Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-05-11

suOIt man Casually.
you bet"' said the tall man.
Ever seen it afore?"
you bet!'
Reckon maybe you tit in the late
WARP"
you betr'
'Confed?"
You bet not"
II wuz"
The tall man didn't answer for some
time during which he seemed to be re-
flecting deeply. Finally he drew long
breath and said: "All rightr'
"Wuz you thar?' inquired the short
man, indicating the picture in general
way.
You bet said the tall man.
''Whar querled the short man.
"There! said the tall man. point
ing toward the spot VIII CHI had seemed
TO rlvet his attention for SO long q
time.
"When?"
The tall man showed signs of ami
nation. Say stranger" he began.
1T pears to me you was mighty
curious like. What T was there, an
what f / wasn't? What f | was there
one day. an what f | wasn't there an
other?"
The short man laughed good -natur-
edly. WALL" he answered, ''nothin.
Only wus thay. too"
.You?"
"Mew
.'Where?''
Thar" exclaimed the short man.
pointing to the exact place eforc
designated by the tall man,
The tall man looked closely at his
companion, and then the fascinating
location in the picture. That there's
Round Top" said lie, at once asserting
his own information. and inquirng INTO
the val dity of the others.
Exactly" asserted the short man.
"That thar Round Top?"
Neither spoke for a minute or two.
Then the tall man turned again from
the attractveness of Round Top to
the considerat on OF his companion.
"Looky here" sad The tall man.
SLOWLY. II want TO tell We somethin'
fit at Gettysburg on the day't ) kes' an
Longstreet's men was raisin the deuce
to git hold Of that there little ridge.
| was with Sykes. I'd been laid oil
while sick, but got to work fore Get
tysburg. Looky here if | ever killed
airy one twas at thar Round Top.
hadn't been in no other battle to speak
of and hadn't never shot TO kill any.
body in pertickler. jes' lettin' fly in
gneral way s you might say. but that
day durin' the charge l seen a little
drummer boy, a reb, he'd got hold of a
gun some way, an he was "A pintin' t
me close range. let him have it fust.
an he rolled over nigh unto stump and
ketched there. an got just one glimpse
into his big gray eyes iillin' with tear
and heard Just one little sob from his
white throat, which you could see on ac-
count Of the Dustin open OF his shirt, an
then the charge come right up onto me
an | was lifted clean often my feet an
| never seen the boy no more. No /
never seen him more. But stranger |
can't ct that boy out o my mind. / IN
always dreamin' of his eyes an his
throat with the sob into it an always a
wondering if he died. If I'd a killed
more of 'em it wouldn't bother me
so much, but to think of Teller GO
in to a war an KILN just one poor
little gray-eyed drummer boy-say
stranger, I'd give thousands % dollars,
f / had en-, to know t that kid got
WE'LL"
The short man had listened with
keen interest at first-afterward with
the quietness Of one who knows exact
ly what his companion is going to say.
When the tall man concluded he looked
up.
"Yaas," said the short man. you've
got it all right. You shot me in the
lung, an though ii took me a right
smart while. | pulled through. SO |
kin forgive we. don't ye seep faint as
If I'd died. don't git no pain from It.
neither. Yes we can forgive you all
now"
The tall mans face beamed. lis it
true?" he cried. "Be you the drummer
chap?
"Surow said the short man.
"Comel" commanded the tall man.
"WhatP" asked the short man.
Les liquor"
mo, stranger | don't drink. See
you all later.
The tall man vanished with tender
reluctance. The short man staid
while longer. and as he passed out he
said to captain Barnev, the manager
of the panorama: "Who was the old
veteran wuz talkin' TOP"
'Oh." said the captain. smiling.
chat is Pete Sampson, a sort Of crank
who hangs around here and lies. He
has lived in Omaha for the past thirty
five years. All the old timers know
him"
''Wuz he in the WARP
Never" said the during
the war he ran grocery on Farnam
street Are you q comradep'
Not perzactly." replied the short
man. 81 was in the south afore the
war. but went to Australyer durin' IL.