Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-04-23

soo, had arrived a AsavannaA, 0.ent ordefed tAeA 10 3aoVe ID the easA bank of the river, ~ 4s to be fe3risd over at either Crump'i or Fittsburg Banding, q the occasion might require.
 Since bio return from the reconnaiss.noe reoofdsd In our last chapter, Colonel Mason had been In his camp and had seen nothing of the enemy. He was . changed man, and spent most of his spare time alone in his tent gloonily breeding ovsr the last dan gerous interview with tho negro, Black hawk. Two sentences uttered by that dark man of mystery seemed to ever ring in his ears,
 "KVs nc, ~sssso, and de seeyet oo vo' bss5 dSes," haunted him day and night "Who as he, and what does he know of mep the puzzled officer asked himself. "His words, I kin tell ye mo- bout yourself dan ye knows, massaP ring still in my ears. What is it he knows-ohi 1 what is itP' His last interrogatory was ut tered with sigh from the uttermost depths of his troubled heart Ahi what longing possessed his soul A longing to know the history of that helpless babe found floating in its cradle down the turbulent Missouri. Picket firing and skirmishinR at the front became common thing. When . soldier was detailed for picket duty he went fully expecting to be fired upon before he re- turned.
 .Jist let lem bang srway, :" said Bill Snow. as he lay In his tent, listening to the oc- sional reports of muskets in tho distant woods. "E3 they think I'm gwine ter git skeered at n ow-ei they're badly mis-
 "wall. Bill, it mayn't be n ow-el by or long shot," said Arkansaw Tom, who was reclining on g pile of straw. Aav~y 1.s~ l. Y- comin' to tackle us, a. yeai asked Bill Thought be-"
 'Let um come"
 "Not afore Bueu gifts here."
 "Whutd d. we keeri Hain't we ernu1 ter lick umi"
 "Wall, we d hev our hands full, ye kin bet, Bill I'm ergoin' ter bet that we burn | powder afore we've been here . week l longer"
 "Been burnin' powder every day fur . week." said Ned, lazily shufaing deck of | well-thumbed cards. "Yes, n what does t oil mount tot" | growled Max. "Nuthin'. Elf t want fur them mullet heads who command th' army we'd been in Corinth long ago." "Ye'n git ter Corinth soon ernuh, Max," Ned Cotton answered.
 "We'd as well had this war over six months ergo as tor be foolin' an' dallyin' $rlong. Now, didn't we go right inter Fort
 "Yes, but old Sid Johnston warnt thar. 1 Wore not ergoin ter hev . walk over 's we did with Floyd Tn Filler. He'll do some O tho walkin' himself" The conversation was cut short at this moment by the appearance of tho Colonel l Fl am g oing to the front, Tom, and want you four to accompany me, " he said. 'It's getting rather dangerous up there now"
 "Yer bet we'n go," erred Tom, starting to h1s feet Tho four men at once buckled on their accoutrements and seized their guns.
 They were all that Luke deemed neces- sary for the reconnaissance They were all on foot, as horseman would be too-con- spicuous mark for Q shsrpshooter. Colonel Mason's regiment was out on tho extreme front, and they had not gone more than . mile and half before they came upon tho picket hne.
 Meeting some relieved pickets coming in l the Colonel asked:
 "How IS it at the frontp' 1 "Been quiet fur nour," one of tho guards saj&
 "Haint seen 8 Johnny fur nour, but they war blazin' ct us nearly all night" l "Dtd they seem very strongp
 "Wall, they made 1t mighty hot. part O the time."
 "of course you have no idea as to thsir numbers"
 "No, but I believe they're more n the Ginerals think"
 With his slender guard the Colonel moved on. Suddenly there came distant shot in the woods. It was followed by three or four moro in quick succession, and they saw tho smoke issuing from g bunch of bus he's two or three hundred yards away.
 Like experienced Indian scouts, creeping from tree to tree, and bush to bush, taking advantage of every thing that would screen them from view, Colonel Mason and his faithful guard made their way to where Eve Union soldiers were crouched behind c large oak tree, at the side of asixth who had been pierced by musket ball.
 'Is he hard hit2" asked tho Colonel, com ing upon the group.
 "He's dyin'," one of his comrades an. swered.
 It was needless to ask any further ques. tions about him. Those glassy oyes, that gaping mouth, the quick gaspinK for breath and death rattle in his throat were evidence, that life was ebbinR away. With each painful gasp there came gush o1 blood from the wound in his breast.
 "Joe, Joe, can't yer speak t met" said ( comrade, bending over him. "Raint yel got no word t' send home. Oh speak, Joe jest one word. Tell mo that ye know me- 1 ea@@z22z$|Z} y{Sz