The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-08-04


friend, Shorty, both OF the 200th Ind, were
so numerous and so interesting during their
service in the civil war that it will take the
author long while to relate them, and the
sketches will appear in many issues. His
friends have seen their graduation from raw
recruits to veterans, and have followed them
in their campaigns to Murfreesboro', after the
battle of Stone River and there they are
guartered for the Winter In the immedi-
ately preceding chapters Shorty and ST. hav-
ing been informed that certain Mrs. Bolster
"a woman of meager attractions but fiery
temper, who has fallen in love with Shorty
harbors nest of guerrllas and spies decide
to break it up. They pretend they wish to
desert the Union cause and go with her. She
takes them TO den in the mountains
where, by strategy, they capture some rebel
officers, a spy, guerrillas, and a lot of contra
band goods. Mrs. Bolster who was bent on
being married to Shorty, is forced to be mar
ried to one of her admirers, Thomas Jefferson
blackberry. ST and others return to the den.
81 and Shorty Work the Trap Successfully.
The boys were sitting around having
another smoke before crawling into their
blankets, spread under the shade of the
scraggly lOcusts and NANCY cedars, when the
dogs raised an alarm.
- Get back under the shadow of the trees
boys, and keep quiet" said ST.
Hello, the house, " came out of the dark
ness at the foot of the hill
Hello, thar, yourself" answered Shorty,
initiating Mrs Bolster's voice
''Hit's me-Brad Jingle. Don't yo' know
my voice? Call off yer dogs. They'll eat
me up.''
"Hulo, Brad; is that yo'? Wizard yo
come from? Git out, thar, Watch Lay
down, Tige! Begone Bones! Come on up,
Brad'
Shortv's limitations of Mrs Bolster's voice
and manner were so good as to deceive even
the dogs. who changed their attitude of
shrill defiance to one of fawning welcome.
Wizard yo' come from, Brad? " repeated
Shorty as the newcomer made his way up
the narrow, stony path.
Jest from the Yankee camps" answered
the newcomer " Me an Jim Watts bin
ovf by that HoOsier camp tryin' t. git
the 81. on their Kurnel as he was gwine t.
Brigade Headquarters. We almost had him,
when a company o Yankees that d bin out
in the country for something Almost run over
us. They uns was a-nigh on top o. we'un5
alore we seed they'uns, an then we'uns had
T. scatter. Jim run one way an me another.
| come back here t. see eff yo' had any o. the
boys here. / hearn tell that a passed. % Yam
kee oSsifers is at dance over at the Widder
Brewster's, On | thought we uns might done
gether they unS in eff WEI us went about hit
right"
So you kin-so you kim" said Shorty,
reaching out from behind the bushes and
catching him by the collar. "And, to show
you how, I'll jest gether you in"
harsh, prolonged, sibilant, far-reaching
hiss came from the door of the cabin, but
came too late to warn Brad Jingle of the
trap into which he was walking.
Shorty understood it at once. He jerked
Tingle forward into Sis strong clutch, and
then walked toward the cabin, singing out
angrIly:
JEFF blackberry, want you to make that
wife o. your'n mind her own bisness, and
let other peoples alone You and her've got
quite enough to do to tend to your honey
moon, without mixing into things that don't
concern you. Take her back to bed and keep
her there. ~
He went back to where 81 was disarming
and searching Jingle. The prisoner had
United States musket, cartridge-box, canteen
and a new haversack, all OF which excited
ohorty's ire.
= You hound, you he said, taking him
by the throat, with n fierce grasp, you've
bin discriminating, and got these things off
some soldier you sneaked onto and killed
We ought TO kill you right now, like we
would dog
60 No, Mister, I haint killed nobody. /
'war t. Col | haint," gurgled the prisoner,
trying to release his throat from Shorty's
grip.
"Whered you git these things?" de-
manded Shorty.
. Mrs. Bolstergi' me the gun an cartridge
box; done found the cante&n in the road,
IN the poke with the letters in hit the Yanb
mad done laid down beside him when he
stopped t GIT drink, an me an Jim crep
lpon him, an ordered him to surrender.
He jumped an run, an we wuz afeared to
shoot least we bring the rest o. the Yanks
Town onto us.'
~ M -