St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-06-11
ASOLDIER'STARGETB
By CHARLESB b. LEWIS.

By CHARLES B. LEWIS.

mad up at last, eh? Well, keep j
a-bilin' and come along with me. Down
on yer hands and knees. and We wan
to be as sly as fox"
In his momentary anger the recruit
had determined to submit to any tesI
required of him; but as he wormed
himself through the bushes at the
heels of the veteran fear crept bach
into his heart, and he was almost on the
point of rising and running away
When they had gone about 300 feet
making their way as carefully as In.
dians on hot trail, Taylor paused and
whispered:
you wait here and femme go on
alone and locate 'em. Jest keep calm
me a liar and git as mad as ye
can"
He was gone ten minutes. During
tina; interval Jason White had to hang
on to the bushes 20 prevent himself
from running away. When the veteran
returned there was a smile or his face,
and he reached out and patted the re-
cruit on the back and said:
Luck is with ye. my boy. The two
Johnnies are settin' down and smokin'
and piayin' cards, and we can creep up
within so feet of 'em. You can't miss
hittin' a man in the back at that dis
tancc."
II shoot a man in the back" gasped
White.
Fur sure. What in the devils
name are We kickin' about! Why,
orter charge We ten-dollar bill fur
huntin' up yer game! jest think of it
yell write home tonight that we've
killed your first Johnnie. Come along,
and don't be blamed fooll" !.
The recruit followed him through the
bushes and over the dead logs and
limbs until he made haltsbeside a
dead tree. At a distance OF not over
ten rods the confederate pickets were
seated on the ground, with pipes in
their mouths and cards in their hands.
There had been firing on the front that
day. and they had been lulied into a
feeling OF security.
Rest your gun across the log there
and take dead aim at his -~back!"
whispered the veteran as he pulled the
fresh fish" forward.
NO, never!" gasped Jason White, as
he hung back.
What! Dye mean you won't PUNK
a Johnny Reb arter all the trouble I've
took TO set up a mark fur ye?"
II can't do it,"
"Durn We fur bcoby and a coward!
You amt got sand huff to fight fly.
Say, young Teller, femme tell We sun
thin When l go back to the COM
pany and report what a white-liyered,
chicken-hearted rag-baby We ar. what
are the boys goin' to say and do? Thar
amt man as will even look at We
lgin, and the captain will ask that We be
lrummed out as disgrace to the serv-
ice. That's what you'll git, and nobody
will pity you"
Il think I'll shoot hint" whispered
he recruit, after a struggle with HIM
self. "Will anybody call it murder if /
lo?"
"Murder-bosh! Can't We understand
hat Uncle Sam is payin' We SIG a i
month % kill Jchnnies, and that he
lon't give cuss whether We do it with
club or musket? I'll git along
Town beside We and take the further
nan at the same time. They won't
neither of EN- ever know what hit 'em
lrter we pull trigger. Loftl, what |
air mark you've got to shoot att /
ould plump bullet into him with nv |
yes shet. Set down here and kill yer /
irst man." $50
Jason White slowly knelt down and
tretched out at full length. and thrus,
he barrel of his musket over the
%. He breathed hard, his eyes were
hut, and the muzzle pointed over the
ree-tops.
"Durn you!" growled the veteran as
e gave him kick, shave We turned
nto baby or an old woman? What's
ne matter now: Are We goin' to wait
ntil they git the alarm and take
heller. jest draw bead fur the mid
lie of that Johnny's back"
Il can't do it," murmured the
ecruit, as he let go of his musket and
At up and stared at the veteran with
face as white as snow. Il enlisted
r a soldier, but / can't shoot man
! cold blood. And II don't want
on to, either. When it comes to a bat
e III shoot, but not now-not now"
Uncle Sam got peach when YOU
gned the rolls, he did" sneered Tay-
r, as he looked down upon the other
supreme contempt. How we would
lin out the Johnnies il we had thou
md fish-worms like you in the Fourth
-igade! Coin 10 shoot or notg'
The recruit raised his hands to his
&c and began to wave his body to and
o and sob and moan. His nerve was
me. He had no more courage than
baby. A look Of pity crossed the vet.
ans face as he regarded fresh fish" !,
r a moment, and then he knelt down. .
take shot alone. The rebel pickets !
I'd disappeared, perhaps warned by
me subtle influence that death was
ding near at hand. Five minutes
ssed, but they did not reappear. !
len, with muttered oath, Taylor :
ached his feet and said to the weep 4
& man sitting on the earth: :
Il wish one o. them Johnnies would ,
bead on you. Git yer musket and /
me along. You amt no good on airth =
anybody" =
He made his way back to the picket d
st. growing to himself as he went,
d at his heels followed the white
,ed. weeping recruit. At the foot of
E beech tree Jason White stretched 4
I and covered his face with his hands n
d wept and sobbed like a grieved Ii
lid. Not word passed between G
two. Half an hour later the SER b
ant came along with the relief. and y
king down upon the broken and d
lpless man, carelessly queried: "
What We bin doin' with yer fresh s,
h?" In
'Breakin' him in" replied the vet 4
in. Ikl
Any good" Is;
'Humph! put up the incest kind Of
arget fur him, but he dasn't shoot.
5 no good except to draw rations!"
n III II III