The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-07-11

upon the fence when the Fel,cls began
forming in line jlst aeross from the cabin.
and the el'ler oue. "A sestle tnrucd o'sis.r
had taken his little I-year oil brother By
the hand and ran out into the road 10
look on. Then, in a moment. and before
anybody could cry ont to them even. the
ianks had came laundering along and
they had been caught up between the
lines and swallowed up in the rush and
roar of the battle. When the short tus-
sle was over they were mo where 10 be
seen. She had gone on to where our
lines had been re-establised, and had
there got ready leave to pass over TO the
Federal camp; but no one had seen or
heard anything Of the missing children.
Would We help her hunt them >
Wouldn't we Every man volunteered
with a whoop. We formed,ailong line
like skirmish line--and started, search
ing every foot of ground carefully and
calling out eheerily as We went. We
turned over brush-heaps. We peered un-
der the edges Of fallen trees. We scatter
ed the dead leaves that had drifted into
root-bOund hOllows. We dragged the
little pools of water made by the melting
snow.
We had gone over two or three miles
in this way. The short afternoon was
waning, and the wind was growing sharp
and keen with the lengthening rays Of
the sun. A halt was called. Some Of
the officers and older men consulted has
tily together and were about decided to
beat around in the opposite direction,
when suddenly shout came:
Here they are -
The shout was caught up and turned
into glad yell as it rolled along the
line. had heard the rebel yell~ be-
fore. and heard il many time aner.
when il meant victory al the close Of
life and death struggle, but never heard
our boys in gray sound such note of
triumph as went up from their throats
tina, day, as they double-quickei il 10 the
spot where those two little runaways
were laying.
II was an old field, whose long neg
lectej iufrows were covered with a thick
growth of yellow sedge, all wet with
melted snow, and shining in the sot ray-
Of the setting sun. A bushy squat pine
had shot up here and there: the rotten
rail fence was Overrun with blackberry
vines and almost Loot in a jungle Of brown
withered mullen and pokeberry stalks
that grew in its sheltering corners.
The children were in one Of these
moist, tangled fence-eorners. Their little
hOme-spun frocks-for they both wore
dresses-were all torn and draggled.
their chubby faces were brier-scratched
and dirty. Their bare heads were mat
ted with dry les yes and straw But
reckon every man of us thought Gods
blue sky never looked down on prettier
picture than they made lying there, fast
asleep and elasped closely in each others
arms.
We held our breath after that first
shout for fear of frightening them. And
when the grizzIed old sergeant whose
very look was won't to make the recruits
tremble in their boots, stepped toward
them with a soft, almost bashful smile on
his lips, and stopped, we all took of our
caps and leaned eagerly forward. How
we all enyied big. burly, tender-hearted
Tom when the sergeant beckoned
him and laid the oldest boy, all rosy and
flushed with sleep, into his arms. The
little fellow opened his blue eyes and
stared vaguely around, then cIasped his
arms around Toms neck and gave a long
sigh Of content
The sergeant stopped again with a low
chuekle Of satisfaction. "rhs little 'un
is asleep for sure :" he said. as he life,l
him gently and turned. The next mo-
ment he staggered under his light burden
and almost fell. A hoarse grown burst
from his lips The little head. with is
tangled mass Of yellow curls. rolled heav-
ily to one side; the little arms hung in
ertly down the sergcant's hands where
they supported the tiny neck we're al
dabbled in blood
The stray shot had done ifs cruel work
well II had ploGghed across the small
white throat and the baby head was al
most severed from is little body. The
little 'un was indeed asleep for sur.
\ kind Of frozen horror sveptover the
group gathered in that old field. No man
dared for while to look his neighbor
in the face, and when he did be saw
there an expression that he has not for
gotten yet If he lives.
Ten minutes before We we're all ready To-
toss up for the privilege Of carrying those
little chaps home, But now every man
Of Us hung back, dumb and unneryed.
And the sergeant and Tom turned slow
Is and tramped away through the falling
shadows to lay the living and the dead
together in that waiting mothers arms.
We followed silently, with uncovered
heads.
When the Federal officer in command
heard that the children were lost he Of
fered to disarm his men, stack their guns
with ours and join in the search And
more than once that night our pickeis
were challenged from the other side and
anxious inquiries made for the littleOn
When the answer went back across the
hush and the silence Of the night We
could feel, though we could not see the
look that swept over the faces Of our
foes. And that look made Us all akin
HSie i,rate.
Impurities Of the blood often cause
great annoyance at this season Hoods
Sarsapariils purifies the blood, and cures
all such affections
Forgot the Song.