The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1891-09-02

ride, giving him instructions 70 tell
Captain Gregory, If he could find him,
to make his way to the factory, WHITTIER
without delay, he too, started with his
little force.
mot q bad place to make stand In"
he said, sashe rode up to the big, square,
empty wooden building, whose few mar
row windows seemed mere Sits in Its
weather-beaten sides. S
eff they don't burn the shanty over
our heads \ Fulton added, with shrug
of the shoulders. ~ ~2s G4
There wasmoreover the additionalpro-
lection Of strong board-fence running
round 1t, which Crank eyed with salts
faction. The guards were set, the men
Aung themselves with arms beside them
on the floor, to snatch what little rest
they could, and silence settled on the
grim old edffce.
Nature In changing mood had swept
the clouds from the sky, and young
moon silvered the tiny. stream that
meandered across the little plain that
separated them from the woods. ,Sg
9Three weary hours passed and no
signs. of the enemy. Then the sharp
crack of muslset from the outer-piclket,
and the garrison was on the alert.
Like wolves rushing ON sheep, the dar-
ing crowd Of guerrillas dashed to the as
sault, knowing well that they had
nearly three men to every one Of the
hated Yanlks. 1t was motley troop,
composed Of irregulars, with some fifty
soldiers who had escaped from Morgan's
command, when they had been routed
after his raid in Northern Kentucky,
and who now had joined their fortunes
with these reckless Free-Lances.
A shower of bullets from the barri-
cade of the fence checked their first OF
tack. They had never met the men Of
the Fighting Fourth before, and hardly
anticipated SO warm a welcome. So,
recovering from their surprise, they
formed in better order, and once more
essayed to scale the slight obstruction
which this time yielded to their fury,
and the Union men, with little loss,
were driven within the building. Here
Franks sharpshooters did noble work,
picking off the leaders of their assail-
ants with deadening accuracy Of aim.
"Keep cool, men, and don't waste
your lead" the young Major cried
''Let every bullet have its billet"
81 can't make swell speeches like the
Major can," shouted Charlie, "but I
can tell you, boys, that If you don't kill
theus-why, darn 1t, they'll kill youi"
A CLEAN Of fire from the narrow win
dows answered the appeal .r3
But the rear side Of the building had
no windows, and save the cracks the
men had found in the boards, no loop
holes through which musket-barrel
could be thrust. Here Frank sntici-
pated his worst danger, nor was he de-
oeiyed.. W
.oO.sMajor, they are gathering brush at
the back and firing the buildingF q
private cried.
Alas, It was too true. Even as the
man spoke q sitting cloud Of smoke
Allied the place, moro dense, perhaps,
because the wood was wet from the
storm and refused 70 burn freely. As
ill-luck would have IL, too, the light
night breeze came from this very quar-
ter. twas desperate strait. With
out were raging those bloodthirsty
fends, who, unlike the chivalrous
Southern soldiers, seldom gave an
enemy quarter; within the air each In
slant became more and more unbreath-
able. A horse, too, maddened by the
smell Of FIRE, had broken loose, and they
were obliged TO shoot him to prevent
his trampling on the wounded.
'Shall we make an assault Msjor?"
Charlie asked, as cool rs though he was
on parade.
"How can we?" Besant groaned, for
the thought Of his ssasunt men perish
ing like rats in q trap cut him to the
quick. THAT narrsu door, the only
egress, would only permit us to rush