Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-07-25

ssWho is re, and what does he know OF
| me!' the puzzled officer asked himself
His words, 1 kin tell We mo- bout
! vourse'f dan We knows, massan ring Still
! in nv ears. What is it he knows-oh
whas is it!' His last interrogatory was ut
tered with a sigh from the uttermost depths
of MS troubled heart. Ah! 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 s5irmishing at the front
| became common thing. When soldier
was detailed for picket duty he went fully
| expecting to be fred upon before he re-
turned.
"Jist let 'em bang erway," said Bill Snow,
as he lay in his tent. listening to the oc'
! sional reports of muskets IN the distant
woods EFF they think I'm gwine ter git
sbeered at N ow-el they're badly mis-
| taken"
'Wall, Bill, it mayn't be N ow-el by Ell
! long shot" said Arkansaw Tom, who was
reclining on a pile of straw.
Yer don't think old Johnston or Price ar
comm to tackle us, d ye." asked Bill
"AIought be-
LET um come"
Not afore Buell. gifts here"
''Whut d. we keer! Hain't we ernuff ter
| lick um2'
wall we d hev our hands full, We kin
| bet, Bill I'm ergOin' ter bet that we burn
| powder atore we've been here a week
longer"
"Been burnin' powder every day fur a
week. said Ned, lazily shufiing a deck of
well-thumbed cards.
:'Yes, n what does t all mount to?''
growled Max. ''Nuthin'. Eff t want fur
them mullet heads who command tn army
we'd been in COrinth long ago"
''Ye'u git ter Corinth soon ernuff, MAJ" g."
Ned Cotton answered.
WED as well a had this war over six
months ergo as ter be foolin' an dallyin'
erlong. Now, didn't we go right inter Fort
Donelson?"
.'Yes, but old Sid Johnston warnt thar.
We're not ergoin ter hev walk over s we
did with Floyd n Piller. He'll do some O.
the walkin' himself"
The conversation was cut short at this
moment by the appearance of the Colonel.
Il am going to the front, Tom, and want
! you four to accompany me, " he said. Its
getting rather dangerous up there now"
Yer bet We'll 60" cried Tom, starting
to his feet. The 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 hoTseman would be a too-con-
! spcuous mark for a sharDshOOter. Colonel
Mason's regiment was out on the extreme
| front, and they had not gone more than a
mile and a half before they came upon the
! picket line.
Meeting some relieved picl1ets coming in
| the Colonel asked:
How Is it at the front2"
Been quiet fur nour,' one of the guards
said.
'-Haint seen aJohnny fur nour, but they
war blazin' atus nearly all night"
did they seem very strongE'
Wall, they made 1t mighty hot, part o.
the time -
"Of course you have no idea as to their
numbers. "
No, but ] believe they're more n the
! Ginerals think"
With his slender guard the Colonel moved
on. Suddenly there came distant shot in
| the woods 1t was followed by three or
! four more in quick succession, and they
saw the smoke issuing from a bunch of
! bushes 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
! five Union soldiers were crouched behind a
large oak tree, at the side of sixth who
had been pierced by a musket ball.
us he hard hit:' asked the Colonel, COM
ing upon the group.
]
| swered
! Ii was needless to ask any further Ques-
/ tions about him. Those CLASSY eyes, that
gaping mouth, the quick gasping for breath
and death rattle in his throat were
evidence, that life was ebbing away. With
each painful gasp there came a gush of
! blood from the wound in his breast.
Joe, Joe, can't yer speak t. me"' said a
! comrade, bending over him. "Haint yer
| got no word t send home. Oh speak, Joe.
! jest one word. Tel me that We know me''