Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1883-11-08

Oitlpl W Cdll lllc W M uttlu VI saw
an army. 1t was not powerful ma.
chine, but it was the best at our dis.
posal, and in good order, fortunately.
One of our men who had been an en-
ginccr, undertook to manage tho an
gino, and another to IiIo it. Both
were cool, tried men, but as We stepped
into the cab together saw them shake
hands with their comrades and bid
them farewell. Evidently neither of
them expected to get through alive,
"'Put in couple of extra tallow
cans, John said the engineer. we
arc going to mako time, and expect
tho old machine will heat up finely
"rhc cans were slowed away in the
caboose, the engineer opened the throt-
tIc-valvc, and amidst an impressive
silence in tho crowd surrounding the
starting point, we moved slowly away.
About two miles distant lay The first
battery which the enemy had thrown
open to command the road; beyond
that were several more, to say nothing
of the picket lines scattered along tho
tracks. So you see we were to run q
pretty warm gauntlet.
1--WE had proceeded but q very short
distance when there was n flash and u
report from tho shrubbory skirting the
road ard bullet crashed through the
window Of tho cab. An outpost had
already discovered us, and had given
us a foretaste of what we were to OK
pcct little further on.
"'Lct her outr | said TO the en-
gineer. There is no usc in trying to
hide ourselves. Speed is our only
chance now
Very good, sir' replied the cngi-
necr, opening the valve rs he spoke.
The engine bounded like spurrcd
horse. On We went, swaying from
side TO side, until it seemed that we
must jump the track. Meanwhile our
friends along the road were not idle.
Bullet after bullet whiStlcd by us. but
fortunately, what with darkness and
rapidity Of motion, none Of them
reached us.
ave had now arrived in sight of the
first battery. BY the lights moving
hurricdIy along the parapct it was OBJ
vious that we were expected. As we
passed abreast of the battery it gave us
its first compliment in the shape of a
round shot, followed by Il storm of
grape. Here again the Darkness and
our speed saved us. Several of the
grape glanced of the frame of the en-
gno without doing any damage, how
ever.
Give her some more fire, John,
said tho engineer gtimly. 'Ifthoy hap
pen to knock hole in us with one OF
them bits of IRON you won't do no more
firing, my boy, | can tell you that.
"'Not in this world, anyway re-
piled the fireman with saturnine humOr.
il can't tell what may do in thoneXt.
The reckless bravery of tho two
men in the face of such dan yer Shamcj
away my own arising trcmor, and
folded my arms and looked toward thC
battery, which was evidently preparing
to give us another salute. 1t camo in
tho way of Il cOnical shot, with so true
an aim that it whizlcd within n foot oI
tho boiler and carried oil the bell
which fell with u clang upon the
bushes.
Thank YOU said the engineer
with n grin, we didn't need the bell
anyhow. You can use it yourself tC
ring the dinner with
.Bv this time we had passed ont o
ronrc of tho first battery and were un
der the Guns of two moro, Thcs,
works had been constructed to com
mand the junction of our road with an
other running south. There was also
n station nj this point, and n, W,
whirled byI saw an engine stanain,
mon the siding with Steam up.
caught SIGHT of Il number of men run
nin@ toward it, and others busy with ,
car which stood near it. What the,
were doins could not make ont, fol
we passed them like a flash of light
ping. At this moment, too. the batter
lbs which had probable received telo
crnnhic notice of our npproach, opcno,
Iiro upon ms. and for a moment the nj,
seemed TO be alive with shriekinr iron
".More fro. JOhnr cried tho on
oipoor. ram her full In the doors. ~
Rs ali nm with MS
"Tho fireman sloppcd to obey. I'm
ot ,ho, moment n shell struck unon th,
cnhonso and hurst within three feet O
us If was n tcn-inch monster. an,
how anv of us csconod oIivo I foil +,
Soo AZ n was wbcn the smoke nm,
dus, cleared away, | found the top o
,hr cob yonc, a norton of the caboos
form off and tbo tiremon iyinr in
bonn with one arm broken.
+" II nv, knockod ont, William, n
oro,noJ .anJ who's to fra her for th
Tcst of tho tripP'
al will said I. q think I can man
,ro if
7"Afior pl.cino tho noor fellow in y
oomforIahlo nD,i,ion nc nnssibIe
sciz' Il tho shovel and bogon nv nc,
Jn,;os , ~ '''' Wv wa
NH ..py ,h;s ,imc wo boJ nossed ,ut n
u,o ~ rSr"n Sn ot Tho hottor;as which ma,
orV Ond I'm ,hn1 bnwnvor h, w sont ~ snIion Sbo
""" w ",r v d;rcn,;"n 40 n nort;r~ nvidemc
~ ~ ua;, Tu' "noo' ooJ ui,i I' P"' ''"6 ''o'0
, Vi NV NV son" oro sofn " said with s;o
IS ro,;.'. "T .thn, % mas ' ,ha;r | Iost Ina ;
y, 'nrU sooI VA; l. % n,oar I %oforn r'"
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r '"'' ..h"' I"" ,hot w ninit th5 w"rs, ] os II !,
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