The National tribune., 1890-08-14

They'll kape. They'll sbtay there whole
longer, won't they2u. If, they shtart to run off,
or come this way let me know, and OH get
up" autxal
Disdaiuiug to waste any further verbal argu-
ments, job caught auin by the shoulders and
set him up on end, where he sat with his stiff
red hair sticking 0out in every direction. and
his eyes blinking so funnily that1 could not
help laughing outright, though felt as cross as
he did.
MAY the divil dy away wild ye Job Cart
wright" said Quin suTlily. Ye broke up
my beauty sape, and Oil get wrinkles in me
face for this. 0i was just draining that Ond
Abe d invoited me to dinner at the White
House, aud that he'd handed mo n bottle av
the loveliest whishkey that ivver q man
shmackcd his lips over, and that Ord just said,
Here's to your good health, Misbter Prsdint (;
may you live u thousand years. and he'd said,
smoling loike, Same to you, Capt. Bohannon.
but afore Oi could get the bottle to my lips ye
kim along and walked me. Bad scran to ye,
why didn't ye let me get one good swg down
frst7"
Ian had built lively ire, around which he
had set all our cups, filled with water, for coffee.
He had washed his face and hands, and was
now combing and arranging his hair as care
fully rs If preparing to conduct the exercises
of tho Cohosh Sunday school.
AT last Job got his whole flock aroused and
alive to the impending thing" We drank
our coffee and ato another portion OF our boiled
beef and soaked crackers. Then we turned to
our guns. What beauties our new Springfield
rifles were! Compared with tho old clumsy
smoothbore Harper's Ferry muskets wo had
been carrying, they wero as highly finished
ax is to a club. Heavy, solid barrels, polished on
the outside smooth as glass, and with sharply
cut, vel0Oking rifles on the inside stocks
of hard wood, finely finished as q hunting rifle s
and as gracefully shaped; lock small and trim
yet very powerful. Everything about them
betokened the splendid weapon they were,
aud j never lifted mine without the feeling
passing through me that with it in my hand
was better armed than any man the rebels
could bring against me- We are as pr0ud OF
them as l was of my first pair of boots, and
take no end of trouble to keep them in splen-
did order. We now removed every speck of
rust mud and moisture. swabbed out the bar
rels, aud loaded thom carefully.
=" This is something like gun TO put into a
mans hands" said Job admiringly as he tore
the paper of cartridge after pouring tho
powder into the barrel, and scrutnized the
heavy, c0nical ringed bullet, with its hollow
base. "Thatn go a mile if il goes rod aud
i can knock mRfI's eyo ont nj 100 yards If |
don't scatter some large-sized gobs Of grief
around tho Southern Conicderacy to-day amt
u foot high"
luibuku INC ubuhb IOR WHICH HOW SNTDuueu
everything came the myriad sounds of prepa-
ration for battle. Rolls were being called, men
in companies and regiments were moving
hithor and yon. stragglers were calling out for
their commands, aud Captains Colonels and
Aids were shouting orders, directions and in
quiries. Bugles blared and drums beat, and at
times companies or regiments cheered in
unison, as their officers addressed inspiriting
speeches To them.
From fba lfraatinn of bo nnor,y m mn 81 n, /
lar sounds, sonened by the distance aud the
thick haze. There came also the scrooch of To-
comotycwhistles and the rumblng of cars.
Them gents over there" said job indi-
eating the position Of the enemy by bis thumb,
" are either gathering or scattering. wonder
which it is"
al believe they're concentrating for fight"
said Ian. land If we must fight them | hope
that it will be now. I'D much rather 1t would
be today than q month from now. l dread
suspense"
"Ah, here you are" said tho Aid who had
been with US the night before. "PYe been
looking for you everywhere. want you TO go
out with mc on little Reconnaissance FOR the
enemy. Keep Gloss by mo aud watch mo, but
don't wait for orders DO whatever you see
me do. or act on your own suggestions. If we
have to get out. don't waste any time about Il,
but skip for all You're worth. Come along
now
Wo moved OF rapidly 70 the left across tho
country road upon which Gen. Fosters Brigade
had been marching, Bnd towards the railroad,
up which Gen. Rono's Brigade had come. At
the same time we Yen< forward TO whore the
level plain began 70 be broken into ravines and
enemy, though the Sands told us we were
rapidly approaching t;ieir position. Suddenly
we come out on the brow OF the hill ut the
edge Of tho woods. Below rs was narrow
valley, perhaps 200 yards wide. with swamp
Ia the center. All the trees in IL had been cut
down 10 form distractions TO advancing upon
tho rebel works on the hill beyond.
The outlines of very heavy battery. with
ombrasure5 for guns, doomed up distinctly
through the fog aud vaguely. defined move.
ments showed that men were swarming there.
THAT must be the right fauk of their
works" said the Aid. "Lct's work up closer -
We moved over to The railroad embank k men {,
aud began threading our way cautiously
through the interlaced tops OF the fallen trees
toward the bottom Of tho slope. We reached
the swamp Mt the foot without discovery,
though at every stop tho forms OF tho men on
the battery became more distinct, as ours must
have been to them, and ID was amazing that
va were not fired on. Several times the NOV
ing burs which indicated men acted as IL they
bad seen us, aud were about 10 fire. and Jobs
and Quin's fingers were on their Triggers, but
a motion Of tho Aids hand restrained them.
We halted at the edge OF the swamp, aud tho
Aid studied the fort carefully.
"Yes. I'm convinced it's their right flank ~
he whispered 10 those Of US nearest him. "Pll
get back as quickly AS possible, and report
what I've seen. You men had better make
your way cautiously 10 tho top Of tho hill,
without drawing their fire. Stay there near
where the railroad embankment begins so
that ! can find you when ! come hack"
We remained without moving till he had
gotten nearly to tho hill, so AZ not to draw
attention TO him. 10 was getting lighter very
rapidly. and when We started at last / was
sure we would be seen aud fired on before wa
had gone "A quarter the distance. Ny fears
were only too well founded. We had scarcely
gone 10 rods when ] distinctly heard a man on
the battery say:
"Thoro's some Yankees down there In the
brush. Shoot EN-"
A bullet. probably fred by the speaker, whs-
tied 30 near mo that | instinctiyely Jumped
over and lay down behind largo limb of a
tree, and ut the same Instant saw Job Ian,
| and Quin secure similar protection. Herman
Cad, and Web were perhaps "a rod behind us
and the brush in which they were entanged
try TO find any, but faced about toward the
fort. with his gun at a ready"
Lay down. you blamed fools!" yelled Job
in fever of apprehension.
Crack crack crack went several guns
| from the fort, aud then came q crash as al
least company fired at US.
| Web fell, crying out:
80, boys. I'm shot I"