The National tribune., 1899-07-27

for marching. Great Scott, can't you git
along without fightin'? Pm goin' to take
| you where you'll git real fightin' enough to
satisfy you. Go ahead, there, and divide
them rations, as l ordered you, and be
quick about it, for we must hurry Off"
The mention of real fighting Immediately
sobered up the boys, and made them forget
| their sQuabbles They hurried about
their work with quickened zeal.
Now" said Si, ''pack your rations care
/ full y IN Your haversacks, just as you see me
and COrpril Elliot doin'. First, keep your
sugar. coffee and salt separate. Put 'em
| in little tin boxes, like these, and see that
| the lids are on tight Hurry up, now.
Shorty, you'd better look over the boxes,
and go up and draw as many cartridges as
you think we'll need"
! The mention Of need for cartridges was
an electric impulse which set the boys
| keenly alive. They bundled their rations
| into their hayerSackS, and flung their
| blanket rolls over their shoulders. and were
| standing in state of palpitating expec-
| fancy, when Shorty came back with his
hands full of cartridges, which he pro-
ceeded to distribute.
Take arms" commanded ST. "For-
wardi-Marchp'
! ST and Shorty started off with their long,
easy, campaign stride, which in some in
| learns by practice, brought their feet down
every time in exactly the right place. avoid
i ing all stumbling blocks, and covering
| without apparent effort a long distance in
the course of an hour. The boys pattered
| industriOuSly after, doing their best to keep
up, but stumbling over roots and stones.
and slipping on steep places. ard dropping
| to the rear III spite of themselves.
When Si made the customary halt at the
end of the first hour, his little command was
strung back for a quarter of mile, and
little Pete Skidmore was out of sight.
Better go back and look for little Pete
Shorty" said ST. Eve seem to be losin'
him."
Pete was soon brought up, painting and
tired.
"Dod durn it, whatre YOU all runnin'
away from me for?" he gasped. Want to
lose me? Want to git into the fight all by
yourselves, and leave me out? Think be-
cause I'm little can't help? kin shoot as
well as anybody in the crowd dod durn
you"
There, you see the nonsense O giving
you as much rationS as the Others" sug-
gested Alf Russell. "You can't pack 'em,
and you wouldn't need 'em if you did pack
em."
what business is it Of. yours Mister
Russell, I'd like to know" asked Monty
Scruggs, what he does with his rations.
His rations are his rights, and he's entitled
to 'em. It's nobody's business what use
a man makes of his rights"
"Where are these rebels that we're goin'
10 IiSlt. SLSNCu ll1lIs cOotN IL, eagerly
scanning the horizon. I've been looking
for 'em all along, but couldn't see none. |
Was you in such n hurry for fear they'd get
away, and have they got away?'
Il wasn't in no hurry answered ST. |
THAT was only regler marchin' gait"
"Holy smoke" murmured the rest, wip- |
ing their foreheads; Eve thought you was |
trying TO run the rebels down"
Don't be discouraged, boys" said ST. !
you'll soon git used to marchin' that way |
right along, and never thinking of it. 1t
may seem little hard now, but it won't |
last long. | guess you're rested enough. |
Attention! FOrwardl-March!'
ST and Shorty had mercifully intended to
slow down little, and not push the boys.
But as they pulled out they forgot them
selves, and fell again into their long, swing
ing stride, that soon strung the boys cut
worse than ever. especially as they were rot
now buoyed up by an expectation of meet
ing the enemy.
I'VE must march slower, Si," said Shorty,
glancng ruefully back, "or we'll lose every
blamed one o them boys. They're too
green yit."
That's So" accorded ST Its like
tryin' to make a grass-bellied horse run
Quarter-Stretch.'
might inquire" asked Monty Scruggs,
rs he came up. wiped his face and sat down
on rock, whether this is what you'd call
a forced march. or merely freeWill trial
trot for n record?'
'Neltner- answered 81. III s only COM ,
mon, straight, everyday march out into
the country, You kin count upon one day !
like this for the rest o your natural lives
| mean your service. It's part o what you
enlisted for. And this's only beginnin'. .
Some days you'll have to keep this up Is or ,
Is hours at a stretch"
There was u general groan of dismay.
Gracious, 1 wish I'd wings. or that I'd {
enlisted in the cavalry" sighed Harry. {
Brace up! Brace up!' said Shorty. +
You'll soon git used TO it, and make your {
40 miles q day like the rest of us. carrying l
your bed-clothes. and family groceries with i
you. It's all in gittin' used to it. as the man {
said who'd bin skinnin' ees for 40 years, {
and that now they didn't mind it a Bit
We'll. les Jog along" said ST. I'VE t
ought to git there in another hour. There's !
a big rain comm up, and we want to git /
under cover before it strikes us. Forward! '
March, I
But the rain was nearer than Si thought. ]
It came. as the Spring rains come in the {
North Georgia mountains-as if Niagara 6
lad been shifted into the clouds overhead. I
The boys were literally washed Off the road, Il: