The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1889-04-20
CHAPTER III.
A pErnoGRAnE MOVEMENT.

For moment the blood seemed to I0rsfAs
Luke's veins, and left him trembling wlth
dread. Awakened by shouts. the crack Of
firearms and all the appalling sounds OF
carnage, confuses the veteran, and the Won
der is that it dad not produce a panic among
these raw recruits.
Perhaps they were too much stupefied to
become panic-stricken. They seemed TO
realize that their safety lay in getting BE-
hind the fence as soon as possible, ;as 1t
afforded them d partial protection.
By the time Luke reached the fence she
firing ceased and the echoes Of the shete
died away The raw recruit glanced down
the fence row, which was dark with men
crouching, kneeling and lying behind IL,
while their guns formed a serried phalanZ az
black muzzles. The moon shone in peaceful
splendor upon the scene. illuminating 1t Win
foods of silver light. No one could be seen
in the wood beyond, but it was from that
point that the attack was threatened.
When Luke found old Arlzansaw Tom Oh
one side of him, and Ned Cotton on GHy
other, he regained his se}f-possession.
Where were the enemy? Not one was III
sight, nor had a shot been fired in the last,
three minutes. Luke asked Arkansav
Tom where the rebels were, and was told
that they were not far away, and were ad-
vancing On chem, for they mad already
driven in the pickets. But so peaceful ard
quiet was the scene that Luke was aboat
half inclined to believe there was some mAs
take about it.
The criclets, which had been awed to-
silence by those rude alarms, resumed theis
chirrups, and the whippoorwlll, on the dis
tant hill, renewed it's song. A pig GANG
struggling down the path beyond the fence,
grunting and roofing about among tho
leaves, wholly unconscious of danger.
For several moments not a word was heard,
and naught save criclzets, night birds, the
rustling of leaves and grunting Of the pig
broke the silence. This wa1ting-this ex-
pecting a bloody struggle-was more try
ing on the nerves than if a death struggle
was at hand. Luke's mind was busy recall
ing the past and trying to dip. into the
future. Would this night end all on earth
below, and would the mystery of his birth
be revealed only in eternity?
Some one whispered:
s'rhey comel''
The regular tramp Of feet could be heard
coming over the distant ridge, where the at
lacking party had evidently halted to dress
| their lines.
''Stiddy, stiddyr' said Captain Smart, in
voice which was a little unsteady itself,
but which had within it the ring of deter
mination that gave courage to the men.
Luke strained his eyes to catch a glimpse
Of the foe. The nearer approach Of the
marching columns indicated that they
! would soon be in sight, and, despite all his
determination, he found himself trembling.
The pig continued to root about among,
the leaves, at peace with all the world, and
giving vent to its satisfaction in expressive
grunts.
The enemy at last came in sight among
the trees on the ridge, and despite the in
| functions Of the officers the more nervous
Of the recruits behind the fence row began
blazing away at them. Luke at first de-
! termined to obey the command of his superb
ors, and wait till the foe were near enough
| to make sure shot, but the enemy being
| recruits also, and az nervous as the men
| they were attacking, returned the fire, and
! when a bullet struck rail so near him as
to cover his face with dust and rotten wood,
he could no longer restrain himself, and
blazed away with the others.
The pig gave utterance to squeal Of
alarm and ran hither and thither, met ev-
erywhere with binding flashes and deafen-
ing reports, until it at last raced down the
fence row at full speed
The enemy made no charge, butcontentea
themselves to fire few shots at longran
and then gradually fell back.
Go be Continually