Beadle's Dime Novels No. 298: The Hussar Captain — page 79: what you’re looking at

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

AN OPPORTUNITY. 83 ‘and glanced at. the papers upon the table, for a few moments, aud then seeing some blanks signed by Washington I hastily wrote me a pass through the lines, stating I was bound on a secret and urgent mission to yourself, and sent by the rebel commander, with instructions also to the guard to pass me back into the lines again within three days. “Glancing up as I finished, 1 saw the eye of the sentinel upon me, and in him I recognized a deserter from my own troop; and knowing well his cupidity, as well as his dislike to suldiering, I told him frankly, if he would go through the lines with me I would get him a pardon for his desertion, give him a thousand pounds, and pay his way by the first ship re- turning to Engiand. “Tle was only too glad to accept the offer, and having quickly decided to act, at once informed me that Washington had been called to a distant point from his head-quarters, and would not return for an hour or more, but had privately given him orders to keep his eye upon me and see that I did not attempt to escape, fur the rebel chief did not know that the sentinel was a deserter from our service. “ Also the fellow told me that, having no desire to be seen by me, well-knowing I would recognize him, he had kept buck out of sight as much as possible. “ Anxious, however, to risk at once my chance of escape, I soon placed the necessary passes in my pocket, and arm- ing myself with a brace of pistols and sword I saw lying up- on u-table near, I bade the sentinel to at once march me back, as though he had orders to take me to my prison quar- ters, “ With wonderful presence of mind he obeyed, and with- out the slightest suspicion passed through the guards into a path leading upon the border of a small wood,,and here he left me for a moment, and soon returned witli” «a couple of fine horses, saddled and bridled for the road, for he bad taken them from the staff officers’ stables. “T assure you, my lord, I was not long in mounting, and inwardly determined I wilt cut my way through a guard line, ere I would return to imprisonment. “But my passes 1 found sufficient, for the gutta seeing nie coming from the direction of their encampments, and at- * - connicloooks. conn