The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-09-30

I'VE couldn't git i'm. Cunnel,' responded
Griugs feeiilv He had some mere with
him. an they'uns gin us an awful fight. an
I'm afeared they uns have done killed me. -
And he gave groan which was really sepul-
chTal.
Il don't believe You are hurt so badly, :"
said the Colonel Where were you hit 80
Here , said Griggs, pressing his hat TO
his side. ;.
Then You arc not mortally wounded. IL
the bullet had gone in there YOU d he dead
now. How many were with Pollock
Seemed t me 30 or so. They ui'S Wuz
behind rocks. an fired at MS from all sides .
There wuz Pollock and the two lnrule
bows. and the Inrule gal said one of the
men, who had kept tolerably cool during the
skrm
And Won let that crowd beat Won of. y
said the Colonel angrily. " Twenty full
grown men stord off by man, two bows,
and a girl Wonder that the girl didn't
stand you OF by ner>elc IL may I've she did,
and the rest Stood back and laughed at YOU
/ while she did it, Nice set of soldiers you
are
" But yo' don't know the gun that Clay
Pc lock had" moaned GIiggs. = Best gun
III the mountings Everybody knows bit
shoot furier n any two OF oar guas. I#'at :
what done the mischief Hadn't been fur
that ere gun we We killed Clay Pollock.
sho', = said Griggs feebly. But ii die if |
amt tended 10 -
Pshaw You Fas; TenneSseeans are iull
of snpcrSiitionS ami wonders Yesterday IL
WAS 4 81 ~ OF heNitcbed rayines and ravcs.
To-day II is a wonderful gun, e like of
wi!ch n man ever saw. I've no pat &c
with your MARI els and old woman stories.
Go Baci, 10 camp Gri.-,S and let the Surgeon
I attend 10 YOU. send ont the rrSt OF yonr
company under Lieut. Belts II go cat
thslc myself and Gel tnat man if lac hiss every
b!ack-hearted Tory and Lncolmtc in East
/ Tennessee with him.
Night comes on early in the deep valleys of
the Tennessee mountains. The m,n were
cot eager t. reu urn 10 place which PROMISED
them much dan.er. ard bnt little SPOTS or
credit - ID spite Of the Colonel impatit mt
( urging forward the dusk ol the bri.gt IN c
day Was coming on Is they approached CLAY
Poiioc 5 place. Tlrv halted at the c g OF
the clearing, and reconn3iiered the place care
iuiv. Ii seemed TO them in the fading iight
that there were m1-e men in the covert Of the
foundations tau before. There was 10 doubt
there MAS something moving there.
This seemed Likely 10 the Colonel himself.
As he sa on his hor-c aud udied the ground.
lie made snow OF bravery to his men ivy
riding down the read some distance toward
the foundations. Bat he couli see no better
there, and the fact tlat he was not fired on
proved nothing. They We're probably hold
ing their ire Tor a more decisive time. lie
cantered back aud commanded:
- Lieut.. Belts. take your part of the men
and work your WAY through the woods mp
that rayine and come in upon the rear, while
/ / advance with the rest in front.
Sang-;liggers have more than their share of
/ the ni4ht-iear that all nisn Zee. more or
less. Especially are Their supersttions minds
prone 10 fill unfamiliar woods with in
de.lnable terrars in the nighttime. lieut..
Belts party, therefore. moved with some re-
lnctaRce into the deepening shades OF the
forest to the lett, and went forward with
much elowness through the underground and
briafs. They speedily lost their direction,
and were andering they knew not whittier.
The Colonel dcplOyed the men with i'm On
either side of the road. and pushed forward
slowly. They were all nervous and expectant
of receiving ire at any moment. Suddenly
two CT three of his men fired.
g What are you shooting at he asked
angrily.
" saw something moving up thar, re-
As he spoke three or four shots came from
the hill. followed By dozen more. At this
all the men began Il wild tumultuous firing
as fast as they could load their guns. A
fusiiade answered them from farther up the
hill. Col Rnea tried to urge his men for
ward, but they chung to the shelter OF the
trees al the edge of the clearing. and blazed
away AT the answering flashes Yelling saw
aeely as they fired. Yeils Of defiance came
hack from above. A man fell Eear Col. Rhea,
and began bowling dismally. As the Colo
! mel rode toward him q bullet knocked his
hat of. and then one went through his leg
into his horse. The s;eed began plungng.
The Colonel called to some men TO help him
OF. lie sat down on a rock by the roadside
and bound up his wound with his hand
keTchief As his senses became cooler he
felt cold chill, for he recognized Lieut.
Be,tss voice among the yells coming from
above. 1t flashed upon him that ms men
were firing into one another. Forgetting his
wound, he spraRg TO his feet and began
shouting:
Cease firing, You are sighting one
anatherl" But 1t was some time before he
could yet the word passed the length of the
long. diSjointed line and still longer before
he could get Lieut. Betlss hanking party TO
comprehend. When quiet WAS at length Sc
cured. it vas found that two men had been
Silied by shots through the head and 10
more had been wounded TAO black pigs,
which had been attracted to the foundations
by the remains 81 poliGck's and Mriams
dinner, and continued roofing around, were
slain by several bullets. 1t was they which
{ bad attracted the firing from both parties,
which finally turned it upon themselves in
the confused melee
Col Eheas wrath vented itself upon mani
) mate things lie ordered every vestige of
Henry Clay Ioilock's improvements that
could be destroyed by fire 10 he burned. The
logs which Pollock had spent months Of
patient tabor upon, selecting the trees in the
woods, telling them, drawing them TO the
spot, and carefully hewing them TO a smooth
ness which would delight Miriam's eye, were
rolled together and set on fire, and into the
glowing heap were flung the axes and other
tools he had left upon the ground BY the
fierce light Of the ire the dead men were
buried under couple OF young hiclloTies
Pollock had left for shade; the wounded were
- yzs~J