The National tribune., 1886-05-06
A Weary Day and Night March
to Sourmash.
THRILLING INCIDENTS.
The. Attack Begins At Day.
- break.
IooFyRIeBT is56.l
CHAPTER XII.
rHr rIeHr AT souRMAsH PLACE.

THE FIGHT AT sOURAIAsH PLACE.
We had started betimes. so that in spite of
.non6escript character Of the band it was
not later than O'Clock when we left behind
the clar-faced sick and the swarming vermin
ofPessum Snout to riot in their own misery and
began the descent OF the rough road that
would down the mountain-Side.
IT was q bright Spring morning The baby
leaves of the hickories were opening with
fragrance as sweet as the smell OF the vines on
EB-Gcdi and the masses Of white blossoms on
the service trees and the dogw0ods looked like
belated snow drifts scattered through the woods
be3oyy as In little hooks where the wall-like
rock faced southwark and reflected the suns
Tavs upon the mold at its feet, the earth was
coyered with a rich green mantle OF the
trailing ground ivy, and the heaTt-shaped
leaves Of the red rpuccoon, garnlshed with an
opRlent embroidery Of purple and gold pansies
and pUCcoOn flowers so purely white that they
were fit to decorate yesfal virgin at her con-
seegation. The sweet gr3cI0usneSS OF the
ine-the season of love and laziness-
was Ia every ray Of the sun, every bursting
bud ard every breath Of air. Of all times IN
fhe. .year It seemed the most inappropriate to
start on an errand of bloodshed and violence.
Little Jimson voiced My thoughts when he
pulled he up alongside Of him as We were pass
ing a stretch of road that would permit Us TO
travel abreast and said:
''Fo' de good Lawd o. love, Biuley, dis heah
makes me les sick. SO it do. he enebber meant
dat We should 90 round de country a-shootin'
and a-hurtin' people, while de posies is a-com-
in out 80 purity, an de sun 5 a-shlnln' an de
fish S bitin' ebbery when Ike fieas on yailer
dog. las year, when de d0gwoods wuZ ia
blossom. lest ez dey IS now, me an Aunt Di-
naAs Bill went a-giggin suckehs IN de rifles
Oh criclz obcr beyant denew tbacker ground.
Nobody but me and Bill knowed anything bout
de place whah de suclehs crawled up on de
rifles at night Bill had gig wat his fadder,
yYls8sEe blacksmith. made fur him outen
Miks4 5asi1in's f3oweh-gyarden hoe, wat she
brs1& We had abig torch o. fat pine an part
Oh se tiReI tsted hit an 80 II speared, an part
OBJ q figne 4ili t6ted delight an I speared.
Des1TeaS big suckehs q las dab on de rocks in
de rifles an cock up one eye an look at ouah
torch, an say to demselves, dey'd say, Pears
10 me 3atter moons gitten down monty clus
T-night-de bomIDable fools not know
dab wornt 10 moon tall dat night,-an' de
fust ting deyd know dey'd heah something
drap an de ting'd be de gig right sock trough
DER baek-hones an den deyd not know nothin'
mo 'teil dey wUz IN Aunt 'Nervy's frying pan.
We done COtch so many dat 1t made ouah aims
ache 20 tote 'em home. so il did. Ebber sence
de dogEood blossoms hev come my moufs been
a-E7ateriu togo a-giggin' Suckehs. I've dreamed
Oh hit at night, an tot oh hit all day. 1 done
got &c builiest lot oh fat pine bid away in I'M
och de new caWn-crib, along wild BilPs iron
gig, an I'm Jest sb0' some O. dem udder wut-
less niggabs II steal de whole outfit. Dey
have n't got bit Of o principle dem orDery
Dlgg6hs bout SoUEmash hasn't. An now std
der ,ioyiu' myself rs de misablest niggah in
de whole created wDTl', an we're gwine Z make
somebody else nsisabler dan we is. T."
