Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-11-29

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He did not consider that his pickets were
all inexperienced men and were liable to
let the spy through. Their stupidity
alone could have allowed him to gain ad-
mission. Some one had a lantern with
them, and by the dim light it gave the
Captain saw dark form leap from the
top OF the parapst into the darkness.
Captain Alton fred his pistol at the
fugitive, but owing to the intense dark
ness he missed. The footsteps OF the
retreGting man could be heard flying
through the woods.
He was half-inclined to fire a second
shot at him, but realizing the uselessness
Of the act he put up his pistol.
Come on, come on, half dozen Of
you" he cried, eXoitedly. eve viii not
allow them to escape. Let US follow and
overhaul them; there are but two"
Six or seven citizens, armed with mus
kets and bayOnets, sprang over the para
pet with him and started through the
woods.
The ground was uneven, the trees thick,
the hillside rocky and the night so dark
that it was impossible for them to more
than grOpe their way.
Haiti" a voice suddenly called A
click, a fash, a report, and the whistIing
Of a bullet close to his head, warned
Griffith that they we're advancing upon
the nervous, excited pickets. They came
to halt, and Griffith cried:
Stop firing; we are friends
Why didn't ye say so?" said the picket.
you gave us no chance.
What's the matter? what was that
shOOtin' back there abOut?" asked the
guard as they advanced
Griffith explained that there had been
some of the enemy in their lines and they
fred at them as they ran out, and asked:
Did any one pass yOu?"
NO, the picket answered, mo un's
passed us; no IN could go past us.
They did; they come through your
lines into our works, said Captain Alton.
"Griff, where are your" called a voice
in his rear, and the next moment Jack
Ratchet came up, painting and Wiping the
perspiratiOn from his face.
Jack, what are you doing here?" the
Captain asked.
ooh, I heered the shootin', an come
out to see what was the matter; an KEEP
on comm till 1 found ye.
"But you had no orders to follow me?"
mo, nor L didn't want any, Grif. Eff
ye war in danger, that was all I wanted
to know, an 1 jest put in to help ye out.
We'll, Jack, I shall not reprOve you,
for your motive is evidently a good one;
but it does not express very good disci-
pline on our part to have soldiers acting
without orders"
3Oh, ding it, Griff! L amt agOin' to try
to understand anything bout discipline.
II dCJ 49, i GO4 AC5I d BGLdWu w 44CA
thar's needed a sIedge-hammer blow,
Jest count on old j lack, that's all.
Come On-We will scOur the woods,
dark as 1T is, and try and discover some
of these spies"
AL right, Griff; I'll go with ye wher-
! ever ye say, but it seems to me like look
in fur a needle in haystack tonight.
Griffith Alton cautioned all to be quiet,
/ deplOyed them in the woods and made a
/ forward movement. There was little hope
| in this intense darkness of finding the
! spies in the woods. Tt would be but a
| bare possibility if they came on them at
/ all
/ If the British intended making night
! attack, which he believed they did not,
! they would in all probability meet their
! advancing lines. The Americans pos
! sessed an advantage over the enemy In
| being thoroughly acquainted with every
! foot of the ground. They were foemen
not to be despised.
American ritiemen have always proved
| a match for regulars, and in the singular
warfare in the woods, where so much de-
! ponds on accuracy of aim and so little
military tactics, they are their superior.
| The citizen soldiers of ManOa had had
| their mettle tested, and were not lacking
! in confidence in themselves. For several
| hundred yards they had cautiously ad-
/ vanced in the woods, when suddenly there
| came three distinct raps, sounding very
much like some one striking cartridge
box.
The Americans came to a halt.
"Can it be possible we have come on
the British pickets2" Captain Alton
asked himself. Not a word was spoken
and a dead silence reigned over the woods,
1t was common for pickets to rap on
their cartridge boxes instead of hailing
an advancing foe. A moments silence
and then came three loud raps, and g
voice cried:
who goes there?"
Beyond a doubt they had stumbled on
the British pickets, though the land
/ forces we're on the west of the fort anC
they were on the north side. This picket
had been thrown out by the marines
from the man-Of-War.
/ Here IS a mystery, the young com
mander thought. "This must be seer
into at once. I wish knew how many
they were. We will investigate it any
lie was quick to think and equally
as quick to act. The words had scarcel!
escaped the officer hailing them, WheI
Griffith answered:
1T is friends.
Have YOU succeeded?7 was next asked
What on earth does he mean?" thu
Captain asked himself, but, determined
now to play a bold part, he answered:
@NO, not yet"
They've got strong guard all round
their works, have they?"
Griffith, holding a cooked pistol il
one hand and a sword in the other, wa
slowly advancing toward the Englishman
His mind was acting with lightning
like rapidity, and he concluded beyond
doubt that this was only party, either 0
the land forces or marines from tn
XenOphon, sent out to accomplish som
object, which. beyond a doubt, was t
spike the guns.
what did ye come back for till J
done it?" the Briton asked.
"I had to, he answered, blindly.
WAS it you who fred those shOts?"
"They were at US.
you have reused the guards by you
hInnaarino and the Job has not been don