The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-02-06

l won't have children around me here. |
left my babies at home; can't you do the
same?"
4Tain't my poor little chickie, Gen
eral Stuart"
Then take it to it's mother, " thun-
dered the chief.
IT'S mother is dead, general"
ITO it's father, them"
Its father is dead, too general"
"Dead?"
dead. Killed in the battle yester-
day when you led over that stone fence
by the farm house on the hill, sab"
The confederate general bit his lips.
Then, muttering to himself as he rose
up and turned half away: KILLED at
the farm house where / led. Some poor
farmer defending his home and little
ones. ! can't stand this !"
PLEASE, sir, Mister General won't
you take my red apple? Papa growed
it is his orchard, And he buyed me
that, too" Here the child reached its
little flag, trying hard to make friends
with the seemingly hard man, who was
turning away as if to avoid it.
Sergeant Zeb, where did that flag
come from?"
Had it in his hand when I found it,
sab it won't give it up, sab; says his
father gave it to it for the fourth of Ju-
ly, sab !"
"Foff of july" piped the little waif,
waving the little stars and stripes over
head, there in the midst of the dark and
gathering circle of the soldiers under
the oaks. The general turned, stopped
and caught the child in his arms.
Keep your pretty little flag, and
wave it when and where you like. You
don't know the difference. Here, Zeb,
take care of this little kid. Boys, we
killed his father by chance, yesterday.
Let us take care of it. We can't do less;
and maybe it will bring us luck. What
do You say, boys?
The wild shout that shook the leaves
of the oaks overhead startled the advo-
cate for discipline, and turning to Zeb,
as he strobe away into the night for an
other part of his camp, he shouted, ST.
lencel and Zeb, discipline! Dash it, dis
cipline or death, / sayl" and he was
gone. They gathered about the wide
eyed, rosy faced orphan, with its flag
and red apple, and many a black and
white and not over clean hand reached
out to toy with and stroke the hair of
gold that hung heavy as corn silks in
summer time oyer the lads shoulders.
"I found in the fence corner, said
Zeb, "all a shiverin', and its daddy and
It's nanny dead, shot down by stray
bullets when we stormed the p ace."
Eyes, and dar was a RABBIT right
aside up him. said a black face In the
dark, oyer another mans shoulder.
can golly, we kotched and eat der
rabbit" chuckled another black man.
oval, Wen keep the kid; keep'em till
the cows come home" And with a
grunt of universal approval from all as
they gradually melted away, old Zeb
hoisted the little one high up on his
colossal shoulders, and turned suddenly
to look and to listen, for there was a
shot down the hill, and a sudden sharp
volley OF shot above, beyond the hay
stacks. 1t began to look as if this lit
tie squad of raiders had got into a bite.
Shouts of the enemy down the hull
beyond the hay stacks. Which way
should the surprised and panic-stricken
soldies fly? The colossal old Virginia
sergeant, with the child on his massive
shoulders, was the only officer in
charge. The blacks were hiding be-
hind the trees, behind each other, un-
der saddles, blankets, anywhere. The
shouts of the advancing enemy came
loud and clear from below and very
near. The camp fire, the song of the
soldiers had done the mischief. This
little squad of ragged, panic-stricken
night raiders was doomed. The leaves
began to fall like autumn time v old
Zeb, tile tall and angular old sergeant.
What a plight for q soldierl A bat
tie on hand and q babe IN his arms.
The old sergeant came near throwing il
away with the heap of neg hiding
away under the saddles. nssre was
Stuart? The sergeant put his hand ia
his ear and leaned to listen as best he
could between tho sharp volleys from
below that we're running the prospects
of the next years corn crop in the trees
overhead. He could hear tae chatter o.
iron hoofs on the high ridge to the
west. The moon was setting large and
round and low. Over tie bare crest Of
this hill and against the moon he could
see the confederate cavalry pouring in
impetuous flight. Stuart, the cautious
and wary leader, had escaped.
"Come, menl We must follow oul
general on foot-any way to get out Of
this. Come? Up by the hay stacks
and over the ridge"
The strong man started up the hay
stacks. The childTas il it was afraid
it might fan, wound its left arm af-
fectionately about the great gray
shock of hair. And that little ACT