The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1899-12-01
BY MARY A. KING, IN MUNSEY'S.

BY MARY A. KING, IN MUNSEYS.
One rainy morning in July, boy in
tattered Confederate uniform came
out of the doorstep of an abandoned
home on the Staunton road, stood
there moment white faced and wav.
ering, then sprang down the broad
front steps and ran stu milling through
the deep Virginia mud toward the
sound of guns.
1t had rained sharply all night, and
a soldier who had fallen In a shallow
ravine among dry leaves the day before
lay in rippling current of muddy wa.
ter now, with blades of long grass
mating like hair across his face. At
a turn in the road, a tangle Of harness
and suffers stores, dead camp fires
and trodden grass bore witness Of
hasty abandonment.
Hey, you jack rabbit, what you
hoDpn' along so fast for?" called a
voice at his feet.
The b0g halted and pecred among
the nnderbrush, but saw no one.
"Where are you?" he shouted, "And
what do you want?"
stop splittin' my ears, you triflin'
little cotton face, an help me out. or
I'll jerk you bald-headed," returned
the voice. 1t seemed to come from
the earth itself, as from somebody
buried alive, and the boy shivered as
II the man lying dead in the ravine
had suddenly spoken to him.
II am Adjutant General OF the
Army OF Northern Virginia." the
the voice went on, ''and tired OF med.
itatin'. Now rustic roun' an get an
axe and chop me outen this squirrels
nest; you hear? Why, II it isn't Bill!
Billy Biloxi! Don't you remember
No. 7, Bill?"
The boy had now gotten down on
his hands and and knees and was peer
Ing iuto a hollow 10y which lay along
side the road, cOncealing the entire
anatomy OF a smoke grimed artillery
man, so that the whites OF two large
eyes were all that he could summon
nut nf tho hlncE nocc
II just stepped inside while some
Yanks were a.passin'," the artillery
man went on sadly, land what with a
rippet with Toppin's Mississippians-
them's your fellers-an' carryin' their
web foot cavelry Outen the swamp,
they was SO long winded that ! got
tired O waitin' an took nap. When
l woke up it. had done set in to rain
right smart, and this blame ole 10y
had pulled itself In an shrunk on me
so at couldn'tgct out. So quit your
laughin', which amt respectful to a
c0mmandin' officer, n0how, and chop
me Outen this straightjacket what l
haven't nowise deserved, aud which
don't favor my complexion"
mo axe here" said the boy, hunt
ing among the debris Of old cans,
boxes and crownless hats in the beat.
ed grass. Everything that was use
less, nothing that could answer to a
mortal need was there. Cant find
nothing but bayonet," he said. com
ing back. "l'm mighty sorry. l sup
pose l couldn't build a fire under YOU
and dry you out?"
"Well, thankee son-I don't reck
on" No. 7 answered. "l'm right snug
as matters be, but I'm no little ole
bam In the sm0kehOuse. Sh-h-h
Duck your cabbage an listen, will
you? l hear cavalry"
Bill bent his head as he was told. and
crOuched close to the wet earth behind
the log which held bis comrade IN such
painful security. He could hear a
faint, sloughing sound Of hoofs ap'
proachlug through the mud. "Do you
reckon we're fallin' back?" he whis'
pered.
"Don't know" said No. 7. Hope
40. for mebby that'll be the teamsters,
an the smIth'll have an axe"
"'Pears like you've got an axe TO
| grind" put in the boy. 'vThey're