The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-02-09
On Picket.

haEc ueeu iuiiy fnet.
On Picket.
The relief is going out from the reserve
picket. Between the reserve and the
camp, where 10000 men are slumbering,
is half q milo of woods, fields and broken
ground. Between the reserve and tho
enemy is q thin line of pickets--a man
stationed here and there to give advance
warning of any movement.
Follow the relief and you will notice
how cautiously the men tread. The dark
line winds around through the trees, fits
across open spaces, and halts hero and
there for a moment 10 relieve the old
picket. A musket shot away are the
pickets of the enemy, and loud word
may bring n volley of bullets. The line
might pass twenty feet away and you
would hardly catch sound.
Sit you here on this bank where you
can look down upon the picket-aye,
almost touch him. little creek runs
between you. There is an open space of
thirty fees, and all around it are trees,
stumps, logs aud brush. 1t would be q
lonely place in which to pass two long
hours even in times Of peace. There is
warning in the midnight breeze as it
rustles tho branches, and the waters of
the creek havo moro than once been col
ored with blood.
The lone picket takes his station under
tree. In the dark shadow you eau
hardly make him out. As he finds him
self his eyes are constantly searching the
darkness in front, and his ears catch
every sound. They tell of men asleep on
picket. 1t must be strange man who
could close his eyes in sleep with the
night wind whispering in his ears "pe.
ware beware! In the bushes to the left
is n foo ~ and the waters Of the creek
are plainly saying: "Keop watch to the
right right right"
That man has been in dozen battles
and has been wounded three times
Don't call him n coward, and yet he
trembles and turns pale before he has
been fifteen minutes alone. The skirmish
line with its deliberate murder, is not as
bad place as this. If that man is dead
when the relief comes again it will be
worse than murder. Call thnt babbling
creek company? Hark hear what it is
saying 20 him every word as plainly ns if
their language was the same
Lookout lookout There is n fierce
faced guerilla crawling Though the bush.
es toward you Ho has knife in his teeth
aud he is coming to assa,sinate your
If the creek did not say 30, and if the
picket did not understand, why did he
give that sudden H:cft and change his po.
sition? Why does he kleel to get q
clearer look around him? Why does he
keep his eyes fastened upon that stump
Until the very intensity OF his gaze brings
out every knot and splinter2 If fifty
men were asleep in that space and one
other were awake he would feel the lone.
illness and danger. BY daylighta school
girl might weave q romance from the bab.
romance in this7
"Bewarel beware That man with
| tangled hair, fierce eye and savage face
is still advancing Be on your guard,
watcbo listen !"
Coward Count the scars in his body,
look up his record No, not q coward,
and yet his pale face comes to you from
the darkness almost like q candies light.
If it was cowardice he would hide, or
desert his post. No, it is not fear, aud
yet he thinks it feeling unworthy of
him, and he braces against it. He turns
deaf ear to the whispers of the creek.
He refuses the warning bushes. You can
almost see him rs he shuts his teeth hard
together and tries to force his thoughts
into another channel.
"Look out look out '' whispers the
creek, but he refuses to hCai.
Something is moving over the ground
behind him. You can see it from where
you sit. 1t is something darker than the
dark ground beneath. Now it moves
now it halts--now its fierce eyes almost
light up the darkness, rs it makes out the
muffled form Of the picket leaning
against the tree.
Murder murder murder' gurgea
the creek.
You hear it, but the picket is thinking
Of home. A thousand miles away in q
quiet farm house. If the same night
wind blows there il kisses the apple bios
SONS and lu. % the wife and children ia
deeper slumbers.
You see the darker something coming
nearer. 1t is creeping up behind him
A tiger would rustic the leaves or snap 9
twig, and his victim would have time to
call Gods name before the spring. This
is human tiger. God put mercy in his
heart but it was driven out by hate.
Save him Save him !" cried the
creek.
You start at the call, but he does no
u-OVe. no ID tuiuRlDR OIL tuc WIG Wnng(
tears wet his cheek-of the curly heads
who clung to his arm-of the miles anG
the danger between him and them.
The terrible knife is transferred from
mouth to hand.
Murder Murder! MUIR" but j
was done. Not cry-not even groan
The head sank down with only a sigh
The picture of wife and children wa
hardly hidden between earth and Hes
ven.
"One lessl'' hissed the human tiger, a
he peered into the blanched face, an,
with gurgle in his throat, as if he ha,
Tapped at tho hot blood flowing towar
the creek, he crept away to seek anothe
victim.
"This is war p whispered the creek q
it shrunk away from the blood, "and wa
is murderI"
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probably cover all the expenses. Thl
this revelation of the resources OF IL
, South, this education of the people
= = the knowledge Of their own wealth an
y power, and this grand advertisement
Atlanta and spur to its business, CO
! ! absolutely nothing. Itshows what brail
and public spirit can do.