The National tribune., 1899-05-11

ing them and in hearing all the news from
the front forgot that their boys were mingling
with the Others, and being filed full of the
preposterous stories with which veterans de-
light to stuff new recruits. Finally the
whistles gave notice that the trains would
move. 81 got his boys back on the cars, and
renewing his caution about them taking caro-
OF themselves, holding on tightly and looking
out for oveTbanging branches, returned with
Shorty to their ear and their occupations
We're comm to Stewart 5 Crck, Shorty
said 81, looking up from his paper "Reool-
ect that hill over there? That's where they
had that battery that the Colonel thought wa
wuz gcin' to git. Great Scott, the mud and
briars IN that old field ~
Yes" said Shorty, negligently, with his
eyes fixed on the backs of the cards "Bus
that's ancient history. Say. I've got these
marks down fine at last. They're Just as
plain a. B C. You see, when that cor
ner o. the square comes out clear to the edge
it's clubs, every time, and there's JUS. as
many spots as there is Of lines -
He was interrupted by a volley, apparently
from every gun on tho roofs of the cars.
Then chorus of shrill, treble, boyish yells,
and the next instan. another volley. The
two sprang to the door and looked out Not
sign OF rebel anywhere. 81 went up one
SIDE OF the car, Shorty the other. They ran
along the tops of the cars, storming at the
boys, kicking them and humping their heads
against the boards to make them stop. When
they succeeded, 81 sternly ordered every one
OF them TO leave the roofs and come down
into the cars When he had gathered them
there he demanded:
Now, want to know at once what this
means?n
Little Pete Skidmore again became tho
spokesman of the abashed crowd:
Why, them men back there on the switch
cautioned us above all things not to let the
rebels git the drop on rs, when we come to
that crick. That we wouldn't see nothin' OF
'em-nothn' but a low bank, behind which
they wuz hid, with their guns pokin' through
the brush, but the moment we see the bank
breastwork throwed up along the crick We
must let into it. That's what it's for The
rebels throwed it up to hide behind. Them
men said that the brush back there was as
full o. rebels as hound o. feas, and that
we must let into 'em the moment we see the
bank, or they'd git the drop on US. They
had an awful time there themselves, and they
gave us all the cartridges they had left, for Us
to USE"
"You little numbskulls," said 81; "why
didn't you come to Us and tell US about
this?n
They told US to be partickeler and say
nothin' to You. Your stayin' back there in
the car showed that you didn't know nothin'
about it; you hadn't bin down this way for
long time, and wasn't up to the latest i'm
provements, and you wuz Jest as like as not
to run Us into hornets nest; that you
wuzzent our real officers, anyway, and 10
didn't much matter to you what happened
to u.s."
"Our own sins are comm back On us,
Shorty" remarked 81. 'This is a Judgment
on you for the way you've filled up recruits
at every chance you got"
Taint on me-" said Shorty, Struggling
his shoulders. Pm not in command. You
are"
&c shall be mighty glad when we git this
outfit to Chattanoogy," sighed 81 "Pm
glttln' older every minute that have 'em on
my hands