The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-04-21
tree with his bullets to keep me quiet.

tree with his bullets to keep me quiet:
and I tell, you, gentlemen, 1 kept
quiet. dared not expose the least
portion of my body in order to watch
him, for man who could skim the
bark off tree with bullet was not
looking for much of an exposure, and
did not need much.
"After while grew very tired of
my rigid and cramped posture and
hoped our line would advance and re-
lieve ME, but I hoped in vain. I
thought Of the folks at home and what
they would say about tlis way of
killing rebels. And every row and
then that rebel would send a ball
barking that tree, first on this side
and then on that side, now down
about my knees then up even with
my shoulder. I began to think how
it would be if he should load his gun,
and then, keeping the tree covered,
slip around to point from which he
could hit me. In that case I knew it
would be all over with me.
II imagined that this was just what
he was doing, but I dared not peep
around to see. I thought of home
again and grew sick at heart. For the
first time the thought Of a rebel kill
ing me entered my head, for up to
this time I had been so infatuated
with my rebel killing desire that the
idea of rebel killing me had never
entered my head. The thought and
the realization of it's probability fash
ed through my mind with a shock that
unnamed and terrified me. Finding
I could not stand the agony of sus-
pcnse any longer, I concocted.
II Immediately set about to carry
myyplan into execution. 1t was an
old trick, but thought it would do.
1 slowly loaded my gun under the most
difficult circumstances, for, had 1 ex-
posed the tip Of my elbow, that rebel
would have sent bullet through it
that would have made that arm use
less for life. Then, cooking my gun
and holding it at ready, so | could
spring out and shoot him before he
got behind his log after I had drawn
his fire, took off my cap and held it
around the tree this way, as of man
peeping," and Bill illustrated his
method of fooling the rebel.
"Now," demanded Bill, who saw he
had aroused the interest of his hearers
to the highest pitch. "Do you know
what that d-n rebel did?'
No one knowing what answer to
make, Bill continued: "Took the ends
of those four fingers off as slick as
WHISTLE" and he held up to the as
tonished gaze of those present hand
on which there were four short finger
stumps, the ends forming line as
straight as if they had been chopped
off with one blow of a meat axe. ''He
got all of me there was beyond the
edge Of that tree" Bill added pathet-
ically.
"That reb was one of those fellows
who could knock the eye out Of a
squirrel 300 yards away" said one of
the listeners, in tone as if recalling
some half-said reminiscence.
"Lord, but it hurt" added Bill with
unction, ''and thought I would die
sure. "
II bound up my hand with my hand.
kerchief and stopped the flow of
blood. grew so sick and faint that
I could hardly stand, and [ knew that
if I dropped that rebel would send
daylight through me, and l never
wanted to lie down so badly in all my
life. [ prayed that our line would ad-
vance and relieve me. or that night
would come, but our line would not
advance and it seemed that night would
never come. Then I thought of the
possibility of the rebel line advancing
and how I regretted the rebel killing
mania that got me in this scrapc.
Somehow I imagined that rebel divin-
ed my bloodthirsty desires towards
his whole race and would advance
straight toward that tree and kill me
without mercy and without compunc-
tion. / was in an agony Of pain and
terror.
cat last it grew dark and I dropped
to the ground and crawled away to a
safe distance. Then I got up and ran.
I came straight >home as soon as pos
siblc, and I have never had any desire
since to kill rebels. y MAR-ECK.