The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-04-23

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demoralized battalions. in anticipation
Of the coming of Sheridan, who, upon
being told of the affair after his bril-.
liant victory that night, gave one Of
those peculiar smiles, which we boys
learned to know SO we'll, and taking 8
small note book from his pocke, made q
short memorandum therein.
| "Be jabers,'' said old Sergeant Boyle.
a ''naturalized' citizen, who fought for
the pure fun of the thing, ''Littie Phils
got that down in black an white, sorra
fear; and for a gossoon phwat was
picked up for dead at the Wilderness
plisantry, that bhy, Lislie's, got a
mighty sthrong arrum intoirelyt'
''True for you, Pat replied stall
wart Wolverine, land if he studied his
books at school half as much as he did
his fencing lessons, Private Leslie must
be pretty good scholar, too
The future-provided he could live to
see ibid indeed appear to be full OF
promise for our young New Yorker and
for one piece Of especially brilliants erv-
| ice, following upon his former record,
he was promoted at one jump, to the
rank of second lieutenant.
| This service consisted in carrying an
| important dispatch from Gen. Eorbert
| to Gen. Crook across a line Of country
where all the telegraph wires were cut
and which Was at the time thoroughly
patroled by the enemy.
| So desperate seemed the enterprise,
| that volunteers were called for. From
among the crowd of brave fellows who
stepped forward, Herbert Leslie was
| selected and, having received detailed
| instructions, he set out at once ON his
| perilous mission.
For several hours, with singular ad.
dress, he avoided the outlying hostile
pickets and having at length reached
the great military road leading through
the Shenandoah valley, felt secure OF
accomplishing his purpose.
Everywhere, as he rode along, the
fearful ravages Of war were apparent:
smoking ruins, deserted dwellings.
slaughtered cattle and burning crops
were to be seen on all sides, and the
| very soil itself seemed to smell O.,
blood.
By and by, in the heat of the day, the
solitary rider turned into a short lane.
at the further end of which stood an
empty house, and in front of this house
near the door of a log stable, lay 5
trough OF water, supplied by q tiny
stream trickling through an old musket
barrel.
ALI appeared quiet: not a sign Of life
1>o Oh
the thirsty trooper, without disnounting,
dipped up in his canteen copious
tlraught and imbibed it leisurely, while
his good horse drank deeply from the
trough. just as the unsuspicious young
man had thrown back his head to drain
the last drop Of the refreshing fluid he
heard a slight shutting noise and stimuli"
taneously an ominous click. Half turn
ing in bis saddle he saw within few
yards of him two barefooted ''busE-
whackers.' who had evidently up till
now been concealed in the stable.
One of these dangerous tramps car
ried long ducking-gan. already stead
lily covering Herbert's breast, and the
other lockless rife and bayonet.
s'Up with yer hands, We id Yank!'
yelled the fellow with the gun. But
Private Leslie was not that kind of E.
''Yank." He had been carefully
coached for just such an emergency al
this, and instead of leaving his revolve,
in the holsters had one of them lying
on the pommel Of his saddle Quick
as thought he dropped his hand to the
weapon, but swift as his motion was
his fingers had barely touched it's butt
when the menacing ruffian pulled the
trigger OF his smoothbore.
If the clumsy piece had exploded ia
ti1ree-ounce load of Sings and buckshot
would have torn the bold unionist's
body to shreds, but fortunately for him
the hammer fell upon a spoiled cap
and seeing there was no time to replace
it the guerillas rushed forward with
frightful oaths.
One took two steps, the other three.
and then both lay weltering in theh
gore-shot down by the deadly, rapid
fire of their boyish foe.
Not knowing how many more OF these
vagabond, no-nation stragglers might
be ambushed within hearing, Herbert
dared not wait to ascertain the condi-
ton of his assailants, but, wheeling his
horse. rode Off at speed, little imagining
what was next to befall.
He had arrived, with no further mo-
lestation, within six miles Of the outez
line of Crooks videttes and was riding.
now more slowly, along the edge of 8
wooded tract, when he heard low,
moaning cry which appeared to come
FROM an adjoining thicket.
:':.''Sone poor: ?fe1nAea:: ':heb' needs
help, ..tha .hupaa:ha yohag fellow NUT
tered, apd, promptly. dismonnti4g, he
proceeded I'd !hake:a search: hav3ug
FIRST, f6l.' fear ST treaca,9rsS. placed:a:rea
volver in his belt. Creeping on hands
and knees through the dense under.
brush and guided by the still-continued
plant, he came presently to PROSTATE,
blood-stained form clad in a torn uni.
form not Of gray, but of blue!
'.Ah. one of our own brave boys
thought he, and, kneeling by the side O.
the helpless man. he gently raised hii
head The wan, pinched, hunger
stricken face covered with mud