Under Fire: A Tale of the Shenandoah Valley — page 81: what you’re looking at

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

74 WITHIN A NOOSE. lease me at once; or am I to take the toad to Rich- mond and a dungeon? ?? said Captain Chetwood, quickly. ‘‘Neither. You are to adorn one of these trees,’ was the grim response: “Vou do not mean that you would murder an un- armed man ?”’ ‘No; Isimply mean that I would hang a Union spy. ») “But Iam not a VJnion spy.”’ ‘(The criminal always denies his guilt,’ sneered the colonel. ‘‘Sheridan is laying waste our beautiful valley, and murdering Southern citizens by whole- sale; to hang one of his cut-throats is a pleasant duty I owe my country. He ‘‘Your specious pleading is entirely unnecessary, sir,’’? retorted Captain Chetwood. ‘‘ You have resolved upon committing murder, and try to still your con- science in this way. It will not do. You wear the uniform of the Confederacy, so called, and pretend to represent an honorable foe. But you have the in- stincts of a coward and a rebel. If you are a specimen of Southern chivalry, then God help the South! But——’”’ ‘“Stop!’? hissed Colonel Trafton, becoming white with rage. ‘‘I will not be spit upon by a miserable Vankee | spy. Colonel Trafton is not the one to for- give an insult. Boys, you will string this impudent mudsill to one of these trees. He is a spy, and de- serves to die.’’ Among fifty men belonging to Mosby’s hee gang, a rope would not be hard to find. Among the horses bestrode by the rebel band were many rope halters, and several of these were at once brought into requisition. A broad Virginian oak was selected to act the part | of scaffold on this occasion. Captain Chetwood stood with folded arms regarding (ee)