The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1899-12-01
been singing came back with these
new words:

When No. I drafted
In Pelham's art;lleree
Who thought he would be grated
Into a jack oak tree?
And then in some fashion the meas
ure returned to the old refrain: "If
you want to have good time, jine
the cavalry"
Billy sat down on the log disconso.
lately. "YOu don't feel my weight,
do you?" he asked. because II you
do I'll sit on the ground, though it's
mighty damp. I've got to think what
to do with you and that Yankee. l
think old Stuart was a brute to joke
like that. Say, No. Y"
He heard no answer. "Mebby he's
fainted," Billy thought, as he bent
and peered into the dark hollow. But
the bright white spots OF the artil-
lerrman's eyes flashed reassuringly
back at him. Don't fret" No. I
whispered. "Ole Jeb's- all right.
He'll-send back-fOr me-"
The voice was scarcely more than
the sigh OF the leaves overhead, and
the tears came into the listeners eyes.
1t is not easy to look unmOved at the
supreme courage of some one else, and
whatever motive prompted No. I to
take shelter, he was meeting the con-
sequences without a murmur. And
his absolute faith in the general
touched Billy and made him flush with
shame at his own distrust.
The rain dropped softly from the
leaves above. The sound OF guns came
like thunder through the woods. The
artilleryman whispered again:
"Say-they-thcy- wasn't singin
bout me, BilIy?'
"Yes, jim"
"Could yOu--hit that-there tune?'
II guess sO;" aud Billy sang the
dOggerel over as he had heard IL.
"TO Think" murmured No. I, "to
think! An'yOu done, kid-makin' the
old man laugh. l was too far gone
to speak when they come up. I'd "a
died but for you, like rat in hole.
He'll be sendin' for me-"
Billy said nothing. 1t seemed to
him that commander greater than
the general OF armies would be send
ing for No. before mortal help could
come, and the artillereman's simple
courage and faith we're more than lie
could bear. He had been such cow
ard. He had run from the sight and
the smell and the whole sickening
menace OF the smallpox sufferer. "a
man can die only once" he muttered
to himself, whether it's smallpox or
a log or a piece of shell. l don't like
to leave Jim, though l can't help him
any. Then, there's the Yankee. But
I'll look like a deserter II I'm met up
with gOin' back. An there's the ar.
tillery a talkin' out yOnder where Id
ought to be-"
The guns sent their deep toned mes.
sage through the woods, but still he
wavered. He saw a bare room with
falling plaster which the vibration of
the cannonading had cracked from
floor to ceiling, broken windows and
sick man raving in delirium with
disease that Billy loathed and dreaded
far more than the whiz of a musket
ball.
"Jim," he said, clearing his throat
at last-"Jim, would you be lonesome
If l just stepped back to that feller
In the house? The general said the
Yanks would be comm up in an
hour or two, and mebby could tote
the feller back into their lines, so to
speak-an'-an' it might be just the
pinch that'd save him. He waited
anxiously.
The artilleryman's voice came in
sharp gasps of pain. "Hope-he-
won't have such-a-pinch-as mine, u
he answered.
The tears blurred Billy's eyes, and
he brushed his sleeve across them as
he leaned down a moment more. IL
l guess III be going," he said. "Goot
luck jim"
"Good-luck, Bill"
! Among the Blue Ridge hills Ia Vir'
ginia, many and many shaft has
been raised to the soldier dead. one
is a simple monument upon which
stands the figure in bronze, of young
. Confederate private. The boys fare
sad and resolute. The clear, unfalter-
inc vaze seems TO command the great,
brave memories OF all the past.
Two men, strangers to each other,
we're wandering through the little
cemetery, reading on the simple head.
stones names are living still 10 litera-
ture, science, or history. The graves
were covered with flowers. One Of
the men was dressed in an old gray
uniform and looked like workman;
the other wore civilians clothes and
might have been physician, teacher
or almost anything that requires
headwOrk rather than handiwork
They drew nearer together, and dnal
ly met at the soldiers monument
standing side by side to read the lonI
tablet OF names on the pedestal
Their hats were 10 their hands. an