The National tribune., 1899-03-02

You bet / WILL" responded the boy
with his eyes dancing. Coin to run away
| Pm goin' TO run away myself some day In
awful tired o. havin' to git up in the morn
in, wash my face and comb my hair, ant
| do the chores, and kneel down at famil
prayers, and 90 to Sunday school, and sta,
through church. aud then have to spell out
chapter in the Bible in the afternoon. I'm
goin' to run away, and be q soldier, or q
out on the plains and kill Injuns. I'm layin
away things now for it. See here?"
And he conducted Shorty with mucl
mystery to place behind the haymow
where lie had secreted an old single -barrelet
pistol and falseface.
You little brat,' said Shorty; s'git al
them fool notions out o. your head. Th
S the best home you'll ever see, and you stay
here just as long as the Lord'll let you
You're playin' in high luck to be here
Don't you ever leave, on no account"
''Then why're y1u goin to run away %
asked the boy wonderingly.
That's my business. Something tina
you can't understand, nohow. Now, I want
YOU to slip around there and git my hat ant
overcoat and bring 'em out to me, without
nobndy seein' you. Do it at once"
While Sammy was gone for the things,
Shorty laboriously wrote out q note to 81
upon sheet of brown paper. 1t read:
Deer ST: i've jest red i'll the papers that
the army's goin' move rite off no tina
need me bad in the kumpany, for tha are
short on Korprils, & tha can't do nothin
without KoIprils, i've jest time 2 ketch the
nekst trane, q ime goin' thare ez fast ez
steme kin carry me. Good-by x Inv all
the foxes. Yours, Shorty"
There, Sammy" he said as he folded ii
up and gave it to the boy: keep thu
quiet until about bed time, when they begin
to inquire about me. By that time Ill we
ketched the train goin' east, and be skippin'
out for the army. By the way, Sammy,
can't you sneak into Miss Maria's room, and
steal me q piece o ribbon, or something
that belongs to her?"
I've got big piece O that new red
Sunday dress o. hers" said Sammy, going
to his storehOuse, and producing it. ~
cribbed it once, to make me flag or some
thing, when I'd be out fghtin' the Iniuns.
Will that do yOu?"
Bully" said Shorty, with the first Joy
Gus emotion since the reception of the letter.
: It's jest the thing. Here's a half-dollar
for you. Now, Sammy, kin you write ?"
They're maxim me learn, and that's one
reason why / want to run away" with a
doleful remembrance of his own grievances.
g What's the use of it, I'd like to know i?
1t cramps my fingers, and makes my head
ache. Simon Kenton couldn't write his own
name, and he killed more Injuns than ary
other man in the country. i guess you'd
want to run away, too, if they made you
learn to write"
You little brat" said Shorty, reprov-
ingly; "you don't know what's good for you.
You do as they say, and learn to write as
quick as you kim" Then, in softer tone,
!" Now, Sammy, want you to promise to
write me long letter-two sheets o. fools
cap -
"Why, l never writ so much in all my
iife," protested the boy. It'd take me a
year"
."Well, you've got to- now, and it mustn't
take you two weeks. Here's dollar for you,
and when l git the letter Pll send you home
real rebel gun. Now, you're to cross your
heart and promise on your sacred word and
honor that you'll keep this secret from every
body, not to tell word to nobody. You
must tell me all about what they say about
me, and partickerlerly what Miss Maria says.
Tell me everything You kin about Miss
Maria, and who goes with her."
What makes you like Maria better'n you
do Mandy" inquired the boy. I like
MANDY lots the best. She's heap purifier,