Under Fire: A Tale of the Shenandoah Valley — page 61: what you’re looking at

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

oe BURN AND DESTROY. A tude laugh went through the troop at this sally. “Lieutenant, look at that girl.’’ One of the men thus addressed the young officer in a low tone. | But he had no need to call the officer’s attention, since that worthy was already made aware of the pres- ence of Bertha McVane. Beautiful as a goddess, with flaming eyes, and cheeks burning with indignation, the girl stood look- ing into. the young lieutenant’s face. ‘fA pretty secessionist,’’ he said, laughingly. “'If I thought. Captain Ray wouldn’t hear of it, I’d have some fun with this impertinent maid.’’ ‘‘T have not been misinformed,’’ finally spoke the girl. ‘‘Yankees are mudsills in very truth.”’ The lieutenant laughed rather immoderately at this rather spiteful remark from Miss McVane. ‘‘So you have learned the trick of your elders, Southern statesmen, and use a term that is very ex- pressive, to say the least. If I should retort by calling you a clay-eater or dough-face, you’d be indignant, wouldn’t you?” To this no reply was vouchsafed. ‘‘Come, Bertha, we will go in now and allow these gentlemen to pass on,’’ said the uncle, in a mild tone. His wife was already moving toward the house. ‘‘Go in, by all means,’’ cried the lieutenant. ‘‘Of. course you ate a Union man ?”’ ‘‘T-have no political opinions just at present,’’ an- sweted Orvin Clymore. “A very safe plan, but it won’t work to- day. We’se engaged in rooting out secession in the Shenandoah Valley, my friend. Boys, we’ll see what yonder barn contains.’ Quickly the troopers leaped their horses into the garden, crushing the board fence, trampling flower- beds and shrubbery as they swept on past the house toward the barn. Eomicbooks ((0)