Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-11-12
WRESTLING NAILS.


Yankees Were Using NoiseIess Powder.
81 see" said the veteran, as he twist
ed his feet up on the verandah railing
and gazed lazily at the sunset, that
they are making whole lots of talking
in the newspapers nowadays about
smokeless and noiseless powder. Why,
we were talking about the same thing
when | was in Prices army.
You know we were away down in
the brush in southwest Missouri, where
we were all cut off from the world and
couldn't get any news from the outside.
Well, the story got started somehow
that the Yankees had invented a new
powder-a kind that burned with no
smoke, no flash, and no noise. Pretty
soon they were talking about it in every
regiment, worrying over the thing, and
reviving the devilish ingenuity of the
Yankee. There was nothing to talk
about and you know how it is in big
body of idle men.
There was one fellow that took
great stock in the noiseless powder
story 1t bothered him all the time
This was Bill Oliver of Col Winston's
Second Missouri Bill came from ur
here at Platte City. He was black
smith, strapping great big fellow.
strong as a horse. He weighed.
reckon two hundred pounds.
Zone black night Bill was put out in
the brush on picket duty. Now, he was
just as gritty a fighter as you ever saw
in line with a man on either side of him.
but tell you. my boy, set man out in
a dark thicket all alone, and the enemy
known 10 be near and supposed to be
everywhere, it takes all the starch out
of the best of them
"Sc Bill was tremJly and shaky, and
saw Yankee sharpshooters every
where.
Now, in the same regiment they had
q daredevil, harum-scarum fool Reub
Hill This Reu0 Hill was the kind of a
specimen every regiment hasa pestif-
erous practical joker, a nuisance that
everybody liked Here was a rich
chance for one of Reuben's little jokes
Soon as Bill had got settled at his post
Reuben loaded his pocket with a dozen
or sc big wrought-iron nails, and out
through the dark he circled tc get in
front of the pickets He hid in a sassa-
fras brush about a hundred feet from
the big blacksmith, and looked out
There was Bill tiptoeing up and
down his beat Ike an elephant on a
rickety bridge, lodging and whirling
every time a grasshopper chirped or a
horse back in the camp snorted- He
was getting ally scared Reuben pick
ed up brigh. rie-s led nail and flung it
Just as hard as lie could jerk
You know what vicious screech-
ing nail makes when you throw it
that way No mimic bali ever sounded
wickeder It goes.
Whi-u-u-U-u"
Poor Bills heart stopped with big
thump like a sledge hammer, and Req
ben away of in the thicket heard him
catch ms breath as If some one had
dropped bucket of ice water on him.
bis big bulk dropped in the weeds like
a sack of sand and for about minute
there was not the sound of breath.
Then the big picket muttered shakily;
''Sho I'm gettin' siseery as a woman
with thinkin' of them Yanks an their
new-fangled powder And he got up
and began YEARLY TO Walk MS peat
Reuben let go another of his nails.
and third just as quick as he could
throw. They went whirring blood
thirsty toward William, and one of
them ripped through the leaves over