Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1898-06-17

! A AS0LDIER'STAR ;
4 By CHARLES B. LEWIS D
Il -Contlch. soa ~

BY CHARLES B. LEWIS.

dred Pooh! What's the matter?'
jason White had sunk down at the
foot OF the tree, and was looking
around him in apprehension.
"lf they had line on ye they'd shoot
ye sittin' down as soon as standin' up"
said the veteran. I've liuowed men
TO be killed even when they was lyin'
down. Now if you're ready, we'll jest
work down on the left flank and see
if we can't catch them Johnnies nap
PIN"
"Do you mean that you are goin' to
creep around and shoot man in cold
blood?" demanded the recruit, as he
rose up with his knees trembling.
what the hell aiIs you!" growled
Taylor, as scowl darkened his face.
Gold blood" Who talks about cold
blood down here at the front? We're
down here to kill or be killed, ain'twe?
| oin't goin' to LET no feller kill me if
can plunk him first. If we don't 60
artcr them they'll come arter us, and
so what ye goin' to do about it? !
kinder sized ye ur at fust as hevin'
some grit, but guess was wrong. ]
guess you'd better stayed at home
and played with doll baby!"
You're liar!" shouted Jason
White.
"Oh! Eh! Tla! ha! ha! Got yer
mad up at last, oh? Well, keep it
u-biln' and come along with me. Down
on yer hands and knees, and yc want
to be as sly as a fox"
In his momcntary anger the recruit
had determined to submit to any test
required Of him; but as he wormed
himself through the bushes at the
heels of the veteran fear crept back
into his heart, and he was almost on the
point of rising and running away.
When they had gone about 800 feet.
making their way as carefully as III
dans on n hot trail, Taylor paused and
whispered:
"lou wait here and lemme go on
alone and locate 'em. Jest keep calm
me a liar and git as mad as ye
can"
lie was gone ten minutes. During
that interval Jason White had to hang
on TO the bushes to prevent himself
from running away. When the veteran
returned there was smile on his face,
and he reached out and patted the re-
cruit on the back and said:
Luck is with We, my boy. The two
Johnnies are settin' down and smokiu'
and playin' cards, and we can creep up
within so feet of en-. You can't miss
hittin' a man in the back at that dis
tancc."
81 shoot a man in the back" gasped
White.
EUR sure! What in the devils
name are ye kickin' about! Why, |
ortcr charge We ten-dollar bill fur
huntin' up yer camel jest think of it
yell write home tonight that yevc
killed your first Johnnie. Come along,
and don't be blamed fool!"
lt ItNlull lOilOhNtl I'M AllN
bushes and over the dead logs and
limbs until he made a halt beside a
dead tree. At a distance of not over
ten rods the confederate pckets were
seated on the ground, with pipes in
their mouths and cards in their hands.
There had been firing on the frontthat
day, ana they had been lulled into a
feeling Of security.
"Rcst your gun across the log there
and take dead aim at his back!"
whispered The veteran as he pulled the
fresh fish" forward.
NO, neycr!" 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 upa mark fur ye?"
III can't do III"
"Durn ye fur BOBBY and coward!
You ain't got sand 'nuif to fight a tly!
Say, young feller, lemme tell ye sun
thin When go back TO the COM
pany and report what white-liyered,
chicken-bearted rag-baby ye ar, what
are the boys goin' to say and do? Thar
amt man as win even look at ye
agin, and the captain will ask that ye be
drummed out as disgrnce to the serv'
ice, That's what you'll git, andnobody
will pity YOU
"I-I think I'll shoot lhfm!" whispered
the recruit, after struggle with him
self "Will anybody call it murder if
do?"
"Murdcr-bosh! Can't ye understand
that Uncle Sam is payin' ye SIG q
month TO kin Johnnies. and that he
don't give cuss whether ye do it witt
club or a musket? I'll git along
down beside ye and take the further
man at the same time. They won't
neither of 'em ever know what hit 'en
arter we pull trigger. Lord, what &
fair mark you've got to shoot at!
could plump bullet into him with my
eyes shet. Set down here and kill yei
first man."
Jason White slowly knelt down anc
stretched out at full length, and thrus
the barrel of his musket over tn
Iog. lie breathed hard, his eyes wer
shut and the muzzle pointed over tn
tree-tops.
"Durn you!" growled the veteran n
he gave him a kick, "haye yc turnc'
into baby or an old woman? What
The matter now? Are ye gon' TO wal
until they git the alarm and tax
shelter. Jest draw'a bead fur the mid
die of that Johnny's back"
III can't do III" murmured tn
recruit, as he let go OF bis musket an
sat up and stared at the veteran wit
r face as white as snow. 81 enIiste
fer soldier, but | can't shoot q ma
in cold bood. And II don't wan