Thomas County cat., 1889-08-22

| accidentally met. will guide you. LILLE"
| Tenderly folding the note he thrust it
into his pocket next his heart, and turning
| to Blackhawk said:
"Can you take me to the houseW
| "Yes, sah."
| SHOW far is itl"
"Bout six miles, sab, may be seven"
! ibid you walk or ride!'
s'Walked, massa; couldn't find boss"
"Well, Blackhawk, we must get horses to
ride back"
| At this moment the door OF the tent was
darkened by the appearance of a white
haired soldier, who had bandage about his
head and one arm in sling.
"Whar ye gwine. Kernels" he asked, with
the familiarity of a friend.
Il shall leave camp for short time, Tom ~
Il jist came ter tell ye, Kernel, that
Max III grumble no more"
"What!-deads"
| "Yes, Kernel, jist breathed his last"
| "How is Ned CottouH'
"First rate, reckon; the doctor TUX his
leg of ter day and thinks he'll live, but
| Ned's almost tuckered out"
"Did you find Bill Suow!"
"Yes, N buried him.
Colonel Mason bowed his head, and for a
with sigh, he said:
| five who escaped unharmed. It is sad, but
| it is the fortunes Of war"
"Kernel, I've follered ye through thick n
thin; I've fit every time at yer side, N I'm
| sorry can't go WI you this time. Sumthin'
! might happen, We know"
"No, no. Tom; stay with your dead friend
and see him decently buried, nurse Ned un-
til he is able to go home. There is no dan
ger, for the enemy are all out Of the imme-
diate neighborhood. A wounded friend has
sent for me, and must go.''
The wounded veteran Of the "Hornet's
Nest" could make no answer. Those eyes
that had long been dry grew moist with
tears, and wringing his Coloners hand he
said:
"They're all gone but you an me, Kernel,
n next it III be old Tom. But won't kick.
Goodbye
Luke left him and with his guide mounted
the horses he had ordered, and they began
| their journey. On every side Of the road
little mounds of fresh earth marked the
last resting place Of some brave soldier,
who wore either the blue or gray.
Shiloh's stubborn fight taught both North
and South a lesson. They learned that
there were men of metal on both sides.
They were brothers Of the same family and
equally brave.
Luke could not repress shudder when
the groans of some dying wretch in the
brush at the roadside reached his ears.
Afar of in the wood could be seen torches
moving about. They seemed the lights of
ghouls or ghosts who hovered over the field
of the slain. There still remained many
dead yet in the woods who had to be gath
cred up, and those lights telonSet, 20 tie
searchers Of the slain. The forest, which
but few days before had been the scene Of
such q pendemonium, was now silent Is the
tomb The intense darkness, broken only
here and there by the ghoulish-like lights
that fitted about, seemed to cast an ap-
palling gloom over the battlefield, magnify
ing instead Of decreasing its horrors
"Are you acquainted with this countryf'
Colonel Mason asked Blackhawk as they
passed beyond the outlying pickets.
"Yes, massa, I has been all ober it many
time. Vars ago lived fur Q week In
desc woods"
ain the woods. Were You q runaway!'
"Don' talk bout dat, massa; it am all over
now"
Blackhawk, won't you explain that mys-
terry to me, at which you have intimated
time and again? Who are you! Who am II
For feel that you have my past history
locked up in your breast"
Il will tole yo' soon, massa, but not now;
no time now" After q few moments ST.
lence Luke said:
Blackhawk, where were you during the
battlel'
"Right in It, massa. from fust to last.
III IL nd I Iii oto
many" The chuckle Of infinite satisfaction
through Luke's frame, and he almost
loathed the colo-blooded, heartless African.
In order to change the subject he asked:
"Did you see Lille Nehr'
"Yes, massa; I saw Miss Lille on de
berry fust day OBJ de fight. She came to a
house wha' all de folks dun ran oil, an
was dar to shoot rebels. By n by some
rebs came in wild her brudder n she made
me hide my gun. De shootin' could be heerd
down heah, an all lowed as dar war a sw.
full big fight ergoin' on. Massa Albert war
| in heap o. trouble bout dat secesh gal,
Elsie Morgan, who couldn't be found. but
| BY n by she came wild her father-an'I
wush I'd my gun = kill 'um, but promise
Miss Lille won't, N won't. Den dar war
alot OBJ soft talk n kissin' tween Miss Elsie
n Massa Albert n he 90 away wild all de
| sojers to tight an both o. de missus foller
| to take keer Of de wounded.
81 got my gun an went to de woods tar
| fight, and spen. two days . shootin' men I
hated. I didn't know zactly which,d
whipped, when meets de leetle Nissus
Elsie comin' fur dis chile. She say fnr
me to come to . lone cabin in de woods an,
| ! 60 dar wn her, 1knowed it. eos it war d