Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1864-05-04
A Critical Position.

! Hill, detail for picket duty was selected
, from our regiment.
, Tom R" said the officer of the
guard, turning to one of the men undel
his command, L would like TO have yot
go forward until you come to q tree tha
viii afford you good view of the country
Mount IS high az you can and keep &
, good iUokout. If you see anything o
the enemy, come down at once and LEI
me know"
AYE, aye, sir" replied Tom, with {,
broad grin of delight. He had passed the
lgreater portion of his life at sea, and the
duty which he was now ordered to per
form was we'll calculated to please one o.
his nautical breeding. In fact, his loud
"Aye, aye. sir" and his prompt manner o.
springing from the ranks savored so strong
" of the "ship" and so little of the "bar
racks" that the officer of the guard tho'i
it necessary to give Tom lecture on mill
tary discipline.
You should not answer me in thai
way" said he, ''nor spring out from the
ranks. You should merely have taken q
step to the front and have saluted by
bringing your hand 10 your musket in this
way" And taking rifle from one of the
men performed the manBuvre.
Aye, aye-I mean yes" st2nmered
Neptune" as he was familiarly termed
by his comrades, you'll see me do it in
the tying of knot"
With this declaration, he attempted to
initiate the movement, but performed it
awkwardly and in manner which show
ed plainly that he was more at home with
a msrlin spike than q musket.
81 see well have to put you in the 'awk-
ward squad until you learn the drill, /"
said the officer sharply.
"Beggin' your pardon" replied Tom,
ing q luxurious rolf to the huge quid in
sarn ever since jined the regiment.
"The ID you have" exclaimed the
other, it's plainly to be seen. then, that
you'll never make soldier. That will
do, you may go now, he added, as Tom
brought his musket to an order and pro-
ceeded to hitch up his Wristbands, pre-
paratory to the delivery of another of his
l1a-military speeches.
Accordingly, after squirting a hugh
stream of tobacco juice to leeward, "Nep-
tune" threw his piece over his shoulder,
"handspike fashion," and rolled off like
Dutch frigate under full sail.
In few moments the shadows of the
wood beyond hid him from the sight of
his companions.
"Blow mew he calculated, as he pro-
ceeded, there's no chance of seein' the
country among all these internal sticks ;
so I'll Just keep on until come 10 some
place where there is clear offng."
Hurrying on, with perfect recklessness,
Tom plunged deeper every moment
into the mazes of the forest, listening with
the delight eff thoroughbred sailor to
the loud thunder of the Union gun-boats
they sent she'll after she'll howling.and
crashing through the branches of the
trees over his head. Occasionally one of
the huge missiles would strike the trunk
of some pine within few yards of him
and send the tall tree crashing to the
ground. Then the din of the exploding
she'll would reverberate through the woods
like a thunderbolt, and the contents of
the iron ball fill the air with shrieks as
they few around the person of the Zou-
ave
'Blast it !" muttered the latter, as upon
an occasion of this kind the tsssel of his
cap was taken off by one of the scatter
ing pieces, Il suppose that old Right
shoulder-shift-thi was the name he sp-
piled to the officer of the guard. He'll
give me a BLOWN up for the loss of that
internal yellow piece of buntihgW
AS he uttered the words he commenced
search for the missing tsssel. But the
article was not to be found. The piece of
shell had carried it of to some invisible
quarter. Tom accordingly swors couple
of "round oaths" and then continued his
way.
Having walked long distance, he
found himself at last on the skirt of the
wood with an open space of country be-
fore him, and judging this 10 be good
locality for observation, be selected tree
and prepared to ascend il with his rife
siung over his back. But on making the
attempt he found his progress impeded
by the musket. both ends of which caught
in the branches, and held him fast.
"D-n the internal thingp he shouted,
in rage, as he leaped to the earth, "if
it was only glass, might stand it.
But this clumsy consarn won't be of any
use 10 me up there, aloft ~
And, unslinging the piece from his
shoulders, he hurled it to the ground.
Thus freed from the incumbrance, he
nimbly mounted among the branches of
the tree, until he reached good position.
Here he was about TO seat himself, when
suddenly a loud voice from below ssluted
his ears:
"holloa, thar %
With an exclamation OF surprise, Tom
looked beneath him, and beheld the
muzzle of his own rife pointed toward
him, by tall fellow, in gray jacket and
slouched hat, evidently q rebel pioneer,
who stood at the foot of the tree, glaring
up at him with eyes that implied mis-
chief.
"Hold on, there, you lubberi" roared
Tom. Where in the ID did you come
fromf"
From h-ll, yon Internal 'red-leg " re-
piled the rebel. Come down and surren-
der, unless you would like to be shot
You are my prisoner! !"
"You miserable skulking marine
Would you FIRE at man when he's aloft ?
'tCome down, or Pll bring you down
with bullet through your head p return
ed the rebel.
Fire away then, and be d-d to you p'
cried Tom, as he suddenly swung himself
into another branch with the rapidity of
a squirrel, and ensconed himself behind
one of the fork projections of the tree.
The rebel, however, had not discharged
his piece, for the quick movement of his
enemy had taken him by surprise, and
thus prevented him from changing his
aim with sufficient rapidity to do exeeu- |
ton. PerceiYing that the Zouave was
now screened by part of the tree was of
sufficient thickness to prevent q bullet
from passing through it, the pioneer cool
ly placed the rifle upon the ground, and
proceeded to unsling his axe from his
shoulder.
What are you going to do now, you in
fernal imp of Jonah !" roared Tom.
you'll soon find out" answered the |
rebel, as he threw off his jacket and
grasped the handle of his axe. eff I
can't bring you down another"
''Well, shiver me, if he isn't goin' to
cut away the mast !" cried Tom "AYast !
there you lubber, avastp
But the pioneer swung the instru- |