The National tribune., 1898-10-27

week as an attendant in such place as this
said Bronson. with a shudder of disgust, a
| the Surgeon turned away.
g A tamt sight radder," said Karl senten
| tiously. ss
| The Surgeon overheard this and returned
| Now, there's no two WAYS about tins, ,
| he said rather holly. you've got to stay
and do duty awhile in the hospital. I'vt
put mp with the shirks and sneaks that art
seeking details here just as long rs | m
going 10. l shall detail ynen that suit.me
from wherever can find them, just the same
as the other officers do. You suit me and Pm
going to have yOu for a while anyway. It's
nothing but right and fair that you should
take your turn Mt this kind of duty. jus,
the same as at any other. Anyway, you ear
make up your minds to stay until the open
| ing of the Fall campaign, if the war lasts
that long,
! That makes the outlook have very bill
/ ious aspect said Bronson is the Surgeon
| passed out of hearing.
-" Hadn't we better apply to de Governor
and ket partent oud 2" said Karl whimsic-
| ally.
Well, Pm sure Of one thing" said Bron-
son; and that is that no doctor can keep us
| here many weeks Well find a way TO get
bfth W ouI SUDlCioN.
We might ket the smallpox and prake
out, y said Karl.
They obtained pass and, leaving the hos
pital, strolled down to the levee All was
life and hustle there, for transports were
being loaded and gunboats fitted out as of
yore. As they stool and looked, nm officer
came out OF the crowd upon the Ievee, whom
they remembered as one of the crew of the
fagbOat when they were serving on her dur
ing the movement against Fort Henry.
The recognition was mutual, and they ex-
changed with him information as to what
had happened to each since they had sepa-
rated He had been promoted until he was
now executive officer of one of the boats
forming the fleet operating in the river below
Cairo. Bronson and Karl told him of their
present difficulty, and his face took on an
encouraging aspect as he listened.
"Give yourselves no further trouble on
that head, /" he said as they finished s. can
straighten that out in very short meter
That is l can't send you back to your reg-
ment, but can get you out of the hospital,
and you'll not be long in finding your way
where you want to go. I've got an order
| from the General COMMUNICATIVE out
ranks your Surgeon considerably-to take
| from the convalescent hospitals such men for
sharpshooters on vessels as l may select, and
| start out by selecting you. Go back to the
hospital and get ready TO come"
The Surgeon could not resist the order OF
the Commanding General, but he yielded
with poor grace. Bronson and Karl thanked
him for his kindness, but lost no time in
hurrying aboard the Mound City, with such
few little effects as they had The boat was
as clean as the hospital, while its aspect oil
strong, healthful life was in itself restora-
tive hundredfold more powerful than all
the drugs in the dispensary. They were
quite willing to exchange their cots for the
hammocks that were issued to them, and
when they were handed two Springfield
rifles, with accouterments, they felt they were
once more restored to health and the posses
sion Of all their faculties.
/ The Mound City started off that evening
to return to the fleet, which was then pre-.
pairing to attack Fort Pillow, and came tc
; anchor mile or two above it on the night
of May 8.
The next morning Karl and Bronson were
up early, surveying their surroundings with
curiosity. Several gunboats were Juggling al
their anchors in the swift current of the
river, and half dozen mortar-boats were
lying against the bank. The thin, lazy eur
of the smoke that rose from the chimneys oil
the gunboats showed their fires were banked
and that no immediate service was expected
OF them. BarefoOted sailors were languidly
washing the decks. The sun, which had
risen high above the horizon, though it was
not yet Z O'Clock, was sending down his
! burning rays In way that made them dread