Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-04-15
CHAPTER III.

For moment the blood seemed to forsake LulSe's veins, and left him trembling with 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 did not produce O panic among these raw recruits.
 Perhaps they were too much stupetied to become panic-stricken. They seemed to realize that their safety lay in getting be- hind the fence as soon as possible, as it afforded them partial protection.
 By the time Luke reached the fence the firing ceased and the echoes of the shots died away. The raw recruit glanced down the fence row, which was dark with men crouching, kneeling and lying behind it, while their guns formed a serried phalanx of black muzzies. The moon shone in peaceful splendor upon the scene, Illuminating it with floods of silver light. No one could be seen in tho wood beyond, but it was from that point that the attack was threatened.
 When Luke found old Arkansaw Tom on one side of him, and Ned Cotton on the other, he regained his sef-possession. Where were tho enemya Not one was in sight, nor had a shot been fired in the last three minutes. Luke asked Arkansaw Tom where the rebels were, and was told that they were not far away, and were ad- vancing on them, for they had already driven in the pickets. But so peaceful and quiet was the scene that Luke was about half inclined to believe there was some mis take about it.
 The crickets, which had been awed to silence by those rude alarms, resumed their chirrups, and the whippoorwIll, on the dis tant hill, renewed its song. A pig came struggling down the path beyond the fence, grunting and roofing about among the leaves, wholly unconscious of danger For several moments not word was heard, and naught save crickets, night birds, the rustling of leaves and grunting of the pig broke the silence. This waitng-this ex- pecting bloody struggle-was more try ing on the nerves than if 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 eternltyl
 Some one whispered:
 "They come!"
 The regular tramp of feet could be heard coming over the distant ridge, where the at- tacking party had evidently halted to dress their lines.
 ''Stiddy, stiddyy said Captain Smart, in voice which was 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 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 it's satisfaction in expressive grunts.
 The enemy at last came in sight among the trees on the ridge, and despite tho 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 superi- ors, and wait till the foe were near enough to make a sure shot, but the enemy being recruits also, and as nervous as the men they were attacking, returned the fro, and when a bullet struck rail so near him as to cover his face with dust and rotten wood, he could noGlonger restrain himself, and blazed away with the others.
 The pig gave utterance to 8 squeal o1 alarm and ran hither and thither, met ev- anywhere with binding flashes and deafen- ing reports, until it st last raced down the fence row at full speed.
 The enemy made no charge, butcontented | themselves to fire 8 few shots at longranre, and then gradually fell back.
 Whether any of them had beeu killed or wounded the Union recruits co~.i not de- termine, though next morning puddle of blood close to tree was discovered. Bill Snow, the only man touched on the Union side, had slight flesh wound in his arm. Captain Smart made no effort to pursue the enemy, but contented himself to remain behind the fence with his forces for an hour or two after they had disappeared. The attacking force was evidently about equal