The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-04-01

he sprang out into the open space and cut the
near leader" loose. The traces of the swing
mules" were next successfully severed, but as
he reached for those ofthe "near wheeler" the
excited animal fell, and, catching Atkinss leg
under him, pinioncd him to the ground. AT
that second the gunboat fired her last shot. II
was not quite so well aimed as its predecessors
for it sailed clear over the wagon and fell
about rod from the PROSTATE Atkins, with Its
fuze splitting very Ominously.
so, Lord" groaned the unhappy man; "this
| ere ends me, shos the sun shines in heaven
Good-by Kunnel an Popcye; I'll meet ye in
'nuthcr world. Now lay me-"
The fuZe fixed and sputtered.
81 forgive everybody" murmured the poor
wretch; 81 confess all my sins. Kunnel," with
sudden fash of rec0llection.-
"Yes Atkins" said the Kunnel compas-
| sionatelY.
"Dye remember that watch y lost outen
y'r tent on Green River?"
"Yes Mr.. Atkins; but don't worry bout
such things now. It's all right, assho' yo
sah."
"Well, Kunnel, l was the"
The fuze here gave savage swish, the plug
flew out and sailed over into the wheat stub
BILE, and, all its venom gone, the unexplOded
shell lay there as harmless as one of the
boulders by which it was surrounded. AT the
same moment the near-wheeler gave another
|
"Kunnel," said the latter in an altered tone
as he realized that all danger was past, if
| eveh find out who took that watch O. your'n
I'll let We know will, for a fact,"
He finished cutting the mules loose, and We
fastened away from a scene which had been SC
full of emotions to all of U.s. just as the skrmsh
line of Union soldiers was coming within faiI
| rife-range.
At the first report of the cannon Jasmin, ter.
| ribly alarmed for her fathers safety, had run
to the land side of the boat to look for him.
Barnard had called her back, and dissuaded
her from her purpose of going ashore and shar.
| ing her fathers danger. This was task Oi
| some difficulty, for, woman-like, she was con.
| fdent that every gun fired and every shell that
| exploded struck with fatal effect the person O
| the beloved author of her days He was par
| TALLY successful in demonstrating to her that
! the duty of the hour was q calm acceptance OF
| whatever Fate Spelled with big F. might
bring, and that, terrible as the sosnd of the ex
| plosions were, artillery firing was not so de-
structive as its noise wonld indicate so that hel
/ fathers chances were at least fair Her natural
| courage and her desire to bear herself before
| Barnard as calmly and courageOusy as Ken
| lucky girl should, aided in giving her an out.
ward composure at least. She had gone again
to the side of the boat just in time to have
visual evidence of her fathers safety up to that
] .oi iVSoShiHCo iiiii dHu
the long-taled, long named chestnut that he
rode as both disappeared in the woods in the
! first rush from the landing. She was just in
| time, too TO see Crittenden GaunaWay dash
aboard the boat with intent of carrying her off
and little inclined as she was to go with him
| she was touched to the heart by the earnestnes:
of his devotion, aud gave a shrek of genuine
sympathy when she saw him fall under Grim
sted's sturdy stroke.
| The merciless pursuit Of the flying rebels by
the gunboat's terrible missiles excited all who
had been on board the captured boat, but none
more than Mr. Isaac Hirschmyer. He rushed
to the hurricane deck Of the boat, snatched vi
pair of feidglasses lying in the window o.
the pilot-house, and watched with intense in.
terest the progress Of the noisy hunt of the
fugitives.
"Dey're all bchint dose voots dere," he
called down through the skylight TO Jasmir
and Barnard; "put dey'll pc oud again in q
minute, unit den for quarter off mile dc
roat's clear as hoe-hantle, unit de gunpoat u
yoost skin 'em alifc."
"Dere dey gomc now" he continued a second