the army's a terrible
place. I had no sort o' trouble when I was doin' something that mebbe I
oughtn't to have done, but the minute I start out to do a right thing
I meet no end o' difficulties. But these are the obstacles that Satan
always puts in the way of the righteous. I'm goin' to git this boss
'back to its owner, or know the reason why. Git up, there."

He soon came to a piece of the road which was in full view of the rebels
on Lookout Mountain. They had been preparing the day before to stop all
travel by that route, and the Deacon's was the first vehicle that had
appeared since they had got their guns planted. They waited until he was
fairly out into the open, and sent a shell which struck a panel of
the fence off to the left, burst with a crash, and sent rails, chunks,
stones and pieces of brush flying through the air. The horse became
frantic, and tore up the hill at such a rate the buckboard and harness
speedily went to pieces, and the Deacon was flung in the ditch, while
the horse galloped wildly over the hill.

The Union artillerymen on Moccasin Point had evidently anticipated just
such an attempt on the part of the rebels. Instantly a score of guns
which had been placed to cover that spot thundered out, and their shells
could be seen striking and tearing up the ground all around where the
shot came from. Other rebel guns came to the assistance of the first
one; the Union batteries within reach started in to help their side, and
in a minute the whole country was shaking with the uproar.

"Well, I'll be dumbed," muttered the Deacon, crawling out of the ditch,
shaking himself together again, cleaning off the mud, and trying to
comprehend what was happening. "Did anybody ever see sich a commotion
kicked up over one four-year-old hoss, and not a particularly good hoss
at that? 't'd take a mighty smart man to git as much as $100 for him up
in Posey County. Nobody but a Methodist Elder could do it. I've sold a
better hoss than that for $80, and got all he was worth."

He stood for a few minutes and looked at the grand display until the
Union batteries, satisfied that they had finally quashed the impudent
rebel, ceased firing, and then he looked around.

"Well, that buckboard's done for. I can't take it back. It's only good
for kindlin' wood now. But I may ketch the hoss and take him back."

He went up on top of the hill, and saw the horse standing under a tree,
apparently pondering over what had happened, an