The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1889-12-01

crest among the dead horscs. A gesture
%o"c%sns. u The men MIN in iosdiss. and
bad ceased 20 hear the rattle OF the wheels
the ~declivity, and with u sharp shock
which turned mp the white Of tho forcst
leaves Nike u storm the affair NJ Coulter's
Il Il not IN relate in detail the
progress and Incidents Of that ghnstly
It's aiternations only different degrees OF
despair. Almost at the instant when Cap
tain .Coulter's gun blew its challenging
cloud six answering clouds rolled upward
from among the trees about the planta-
ton house, . deep multiple report roared
to the end the Fedora c-annoniers fought
their hopeless battle i'm an atinosphcrc of
living iron whosc thoughts were iishtnings
Unwilling TO sec the efforts which ne
could not mid and the slaughter which he
could not stay. the colonel had assembled
the ridge at u point u quarter OF a mile To
the left, whence the notch. itself Invisible
but pushing zap successive masses OF
s sh%d i "r"p shS With n,s glass he
could the effects OF Co,,itcr's iirc-ifC oui-
federal Runners. ignoring the cnemy's
pieces. whose position could be deter
mined by their smoke only. gave their
whole attention tn the one which main
tanned its place i'm tine open-the lawn in
front Of the house, with which u was nc.
hardy piece the shells expioded al inters
walls of n few seconds. Some exploded i'm
tic house, as could he seen ny thin ascen-
Figures of PROSTATE men and horses were
plainly vis.ble.
"If our fellows are doing such good
to an aide who happened To he nearest.
"tbcy must he suffering like the devil
from six. Go down and present the com
IA sfr.r nf that tassann with ing nTnDrntll1a-
tons ON the accuracy of his fire."
Turning to the adiusant general Inc
reluctance 10 ois.y orders ?"
"Hes, sir, I did.n
"weli, say nothing about il, please. I
any accusations. He will probably have
enough To do i'm explaining his own con-
ncction with this uncommon way at
amusing the rear guard OF a rotre"tine
Colonel" said the adjutant general. ~
hut there is something wrong, in all this.
DO you happen. to know that Captain
Coulter il from the south"
mo, sods he. indeed z"
81 heard last summer that the division
which the general then commanded was
il the vicinity of Coulte.,s homc-camped
"Listen ?" said the colonel, i~ntcrrupting
with an upward gesture, ADO You hear
"That" was the silence Of the federal
gun. The staff. the orderlies. the lines of
infantry behind the crcst-all had heard
aud were looking curiously i'm the direction
Of the crater, whence no smoke now as-
cendcd, except desultory from
the enemy's shells. Then came the blarc
OF a bugle, a faint rattle of wheels: n
minute later the sharp reports recon-
mcnccd with double activity. The demol-
ished gun had been replaced with n sound
"Yes,' said the Acknowledgement, re-
Stunning his narrative. 1.-THE general made
There was trouble-I don't know the
exact nature of i~t-soncthing about Cotl-
ter's wife. She is u red hot sccessionist,
as they all are, except Coulter HIMSELF,
hut she is n good wife and high bred lady.
There was n complaint to army head
this division. II is odd that CouIter's hat
to IT,"
The colonel had risen from the rock
upon which they had been sitting. His
eyes were blazing with IL generous indig-
"Sec here. M~orrison." said he. looking
his gossiping staff officer straight i'm the
face, did y3l get that story from n gem
~ don't want to say how l got ii, col
biushing a trihc.."but RI stake my life
upon it's truth i'm tine main.
0rhe colonel turned toward "a small knot
OF officers some distance away: Lieu
tenant Williams!" he shouted.
One of the officers detached himself
from the group, and coming forward.
snlutcd, saying: Pardon me, Colonel. l
Thought You li;tu deem INFORMED. Nliliaf1S
is dead down there by the gun. What
can l do, SIR"
Lieutenant Williams was the aid who
had had the pleasure of conveying tn the
officer i'm charge of the gun his brigade
commanders congratulations.
Go" said the colonel, "and direct the
withdrawal Of the gun instantly. Hold!
I'll go myself"
He strobe down Tho dcclivity toward the
rear of the Notch mt n break-neck pace.
over rocks and through brambles. fol-
lowed by his little rctinue i'm t"uuiultuous
disorder. Al the foot OF the dcclivity they
mounted their waiting animals and took
to the road at a lively trot around a bend
and into the Notch. The spectacle which
they encountered there was appalling.
Within that defile, barely broad enough
for u single gun, were piled the wrecks of
no fewer than four-they had noted the
silencing of only the last one disabled.
The debris lay on botl, sides of the road;
the men had managed to keep an open
way between, through which the the fifth
piece WAS new firing. The mon ?-thcy
like demons of the Pit! All were
hatlcss, all stripped to the waist, their
reekiug skins black with blotchcs of pow
der and spattercd with Houts OF blood.
They worked like madmen, with anmcr
and cartridge.l lever and lanyard. They set
their swollen shoulders and bleeding
hands against the wheels at each rccoil
and heaved the heavy gun back to it's
place. There were no commands; i'm that
ax.,f.,l ~ xh~>,s,v SIx,s nv