The weekly Butte record., 1863-11-21

The Picket S Ruse.

Private Joel Shapes, of hardwork-
ing, tough-sinewed regiment Of Vermont
volunteers, was a good shot and a smart
soldier. He found great satisfaction in
picket duty, and hardly came in from a
days exercise in that branch of military
service, without having a report to
make to his superior officer Of some
new rebel work discovered. some CONVEX
sation overheard, or 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 a one Of our snug, dapper,
We'll looking city soldiers. He was
frightfully sunburnt, and his face coarse
featured and demure, suggested good
humor and power Of endurance more
than courage OF discipline. But there
was a twinkle about his small gray eyes
which enliyened them despite their
scanty and characterless white lashes,
and impressed the close observer with a
wholesome respect for bis courage and
intelligence. His nasal voice and drawl
lis round shoulders and nat build, could
not shake this respect so long as one
kept those clear, far-seeing eyes in
sight, and Joel's comrades prophesied
that he had only to behave himself, to
keep on his own way, to gain pair Of
epaulettcs one fine day.
He openly declared that manual la
bor on the earth works was distasteful
to him, and Lis officers, knowing his
value at picket duty, evinced enough
consideration for him to keep him at
that service.
The position he liked best was on the
slope Of hill, opposite similar slope
occlpied by sentinel of the confeder-
ates. This last was quite high bit Of
ground whence one might see a great
deal that was going on about the bat
teries farther down. Joel believed that
the sentinel stationed there learned
more than was well for our side. He
accordingly harrassed and annoyed ev-
cry one that showed his head on the
hill side opposite, and left several ad-
venturous fellows stretched on the turf,
one after anether, as reward for their
temerity.
It was near q quarter Of mile of,
but as / have said, the long Nermonter
was a good shot, and it became really
dangerous for the enamy's pickets to
show themselves at all near the forbid
den hillside. They soon Learned their
lesson and very soon acted upon it
Joel sauntering down this path one fine
afternoon, heard sharp report, and
felt the wind Of rifle ball that came
wonderfully near his head. Turning
quickly he saw the smoke floating up
from bank Of fresh earth on the hill
opposite. The enemy had dug a pit
wherein tie picket could sit at ease and
expose his head and arms only when he
fred. Private Shapes FASTENED with
a praiseworthy prudence to get out Of
sight among some cedars, and sometime
before fixing the location Of the foeman
again, and imagining that he saw lat
iust above II, he took a shot in the di-
rection. Up peggod tall sentinel,
barehead4d, and returned the fire in
stantly. lie had only been trying the
old trick of putting his hat on tbe an
rcd
"Tbisll never d soliloquized Joel.
"Ihat cuss has got toe good berth
over yonder. III Just have to rouse him
OUT The other sentinel's death war
rant was in some way signed from that
moment. The crafty Fermonter's brain
vas at work on the problem of dizlolg-
ing this man thenceforth.
So lon. as Joel kept quiet did his
antagonist, but ii was presumable he
could see the batteries in process Of con
struction, without exposing himself, for
the earth taken from the pit was care
fully piled up on the side toward Joel.
From a tliicket at the foot of the two
hills, a shot could be got lengthwise Of a
ironch lehind this rr.Aina, braa aetrorl-