The National tribune., 1899-05-25
After the Skirmish.


Though 81 and Shorty were certain that
the trouble was over, and the rebels all gone.
it was impossible to convince the boys OF
this. The sudden appearance of the guer-
rillas had been so mysterious that they could
not rid themselves of the idea that the dark
depths beyond the creek were yet filled with
vicious foemen animated by dire intents.
81 and Shorty gathered the boys together
on the bank above the railroad cut, had fires
built, posted a few guards, and ordered the
rest of the boys to lie down and go to sleep.
They set the example by unrolling their own
blankets at the foot Of little jack k-Oak,
whose tiickly-grOwing branches, still bear
ing n full burden OF rusty-brown leaves,
made an excellent substitute for "a tent.
Crawl III, 81, and git some sleep" said
Shorty, filling his pipe "I'll take a smoke,
and set up for an hour or two. If it looks
worth while then, I'll wake you up, and let
everything looks all right, I'll jest crawl in
beside YOU and start snorin' match.'
But neither orders nor example could calm
down the nerves of boys who had just had
their first experit nee under fire. There was
as little rest for them as for & nest of hornets
which had been rudely shaken. They lay
!,
we're bnzzing together in groups about the
fires, or out with their guns to vantage
points on the bank, looking for more
enemies Their excited imaginations made
the opposite bank of the creek alive with
men, moving in masses. squads and singly,
with the sounds of footsteps, harsh COM
mands, and of port"ntOus movements.
Two or three times Shorty repressed them,
ola f,,l
to sleep. Then lie decided TO let them wear
themselves out, braced his back against a
saping near the fire, pulled out from his
pocket the piece of Maria's dress, and be-
came lost in swarm of thoughts that
travelled north of the Ohio River.
He was recalled by Harry JOslyn and Gid
Mackall appearing before him.
Say Corpril," inquired Harry. "what's s
to he done with them rebels over there at the
end o. the bridge?"
"Them that we shot 2" said Shorty care
lessly, feeling around for his tobacco to refill
his pipe. ''Nothin'. 1 guess we've done
enough for 'em already"
Don't we do nothin' more?" repeated
Harry.
No." answered Shorty, as he rubbed the
whittlings from his plug to powder i'll the
hollow OF his hand.
''Just plug at 'em as you would ut crow,
and then go on your way whistlin' ?" per-
sisted Harry"
Certainly" answered Shorty, filling his
pipe and looking around for q silver with
which to light it, "What're you thinkin'
abOut?"
81 don't hardly know" hesitated Harry.
" 1t seems awful strange just to blaze away
at men, and then pay no more attention to
'em. They mayn't be knocked out at all
only possumin', ="
"NO pOSsumin' about them fellers," said
Shorty sententiOusly, rs he lighted his pipe.
" Feller that gifts an ounce o. lead from a
Springfield rifle anywhere in his carkiss
don't play off nor purtend. He's got some
thing real to occupy his attention, if he's
got any attention left to occupy. You
needn't bother anymore about them fellers
over there. Their names's mud. They're
now only part o. the real estate ON the other
side O. the crick. They're suddenly become
no good for poll-tax; only to be assessed by
the acre"
$50 you're sure they can't do more harm
to the bridge?"
"No more'n the dead leaves on the
banks.n
g But thought" persisted Harry, that
when a mans killed something had to be
done-coroner's inquest, corpse got ready,
funeral, preacher, neighbors gather in, and
so on"
dwell, you needn't bother about any
obsequies to them fellers over there" said
Shorty, sententiously, as he pulled away at his
pipe. "YOu done your whole share when
you done the heavy work o. providin' the
coIpses. Let anybody that wants to put ON
f-,I t.,.1
time tomorrow mornin', and notbin' better