Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-08-11

hope well never chance to come across
, him on the battlefield. I'd awfulIy hate
! to shoot ut him or have him shoot at
H."
These were the days when millions
! fought and countless thousands fell, and
| from north, east and west the loyal citi-
zens of our deathless republic were raj
| lying to the support of the old flag in
I ever-increasing numbers, while the
chivalrous sons of the south poured out
their blood like water for what they
| doubtless deemed the more righteous
cause.
Forty-eight hours after enlisting, our
young friends were sent to the front
and finally found themselves members
OF the same company in an infantry
regiment forming part ofS6en. Sey-
mour's division of the army of the Poto-
mae.
Here they put in two weeks of that
most irksome duty, preliminary drill,
borne by Herbert with cheerful forti-
tude, but by Fred in far different
spirit. Indeed he had already repented
of his short-lived ardor, and continually
deplored the ''infatuation" which had
led him to exchange his remunerative
clerkship for the hardships Of soldiers
life at thirteen dollars month.
One evening, when harassed by ia
tigue, his complaints became so vexa-
tious that Herbert lost all patience with
him and at last exclaimed: why,
Fred, how long do you suppose our
glorious union would exist if all the
brave men now in arms for the cause
were fighting only for pay?"
cause be hanged" petulantly re-
piled Ainslie, what difference will it
make to me how it goes, if I'm shot full
of holes and buried in this Virginia
mud? 1t Just disgusts me to think of
the crazy move I've made; and here's
letter from home to say that my fool
sister, Miriam, is coming right out to
the front as a nurse. It's enough to
drive Il fellow Wild l was never made
for fighting, anyway, and Ill get out of
it somehow"
Young Leslie had never seen any of
his friends relatives, who resided in
Philadelphia, but now he rather hotly
answered: "We1l, Fred, if the noble
example of your sister-blessings on
her!-does not shame you into better
thoughts, nothing that I can say will.
But you're tired and cross now and will
be all right in the morning. Gen. Grant
viii probably give us a little fighting
soon and then you'll forget these petty
annoyances.
Fred turned pale at this cheerful pre-
diction, and nervously asked: ''Do you
really think there's going to be bat
tie, Herbert?"
His friend laughed aloud as he replied;
"a battle? Why, of course, dozens of
them; perhaps hundreds. Grant will
ne, r let up till he takes Richmond.
Never fear, Fred, you'll have lots Of
chances for promotion before it's all
over; and who knows but that we may
yet go far enough south for you to cap
ture that pretty sister of sgd Temple,
with whom you were so much smitten
when she came with her mother to the
old school that time to see her brother?"
"By George! wasn't she little beau
ty, though? She must be quite grown
lady, now, and hates us Yankees like
poison, you may be sure" Fred smiling
ly answered. And so the little cloud
blew oyer, and the boys retired to their
shelter tent.
As they lay, side by side, under their
united blankets, Leslie's thoughts went
back to their school days, and as he re-
called to mind Freds idiosyncracies and
pondered over his late remarks, he be-
came more and more uneasy lest the
foolish fellow might really allow his
inf To n of
duty and tempt him to some rash act,
involving disgrace and ruin. These re-
Elections obtruded themselves so per-
sistently that the youth could not sleep,
but lay wide-awake and motionless
until long past midnight
Then he fell into light doze, from
which he was aroused by fancying that
the flap of the tent had been opened,
and on throwing out his arm to feel for
Fred found that he was gonel Shudder-
| ingly, yet silently as shadow, Herbert
glided out. The whole camp was buried
| IN profound repose and only the scnti-
| nels kept watch. The nearest of them
was posted some thirty yards from the
tent, and Herbert could see an occasion
al CLEAN of the star-touched bayonet
| point as the soldier paced back and
| forth on his short beat. No need to
! look in that direction! so the anxious
searcher faced about and, STOPPING low,
| glanced down the long canvas streets,
with difficulty repressing a cry as he
saw. by the dim light, and not fifty
feet away, Fred stealthily creeping on
hands and knees to the rear. In n
flash the truth struck him. His friend
was attempting to desert! and in half
| dozen noiseless bounds he had reached
the unhappy youth, thrown himself
! down by his side and pulled him fiat to
the ground.
Erred Ainslie," he sternly whis-
pered, ''are you raving mad? Do you
want to be shot as n deserter? Don't
you know that even cat could not es-
cape from these lines? And the infamy
of it. Oh, shame! shame! Would you
disgrace your father and break the
hearts of your mother and sister? Bet
ter brave thousand deaths in the way
of duty than one like this"
The conscience-striclen young man
answered not n word, but rose to his
feet and, taking his comrades arm,
walked slowly toward the tent. As
concealment was no longer necessary,
the sentinel now saw them, and chal-
lenged:
''Who goes there?"
'Privates Leslie and Ainslie, of Com
pany c." quietly answered Herbert.
Advance and give the countersign,"
said the sentry.
The boys stepped close up to the lev
elcd rifle. Leslie whispered: ABE Lin
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