The National tribune., 1899-11-30
attention. and he halted his squad to in

/ WIS Oii VI litdlitiS ne PiiNlitt4
as rapidly as he could but did not seem to
be gaining on it.
| At length the road left the muddy, low
ground, and went up over hard, sandy
rise. and there forked. The dashing rain
/ had washed out all signs of passers, and
ST halted in dismay. Finally he decided
| that the left-hand road fork was the more
direct route and the regiment had probably
gone on that and he pushed forward with
renewed speed.
Presently they We're encouraged by hear
ing voices ahead, and pushed up until these
We're tolerably plain. when they logged
along after them.
Soon Shorty stepped up alongside of
ST and whispered:
"Si. wonder if them's our men. The
voices don't seem familiar. They don't
swear like the 200th lnjianny does. Listen
for yourself"
| Sis heart went into his mouth, and he
halted the squad in a whisper.
They all listened with painful intentness
| The rain had temporarily ceased. and the
only sounds were those of the water drip
ping on the leaves and rushing through
| the guilies. A roaring voice flowed back
through the darkness
| What is the matter with you siab-sided,
splay-footed sand-diggers? Can't yo,uns
see nothin'. you mole-eyed bats? That
mud-hole's big as a Georgy crackers S
farm. and yit every moon-blind. wuthless
| y
waller thar. Climb outen thar this minnit,
you white-eyed boars, afore | come thar
and lather the empty Eastwood heads
often yo'uns with my sword. Lord,
what was | ever set to command sieh a
gang o addlepated woods swine for? Hits
enough to drive a sensible man plum ravin'
crazy. Cit outen thar, / say"
Shorty whispered st, 'them'S rebels.
Nobody in our brigade's got sich a tongue
as that"
know that voice? That's Gilmartin's
Tennessee regiment. Don't you remember
we heard him bellerin' Just that way at
Stone River; agin at Lame Deer Crick, and
then at Duck River? We've got inside
the rebel lines, and run up agin our old
lacquaintances."
You're right, Shorty. We must git
out. and that quick. How"
"Shan't we shoot into 'em?" asked the
nervous little Pete, and the locks of his
aud Sandy's guns clicked. Pm sure l
kin nit that feller that's Yelling
tearnestpess, "if you ever kept that restless
little tongue o yours still you must do IT
now. The rebels is probably all around
us. Don't you cheep agin, on your life.
You're higher bein' lost than you ever was
before in all your born days. Open your
ears wide, and put a stickin plaster on
your mouth"
They noticed that they had entered a
narrow lane. with high fences on either side.
'The only thing to do is to skip back
the way we come" whispered 81. Bout
facep'
They had taken but step or two, when
a savage voice called out from the rear with
tstartling nearness.
Hold on, thar, you Lincolnite pups;
whar air yo'uns gwine? Tryin' to sneak
off to the Yankees, air yo'uns? I've bin
expectin' that trick o. you coy'ardly con-
scripts all night, and've stayed back behind
to watch yo'uns. Go on with the ri ijimint,
Or I'll blow yo'uns often the face o the
airth. Go on, / say"
Wed better go on" whispered Si.
There's no chance to make a break here.
Mebbe there will be further ahead. Bout
-Forward-March!
The rain resumed with violence. 81
plodded OH at the head OF his squad. his
brain working with 40 horsepower as 10
ways of escape. He was trying to think
how many men there were behind him, and
what chance there would be in struggle
with them. The brief sound of their foot
steps as they came up the hill, before the
rain drowned out all sounds but his own,
made him think that there We're several
times as many as he had-probably. a
company under the command OF a Captain,
acting as rear-guard Not wishing to get
any nearer the regiment in front, he did
not hasten his footsteps, and presently
the voice from the rear sounded alongside
of him, as the owner had forged ahead.
The outlines of the form accompanying 1t,
as near as ST. could make out in the dark
ness and binding rain, were bulky, and
the voice sounded like that of a large,
powerful man.
"Whar's the rijimint?' inquired the
voice.
"Right thar ahead, only few steps,
answered ST. initiating as well as he could
the Southern dialect. "You kin hear 'em. F"
Yes, there's ole Giimartin's red rag
gwine like fullin' MILL returned the
voice. He's drunk, as usual when thar's S
any thing to be done. The minnit he gifts
his orders he begins to fill up his keg
into the Yankees back thar. and if | hadn't
taken the rare-gyard he'd not had half the
rijimint in the mornin'. These blasted
conscripts only lookin' for sich a chance
as this to skeet out. Astonished you,
Lincolnite white niggers find me in your
rare, didn't hit? Blocked your little game
jest when yo'iins thought yo'uns was
playin' hit to win, didn't hit? But I'd
had my eye on yo'unS ever sence we
started. I've alluz had my eye on you,
Baz Peters, You big hog thief, and you Ito
Shorty, Brice Wolf, you longlegged
crocodile, ever sence | conscripted you
both into the riJimint over thar by Taze-
well, when yo'uns was tryin' to git to the
Lincolnites."
Crocodile am r." muttered Shorty to
himself soOIneDOuS efltItiS 100 Tree
with his tongue; He'll be more respectful
before the nights over"
Lucky yo'uns wasn't put into my
company" continued the voice.
His company" thought Si; hes Cap
tain. and has got a company with him.
But well find some way to jump him."
EFF yo'uns had" said the voice, ''Pd
either killed yo'uns or had YOU killed long
ago. But ole Stillman's too easy with
you. He's got streak o Lincoln in his
Town gizzard. Astonished yo'uns that
knowed you in the dark. But I've got the
best eyes for seeing in the dark in the
ri jimint, and I'd know that hump on your
back, Baz Peters, that you made totin'
other folks's hogs, and them ganglin' legs
ard splay feet o. your'n, Brice Wolf, in a
darker night than this. Why don't you
say something? Why don't yo'uns talk?"
'Hain't got nothin' to say" answered
81.
"Hain't.eh? Well, you kin talk fast
lenough, and loud enough, when you're
argyin' politics. Jest as well for yo'uns
to say nOthin'. Better do heap o. thinkin'
I-thinkin' on your latter end. Better be
sayin' your prayers. You amt long fur
this airth, yo'uns amt. I'll either have
youns shot for example termorrer morning,
or you'ns III be put whar your friends the
Yanks III salt yo'uns. Yo'uns III be made
to save better men,"
They came to where torrent. yard
wide or more, was tearing across the road,
and halted a little before entering it. A
feeble flash of lightning revealed that they
We're nearly out of the lane, with dense
woods to the right and left. Shorty bumped
I'D against ST.