HE FIRED AT CONWAY.
“So Captain Mathews has lost his horse?” asked Calhoun, with a faint smile.
“Yes, he will quit blowing now.”
“And I have won twenty-five dollars; but I am sorry Mathews had his arm broken.”
When Calhoun reached Gallatin, Captain Conway had had his wound dressed, and Mathews’s arm was in splints. Conway was in a towering passion. He blamed Calhoun for his ill-luck, saying if it had not been for him, Fred Shackelford would have been hanged as a spy. From this time he did not try to conceal his hatred of Calhoun.
Captain Mathews took his misfortune more philosophically. “It was a blamed sharp trick on the part of young Shackelford!” he exclaimed. Then turning to Captain Huffman, he said: “Give that money to Lieutenant Pennington; he has won it. [pg 121]But I give you all fair warning I shall get that hoss back. My reputation depends upon it. Then to think that I, who prided myself on being one of the best hossmen in Morgan’s troop, should be thrown. Bah! it makes me sick,” and his face took on a look of disgust.
“I warned you,” said Calhoun, “that that horse was up to tricks. When Fred gives that whistle he will unhorse any rider who is on his back. I have seen Fred try it time and time again with his father’s nigger boys as riders, and Prince never failed of unhorsing them. When Fred gave that whistle his horse would have gone to him, or died in the attempt.”
“I am sorry you didn’t let Conway hang him,” replied Mathews, gently rubbing his broken arm, “but I will get even with him, see if I don’t. I want that hoss worse than ever.”
A few days after the capture of Gallatin, a Federal force moved up from Nashville, reoccupied the city, committed many depredations, and began arresting the citizens right and left, accusing them of complicity with Morgan. When Morgan heard of this he at once moved to the relief of the distressed city. Attacking the rear guard of the enemy as it was leaving the place, he not only defeated them, but drove them to within seven miles of Nashville, capturing the force at Pilot Knob, and burning the high railroad trestle at that place. He also captured a train of cars and liberated forty of the citizens of Gallatin who were being [pg 122]taken to Nashville as prisoners. They had been used with the greatest cruelty by their captors.