The National tribune., 1899-06-15
SHORTY, YE THIEVES OF THE WoRRULD, How ARE YEP"

gamblin'. / won't have it." commanded
81. Boys, you mustn't play cards, on no
account, especially with older men. It's
strictly agin orders, besides which I'll
break any o your necks that ketch at it.
You must take care o your money, and
send it home. Forward. march"
They went up the road from the John
! Ross house until they came to that turning
off to the right by sweet gum and syca-
more, as indicated by Gen. Sherman, and
then began labored climbing of the rough,
stony way across Mission Ridge. Sis and
Shorty's eagerness to get to the regiment
increased so with their nearness to it, that
they went at a terrific pace, in spite OF all
! obstacles.
please, Sarint," begged Gid Mackall
as they halted fer an instant near large
rock, need we go quite so fast? We're
| awfully anxious to git to the regiment, too,
but feel like as II I'd stove two inches
| often my legs already, against them blamed
rocks"
q can't keep up. I can't keep up at ALL"
whimpered little Pete Skidmore. 'sYo'uns
dead certain to lose me-"
Pull out Just little more, boys" ST said
pleasantly. We must be almost there. 1t
can't be but little ways now"
Close up there in front~ commanded
Shorty. keep marchin' distance-19
inches from back to breast. Come on,
Pete. Gil me your; hand I'll help you
along"
Il amt no kid, to be led along by the
hand answered Pete stnrdily, refusing the
offer. 'Tll keep up somehow. But you
can't expect my short legs to cover as
much ground as them telegraph poles O.
your'n."
The summit of the ridge was crossed, and
number OF camps appeared along the
slope.
wonder which one O. them is the 2Ooth
Injianny's?' said 81 to Shorty.
81 thOnpht the c00th Ipiiapnv was c0
much finer rijimint than any other that
you'd know it at sight" said Harry Joslyn,
with shade OF disappointment in his
voice.
Z would know it if / was sure ! was
lookin' at it," answered Shorty. But they
seem to have picked out all the best rijimints
in the army to go into camp here this side
O. Mission Ridge. Mebbe they want to
make the best show to the enemy"
THAT looks like the camp O the 20oth
lnjianny over there said 81, pointing to the
right, after scanning the mountainside.
"See all them red shirts hangin' out to dry?
That's Co. A; they run to red flannel shirts
like niger barber to striped pants"
NO" answered Shorty; that's that Ohio
rijimint. made up O. rollin' mill men and
There's the 200th Injianny just down there
TO the left, with all them men on extra duty
on the parade ground. | know just the
gang. Same old crowd; / kin almost tell
their faces. They've bin runnin' guard,
as usual, and comm back full o. apple
jack and bad language, and desire to give
the camp heavy coat O. red paint. Old
McBiddle has tried to convince 'em that be
was still runnin' the rijimint. and his idees
wuz better'n theirs, and there they are.
There's Jim Monaghan, handlin' that pick
as if he was in the last stages o. consump-
tion. There's Barney Mcguire, pickin' up
three twigs bout as big as lead pencils, and
solemnly carryin' 'em off the parade ground
as if they wuZ fence-railS. I'll Just bet
month S pay that's Denny Murphy marchin'
up and down there, with his knapsack
| filled with Tennessee dornicks. Denny's
done that feather-weight knapsack trick so
often that his shoulders have corns and
windgalls on 'em, and they always keep a
knapsack packed for him at the guard
house ready for one of his Donny brook fair
Denny, but he kin git up red-hotter riot on
! his share OF canteen OF apple-iack than
any three men in the rijimint. That feller
tied to tree is Tony Wilson. He's re-
fused to dig trenches agin. o, tell you,
| they're daisy lot"
talk that way before the boys. Whatl
they think O. tho rijimint?'
"rhink of it," said Shorty, recovering
himself. They've got to think OF it as the
very best rijimint that ever stood In line-of-
battle. I'll punch the head of any man
that says anything to the contrary. Every
man in it is a high-toned, Christian gentle
man. Mind that, now, every one of you
brats, and don't you allow nobody to say
otherwise"
mo-" said ST, after further study of the
camps, neither O. them IS the 200th Inji-
amy. They've both got brass bands
Must be new rijimints."
Say" said Shorty, there's royal
lookin' rooster standin' up in front OF that
little house there. Looks as if the house was
headquarters for some higil-roller, and him
doin' Orderly duty. If he knows as much
as he's got style, he knows more'n old
Sherman himself. Go up and ask him."