Tom of the Raiders

Tom of the Raiders

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Tom of the Raiders, by Austin Bishop
Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the
copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing
this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook.
This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project
Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the
header without written permission.
Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the
eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is
important information about your specific rights and restrictions in how
the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a
donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved.
**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts**
**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since
1971**
*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of
Volunteers!*****
Title: Tom of the Raiders
Author: Austin Bishop
Release Date: February, 2005 [EBook #7504] [Yes, we are more than
one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on May 11,
2003]

Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TOM OF
THE RAIDERS ***

Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Olaf Voss and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team.

[Illustration by Morgan Dennis: Again and again Tom fed logs into the
flames.]
TOM OF THE RAIDERS
BY
AUSTIN BISHOP
ILLUSTRATED BY MORGAN DENNIS

To DOLORES AND SAM WITHOUT ADHESIONS

CONTENTS
CHAPTER
I
WITH THE SECOND OHIO II THE RAIDERS START III
ARRESTED IV TOM GOES ALONE V TOM ARRIVES AT THE

BEEGHAM'S VI ON TO CHATTANOOGA VII IN MARIETTA VIII
THE TRAIN IS CAPTURED IX THE RACE X "THEY'RE AFTER
US!" XI THE PURSUIT XII SPEEDING NORTHWARD XIII
FIGHTING WITH FIRE XIV THE END OF THE RACE XV
CAPTURED XVI ESCAPING XVII FIGHTING THE RIVER XVIII
NORTH OF THE TENNESSEE XIX THE LAST DASH XX TOM
REPORTS AT HEADQUARTERS XXI THAT CERTAIN PERSON

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Again and again Tom fed logs into the flames. Frontispiece The little
ferryboat pitched and turned in the current of the river.
The men were feeding the ties they had collected, out upon the road
through an opening they had broken in the rear of the car.
"I didn't want to come here, Marjorie, for fear I'd get you into trouble--"
CHAPTER ONE
WITH THE SECOND OHIO
As he rounded the last bend of the road, Tom saw the white tents of the
Union army stretched out before him. He forgot how tired he was after
his long walk, and pressed forward eagerly, almost running. The
soldiers who were sauntering along the road eyed him curiously.
"Hey, you! You can't go by here without a pass!" The Sentry's rifle,
with its long gleaming bayonet, snapped into a menacing attitude.
Tom stopped abruptly, caught his breath, and asked: "Is this the Second
Ohio?"
"Maybe," answered the Sentry coldly. "What do you want to know
for?"
"I've come to see my cousin--Herbert Brewster, of Company B."

The Sentry's position relaxed. He brought his rifle to the ground, leaned
upon it, and gazed at the young man who stood before him. "Well
now!" he said. "He'll certainly be glad to see you! We don't get many
visitors down this way. What's your name?"
"Tom Burns."
"Going to enlist?"
"Yes. How'd you guess it?"
"Oh, I dunno. I just thought so. You're pretty young, ain't you?"
"Eighteen," answered Tom. "I'm old enough to fight." He looked past
the Sentry, down at the even rows of tents which formed the company
streets of the Second Ohio. His heart beat faster at the thought that he
would be part of it after today. A soldier in the Union army!
"I'll send a messenger with you down to Company B," said the Sentry.
"You'll have to get the Captain's permission before you can see your
cousin."
It was early in April, 1862. The troops under the command of General
O. M. Mitchel were encamped between Shelbyville and Murfreesboro,
Tennessee, after a march from Nashville through a steady drizzle of
rain. It had been a dreary, tedious march, made worse by long detours
to avoid burnt bridges, detours over roads where the heavy wagons of
the army sank hub-deep in the glue-like mud. It had been a fight against
the rain and mud every inch of the way. And now, except for the details
of bridge repairing, the troops were resting, drying their water-soaked
knapsacks, and gathering strength for the march southward. Rumors of
Chattanooga were in the air, and the camp was buzzing with talk of
"Mitchel's plan of campaign." Groups of soldiers stood about
exchanging views on what would happen next, speculating