The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1891-06-27
THE
COIOlsI Of t6s FOurt6
IS 4 story Of the Late Vans
BY BERNARD BIGSBY,
Author of loyal at Last" "My
Lady Fantas astlc," &C.
CHAPTER XVII
JAMES LAWSON oNCE AGAIN.

| Nnen hOaecfauS was IN command m
Nashville nearly year ago he had de.
! termined 20 establish in the Fourth. and
indeed in several other infantry regi
ments, corps deHte of mounted men,
armed with Henry rifles and collected
from the different companies for their
! craftsmanship and steadiness in ac.
! tion; but, although the men were
supplied with the rifles chiefly at
their own expense, the authorities
/ at Washington had refused to
! give them horses and the ad.
mirable project had fallen through.
! Now Colonel Hopkins had never been
/ satisfied with this arbitrary Judgment,
and asked General Thomas to approve
/ of his trying the experiment at his own
/ expense, and an assent being readily
/ accorded, q little band of ten mounted
/ sharpshooters' formed an effective arm
! of the regiments usefulness.
One summers day Major Besart found
| himself in command Of two companies
-bulton's and Gregory's by
the corps d eitte on march through a
rugged country in pursuit of band of
guerrillas whose attacks on detachments
on foraging and other expeditions had
been peculiarly annoying. His guide
was stalwart young negro, who pro
fessed to be familiar with the mountain
businesses, among whose recesses these
irregular combatants made their haunts.
The afternoon was well advanced when
they reached spot where the road
branched in three directions-one to the
right, one to the left, and one immedi-
ately across a dense woodland as the
guide declared that these three paths
concentered again into one main thor
oughfare some five miles further on,
and that the forest was a very likely
covert in which to find the human game
they were hunting, Frank resolved to
divide his force into three parties; so he
dispatched Charlie aud his men on the
right, Gregory and his on the left, while
he rode with the sharpshooters on the
middle road.
For a time nothing distracted their
attention, but suddenly the Majors ear
caught the sound OF a cry that might
have been made by some forest bird or
beast, but which, under the circun-
stances, was, TO say the least, suspicious.
1t came from the right, the direction
that Fulton and his company had taken.
'Dismount your men and let them
follow me, Ferguson" Frank ordered
the officer of the sharpshooters, as he
threw himself from his horse and
dashed up the wooded incline.
''It was nothing but hawk or Wild
cat" Ferguson cried, as he gained his
side.
But as he spoke rifle bullet whistled
by his head and buried itself In tho
trunk of a hemlock
"Quick, boys, to the treesw Frank
shouted, as he set the example by plac-
ing himself behind u massive oak.
1t was curious duel which followed,
where neither combatant could see the
other. Every time a leaf on the hill
moved a bullet sped from the rifle of
one of the sharpshooters TO the spot,
and every time that the smallest piece
Of a soldiers uniform displayed itself
beyond the wooden barrier, it was tho
target for half score of shots. Now
and then, in spirit of bravado, some
man would stick his cap out at the end
of his gun-barrel, and In an instant 1t
was riddled with bullets.
eve can't go on at this little game all
day, boys" Besant said to the men
nearest to him. "I've half mind to
charge the sl1ullSing scoundrels."
''It would be certain death, but we
are ready, sir, if you give the word" was
Ferguson's reply.
just then ringing fusillade sounded
in the distance, answered by volley Of
rihe-shots.
captain Fulton has struck the main
body Of them," Frank said, guessing at
the situation of affairs, which after
wards proved he was right, "and these
fellows are but the outposts. Captain
Gregory must have heard our firing be-
fore this, and If there is any way across
that rugged hill he will soon be with
us--then we shall have them front and
rear"
A pistol-shot from the man who had
been left In charge of the horses
warned them that there was danger
there, too.
1t was now nearing six o'clock, and
though night in that summer season
was not due for three long hours, it
was quite dark, for fearful storm was
hanging over the wood. 1t had been
gathering the whole afternoon, but
now 1t was come. Fierce clouds, black
and purple, rolled over the heavens,
massing in smoke-like density Then
binding sheet of flame, followed by
crash of thunder so terrific that the |
puny reports Of the rifles seemed but a
mockery of the warning elements.
Then a deep, sullen roar that appeared |
to shake the earth itself. The screams !
of birds and cries of beasts and the |
crash Of falling timber were the only |
sounds heard now besides the artillery |
of Heaven, for friend and foe alike had |
crept 10 the shelter of the neighboring |
rocks, Tall trees were torn up by the |
roots and hurled to the earth like leaves |
in an autumn breeze, and all the while |
the deafening thunder never ceased to |
roll and not one drOD of rain Rut now !