Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-09-21

their dinners under an apple tree near the sta
ton, threw their pals into a corn field, and took
the first train for Nassau, the nearest recruiting
station. There they offered themselves as vol
unteers but were refused as too young. They
were greatly charFrined, feeling themselves
equal TO any valorous deeds.
I'VE won't go back anyway" Tom vowed;
LETS go on and see battle -
Mr.. fremont and Sandy reached Nassau the
following morning and found that the boys had
failed to enlist, but could hear nothing more of
them: After inquiring about without success
Mr.. fremont asked:
''well, Sawny, where have they gone now?"
TN tell yon what think Sandy replied,
81 believe they've gone on South. I've often
heard Tom tell how much hed like to see bat
tie. and know they've been saving up their
money for a good while. -
Mr. fremont questioned the boy carefully and
concluded that there was something in his sug-
gestion- After telegraphing home and lunching
at a restaurant, he and Sandy went on to the
city; and all that night and the following day
they were travelling southwark toward the seat
of war.
Two great armies were just then confronting
another and the country was waiting
breathless for the result.
They were delayed by trains laden with troops
and supplies; but early one morning they
rear of the Northern forces There they hap
pened TO go TO the very hotel at which Harry
ana Tom had put up the night before, and
learned that they had started off on foot about
sunrise. SO after breakfast Mr.. fremont got
horse and wagon and he and Sandy set out on
the road the boys had taken.
The roads were terribly cut and blocked up
with supply trains, broken down wagons and
gun carriages, dead mules and all the litter of an
army's wake. They got ON slowly, picking
their way among obstacles, so netimes turning
out into the fields and watching their chance to
take the road again. But by and by they drew
near high hill on the right, wooded below but
rising rocky and barren above the timber.
There seemed TO be some sort of fortiticstion on
its top, and as Sandy studied it he suddenly
saw two figures emerge from the woods and
start mp the steep toward the crest. He
grasped Mr.. fremont and pointed eagerly.
''Ilerp thew pO - he cried
Mr.. fremont pooh-poohed at first. but as he
watched the two climbers became OF Sandy's
opinion and consented to his going after them,
charging him to bring them back to the town,
where he would await them.
AS Sandy across the field then he was sud
denly startled by heavy, continuous thunder,
which rose up in the south and shook the very
ground; and strengthening cloud gathered
, on the long crest of a wooded ridge. 1t was the
cannonade that marked the opening Of great
battle, and Sandy ran on with quickened
breathing and an unaccustomed tremor going
through him.
He passed the belt of woods, climbed the
steep, and sure enough found Tommy and Harry
ished 20 see him. But they said little; both
were absorbed in the view before them, and
Sandy quickly became so. Below them, to-
ward the south, stretched a valley between
chains of low hills and the ridges on either
side occupied by the hostile armies,
belching furious volleys at one another, while
through riffs in the smoke clouds co nld be
seen great masses OF troops advancing to the
charge.
SAINT and terrible, and all the sights and sounds
filled the boys with awe they had never felt.
The hill where they stood was crowned witt an
earthwork, and was, in fact, without their
knowledge, part OF an interior line which had
been prepared in case of a repulse; and after
awhile thiS very thing happened. The smoke
had hidden everything for time, when sud
denly masses of men emerged from the timber
below them and swarmed up and over. the
height before the boys could get out OF the
way.
They were hustled this way and that and
treated to much hard language, with demands to
and rough orders TO be off; but they recog-
nized one of the officers, a Col Emory
from their own town, and appealed to him for
protection.
"Where under heaven did you come from?'
the colonel called sharply. at will be as hot
rs hades here soon; but you can't get away
now; they've got round in our rear. You II have
10 ig yourselves a bomb proof"
He showed them place at the foot of little
rising ground, and sent them tools and help.
RnG they dug out a sort of low cave. They were
none too soon. for batteries were quickly in
position both on their own and the neigh boring
soon hurled upon them, out OF which the boys
we're glad enough to crawl into their burrow.
The very hill seemed to rock and sway with the
iron tempest and the ceaseless shock ana recon
OF its own great guns.
By and by there q lull in the FIRE from the
other heights. while their own batteries pounded
on with doubled fury. Peering forth then. the
boys made out that the enemy was storming
their work; and they quickly crawled back, for
they heard wild yell and then the fendish tu-
mutt OF hand-to- hand struggle as the besiegers
swarmed over the parapets and carried the place
by assault
TIL boys lay low and Rugged close then, as
may he believed; but they were not discovered
ucd their suspense was not long. Another
csarse'was made and the fort retaken with the
same nendish personal struggle as before