Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-08-14

yard below 1t was useless trying to re-
strain him.
Presently we heard the voice of our
host shouting up for us to stop.
"Here, strangers, here" he cried,
''none o. them tricks; you're spillin' all
the oil the carrier left here for Sy Peck's
stores at Slopercreek, and I'm answerable
for 'tP
Didn't tell you," said my irascible
companion, turning to me red in the face
from Juggling at the cans, and throwing
another out, "he's going to set fire to the
house, and this is to make it go slick.
I've mind to set the whole darned con-
Germ going myself to pay him OUT
you'll do nothing of the kind, if l
know it," said, quietly. "You're crazy,
to be going on like that"
"Look here, liftenent,' shouted the
old man, eff you'll only lay by till me
and the old gal kin dress, We'll come up
and tote them lie cans that seem to sorter
rifle you
Satisfied with this diplomatic arrange
ment, Baxter yielded, and soon the OBJ
noxious jars were carried away by the old
people and their negro.
Nevertheless my comrade refused to
sleep unless kept guard, so we agreed
to take our rest by turns, portioning the
night off into different watches.
The next morning at breakfast the old
couple were very sullen, and the rheu-
matte old negro, who kept slouching
about with an axe in his hand, once more
| aroused Baxter's suspicious.
Drawing his six-shooter and laying 1t
beside him on the table, the touchy Yer
| monter remarked: 81 don't mean no
harm, old folks, but if that niger o.
| yours keeps loafing about behind my
chair with that axe kinder handy, III
make the tallest corpse of him to be seen
in these diggln's, sure as there's wattles
on a rooster; so he'd better look out"
In the afternoon we were Longing on
the grass in the orchard, out of sight of
the house, and were just doing of, being
much fatigued after our broken rest OF
the previous night, when horrible and
unearthly noise reused US. It. was like
the clatter of dozen mill wheels going
off at once, together with score OF
burglar alarms and perfect medley Of
watchman's rattles.
''That's signal,'' said the lieutenant,
anxiously; ''come along, cap'n; draw
your sword, for we're in for it now, and
if we don't get shy at the rebs aud scare
them bit, I wouldn't give three strips
of louise for either of our lives in this
darned place."
We dashed over the fence, racing along
IN the direction from whence came the
Internal racket, until a gap from second
orchard into the cornfcld was reached;
where the noise was positively deafening
'sDouble-quic it, shouted Baxter;
"we'll drop slick on their sentinel before
the main body comes up"
We were quickly around the corner OF
the stack, and there we found the enemy;
little sun-burned, sly urchin, who was
stuffing his mouth full Of doughnuts with
one hand. while with the other he sprang
a great tapping Bird carer's rattle.
l screamed with laughter. not so my
nervous friend, however, who was inclin-
ed to take the joke au serieur. He gave
the youngster sounding box on the ears,
grin1ly confiscating the rattle, and, more
out of temper than ever, turned and
left.
That evening at tea we were soundly
berated by the old couple, who were in
dignant at our treatment Of their grand
son-the innocent rattle-springer-and
our suspicious generally. They wanted
to do their best by US, they said, and
make the best of the reverses of war, but
we still remained mistrustful and arbi-
trary If it were to 60 on in this way,
they would give up the house, filings
and all, to US and go right away to
their married sons at Slopercreek. 81
don't mean no harm, and l want to get
along smoothly" said the old farmer,
''but there don't seem to be no ways o.
satisfyln' you Yankees. You seem to
think we're all trash and thieves down
here in Georgia, because we don't 60 in
for your old rail-splitter stead of jeff
| Davis"
Despite our hosts harangue, however,
we were by no means treasured when we
retired that night. Wespent long hour
talking, discussing the danger, and re-
solving, if surprised, to die fighting; for
with one of us wounded, and the other
weak from long sickness, escape would
be out of the question. "And If the
time does come" remarked Baxter, CPL
Just keep my last shot for that old skunk
downstairs He shant get off scott free
if can help it,
The great brilliant harvest moon was
shining like gigantic yellow lamp over
the nothing corn fields as got into bed;
| for my sleep was. first that night. About
| hall paSC three O'CLOCK dWOke anu tOOk
my place in the tumble down arm chair
by the window near the bed, and oppo-
site the locked cupboard which had al
ready reused my comrades fears.
"The everlastin' armament" he
grumbled drowsily, as he turned in be-
tween the sheets, 81 am pesky sleepy
And in minute or two his pipe dropped
from his mouth on the floor, he murmur-
ing the while his favorite lamentation
over the ''rebs.''
The night was feverlshly hot and close.
There were mutterings of thunder in the
| air, and the sky was black, sullen, and
starless The moon was quite extin-
guished in huge masses of vaporous
clouds, and as opened the window the
silence was almost oppressive No sound
of night bird Or insect reached my
strained ears, but only the occasional un-
easy and distant growing of the coming
! storm
| 1t could not have been very far from
daybreak when overcome with fatigue
and dull pain in my head, brought on
| by the thunder heat, l fell asleep. Ny
dreams were none of the pleasantest. |
/ 41o,,rb+ xroc ct;n rro1ipo ont Of tho