Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1885-02-20


"Hist !" he said in low voice.
What is it 2" inquired /, in half
asleep and thoroughly cross tone.
:" Hush, for your life ~ he replied
IN a wisper; listen, do you hear any
thing 2"
Like Bottoms. | was all ears m
moment, Above the noise made By
the rushing waters at our feet, | heard
a mourniul and dismal sound, as ike
the moan OF a dog as anything that l
could compare it to.
"Pshaw = said /, its nothing but a
" of or hound
YES replied my companion, who
was no other than the noted Col.
Bowie. 'Yes, you are righI: there are
wolves about, but the sound you hear
is the creak of artillery wheels
Let US alarm our men instantly"
sa ID.
"No such thing" he answered !;
keep still, those rascals are upon the
opposite side OF the river and they ex-
pect to surprise us. Let them think
SO, if possible, until they make the at
tack. That wheel has saved us. You
do not hear i again, and you will not,
for if they have no means of quietlng
it, they'll send back for grease. I'll
bet now that those wheels are bound
round with Straw or rags, and that the
horses feet are covered with cloth or
buckskin, to prevent any sound from
reaching us. Unless something goes
wrong with them when they ford the
stream. you will hear nothing further
until the artillery speaks"
1t was fortunate thing for US that
they were obliged to cross not more
than 200 yards below the camp, for
had they come down on the prairies
side, we would probably not have
heard them, as we would have been
to the windward.
Bowie went cautiously about the
camp, and arousing few old scouts
to help him. soon had every man in
camp awake and prepared, without tie
least noise being made in the prema-
ture reveiIle.
1--WE spread ourselves entirely
around our small piece of bottom land
facing the prairie, knowing that thence
must come the attack. Presently we
heard the enemv cross the river. Had
our senses not been sharpened to the
utmost by knowledge OF the i'm
pending and imminent danger we
probably could not have distinguished
the slight noise attending their cross
ing, from the rushing sweep of the
river; but SO preternaturally acute did
our hearing become, that the low
toned words of command could be
distinctly separated from the other
surrounding sounds. There was just
ar enough to convey The slightest
noise to US without there being suffi-
clent to disturb even leaf.
sat last they were all over, and then
slowly and carefully did they march
round to take post on our front, pre-
paratory to their attended attack. We
could hear them range themselves, bu;
thick mist was rising from the river.
and everything was by this time con-
cealed from our eyes. We could even
hear them unlimber the cannon, and
were very sure that they were in reach
OF Our rifles. What weary moments
were those, as we lay. silent as the
grave. expecting every instant to hear
the roar, and feel the hurtling storm of
their artillery. But the fog had dis
concerted them, and although it was
but little past 5 when we were first
alarmed, the ruddy tint impaired to
the dense mass ofvapor, now told US
plainly that the sun. was rising.
"Never can l forget that weary
watching, but its prolonged anxiety
was as nothing to the dreadful feeling
of suspense We experienced when the
fog commenced lifting and We could
see the feet of the horses and the low
er part of the wheels of the artillery
AT this moment word was whispered
cautiously through the ranks for each
man to pick out his mark. and to fire
from a rest, at the word uf command
Higher and higher the fog drew up.
1t was evident that the decisive mo-
ment was at hand. Officers passed in
front of the line of horse, issuing
orders. .
Take tree" whispered Bowie to
me; take tree, the nearest one to
our breastwork that you can"
"a cool breeze fans our fevered
cheeks; dense mass ofvapor rolls up
as curtain; there stands the horse
fully revealed, there are the cannons,
there the gunners whirling their
matches, there the tIumpeter with his
instrument already at his lips to sound
the charge. All this we saw, but only
saw it, for at this very instant the
the matches were extended towards
the cannon, the horsemen drove their
long rowels deep into the horses sides
but ere the iron storm burst forth, ere
the horses had made the first leap. or
the trumpeter blown his first note, a
stentorian voice from our ranks shout.
ed Fire.
Down went horse and der, down
gunner and trumpter, and rife bali
aud grape shot met careering in mid
air. The confusion in their ranks was
indescrlbable. Checked in full career,
the horses wheeled and ran; every