Dan Ellis The Great Union Guide

For niaiiy nionths, oveu boforo leaviug prison, we had beeu familiar willi the nume of Dan. Ellis - a famou.s Union guide, uho, siuee the beginmng of the war, bad done nothiug but coiiduct loyui men to our linos. Ellis ia u hero, and his life a ruinance He bad tuisen througU in all ovor tour thousand persous. He had probably seen moro adventure - iu fights and races with the rebjls, in long journeya, suuiütimes bure-fotted, aud througb the suow, or awiiiiiuiug r-vei's full of tloatiny icu - than ary other man living JXe Duver lost but oue man, who was swüoped up by his owu heedleüsues. The party had traveled eiglxt or ten dayw, living upou uothiog but parched oorn. Uau iusisted that a man CQuJd walk tvventy five inik'8 a day thruugh snow upou parclied coro, just as well as upou any othor c'ic;t - if he ouly tbougbt so. I foei boutid to say that I have tried it and don't think 80. This per sou held the same opinión. He revolted agtiinst the parcliLci-eon diot, vowius that lio would go to th iirst house anc 1 get au honest meal, if lie wasc;purei 1 tbr it. Ile went to the first house, ob tained the mea], aud was captured. After we had traveled fifty miles everybody said to us, " Ii you can only find Dau Elüs, and do just as he tells you, you will be cortainly to get througti," We did find Dan Ellia. On a Sunday night, ono huudred aud thirtj-four miles from our lines, greaily broKen down, wo reaehad a point on the road, waited fur two hours, when ulong canio Dau. Eliis, with a party of s;venty meu - reiugees, prisoners, rebt'l deserters, Union soldiers returning from tlieïr homes within the eneniy's lines, and eacaping prisoners. About thirty cfthem were mouated, and twer.ty armed. Like most mon of actioa Dan was a person of few word. When our story had been told hin), he said to hia coinrades : " Boys, here are soine gentlemen, who have esoaped from Salisbury, aud who aro alfliost dead from jouroey. - They are our people. They have suffured in our cause. They, are goin? to their humos in our linea. We oau't ride aud let them walk. Gut down oü' your horses aud help theni up." Dowu they camo, and up we went; aud theu wo pressed aloug at a terrible pace. To day, when wo carne ou Ihe hot track of eight guerrilla-', the rebel hun ting iustinct waxed strong within Dau, aud, takiuji eight of his own men, he started in fierce pursuit. Seven of the eueuiy escaped, but ono was captured aud brought to our camp a prisonor. Theu Dau wout to the nearest Uuion house, to learn the uews ; l'or overy loyal i'aicily in a range of many huudred miles know (nd loved hiru. We, verv weary, lay down to sleep in an old oruhard, wuh our saddhw fur pillows. Our roflections s'cie plousant. Wo weie only sevonty-nine miles from the Uuion liues. We progreesed swiminingly, aid had oveu begun to regúlalo the domestio affairs of tho border ! lifforo niiduight, aome o.io shook my arm. I rubbed my eyeg open and look od up. There was Dan Ellis. " lioys, we must saddlo instantly we havo walked right iuto a nest of rebels. Several huudred aro within a few milus ; cighty are in tbis immediato vicinity. They are lyiug in nubiigh for Col. Kirk and his uien. It is doubtful whether we can ever get out of this. Wo must divide iuto two parties. Tho footmen must take to the inouritains; we who are riding, and in muph more dauger - as horees maka much more noise, and leave go many traces - must presa on at once, if we ever hope to reaeh the Union lines." The word was passed il) low tunes. Flitiging our saddles upon our weary horses, we were on our way almost instantly. My place was near the middlo of the cavalcade. Tbo man just before me was ridiug a white horse, whiuh enabied me to follow him with euse. We galloped along at Dan's usual pace, with the most sublime indiflerence to roads - up aud down rocky hills, across streams, throngh swamps, over fonces - everywhere but upou thoroughfaros. I suppose we had traveled three miles, when BIr. Davis feil back from the front, and said to mo : ' That young lady rides very well ; doos he uot V" " What young lady?" " The young lady who is pilotmg us," I had thought Dan Ellis was pilotiug us, and rode forward to sue about the young lady. There sho was sure enough. I could not scruiinize her face in the darkuess, but it was said to be comely. I could see that her forin was graceful, and the easo and ffrmness with whicU shc sat her lioise would havo been a lesson for a riding-master. Kho resided at the Union house, that Dai) had visited for nows. inomeut she loarned his need, sho volanteered to pilot hi.-n out of that ueighboriiood, where she was bini aud bred, aud knew övery acre. The only accessiblc horso (oue beloning to a rebel officer, but just then kept iü her father's barn) was , brought out aud saddled. She mounted, eame to our camp at miduight, aud was now Ktealthily guiding us, avoiding i f'arm-houseti whero the rebels weio quartered, going round their camps, evading j Lhoir piekets. -. 8he led us for peven miler, Tiien, j ivhile we remained in the woods, she rode ' Corward over the long bridge which ' ipanned the Nolechucky lïivu1, to Ree ■ t' tliore wore any guards upon it ; wout ' :o the iirst Uniuu house bevond to learn I I ü' the roads oro fñoketed ; caine b.ick, and told ns tht c ust v?as cliar. T herí shc rode by our long lina towad ber home. Vu sbou d h.ive gi ven ber tliree rousing olieers, bad it beeu safo to c'ieer. I hopa thu time is not far distaiit hen her name nny be mado rublic. Uuti] tho rcbt'l guei illas :iro driven out 'rom ihoir liiding-plaood nu;.r hor iiiüud tuin h míe, it will not be pruclunt.