Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1863-01-21
The Piotst's Ruus.

teers, was a good shot and a smart soldier
he found great satisfaction IN picket duty
and hardly came in after days exercise in
that branch OF military industry without hav-
ing report to make to his superior officers OF
some new work discovered some conversation
overheard, some little chance circumstance
perceived, that might be of use in gaining an
advantage over the enemy.
Joel was a long lank yellow-haired fellow,
not very soldierly in speech or bearing, but Of
infinitely more service than many one Of
our snug drspe, well-looking soldiers He
was frightfully sunburned, and his face, coarse
featured and demure suggested humor and
power Of endurance, more than courage snd
discipline. But there was a twinkle about
his small grey eyes, which enli7ened them
despite their scanty and characterIess white
lashes and impressed the closer sort of obserT-
er, with a wholesome respect for his courage
and intelligence. His nasal voice and draWl,
his round shoulders and Eat build could not
shake this respect so long as one kept those
clear, cool, fOreseeing eyes in sight; and Joel's
comrades prophecied that he had only to be-
have himself, and keep on his own way, to
gain pair of epaulets one fine day.
He openly declared that mental labor on
the earthworls was distasteful to him; and
had his officers knowing his value at picket
duty evinced enough consideration for him, to
| lroev, hin, nF Tho eo-,,;oo
The position that he liked best was on the
slope of hill, opposite a similar one occupied
by sentinel of the Confederates This lat
ter, was high piece Of ground, whence one
might see great deal of what was going on
about all the batteries further down. Joel de-
Heved that the sentinel stationed there learn
ed more than was well for our side. Accor-
dinghy he harraSsed and annoyed every one
who showed his head on the hillside opposite,
and left several adVentursome fellows stretch
ed out on the turf, one after another, as a re-
ward for their temerity.
It was nearly quarter of mile of, but
as have said, the lone Vermonter was
good shot, and it became really dangerous for
the enemy's pickets to let themselves be seen
at all near the forbidden hillside. They soon
learned their lesson and very naturally acted
upon them
Joel, sauntering down his path one ine af-
teruoon, heard a sharp report, and telt the
wind Of rife ball that came wonderfully near
his head. Turning quickly, he saw the smoke
floating up from a little pile Of fresh earth on
the hill opposite. The enemy had dug a pit
wherein a sentinel could sit at ease, and ex-
pose his head and arms only when he fred.
Private Shapes hasted with praiseworthy
prudence to get out of sight, among some ce-
dars, and watched for some time before quite
fixing the location of the foeman again. FL
nally, discovering the fresh earth again, and
immagining that he saw head Just above it,
he took shot in that direction. Up pegged
a tall sentinel, bare-headed, and returned the
fire instantly. He had only been trying the
old trick Of hoisting his hat upon a ramrod.
ThisT never dew, soliloquized Joel That
cuss has got too good a birth over yonder.
I'll just have ter rouse him out. The other
sentners death warrant was in some sort
signed from that moment. The crafty Yer
monter's brain was at work on the problem
of dislodging that man thenceforth.
So long as Joel kept quiet, so did his an
tagonist; but it was presumable that he could
see the batteries in process of construction,
without exposing his head, for the earth taken
from the pit was carefully piled on the side
toward Joel
From a thicket at the foot Of the two hills
however, a shot could be thrown lengthways
of the trench, and behind this trifing breast
work To gain the thicket, then, without
being too visible on the barren slope, was
Joeps idea.
The next day private Shapes took with
him long piece of stout twine and loaded
revolver, when he went out on picket duty.
1t was not yet daylight but the gray and in
distinct light of dawn had begun to pale in the
east.
TIE sentinel as soon as the guard passed
along, hastened to drive smoothe stake into
the ground, and to rest his musllet in the fork
of a cedar-tree in front OF the strike, the muz-
zle of the weapon pointed in the direction of
the pit on the further slope.
He then cooked the piece, and having fast
ened one end of the cord to the trigger, began
steadily crawling down the hill on his hands
and knees, playing out the line as he went.
1t was hazardous experiment, for the
thicket when he gained it, was very sparse,
and so near to the point, that the Confeder-
ate sentry, had he suspected Joers presence
there, could hardly have failed to hit him.
Lying down, however, the Termonter
awaited sunrise, and as the shadows faded
away in the mists of the morning, he saw a
light CLEAN upon a bayonet peering from the
trench on the opposite hillside.
Now for him to show his picter! Joel said
to himself
He pulled the string carefully at first, till it
was drawn tight, and then slight extra pull
fred the musket from the cedars above.
He had not calculated wrongly. As soon
as the riaeman in the pit heard this matinal
salutation from the enemy over opposite, as
J.