210 OCEAN TO OCEAN ON HORSEBACK. 



At first the prospects for the " inner man '^ looked 

 rather doubtful, as I came up to the solitary State 

 Line House, but a few moments' search brought me 

 to the landlord, who was hoeing in a cornfield, and 

 my wants were soon supplied. By five o'clock I was 

 riding into the borough of North-East, where I found 

 a number of peo{)le awaiting me. Upon dismount- 

 ing, I learned that I was announced to lecture in the 

 Town Hall that evening. This was a surprise, but 

 I was ready to comply. The village band escorted 

 me after supper to the hall, taking a position in 

 front of the audience, and giving us '^Hail Columbia" 

 before, and " The Sword of Bunker Hill " after the 

 lecture. The hall was so crowded that many were 

 compelled to stand, and if hearty applause is an 

 evidence of satisfaction, I may consider my effort 

 to entertain the North -Easters a success. Captain 

 Bronson Orton, a lawyer of the place, made the in- 

 tfoduction, and I afterwards had a chat with him 

 about experiences in Georgia, as he was with 

 Sherman's army during its march from Atlanta to 

 the Sea, and was quite familiar with many of its 

 incidents. I too had followed the great strategist 

 through that State, although in a very different 

 capacity; it having been my lot to drop into the 

 rear of his conquering legions during my escape fi'om 

 Southern prisons. The trying circumstances which I 

 passed through, when I evaded the guard at Sylvania, 

 the cautious tramps by day, and vigilance by night, 

 in the friendly swamps, came back after the inter- 

 vening twelve years, with all the vividness of yester- 

 day. I related my experiences with the negroes and 



