Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1886-12-24


tried to check the beating of their hearts,
that they might hear more
They needed not There was no difficulty
about hearing the succeeding reports, which
became every instant more distinct.
"By God, that's cannon!" said the colonel.
They're ATTACKING our boys. Throw Off
everything, boys and hurry forwardi'
Oyercoats, blankets, haversacks and
knapsacEs were hastily piled, and the two
most exhausted men in each company placed
on guard over them
Kent and Abe did not contribute their
canteen to the company pile But then its
weight was much less of an impediment than
when they left Camp Dick Robinson.
They employed the very brief halt of the
regiment in swabbing out the barrels of their
muskets very carefully, and removing the
last traces of moisture from the nipples and
hammers
AT last stand show of getting some re-
turn from this old piece of gas tube for the
trouble its been TO me-" said Kent Edwards,
as he ran pin into the nipple to make as
surance doublv sure that it was entirely
free Think of the transportation charges
l have against 1t, for the time have lugged
it around over Ohio and Kentucky, to say
nothing of the manual labor and the mental
strain of learning and practising present
arms carry arms support arms and such
other military monkey shines under the hot
sun of last SUMMER
He pulled off the wooden rag he had twisted
around the head of the rammer for a swab,
wiped the rammer clean and bright and
dropped it into the gun. 1t fell with clear
ring Another dexterous movement of the
gun sent it flying into the air Kent caught
it as it came down and scrutinized its bright
head He found no smirch of dirt or damp
ness "Clean and clear as whistle inside"
he said, approvingly. She'll make music
that our secession friends will pay attention
to, though it may not be as sweet to their
ears as THE Bonnie Blue Flag"
"More likely kirk the whole northwest
quarter section of your shoulder off when
you try to shoot it" growled Abe, who had
been paying similar close attention to his
gun. "If we'd had anybody but a lot of
muliet heads for officers we'd a been sent
up here last week, when the weather and
the roads were good, and when we could've
done something. Now our boys'll be licked
before we can get where we can help EN-"
Glen leaned on his musket and listening to
the deepening roar of the battle, was shaken
by the surge of emotions natural to the
occasion. 1t seemed as if no one could live
through the incessant firing, the sound of
which rolled down to them. To go up into
it was to deliberately venture into certain
destruction. Memory made vehement pro-
test He recalled all the pleasant things that
life had in store for him; all chat he could
enjoy and accomplish; all that he might be
TO others; all that others might be to him.
Every enjoyment of the past, every happy
possibility of the future took ON a more en-
trancing roseateness.
Could he give all this up, and die there on
the mountain top, in this dull, brutal, I'M
heroic fashion, in the filthy mud and dreary
rain, with no one to note or care whether he
acted courageously or otherwise'
1t did not seem that he was expected tc
fling his life away like dumb brute entering
the reeking shambles His youth and abili
ties had been given him for some other pur-
pose. Again palysting fear and ignoble sci
tishness tugged at his hcartstrings, and he
felt all his carefully cultivated resolutions
weakening
"A sergeant must lie left in command of
the men guarding this property" said the
colonel The captain OF Company A will
detail one for that duty"
Capt Bennett glanced from one to another
of his five sergcants HarTy's heart gave u
swift leap with hope that he might be ordered
to remain behind Titen the blood crimsoned
his cheeks for the first time since the sound
of the firing struck his ears; he felt that every
eye in the company was upon him, and that
his ignoble desire had been read by all in his
look of expectancy. Shame came to spur up
his faltering will He set his teeth firmly,
pulled the compton out of his gun and flung
it away disdainfully, as if he would never
need it again, blew into the muzzle to see if
the tube was clear, and wiped off the lock
with a fine white handkerchief-on of the
relics of his bygone elegance-which be drew
from the breast of his blouse.
"Sergt Glan-Sergt Clancy will remain
said the captain, peremptorily. Clancy,
the captain knew, was the only son and sup
port of widowed mother
"Now, boys" said the colonel in tones that
rang like buSle notes, 1.-THE time has come for
us 60 strike blow for the Union and for the
fame of the dear old Buckeye state need not
exhort you to do your duty like men; know
you too well to think that any such words of
mine are at all necessary Forward! quick
timcl MARCH"
The mountain sides rang with the answer
ing cheers from thousand threats.
The noise Of the battle on the distant crest
was at first i'll separate bursts Of sound, as
regiment after regiment came into position
and opened fire. The intervals between these
bursts had disappeared and it had now be
come steady roar.
A wild mob came rushing backward from
the front.
MY God, our men are whipped" exclaimed
the young adjutant in tones of anguish.
NO, no." said Capt Bennett, with cheer
full confidence These are only the camp
rif-raif, who run whenever so much as
cap is burst near them"
So it proved to be- There were tcamsters
upon their whcel-mules, cooks, officers, SER
wants, both black and white, and civilian en-
ployes, mingled with many men in uniform,
skulking from their companies. Those were
mounted who could seizei a mule anywhere,
oIOoC VIM tptlt itpt NIit W
keep up on foot with the panic stricken
riders.
All seemed wild with one i lea: To get as
far as possible from the terrors raging around
the mountain top They rushed through the
regiment and disordcred Its ranks.
"Whe are you a-shovin', young fellow
say" demanded Abe Bolton, roughly collar
ing strapping hulk of a youth, who, hatless
and with his fat check. white with fear,
came plunging against him like frightened
steer.
"Oh, boys, let mo pass, and don't go up therei
Don't, You'll all be killed. / know it. I'm
oil the one of my company that got away-I
am, really. All the rest are killed"
Heavens! what wretched remnant, as the
dry goods man said when the clerk brought
him piece of selvage as all that the burglars
had left OF his stock of broadcloth," said
Kent Edwards. "Its too bad that YOU were
allowed to get away, either. You're not a
proper selection for relic at ALL and you
give bad impression of your company. You
ought to have thought of this and staid up
i In j IL L