Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-09-25

their dinners under an APP pie tree near the sta
ton, threw their pals into a field, and tool
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.
1--WE 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:
''Wen, Sawny, where have they gone now?''
''I'il tell you what think Sandy replied
81 believe they We gone on South. I've Otter
heard Tom tell how much he'd like TO see a bat
tie. and know they've been saving up their
money for good while
Mr.. fremont questioned the boy carefully and
concluded that there was something in his sug-
gestion. After telegraphing home and lunchng
at a restaurant he and Sandy went 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
one another, and the country was waiting
breathless for the result.
They delayed by trains laden with troops
and supplies; but early one morning they
reached Albemarle, the nearest town 10 the
rear of the Northern forces. There they hap
pened TO go to the very hotel at which Harry
and Tom had put up the night before, and
learned that they had started off on foot about
sunrise. So after breakfast Mr.. fremont got a
horse and wagon and he and Sandy set out on
the road the boys had taken.
The roads were terribly cut and blocked NJ
with supply trains, broken down wag ons ami
gun carriages, dead mules and all the litter OF an
army's wake They got slowly. picking
their way among obstacles, so netimes turning
take the road again. But by and by they drew
near a high hill on the right, wooded below but
rising rocky and barren above the timber.
There seemed to be some sort OF fortihcstion on
its top, and as Sandy studied it he suddenly
saw two figures emerge from the woods and
start up the steep toward the crest. He
graz nd NJ MT and mir tREo -s.rlp
There they go, - he cried.
Mr.. fremont pooh-poohed at first, buta he
opinion and consented TO his going after them,
Charging him to bring them back to the town,
where he would await them.
As Sandy ran 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
cEnnonade that marked the opening OF great
battle, and Sandy ran with quickened
breathing and an unaecustomed tTemor going
through him.
He passed the belt of woods, climbed the
steep, and sure enough found Tommy and Harry
all by themselves on its top, and much aston
ished to see him. But they said little; both
absorbed in the view before them, and
Sandy quickly became So. Below them, to-
ward the south, stretched G 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 could be
seen great masses Of troops advancing TO the
charge.
The roar OF cannon and musketry was inces-
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 with an
earthwork, and was, in fact. without their
knowledge, part of an interior iins which had
been prepared in case of q 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
know what the nation they were doing there
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. "It will be hot
as hades here soon; but you can't get away
now; they We got round in our rear. You II have
to d liz yourselves bomb proof"
He showed them place at the foot OF a little
rising ground, and sent them tools and help.
and they dug out q sort OF low cave. They ware
none too soon, for batteries were quickly in
position both on their own and the neighoorlng
heights. and a fearful storm OF shot and shell
soon hurled upon them, out OF which the boys
were glad enough to crawl into their burrow.
The very hill seemed 10 rock and sway with the
iron tempest ana the ceaseless shock ana recon
of its own great guns.
BY and by there was 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 q wild yell and then the iendish tu-
mutt of hand hand struggle as the besiegers
swarmed over the parapets and carried the place
by assault.
The boys lay low and Rugged close then, as
may he believed; but they were not discovered
and their suspense was not long Another
charge made and the fort retaken with the
same fsndisn personal struggle as before.