The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-07-12

our boat"
As the steamer would not likely reach
| the landing, where they were waiting.
/ for some hours and as they We're hum
/ cry and tired, they, soldier-like. pro-
posed to have something 10 eat and some
coffee, and all went about gathering
driftwood from the bank for a FIRE. AS
the commissary department fellows,
each fished out Of his knapsack, which
still held some of the good things from
/ home and none. of the bareback" they
were to become acquainted with later,
But best of all 10 them was the decoc-
ton Of coffee with its active principle
Of caftine that stimulates the brain
and tones the nervous system till the
weary hearts beat stronger and the tired
brain becomes brilliant. While some
were cooking others were chatting about
soldier life as far as they had gone, and
about the loved ones left in Cedar Dell.
Opinion was given why this man went
TO war and why that one did not, and
all seemed To think il strange that Carl
Brandon, who of rowing. daring
life, did not accompany them. Some
said Carl was a coward, and some said
he was not loyal others said he re-
( manned at home to make money off his
/ coal mines, and some secretly intimated
II was because he was in loN Q. None
dreamed of the real cause Of Carl's re-
naming at home. Supper was ready,
the sun was down the night was deep
since they began cooking the meal.
They waited anxiously, not knowing
how soon the enemy would come upon
them, but knowing that there were emf
mics i'm that part OF the country. II
was almost a daily occurrence for con-
federates to cross the river. appropriate
few horses and return 20 their own
side
The little group. after eating their
suppers. sat about the fire, lighted by a
| fresh dry stick Of driftwood, and spent
the time watching, talking. listening
till the darkness of approaching night
was perfect. The shadows OF the hills
had long since deepened into the black
pail of starless darkness. for neither
moon nor stars looked through the veil
of clouds that hung like sable curtains
from the sky. Again up the river in the
same direction. but possibly some
nearer, once more they heard the low
heavy blowing Of the whistle. announc-
ing the advance of the steamer. 1t
came through the gloom of the night 70
the lonesome. homesick, tired melon
cholly men like the iutonations Of grief.
deepened into groan of expiring
anguish
1t came like a warning, like an omen.
/ To them II meant something entirely diff
ferent from what the first call did in the
afternoon. Being men whose lives were
or hOmelike nature, common place.
lighted only by the literature Of the
backwoods fireside and the weird. super
stitous stories of Cedar Dell. they were
more than prone 10 weave every shadow
and every unaccustomed sound into soms
warning. some token. To Them every
thing was a cabalism. Spirits and phan-
toms, deities and devils lurked under ev-
cry shadow hid In every cave. filled the
black air with blaclxer wings that melted
In the hrst CLEAN Of the morning sun.
Before science carries her effulgent
lamp into the gloom Of the human mind.
all there is darkness fear, superstition
Every phenomenon Of nature is the
work of some good or bad spirit, all is
a chaos. A tumble. nature but chance.
When this hallOwed lamp lights this
uncanny gloom, all is order system, ar
rangement. Devils fade into myths and
the flames of hell are qUenched by the
showers of reason. The work Of priest
craft is relegated TO caves, fake shows.
and human intelligence mounts the
throne Of its imperial destiny. waves
the torch of intellectual day. and for
ever emancipates the conscience of the
children of men.
The corporal, looking across the river
to the hills that now seem inky spec
ters, watched the spot where they had
seen suspicious movements before sun
down He having seen service at the
front, knew the Importance of watching
as well as praying, and did the watch
ing we'll at least. While thus gazing
through the night ar the hills. he saw
what he quickly detected to be a signal
light from the enemy. Upon first sight
of this, kissing between his teeth and
tongue "s-h-e-e-' commanding pro-
found silence, in a low voice said.
Watch that light across the river"
The light seemed 10 be that of q
hickory bark torch, fixed for A moment
in one place, then it moved upward.
perhaps as far as g. man might reach.
then to the left, then downward. then
ward and downward, disappearing. re-
appearing. described a circle, disap-
peared, making the sign OF the cross.
loup or half circle below. Again 1t dis
appeared and reappeared once more.
making five waving motions and was
seen no more. The corporal was evi-
IDENTIFY very anxious 70 know what this
meant. so. reaching into his pocket he
took out an old yellow envelope that
bore a postmark Of Atlanta, Ca, and
removing from that well-worn sheet
Of letter paper covered by curious marks
which he studied by the fire 4 few
minutes, arising, commanded the men
hastily: Come away from this fire
Gather M what you have and come
back in the thicket and light the dark
lantern for me. but don't turn the
bull's-eye toward the other side" Con-
tinuing. he said:
Just opposite us there Is a mask bat
terry in the willows at the bend. and that
signal at the hill is warning them Of the
approach Of A union boat and directing
them TO open fire upon her before
landing is made, and ! must go Up the
river as quickly as possible and hail the
boat to land before she gets in reach Of
the battery. lou may follow as soon as
you hear the boat signal to round in.
you will have plenty Of time 10 reach the
bank before the stage is cast out So
saving. without more words he stole out
beneath the bushes and went up the
river half mile, where he sat awaiting
the boat. He did not wait long until the
green and red lights seemed 10 burn
small holes through the black
heard again the whistle short and low.
twice, and the measured beat Of music
made by the tireless wheels that care
sent the boat forward. He gave signal
after signal but for some reason neither
the pilot, mate or captain saw the light
tentiOn, but failed. Onward came the
boat into line with the masked battery
AS the boat passing him. he called
and, for the first time, attracted atten-
ton. explaining the danger and telling
them to land. but the current being
heavy, and the pilot not being we'll ac-
quainted with the channel did not con-
troll the steamer as readily as he de-
sired and was carried down full into the
battery before they could round in. \
flash of light in the bushes on the oppO-
site bank accompanied by the crash OF
thunder, and the next instant followed
by the sound as a solid shot struck one
of the wheels of the boat and carried