The National tribune., 1898-01-27

and I've thunk EN- out" said Shorty, cheer
fully. &c I've bin thinkin' while youfe bin
workin'. Do You know, believe was born
for an architect, an I'll 20 into the architect
business after the war I've got q head
plumb full of the natural stuff for the bust
ness 1t growed right there All / need is
some more know-how rs TO fggers an maxim
plans on paper. "
80, you've got n great big head, Shorty, 5"
said 81, admiringly, and whatever you
start to do you do splendidly. Nobody
knows that better'n me. But what's your
idee about The roof"
''Why, do You see that there frcight-car
over there by the bridge" (pointing TO where
n car was off the track near Stone River
1--WE bin watchin' that ever since we begun
buildin', for fear somebody clse'd drop ON to
it. The roof OF that car is tin. We'll Jest
slip down there with the AK after dark, an
cut off enough to make a splendid root. |
always wanted u tin rooted house. Ole Jake
Wilson. who lives near us, had tin roof on
his barn, an it made his daughters 50 proud
they wouldn't 20 home with me from neetln'.
You kin write home that we have Il new
house with n tin roof, an it'll help your sisters
to marry better"
Shorty, that head o. your'n gifts bigger
every time look ut it."
81 and Shorty had the extreme quality OF
being able to forget fatigue when there was
something to be accomplished. As darkness
settled down they picked up the Ak and pro-
ceeded across the fields to the freight car.
There's someone in there" said ST. as
they came close to it. They reconnoitered it
carefully. Five or six men, without arms,
were comfortably ensconced inside and play
ing cards by the light Of fire OF pitch-pine.
which they had built upon some dirt placed
in the middle of the car.
They're blamed skulkers," said Shorty,
after q minutes survey Of the interior.
Don't you see they haint got their guns
with 'em. We won't mind 'em."
They climbed on top of the car, measured
off about half Of it. and began cutting through
the in with the AK The noise alarmed the
men inside. They jumped out on the ground,
and called up:
Here. what're You felers dom up there
This is our car. Let it alone"
go to the devil" said Shorty, making
another slash at the rcof with the AK.
This is our car, | tell you, reiterated the
men. You let it alone, or 8e'i Ii make you. ?"
Some of the men looked around ioI something
to throw at them.
brake-wheel and came back
: loa iellers down there shut up and 90
back inside to your cards, if you know what. s
good for you" he said. You're nothing
but lot OF burned sNulkers We are here
under orders. Weldon want nothin' buta piece
o the tin roof. Yen kin hive the rest Ii any
of You attempts TO throw anything I'll mash
him into the ground with this wheel. Do
you hear me? Go back inside, or we'll arrest
the whole lot of you and take you back to
your regiments"
Sis authoritative tone, and the rel
stripes on his arm were too much for the
guilty consciences OF tie skulkers, and they
went back inside the car. The tearing off
the roof proceeded without further Interrupt
ton, but with considerable mangling of their
hands by the edges of the tin.
After they had gotten it Oft, they proceeded
to roll it up and start back for their : house. !"
1t was Il fearful load, and one that they
would not have attempted to carry in ordinary
times. But their blood was up, they were
determined to outshne everybody else with
their tin roof, and they toiled on over the
mud and rough ground, although every
little while one of them would make a
misstep and both would fall, and the heavy
weight would seem to mash them into the
ground.
8 don't wonder old Jake Wilson was
proud of his tin root, gasped 81, as he pulled
himself out of a mudhole and rolled the tin
off him and Shorty. eff Id tin roof on
my barn burned il my daughter should walk
home with man that didn't own whole
section of bottom land, and a drove o. mules
to boot"
1t was fully midnight before they reached
their pen and laid their burden down.
They were too tired to do anything more than
lay their blankets down on pile of cedar
boughs and 90 to sleep.
The next morning they unroiled their
booty and gloated over it. 1t would make a
perfect roof, and they felt it repaid all their
tolls Upon measurement they found it
much larger each way than their log pen.
= Just right, said Shorty gleefully. = It'll
stick out two feet all around It's the aristO-
cratic fashionable thing nowadays to have
wide cornshes. Remember them swell
houses VIC wuz looEin' at in Louisville
We're right in style with them"
The rest of Co. Q gathered around to in
spect it and envy them.
= | suppose you LETT some, " said Jack Will
kinsOn. -rll go down there and get the
restn
much you WON'T" said 81, looking to-
ward the car: ''there amt no rest
They all looked that way. Early as it was
I mn " 4 VI