The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1889-04-20

come to their neighborhood. Their spies
had evidently noted his arrival, and were
Quick to discern his sentiment.
1t was long, dark ride. Part OF the
time they had road and part OF the time
none, plunging through thickets, and cross
ing creeks and ravines, all the time sur
rounded by dense forest. Day had begun
to dawn when they came in sight of camp
on a hillside, in a woods pasture. The stars
and stripes were floating from a pole stuck
up near wagon.
Blackhawk refused to go any further, and
Luke, dismountlng, walked into camp. A
guard halted him and demanded to know
| what he wanted. Luke informed him that
he wanted to see the Captain, and was con-
Quoted to wagon, which was the chief OIL
GERS headquarters. There We're almost
hundred men in the camp, and very little
discipline was shown. The arms We're
| chiefly the ordinary fre-locks, shot-guns
and rifles, and they were wholly without
uniforms.
| When Luke had told his story to Captain
! Smart the latter said:
| s;If it's yer intention to fight fur the
| Union, ye needn't go any further: fur l
| want three more men here now, and I'll en-
roll he and sw ar we right IN"
| Il was a sudden change, but sudden
! changes were common, and in o few Mill
utes Luke Mason was enlisted as a recruit.
| An old White-haired man, dressed halt IN
! buckskin and half jeans, came to- him and
| invited MIN to his mess, as they just lacked
! one more. The old fellow Was known as
Arkansaw Tom, was brave as a Lion, with
| heart tender as a woman's.
Luke found this beginning of soldier life
far from agreeable. The coffee was black,
the meat burnt and the bread hard and dry.
| The newly-made soldiers were lying about
upon the grass, some already complaining
OF the hardships and others narrating re-
markable adventures, Of which the narrator
was always the hero.
| Captain Smart was man Of pluck and
common sense, which in q measure made
amends for his lack OF military skill. He
had q United States drill book and Hardee's
tactics, over which he had been pouring
every idle moment for three days. ImDledi-
ately after breakfast he brought his COM
pany upon a green spot, devoid Of trees.
to instruct them IN the manual Of arms.
| After an hour spent in these exercises
| they gathered up all camp equipage and
| took up their line Of march, intending to 60
| to Lexington.
People came to their doors to see them,
and as they went by they thought they
must be a great army.
! About the middle of the afternoon they
reached Sagget q small place OF half
dozen houses, one store. a blacksmith shop
and postrofice to give it the appearance OF
| a village. The houses were scattered over
! the crest of a hill In q woods pasture
north OF them, to the left of the road, Cap
tain Smart said they would encanp to
| ,,f
| crults.
| About fifty men who had come the night
before were already encamped among the
trees which covered the hillside, and dur
ing the day hundred more came in. The
= superabundance of commissioned officers or
| men who would be commissioned officers it,
the Governor would sign their commits
sions, gave no little trouble about who
should rank the others. But after much
parleying the honor of command was con-
ferred on Captain Smart.
The men were under very slight restraint.
and the enforcement of military discipline
was almost impossible.
Luke's acquaintance, Arkansaw Tom,
saemed to take considerable interest in the
new recruit
s:Don't spect sojer life III agree with ye at
fust,' Tom said.
"No, don't think it will, but hope to
get accustomed to it, Luke answered
ooh, vas; Teller kin git use ter most
any thing I guess. But We'll meet some %
them Johnny Rebs afo' we go catertopin'
very long 'bout heah."
."The country must be full of theme" said
Luke.
Thicker N hops" answered the old man,
tam all calogin' ter Lexin ton, where we're
~ = hats yvo frcaf
thar
Luke made no answer; he sighed, cast
his eyes upon the ground and mentally
asked himself how long it would be ere it
was dyed.with human blood. Would he ever
see again that bright-eyed, rosy-cheeked
girl, whose kiss seemed still warm on his
lips. Was life's bright young dream to end
in fire, smoke and carnage?
"Come on, Luke Mason, and give hand
here!' cried one of his new comrades.
They were trying ITO raise rude tent
which they had constructed from some
wagon sheets. Luke's experience with
tents for fishing and hunting parties stood
him in excellent need on the present occar
sion. He showed them how to arrange the
center-pole, braces, wings, flies and stays,
and in few moments they had quite a re-
spectacle tent.
s'Thort ye'd never been in tn sarvice?''
said one.
81 never was" he answered.
'tOh shucks, ye needn't tell that, we
know better" said member of his mess
called Ned Cotton. sNo 'un who hahn seen
sarvice could yank a tent about that way"
Ned Cotton, Bill Snow, Arkansaw Tom,
Luke and two more occupied the new tent,
and spent most of the afternoon lying on
the fresh, clean straw with which they had
carpeted the earth.
The day wore slowly by; the routine OF
camp life had not yet become sufficiently
old to be monotonous. Men were drilling
by companies, platoons, squads, or even
singly.
oyer on fur picket t'-nignt,'' said a
corporal, coming to the door of the tent and
laying his hand on Luke's shoulder. stGc
on It seven.''
= ~,.1.>