Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1886-12-11

is thet the folks tibet lived yere got thar water
from!"
Leaving one of the men to guard the pris-
oner, the rest of the Confederltes started for
the hollow in search Of water TO cool their
burning thirst.
They had gained such a distance from the
scene of the fight, and were in such an out-of-
the-way place. that the thought of being
overtaken did not obtrude itself for an in
slant, either upon their minds or Joes.
But as they came back up the hill, with a
eourd full of spring water for their coBpan-
ion, they were amazed to see a party of blue
coats appear around the bend of the road at
a little distance They dropped the gourd of
water, and yelled to the man on guard
Kill the Yank, an run for yer life!' and
disappeared themselves in the direction of the
spring.
The guard comprehended the situation and
the order. He fired his gun at Joe, but with
such nervous haste as TO destroy the aim and
send the charge into the puncheon foot be-
yond his intended victim, and then ran of
with all speed to join his companions. The
Union boys sent q few dropping shots after
him, all of which missed their mark
JIG W ltNONtl lti Ncc
wits sufficiently to stagger to the door as his
comrades came up, and grasp one of the guns
the Confederates had left.
Questions and congratulations were show
cred upon him, hut he replied incoherently,
and gasped request for water, as if be were
perishing from thirst. While some hunted
for this, others sought for traces of the Con-
federates; so he gained time to fix up a fairly
presentable story of desperate and long CON
tinued bayonet struggle in which be was be-
having with the greatest gallantry, although
nearly hopeless of success, when the arrival of
help changed the aspect of matters He had
SO many gaping wounds to confirm the truth
of his story that it was implicitly believed
and he was taken back TO camp as one of the
foremost heroes of that eventful day The
colonel made him sergeant as soon as lie
heard the tale, and regretted much that he
could not initiate the example of the great
Napoleon and raise him TO commission on
the scene of his valiant exploits His cot at
the hospital WAS daily visited by numbers of
admiring comrades, to whom he repeated his
glowing account of the fight with marked i'm
provcments i'll manner and detail accompany
ing every repetition,
He had no desire to leave the hospital dur
inc his term Of service, but his hurts were all
superficial and healed rapidly, so that in a
fortnight's time the surgeon pronounced him
fit to return TO duty. He cursed inwartlly
that officers zeal i'll keeping the ranks as full
rs possible, and went back TO his company to
find it preparing to go into another fight.
Hello, joe" said his comrades, awful
glad TO see Won back Now You'll have n
chance to get Your revenge on those fellows
There'I be enough of us with you to see that
You get fair fight
TO the devil with their revenge and fair
fight" said Joe to himself That evening he
strolled around to the headquarters tent, and
said to the commander of the regiment:
Colonel, the doctor seems to think that In,
fit to return to duty. but don't feel all right
yet I've a nunbness in my legs, so that kin
hardly walk sometimes. It's my old rheu-
MATES, stirred up by sleeping out in the night
air hear that the man who's been drivin'
the headquarters wagon has had to go to the
hospital want to be at something, even if
] can't do duty in the ranks and I'd like to
take his place nil him and me gets we'll"
An right sergeant You can have the
place as long as you wish, or any other that |
can give YOU. can't do too much for so
brave man.
So 1t happened that in the next fight the
regiment was not gratiiicl by any thrilling
episodes OF sanguiEary, single handed com
bats between the indomtable joe and
bloodthirsty Confelerates.
He had deferred his "revenge" indefinitely.