Under Fire: A Tale of the Shenandoah Valley — page 121: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

le BERTHA AND THE MAJOR. “Across the field to the woods, boys!’’ cried the captain, loudly. Ouickly the rangers wheeled their horses and gave them the rein. “Halt thar!’ ‘(Surrender, Yankees!”’ Our friends paid no heed to the loud calls of the suerrilla raiders, but dashed away over the field toward the woods. The guerrillas were soon racing over the open eround, firing and yelling like Indians, Captain Chetwood rode in the rear of his command, and just before entering the woods he turned about and sent back a shot which emptied one saddle. Then the captain’s horse leaped a fence and en- tered the woods. A volley of leaden pellets cut the bushes and twigs about him, but without any damage. An officer rode at the head of the pursuing party, and once, concealed by the bushes, Captain Chet- wood faced about, glanced along his revolver, and fired. The officer fell with a bullet in his brain. | The result of the captain’s shot brought a yell of rage from the pursuers. A second volley was fired, and one of the rangers received a wound; but the little party scattered through the woods and were soon lost to view. The pursuit was soon at an end. Two of the rangers were slain, and several had re- ceived wounds as a result of the fight. The larger portion of the - Confederate raiders halted at the farm-house, and one who worea major’s straps, demanded food for his men and horses. Bertha pointed to the smoking ruins of the barn. ‘All the food we had for horses was there. It has but just been destroyed. What more can you-ask ?”’ ‘Upon my soul, Ot lady, I’m extremely sorry, ECOMIIERDOOCKS. ECO im