82 



WHIP AND SPUE. 



kind fellow buckled the spurs on my heels, and 

 they evidently gave me new consequence in his 

 eyes as we rode on our way. 



Presently we struck a party of about twenty- 

 five, under a Captain Mosby, who had been mak- 

 ing a circuit after conscripts and had had no 

 news of us. After a running fight, during which 

 there occurred some casualties on the other side, 

 we captured the survivors of the party and sent 

 them to the rear. 



From midday on, we heard rumors of a sally 

 in strong force from Batesville, and were com- 

 pelled to move cautiously, — straggling parties of 

 Rebel scouts serving to give credibility to the 

 story. At sunset we were within six miles of 

 the town; and, halting in the deep snow of a 

 large farm-yard, I sent a picked party of thirty, 

 under Rosa, to secure the ferry, if possible, — 

 Wettstein and Klitschka accompanying to bring 

 back word of the result. After two anxious 

 hours, he came into camp with a note from 

 Rosa : " Marmaduke is over the river and has 

 the ferry-boat with him ; three of his men killed. 



