Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-06-02

among us-a regular, full dedged YAM
kee right here in this town?''
"Lordy, no! Has he un cum down to
captur' we uns?''
He is here as spy, Steve-as spy
to let 'em knew up north what we are
doing. You sellers are not very bright,
or you'd have got onto him without my
telling"
"Shoo! A Yankee SPY right yere in
this town. Hov yo' seen him with yo'r
own eyes?"
II have"
"And yo' kin name him?"
II can. Do you know Lawyer Will
liams?''
II reckon"
do you know the man in the Office
with him-fellow named Kenton?''
II do, fur suah. He drawed up some
papers fur me awhile ago. Purity nice
sort of Teller, l take it."
Didn't you know he was q Yankee?"
"No"'
We'll, he is. Any one will tell You
that he came down here from the north
only about year ago."
But he cum to 60 inter bizness.''
"Yes, but he's a Yankee, and thew
are all alike-all down on us about the
niger, and all want to make us eat
dirt
''Shoo! Jest want to walk right over
us and tread rs into the ground, eh:''
That's it, and he's one of them. No
one knows how many letters he's sent
off in the last two weeks. He probably
sent one today, and they know in Wash
ington just what we are doing here"
But what's he doin yere if he's q
Yankee spy?" persisted Steve. Seems
like I've heard they hang spies.''
And they'll hang him if he stays
long enough! I'm thinking he'll get all
the information he can and then sneak
for the north and enlist in the Yankee
army"
''Shoo! What's yo'r idea, lootenant:"
Il think somebody ought to wait on
him and give him warning to leave the
town at once. If he refuses to 60,
reckon we can scare mp enough tar and
feathers to give him coat
''Doggone it, lootenant, but yo' are
dead right! Yo'n the captain orter Jest
walk right up to him this very night"
well, you see" observed Wyle aft
er some hesitation, 1.-The captain and l
are very busy waiting for war news,
and we have sort o. decided to leave the
matter to you boys. You'll find he's a
Yankee spy, and you'll probably want
to use him rough, and if we were along
we'd be obliged to protect him. You d
better get about dozen of the boys to-
gether and give Mr.. Yankee call to-
night. Talk right up to him and let
Perhaps he's found ont all the Lincoln
government wants to know and is ready
to go north. If he says he'll go, give
him half an hour to pack up and walk
HIM down to the train, which goes past
at II o'clock"
Il see. But s'pose he says he won't
goG"
Tar and feathers. Steve-tar and
feathers will make him change his
lnind!''
''They will, fur shore, and we uns
will Civ him tar and feathers! Yo' ar
sartin he's Yankee?"
''Of course
Means to fight agin us?''
''Of course. You are not going to
funk out, are you:"
''Steve Brayton never did funk in all
his life, and he amt goin to begin now,
butt
''But WHAT" impatiently demanded
Wyle. who was in hurry to begin pro-
ceedings.
''Seems like we orter hev some sort O.
beginnin. He IN drawed up them pa
pers fur me and didn' t make no charge,
and l don't want to jump in on him all
of sudden. Seems like I orter be sort
er civil and decent at fust and find out
what he un s dom or means to do.
Steve Brayton, I'll scratch your
name off the roll this very night! You
amt got the sand to make a soldier!''
"Skoo! Don't yo' be SO frustrated!
Hev yo' got that roll with yo'1"
Eyes"
Good! Hand it over"
what do you want of it?''
I've dun got plan. I'll take that
paper along. I'll git Ike Baxter, Bill
Taylor, Tom Henderson and six or eight
mo-, and we'll find that Yankee. When
we've found him, I'll be civil and de-
cent ard say: Folks is a-tellin that yo'
un is Yankee spy, and that yo' un is
gwine to skip out fur the north purity
quick. How does yo' un constanduate?"
"What do you mean by that?' asked
wyle.
THAT means how does he I'm stand.
Is he un for the south or north? If he
un's fur the south, let him put his name
right down thar to be one of us. If he
un' 8 fur the north, we uns will cum back
fur tar and feathers"
''Steve, you've hit it-hit it plumb
center!" exclaimed Wyle as he rose up to
shake hands. You've got the idea ex-
actly. Put that there paper right at
him! If he's for us, he'll sign; if he's
agin us, he won't. Get your men to.
gether and start out right away"
1--WE uns will find out all about it in
an hour, lootenant, and doggone my hide
if ain t SO chock full of fout that I've
got to holler! Hip, hip, hooray! Aim
low, boys, and CIV it to 'em heavy!"
Go be continued.)