The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-18

Conner lay silent, his right eye fastened
upon the rifie-sight, his dusty army shoes
crossed behind him. One yellow sock had
slipped down over the worn shoe-heel ana
! laid bare a dust-begrimed ankle-bone.
Suddenly Connors rifle cracked; the
echoes ratified and clattered away through
the woods; a thin cloud of pungent vapor
slowly drfted straight upward, shredding
into filmy streamers among the tangled
branches overhead.
Get Klm?" asked Alden after a silence.
Nope" replied Conner. Then he ad-
dressed himself to his late target across
the river:
Hello JohnnyP'
Hi, Yankw
How close?''
"Hey?'
How close?"
What, sonny?"
MY shot, you fool!'
why sonnyr' called back the confed-
crate, in affected surprise, was yew a
shootin at me?"
Bang! went Connors rifle again. A de-
risive catcall answered him, and he turn
ed furiously to Alden.
ooh. let up" said the young fellow; its
too hot for that"
Conner was 'speechless with rage, and
he hastily damned another cartridge into
his long hot rife; but Alden reused him
self brushed away a persistent fly, and
Hello johnny! he shouted.
THAT you, sonny?" replied the confed-
crate.
Yes; say. Johnny, shall we call 1t
square until 4 o'clock?"
What time is it?" replied the cautious
confederate; "all our expensive gold
watches is bein' repaired at Chicka-
manga"
At this taunt Conner showed his teeth,
but Alden laid one hand on his arm and
sang out: IT'S O'Clock. Richmond time;
Sherman has just telegraphed US from
your state-house."
wall, in that case this crool war is
over" replied the confederate sharp
shooter wen be easy on old Sherman"
"see herer' cried Alden; sis it truce
until o'clock?"
IAN right! Your word, Yankw
"You have it!'
"Donew said the confederate, coolly ris-
ing to his feet and strolling down to the
river bank, both hands in his pockets
Alden and Conner crawled out of their
iIl-smelling dust-wallow, leaving their ri
Dts behind them.
"'Whew It's hot, Johnny" said Alden,
pleasantly. He pulled out a stained pipe,
blew into the stem, polished the bowl with
his sleeve, and sucked wistfully at the
end Then he went and sat down beside
Conner, who had improvised a fishing out
fit from his ramrod, a bit of string, and
RUSTY hook.
The confederate rifiemen also sat down
on his side of the stream, putting luxuri-
ously on a fragrant corncob pipe. Alden
watched him askance, sucking the stem
of his own empty pipe. After minute OF
two. Conner dug up a worm from the roots
of a beach tree with his bayonet, fixed 1t to
the hook flung the line into tile muddy
current, and squatted graVely on MS
launches chewing a leaf stem.
Presently the confederate soldier raised
his head and looked across at Alden.
"Whats yewr name, sonny?' he asked
alden" replied the young fellow, brief
ly. Mines Craig" observed the confed-
| crate; whats yewr regiment?"
1.-TWO Hundred and Sixt!eth New YORK;
what's yours. Mr.. Craig?"
"Ninety-third Maryland, Mister Alden"
Quit that THROWN sticks in the
waterw growled Conner. How do you
'spose I'm goin' to catch anythin' y
Alden tossed his stick back into the
! brushheap and laughed.
"Hows your tobacco, Craig?" he called
! out.
"BuIy! How's yewr coffee m tack, AL
| den?''
After a silence he said, as it go?"
you bet" said Craig, fumbling in his
pockets. He produced heavy twist OF
! Virginia tobacco, laid 1t on log, hacked
off about three inches with his sheath
knife, and folded it up in a big green
sycamore leaf. This again he rolled into
| a corn husk, weighted 1t with pebble;
| then, stepping back, he hurled 1t into the
! air, saying, Deal square, yank"
The tobacco fell at Alden's feet. He
picked It up. measured II carefully with
his clasp knife, and called out: 1.-TWO and
three-quarters. Craig. What do you want,
hard tack or coffee?"
Tack" replied Craig; don't stintV
Alden laid out two biscuit. AS he was
about to hack a quarter from the third,
] he happened to glance over the creek at
| his enemy. There was no mistaking the
! expression in his face. Starvation was
stamped on every feature.
When Craig caught Alden's eye. he spat
with elaborate care, whistled a bar of the
"Bonny Blue Flag" and pretended to
yawn.
Alden hesitated, glanced at Conner, then
placed three whole biscuit in the corn husk,
added a pinch Of coffee. and tossed the
parcel over to Craig.
That Craig longed to fing himself upon
the food and devour It wah plain to Alden,
who was watching his face But he didn't;
he strolled leisurely down the bank, picked
UP the parcel, weighed II critically before
opening IT, and finally sat down to ex-
anime the contents. When he saw that the
| third cracker was whole and that a pinch
4 coffee had been added he paused In his
| examination and remained motionless on
the bank head bent. Presently he looked
up and asked Alden II he had made a mis-
take The young fellow shook his head
and drew a long puff of smoke from his
pipe, watching it curl out Of his nose with
| interest.
Then I'm obliged to yew, Alden" said
Craig, low I'll eat a snack to see 1t aim t
pizened."
He filled his lean Jaws with the dry bis
cult then scooped up tin cup full OF wa
ter from the muddy river and set the rest
of the cracker to soak.
"Good" querled Alden.
Fair" drawled Craig. boiling an I'M
chewed segment and choking a little.
"How's the twst?"
Fine" said Alden; tastes like stable
sweepings."
They smiled at each other across the
| stream.
= "sa-a-a-y," drawled Craig, with his