The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1892-04-22
PRESIDE TALKS WITH
UNCLE JOE.
BY JOHN W. DENSLOWE.
BURNING BRIDGES.

NEW IOEk Ouscf'cT
Jack was sitting on hassock
before the fire, watching HE sparks
shoot out in showers and dance up
The chimney like so many tiny red
elves at play. From lime TO time
he turned 10 look at Uncle Joe,
who was almost hidden behind a
great newspaper in which he seem
ed very much Interested. Indeed,
it seemed as if he would never
fiMsh, and Jack kept his eyes on
the clock anxious'y, Tor lie knew
that bed, time was not far Oft and
he did not want 10 lose The story
he had been waiting for so long.
At last, when the little boy had
become quite tired AMI vas begin
ming 10 make ill,naiursd faces at
the fiery dwarfs who flew up the
chimney Swapping at him as they
went by, uncle Joe laid he paper
down, rubbed his eyes and looked
around for his pipe.
Jack clapped his hands and
cried: "Good !! good! Now for a
nice talk tell me something about
a big fire or a war. story. Some
thing real exciting, you know" II
Uncle Joe smiled, as he lit his
pipe carefully before drawing near
The fire. Then he settled down in
the easy chair and Jack climbed
upon his knee, and waited for his
uncle 10 "lhink upore."
"Jacky," SAID he, ~ was reading
tonight about big fire that burn.
ed down a bridge on The Erle rail-
road last night, and it reminded
me of another bridge that was
burned once, a very long time ago,
by a brave soldier. When The
people Of Texas (you know where
that State is. don't you9) were
fighting to be free, and the Mexi.
cans were trying 10 whip them,
many, or most in fact, of our sold.
iers were very much afraid of the
enemy. The 'Greasers' as The
Mexicans were called from their
oily hair, were tricky, deceliiuI
and sharp. II by telling lie they
could enlrap the Texans and kill a
number, they were always ready
to do so. just like snakes, they
craw led up whenever they were
not expected, with their bad black
eyes and long knives, and many a
man who only stepped aside into
the sage brush to rest a BIT, never
came back. So The men all grew
to be oh ! so watchful anG were al-
ways on the lookout for some new
game. During The day they kept
scouts ont ahead aud on both
sides and marched in a solid col.
nmn shoulder to shoulder, and
when darkness came on; they
tented IN an open spot and kept a
circle OF camp fires blazing. all
night long around the tents. so
that the pickels keeping gurrd
could see one another and mol
stray away from The main encamp.
ment. This always watching, al
ways fearing, made the Texans
many Of them iimid, so that once
or twice when brought face 10 face
with the Mexican army, and when
General Sam Houston was all
ready 10 give them a drubbing
his men broke and ran like So
many sheep, and many were kill.
ed in the retreat. He saw that
this sort oil thing would soon setll le
The war. The small Texan army
would melt away, the arms and
|ACnnnpnition which ers1hr6wr
away in the panic would be sorely
needed, and The money 10 feed
and clothe the men would not hoit
ont many months, while The
'Greasers' chased them from place
10 place. r.
$50 he thought over differen
plans for a long time, and at las
made up his mind to do q yer,
daring Thing. His scouts brough
in The news one day that the lmait
body Of the Mexican army was on
ly n few miles distant, enca,n pet
on neck Of laud, around wllicl