Alpena argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1893-1909, 1894-07-18

money"
slope the Rebs won't get it then.
Put her through sergeant, but look
sharp. The storms most got here"
He also was correct about the
weather. In ten minutes more such
storm had arrived as was a credit
to Cape Hatteras and the whole sea-
coast of North Carolina. On rolled
the hand-car, its crouching passen-
gers drenched with rain, that fell
in streams rather than drops. The
lighting flashed almost incessantly,
and the thunder seemed to be roll
ing around all over the swamp. Ex-
cept where a streak of lightning
cleft it, the darkness was like a
solid wall, and there was neither
headlight nor hand-lantern provid-
ed for that hand-car.
Worst storm | ever saw" re-
marked the sergeant, and one of
the brace of men who were acting
as motive power grunted back at
him. "It's the worst kind of storm,
but you can't see it"
1t was a just correction of the
statement made by the sergeant,
but at that moment hoarse, deep,
all but sepulchral voice from among
the bushes and blackness at the
right of the track commanded:
"Haltw
"Stop her! Quick, boys" ex-
claimed the sergeant, and as the
men changed instantly from motive
power into brakes, he sprang from
the car into the water above his
knees and waded forward to answer
the hail and give the countersign.
1t was all in vain. Down came
double deluge of rain and thicker
darkness. Then vividness of blue
electricity danced through the drip
ping bushes and a great roar OF
thunder followed it as if in search
of the hidden picket" Neither
rain, nor lightning, nor thunder,
nor the anxious questionings of the
sergeant discovered him.
There he was, or must have been,
dead or alive, for he had said Halt"
but that was apparently all he had
to say.
The sergeant splashed his way
back to the hand-car, using very
strong language, and it was decided
to go forward.
"We're just as likely to be fired
into, first thing" remarked the pay
masters clerk, land they'd hit some
of us, sure"
Both of the paymasters agreed
with him, and expressed their salts,
faction that the box containing the
greenbacks was waterproof.
That's more than | am" said
one of the soldiers. This e'r rain s
got through my roof. can feel it
trickle down inside of me-"
The hand-car was not propelled
rapidly after that, but the lightning
and thunder worked harder than
ever. Perhaps half mile had been
gained, when another voice, on the
left this time and not so near,
but equally hoarse and peremptory,
shouted:
Halt
Other words which seemed to
follow were swallowed up by wide
mouth clap of thunder, and so was
the sergeant's prompt response, but
in an instant he was among the
bushes.
The first we heard from him was:
Boys, it's up to my waist and
getting deeper.
"Go on, sergeant" shouted one of
the paymasters. They'll shoot
at us if they don't get an answer
Murray for General Burnside"
squawked the paymaster's clerk, in
a vague effort to let any supposed
picket know which side he was on,
but severe sternness from the
further end babe him:
"Shut up! Halt! Come along"
"I'm coming!" shouted the SER
geant. "Friend! Paymaster!'
"Shut up! Come alongr res
ponded the threatening voice be-
You'd him.
For full quarter of an hour the
sergeant CROPPED and flounced among
those bushes. Again he used strong
language; very strong, indeed; but
not soul came to meet him, nor
did another word reply to his re-
peated requests that the picket
should advise him as to what course
he should take.
The party on the hand-car COVER
ed under sheets and torrents and
n IL.