Lincoln, the unknown

228 •LINCOLN THE UNKNOWNThe Garrett family went to bed, that memorable evening,half expecting a little excitement.And they got it before morning.For two days and nights, a troop of Union soldiers had beenhot on the trail of Booth and Herold, picking up clue after clue,talking to an old negro who had seen them crossing the Potomac,and finding Rollins, the colored ferryman who had poled themacross the Rappahannock in a scow. This ferryman told themthat the Confederate soldier who had given Booth a lift on hishorse as they rode away from the river was Captain Willie Jett,and that the captain had a sweetheart who lived in BowlingGreen, twelve miles away. Perhaps he had gone there.That sounded likely enough, so the troopers climbed quicklyinto their saddles and spurred on in the moonlight toward BowlingGreen. Arriving there at midnight, they thundered into thehouse, found Captain Jett, jerked him out of his bed, thrusta revolver against his ribs, and demanded:"Where is Booth? Damn your soul, where did you hide him?Tell us or we'll blow your heart out."Jett saddled his pony, and led the Northern men back to theGarrett farm.The night was black, the moon having gone down, and therewere no stars. For nine miles the dust rose in choking cloudsunder the galloping feet of the horses. Soldiers rode one on eachside of Jett, with the reins of his horse tied to their saddles, sothat he couldn't escape in the dark.At half-past three in the morning the troopers arrived in frontof the worn old whitewashed Garrett house.Quickly, quietly, they surrounded the house and trained theirguns on every door and window. Their leader banged on theporch with his pistol butt, demanding admittance.Presently Richard Garrett, candle in hand, unbolted the door,while the dogs barked furiously, and the wind whipped thetail of his night-shirt against his trembling legs.Quickly Lieutenant Baker grabbed him by the throat, thrustinga pistol to his head and demanding that he hand over Booth.The old man, tongue-tied with terror, swore that the strangerswere not in the house, that they had gone to the woods.That was a lie, and it sounded like it; so the troopers jerkedhim out of the doorway, dangled a rope in his face, and threatenedto string him up at once to a locust tree in the yard.At that instant one of the Garrett boys who had been sleeping