The National tribune., 1899-12-14

whispered back to the others. evils,
there's your man. Jump him, but don't
make no noise. Use your bayonet."
Wilson Brooks, the third in line, swung
himself noiselessly up on to the bank and
lay there for an instant, as if he was one of
the defenders of the line. Then, as the
others crept onward he edged over toward
his enemy, and suddenly rising, plunged
his bayonet through the sleeping mans
back, sank to the earth again, and crawled
over TO rejoin his companions.
He came to them. halted in a clump of
| weeds and briars growing out of the rank
soil by the edge of the swale.
Il sent him the trip" he said in a low
drawl. HE never kicked. Didn't know
what hurt him. Baz, your man, Cap
| Wines, is a-settin' over thar on. a rock,
| fast asleep"
I've done seed him." said Peters, sig
nificantly.
And your'n n, Eph, Tomps Young, is a.
settin on another rock ter his right, fast
| asleep, too"
I've done seed him." said Eph, bringing
his gun to his shoulder
And thars mine, said Brice Wolf. with
| the fierce. low hiss of a rattleSnake "Thar's
Majah Ben Whitehouse. a-settin behind
| them thar twin oaks. But I'm not agWine
ter shoot him. l want him ter know list
who sends him ter ole Beelzebub. an what
hit was fur, an ter carry my picture along
with him, ter remember me when he's a
| roaStln,. Don't none of yO' shoot yit fur
a minute or two. I'm a-gwine right I'D ter
| him, an waken him, an sock my bayonet
| inter him."
He got down and crawled I'D near to
where the Major sat behind the trees dozipe.
Then he stood up before his victim. and
| brought the butt of his musket down on a
dry branch at his feet with such force as to
| break it. The Major started, rubbed his
eyes and awoke. Not recognizing the form
before him he said:
What are you doing away from the
| lines? Go back to your place at once, and
stay there"
Il amt a-gwine back Maah Ben White
house" said the Tennesseean in a savage
didn't expect ter, yo' murderin' villain.
Hits me, Brice Wolf, what yo' tucked nm
! an licked like yo' would a black nipper
Know me, now, yo' devils imp?"
The Major instinctively reached for his
| revolver, but as his hand touched the
holster, Brice Wolf drove his bayonet
| through him with such force that the point
entered the hard wood behind and re-.
manned firmly fixed. Brice twisted the
gun out of the bayonet, and strobe back
toward the rest.
This is too much like cold-blooded
| murder, said ST, who had been ranging his
boys, as they, came up, where they could
| can't stand it. l won't stand it, believe
in givin' even rebels a chance for their
lives. Hooray for Injiannyr' he shoI,tad
at the top of his voice. ''Hooray for the
20Oth Injianny Volunteer Infantry. Wake
up, rebels, were onto YOU"
With that he fired into the rebel line. and
the rest followed his example. RaSii
Peters and Eph Young fired with deadly
aim upon their victims, and the whole of
Co. q came streaming up the gulch. fol
lowed by the other companies. while tba
| rest of the brigade at first opened fire from
their fronts, but then seeing the fight eoinn
on IN rear OF the rebel lines, sprang forward
made their way through the abatis. and
speedily joined the 200th Ind, which was
running the surprised and dscomfited
rebels back To their second line where fresh
| troops were rushing to their assistance as
fast as they could be reused.
Realizing. with quick soldierly instinct.
that they had gone as far as they could, the
brigade gathered up their prisoners. and
fell back to the line they had just Captured.
for protection against the increasing volume
of fire poured upon them.
A few steps from the works Eph Young
fell like log with a shot through his head,
and Brice Wolf fell almost on top of him. |
from a bullet through his chest Shorty
and Basil Peters picked him up and carried |
him over the bank to shelter ST STAYED |
outside until he was sure all his BOYS were
back, and then leaped over, and began
helping the rest turn the works" and put
them in shape for facing the other wav
The early morning dawned before they GOT
this completed, and then ST and Shorty
began to take an account of what had hap |
pened.
They found Brice Wolf lying motionless |
on the ground, and brought the Surgeon to
him, who forced little stimulant into his |
mouth and revived him.
He can't live but little WHILE" said the |
Surgeon; there's no use taking him back
whats that you say, Mister, that I'm "a
dyin'?' feebly inquired Wolf.
yes, I'm very sorry to say that you have !
only a few minutes more to live. Any
thing that you want to say?"
Il done killed Majah Ben Whitehonse for
sho', didn't II" asked Brice.
"Yes, you certainly killed him." said |
Shorty. Hes settin' right over there
where he was when you struck him. You
kin see him from here"
SsPaico mo III, an of mo caa hin,