ; mailed packages for the commanders of the cruisers Shenandoah and Florida, which I had received with especial injunctions to be particularly careful of, as they