The National tribune., 1898-01-20

| that's deadly piZun?"
The loft wuz so dark that l couldn't tell
hit easily" said Sally, but somehow she
seemed so little agitated by her mistake that
Miriam and Pollock exchanged significant
glances.
.'But we don't want t pizun him either, j
said Pollock, laying his hand on his revolver.
This is his medicine, when he gifts ready ioI
! hit
sally. hits monty strange yo' could make
SIGH mistake " persisted Mrs. Inrule. The
varbs don't look bit alike, they don't feel
alike, an yo' must be mighty keertul in the
/ future. for a mistake'd cause somebody S
! death. -
Yes um,' said Sally, humbly.
! During the day scores of visitors came
/ They had heard of Henry Clay Pollock $
arrival They wanted to see the young hero;
/ they wanted TO hear from him as to the bat
! tie and the advance of the Union armies;
! they wanted to make inquiries as to their
| kinsmen in Gen. Thomas's army. quite a
! number OF young men came out from the
woods. where they had been hiding from the
! rebel conscripting officers, to make arrange
ments to 60 back with him and enlist Web
Brainard and his comrades also came up to-
ward the latter part of the day. but they were
not quite ready TO start Oh the return, rs
agreed upon.
We'uns we cot word'' said Web, g. that
Capt Sam Griggs's bin put in command o.
whatever is left o. kunnel Rhea's rijimint,
all the Others above him havin bin Knocked
ont, one way or t'other, at Mill Springs.
The honors swelled his head till hits like t.
bust. He's bin sent over onto the Leather
wood t bring t. Knoxville a lot o Union
men { be tried for bridge-burnin' an he's
bin talkin monty large about KILN all We
'uns or runuin' us outen the country as an
airly mornins Job while 'tendin' e his other
business. OF course, weuns know that
we've got t git out, but for my ownself, L
don't propose that SIGH a low-down scalawag
us Sam Griggs kin run me out, even if he
has all the Sangdiggers round Chinkapin
Cove at his heels
Them big rebels at Knoxville must We
bin stuffin a lot o. new courage into his
haid," said Pollock He skipped out
monty peart the other day when he seed
we'uns. Did you find out which way ne
was a-cOmin?'
. Yes, he was down on the Leatherwood,
at the mouth o Yaller Puccoon this mornin'
t git his prisoners an then he's t come up
on the t'Other side o. Laurel Hill alter weuns.
He must he gittin' over in that neighborhood
this evenin''
Anybody know how many men he had
with him?"
- should reckon that he had nigh on t.
200, from all accounts"
Purity good bunch o. men, remarked
Pollock. But we must try some way t
give em a little whirl afore we leave. Hill
do our folks here good"
. l know we kin git lots % the boys t.
jine u.s." continued Web. 'They'uns air
jest spilin' for little tilt at Sam and his
gang"
They shall have hit, 5" remarked Pollock.
" We kin fix hit some way, an mebbe we
kin git his prisoners away from him."
The word was quickly passed around
among those present, and the suggestion well
coined by every man able to bear arms.
There was something very captivating to
them about being led on an expedition by
Henry Clay Pollock, who they assumed
"knowed all about war;
4 rendezvous was hastily appointed and
those present sent out to bring in their ac-
quaintances who were Of the same mind.
AS the Winters sun was beginning to sink
behind the mountains, Henry Clay Pollock
found gathered around him about 10 men,
armed with rifles He directed them to COR
ceal themselves i'll the woods, while he rode
forward alone To look for any signs Of the
coming of Capt. Sam Griggs.
lie had not long to watch Soon he espied
that doughty chiettain advancing up the val
ley ut the head Of fully 200 armed men, In
the center Of the column was squad Of %
prisoners, many gray-bearded old men, all
beyond youthfulness, and fathers of families
They were chained together with trace chains
fastened by padlocks, and only kept up with
the column by most painful effort. He could
see that the guards had their bayonets fixed,
and occasionally prodded with them the
wretched men, i'll order to induce them to
march faster He could hear Sam Greggs
bawling curses on the guards and the prison
ers for retarding his march.
Polocks blood boiled until he could
scarcely restrain himself from dashing down
on G;iggs single-handed; but he rode back,
concerted plan of battle with Web and the
rest, and disposed of his forces at the head of
the valley. 50 as to sweep the road. He par
ticularly enjoined on all not TO fire until he
gave the word. and no one was TO shoot at
Sam Griggs; he strictly reserved him for
himself
1t was the proudest day of Capt Sam
Griggss life 1t was the first time he had
ever commanded more than his own company,
and never that on any independent expedi-
ton. Now he WAS commanding Kunnel
Bhea's rijimint" and bad exalted ideas of
the honor lie felt himself absolute monarch
of all that part Of Tennessee even as Col.
khea had been in his day. He was trying TO
ride in stiff dignity at the head of the
remnant of the regiment, and AT the same
exercise over 1t n more rigid discipline than
its proper commander had ever maintained.
The slightest infraction Of drill or rules Of
marching caught his attention, and brought
down on the offenders head a storm of
maledictions
Among his prisoners were many Of the best
men Oh the mountain side men Of the stamp
of Robert lnruie. who had despised him in
his oyerseer days, and ridicued his captaincy
! He had now such an opportunity as his mean
soul gloried in 10 get even with them, and
assert his superiority
AS the column neared where Pollock sat
in cOneealment under the spreading branches
of a great chestnut he saw Griggs ride back,
and with a torrent OF blaspbemy beat with
| the fiat of his sword Mrs. Inrule's brother,
one of the most respected men in the COM
munity.
! As Griggs rode back TO his place at the
! head Of the regiment, Pollock dashed down
! in front of him, with his revolver drawn and
a torrent of red hot words on his lips.
. Yo' hell-born, cowardly brute, >" he Missed.
" This is your last minute, yo've struck your
last lick agin men whose boots yo' amt worthy
to lick. Look at me, yO' offscourin', yo'
| dregs yo' dirt Pm Henry CLAW Pollock O.