The National tribune., 1898-10-13

cro''sfsd down little behind the brier-
elu'.lIa aad listened.
'' st> Sserful. The Yankee pickets muss
be nsse 1hars their campiires
SHAW Them fires IS two miles away.
Thars:s 10 pickets fur a mile yit. Go ahead"
$50 sch thing. Them fires aint a mile
of. abeir piekets are likely right along
that Der ridge thar
'1isashwhackers, whispered 81. rising q
little 20 reconnoiier. One, two, three four.
five.r ssx on 'em. Sneakin' up to pick off our
pickets. What'd we better do?"
Only thing | kin think Of" whis-
pered Shorty back, feeling around for stick
that would represent q gun, % is the old trick
of ordering EN- To surrender. It's an
awful bluff, but we may work ii this time
If they've got any grit we needn't worry no
more about rations. They'll git us'
81 snatehed up piece of rail, and they
sprang up together. shouting:
" Halt. Surrenderi Don't move hand
or we'll blow your heads off -
Instantly came the astonishing reply:
" All right. Yank. We surrender Don't
shoot. We'uns we bin a-huntn' Won Ms to
gin ourselves up. We'uns is tired of tho
wali.
The thunder you do, said ST in amaze
meat.
Yes said the leader. walking forward:
. we uus is plumb sick o the wah. and want
Z take tie oath and 90 home. Deed we-uns
do"
. Well. You liked to We scared two fine
Young soldiers to DEATH" murmured II
under hi, breath.
Hat, there" called out the suspicious
Shorty. Don't come any nearer, or III
fire. Stand still, and hold your guns over
your head. till | send q man out to cit EN- -
The rebels obediently held their guns in
the air
Sergeant" commanded Shorty, ''go
forward and relieve the men Of their arms,
while the rest OF US keep 'em kivvered To-
prevent treachery and gittin the drop on Us. +"
81 went out and took the guns. one by one,
from the hands OF the men, and made az
good an examination IS he could, hastily, to
see that they carried nothing else.
Lordy, Yank, ef you only knowcd how
powerful glad we'uns is t. git to you'ns,
you wouldn't spicion Us. We'uns s nigh on
to starved T. death. Haint had nothin' to
eat but blackberries for days. And hits bin
march, march, all the time, right away from
we'unss homes. Goramighty only knows
whar ole Braggs a-gwine tub. Mebbe T.
Gu y. We'uns wuz willin' T. fout fur ole
he started out o. Tennessee we'uns Jest con-
cluded t strike out and leave him. Lordy,
Mister, haInt you got something t. eat ?
VEINS is jest starvin' t. death. Deed
we'uns is"
Awful sorry," replied Shorty, as he and
ST gathered up the guns and placed them
selves behind the group But we haint
nothin' to eat ourselves but blackberries. and
wont have till Our wagons git up. which III
be the Lord and Gen. RosecranS only knows
when. You shall have it when We kin git
it. Hello, the boys are cheerin' That
means q wagons got in. Skip out now, at
a quarier-hoss gait. They may gobble it all
up before we git there"
Inspired by this they all started for camp
in quck-tiHe. Shorty was right in inter
preting the cheering TO mean the arrival of
ration wagon.
When they reached Co. Q they found
tie Orderiy-Sergeant standing over l half
box of crackers.
Around him was gathered the company in
a petulant state of mind.
'Cuss and swear, boys all you've a mind
to-" he was saying, If you think that1l
swell your grub. You know it won't. Only
one wagons come up. aud it had only half
load. Our share in it is what you see here.
thett tHC-C Jthoe stoOuG
apiece for you, and as l call your names
you'll step up and get it. Don't swear at
me. I've done the best L could. Cuss the
Tennessee mud and freshets in the cricks all
you want 10, if you think thatll fill your
crops, but let me alone, or I'll bust some
body"
I've my opinion of the glorious Fourth
of July" said Shorty. as he nibbled mOodily
at his solitary cracker ''I'Il change my
politics and vote for Thanksgiving Day and
Christmas after this"
We'll, l think that we've had pretty
fiGe Foarth," said the more cheerful ST.
= For once in my life I've had all the black
berries | coald eat, and otherwise it's pleas
ant day. Them deserters gave me a cold
chill at first. but I'n glad we got 'em.
There'l certainly be more wagons up to-
night. and tomorrow We'll have all we kin
eat"
And that night, for the first in 10 days,
they slept under dry blankets.
fTo be coHtinuedl