HeahH shouted Atkins, with 3 yolley Of
oaths "whar are Y takiD' them mules 20
black imp? Come back 10 90 places in the
line tell 20, afo break every bone in yO'
81 b1ly
that-a-way foT, say
Recahnu Ourselves We looked around and
saw that Ne had becoae 50 absorbed in our
piscatorial "reminiscences that We had wan
dered Ofi upon narrow shelf Of tabeland that
ran at an angle with the road. As Jimson re-
gained the road. after some trouble, Atkins
stTu05 hlm several singing blows with the
long blacksnake whip he carried as his baton
of otiice as wagon master. The march down
the mountain, which mad been interrupted by
this was then renewed. From my place
coald continually seethe whole procession, and
as il followed the wjndings Of the crooked
course was frequently looking directly into
the faces Of some Of those ahead Of Ne.
At the head, Oh a magnificent bay, rode Capt
CTitteBdeu Ga0naWay. For him the puccoOn
spread her rvirgjnai petals and the violet nodded
her dainty head IN vain. He needed not the
snowy robes Of the dOgwO0d and the June
berry and cared only for the glad sunshine
which imFg5ed his march. His pale, set face
indicated-it could not begin to express the
intensity Of the motions which were eating ont
his lseart-the bruised and aching pride, the
ragiDe jealousy. the unsatisted love, the burn
lng thirst Tor revenge. He chsted incessanty
stEhe slow march Of the little column, and at
aHy appearance Of struggling spoke 10 Atkins
ia cold, measured tones that threatened to
curdle the very blood in that worthy's veins.
NAse horse slipped on a muddy descent, or
stumbled over q boulder so rs TO threaten him
self eith lalDgness G2nnaway would glare at
the rider il a way that made him exceedingly
anxious that the mishap should not occur
again
Behind him rode the KuuneI and Maiah.
These gentlemen accompanied the raid because
they did not see any decent way to refuse.
Ths5F li}s. yet framed phrases Of devotion to
thetSCutIern CCniederacy, but this was through
force Of habit mainly, for whatever fight and
ire. had burned in their hearts had been
quencAtd by The trights OF actual war, and the
wrctcheduess Of the Winter camp at Possum
Snoat Therefore, though superior in rank to
Gapuaway. they yielded 10 him the actual COM
maud Of the expedition aud went along, be-
cause they were ashamed 70 stay ia camp. The
Kw8uel looked on the beaming face Of Nature,
and recalled with a sigh how in all past years
tho R.3ttc banners hing ont on the hiIlsides by
thetpeE0ods and the services bad been signal
IaEsfgt Gctiye Industry al over his fertile acres
THen4 4h6ncw ground fortbe tobacco, which had
beei iQls3ed over with piles OF inAammable and
spier DsB5b, was ready for the young plants;
theH ems black plowmen were merriiy whist
ling ard shouting at the horses, which, fat
anaFleRy from their Winters idleness, were
sweating as they slowly tugECd the rastcd
piewsA8re through the yellow soil Of the corn
hedS then every day fresh voices bleated
amalg the lambs that dotted the spriuging
gIass Or tic meadows, 10 tel! him Of increasing
wealth and every week saw the advent Of
soifG high bred colt, whose arrival was attended
VIA as much solicitude and interest as the
birth % prncc.ing Of a royal house, and from
the whole countryside came h0rse-lOyug men
toswelcglne the newcomer and discuss his ap-
pearauCe and possibilities over hosqitablo dis
pshsatioas Of the Kunnels famous peach and
honey.
"Najah said the Kunncl at length, the old
place mast be looking very fine just now"
Lovely as a bride dressed for her wedding -
answered the Msjah feryently.
think it's certainly the most attractive
spot on the footstoolo
Nothing on Gods green earth 10 equal it.
sab"
So comfortable and h0melike, so fun Of
everything 10 make life pass like happy
dream
81 thought when ] lighted from my hose