The Red Cloud chief., 1895-01-11

were mingled with the deeper tones a
cannon. Then the firing ceased e.
awhile, when the booms began again.
continued and rapid. A white smo1o
rose above n ridge On which Confederaes
cannons were Smelling the ~advancine
Union troops on the ground below.
Souri, Slack thought Of the lives thob
were passing from under that smoke al
covered her face with her hands.
When the sounds ceased, FARM
Slack drove on and soon reached ~
Confederate picket. The party were SEA
in charge Of a trooper to the headqu(s
tiers Of an officer commanding q bodyNoe
cavalry on the Confederate extreme 1t
His headquarters were in q house beside
the road. 1t had once been in the CO.
ter of a neat country place. The fendn
the outhouses, the walks. had all bSon
in excellent condition prior to tho mt
passage Of troops. Now of the fer0
there was an occasional upright
left; the walks were overgrown
weeds and grass; the o%uthouses ~
nearly all been torn down. The No.,
was q picture Of desolation. Neve] ~
less the general who temporarily red Dec
there was making himself very conf nrt.
able.
The wagon drew up before the house.
and the conducting trooper sent in word
to the general that a party, who ha y
come in from the Union lines, Wers,
waiting outside, desiring permission ~
20 OH south. An order came to send thS
party all inside. N
The three travellers entered the house
to find q tall man with an iron grey
beard reclining in o rocking chair with
as much apparent unconcern as il We
were simply q pastime. X
"You have just come from the ESQ
my's lines, l hear" he said to th4
farmer.
"Yaas, sir" \
what force did you see in the ~
gion through which you passed."
The farmer explained that he Goth
not answer the question, inasmuch i1s
he had been permitted { opass after ~
ing an oath not to give any informsdh.
HIM. You are quite right not 10
answer under the circumstances" %
served the general. Did your Huh
ter take tie same oath?"
"Yaas, general" said Souri,. "
Surely they didn't adminiGaR hn
oath to a boy Of your age?' hi yssld,
turning to Jakey.
RECKON tn thought l war tn little
to swar " said Jakey. He thrust Bis
hands IA his pockets, q sure sigr that he
was steadying himself for q confiick Of
wits and words. But tho general &as
not acquainted with the peculiar ctar-
acteristics Of Jakey Slack and prep4ted
to question him as unconcernedly sslhe
would pump water from q well.
"Whe. route did you Gomez" he Nix
cd of the farmer.
II met the children at Galletin, IRE
piled Slack. II driv' 'em from 6har
through Lebanon and Liberty
Sonny" said the general. tn ing
to Jakey. did you pass any trool4 on
the way?"
Lots" N
~"InfantryP'
nav > tuct|
SOLDIERS whowalk and carry gi3a"
Didn't see none o. them kind.
"Did you see any artillery"
"Don't know what them uns att"
Men with great big guns-canubn."
"No, sir. Didn't see no 'tilleryM
"Thca what you saw must huvalbeen
cavalry"
Didn't see none O. them uns nuyAer."
Tho general looked surprised.
Then what did you see? Thai lall
the arms Of the service l ever he'd Of.
and l am an old soldier"
"Critter companies"
"Oh. l see!" exclaimed the g1teral,
remembering the mountain Ter kssee-
ans name for cavalry. How maj sol.
diers belonging to the 'crittsr &mpa.
MES, as you call them, did you sxe9"
"Waal, / counted 20, n thet'}1s fur
as I got at countin in skule.
Souri, was about to remind he9brtth.
er that he had proved himseltone Of
the best boys in the school at Mental
arithmetic, but desisted.
HIM" The general thougit TIA mo.
ment and beat q reveille with Ms fin.
gers OH tho arm Of his chair
what were they doing vi; in the
Federal lines just before you lett the
outposts?"
"Waal. I only noticed one man, n he
war doin somep'n very p%artickeler."
"What was itT"
HE war lookin at the sky through a
fat round thing what looked like q big
squashed apple"
"Not o fieldglass, was itT"
mo, sir. Reckon 'twasn't thet."
"Was the man Of high rank?"
"Reckon he war. He had stripes on
his arm"
Tut, tut, he wore chevrons. He was
only q noncommissioned officer. Can't
you describe more nearly the object
through which he was looking?'
"Waal, l think I hearn some'un call
IL . can-can''-
mot q canteen?"
Eyes, thet's it,"
The general looked sharply at the
boy, who looked stolidly stupid. He
loto~vntnol 20 t~xv a-1kLo. ---k. xL----l