Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1895-10-17

hill and valley met, he emerged into
the road. 1t was quite dark, and the
fear of pursuit haunted him no longer
that is, not to any great extent. He
didn't run now he only walked rap
idly. He carried his hat in his hand,
and mopped his perspiring brow with
his handkerchief, and remarked in an
amazed undertone
"By Ned"
In the little town a vacant store
building was thronged with men, many
of whom had Just enlisted as volun-
teers, and many others had come to
look on, filled with curiosity, but not
overfowing with patriotism. The war
was but a few months old, and only
vague rumors of it had penetrated to
those remote districts. This was the
first company Of volunteers to go from
this section, and it was made up wholly
of those more daring spirits who were
willing to risk anything in the mere
love of adventure.
A commotion back by the door told
of a new arrival, and the crowd will
ingly made way for him. A little man,
rumpled as to hair and tattered as to
garments, struggled into the clear
space in front of the enrolling officer
and said l.
"Ef the compny amt made up yet
you kin put me in.
Everybody knew him, and every
body laughed. The laugh was CHEEKY
one, brimming with amusement, and
it filled the room and extended out In
to the street
How'd you manage to git off from
Minervy, JIM" asked tall fellow
who was going to stay at home, pre-
sumably because he couldn't git off
from" the wife over whom he domi-
neered.'
"Does Minervy know you're out?'
shouted another jeeringly.
"Jist think of it, boys drawled a
third. Think O Jim Carroll j'inin'
the Smithville Tigers He's a whale
of tiger, amt he?"
Never mind" interrupted the en-
rolling officer grimly. Hell make as
good food for powder as any of you.
With which cheerful suggestion Jim
Clroll was duly enrolled as a private
in the Smithville Tigers, and by dawn
the next morning the company was on
the road, marching gayly off to the
tune of "The Girl | Left Behind Me. -
About a month later one of the IL
gers, Sile Colburn, remarked in a gen.
eral way to several of the others;
"Wall, boys, fur's I'm concerned,
you kin leave off laughin' at Jim Car
roll an pokin' fun at i'm. jim, he
never growls at the marchin', nor the
weather, nor nothin' else, an he does
more his sheer o the work, you all
know that blamed well. An he sleeps
on the groun' without any kiver SO s
to give ne his extry blankit all o last
week, when I want feelin so mighty
vigris. I'll bet they wouldn't none o
the rest o you done it.
"Jes wait till battle comes up,
said long Ben Finks scornfully. "You
won't never hear of Jim Carroll again
after the fust gun fires. He'll pitch
out a-runnin, an he'll be a-runnin
yit when the trumpit sounds for the
merlennium."
Within three days there was bat
tie ; battle for which some of the
Tigers had longed, and which Others
had awaited with dread. The weak
little man who had fed from Minervy
found himself, with the other Tigers
and dim, gray-coated ranks beyond
charging up hill, in the face OF a bat
tery that plowed through their ranks
and laid lows of slaughtered men along
the slope behind them, but still they
rushed on, their faces set grimly. jim
Carroll was one of the first to leaI
upon a smoking cannon and snatch
away the fuse, and then on in the pur
suit, as the enemy retreated, stubborn
ly fighting their way inch by inch
The next day something happened
jim Carroll was offered promotion TO
bravery on the field Of battle !.
aI'm much obliged" he said, funb