The National tribune., 1899-08-10

My parole was out at daylight" he said
as they came up. ''The suns now nearly
an hour high. l amt obleeged to be good
10. more. and / could've drapped one O
yo'uns when y fust turned often the road
and got away. l s'pose I'd orter've done
hit. and I'd great mind ter, but suthin'
sorter held me back. Understand that?"
You'd a bin nice man to've shot at us
when we wuz comm to help your comrades. y
said Si, walking up coolly toward him, and
his gun, while he held his own ready for a
quick blow with the barrel. "We needn't
We come back here at all, except that We
felt it right to take care O. the men that got
hurt"
Come back to take keer O. the men that
yo'uns swatted last night" said the rebel
rcredulously. That haint natural.
ior 'em. 'cept to see if they'uns s dead yit.
and mebbe gin 'em prod with the bayonit
20 help 'em along? But they 'uns s mouty
nigh dead, now. They uns can't last
much longer. But I'll kill the fust one O.
yo'uns that tries to prod one o. they'uns
with bayonit. Let they'uns alone.
they'll soon be gone
"Whatre you talkin' about, you dumbed
fool?" said ST, irritably. I'VE haint no
Irjuns nor heathens, to kill wounded men
We're InjiannianS and Christians, what
read the Bible, and foller what it says about
lovin' yonr enemies, and carin' for them
what despltefnliy use you-that is, after
you've downed 'em good and hard"
"Does your Bible say that ere?" asked the
rebel
"Yes, indeed"
well, hit must be new-fangled kind of
Yankee Bible. The only Bible / ever
seed was piece o one that used t. be in
lads house. and I've done heared strangers
read hit aloud hundreds o. times. and hit
said nothin' like that. Hit had lots in If
bout KILN every man and man-child. anf,
hewin' 'em to pieces afore the Lord. but
nothin' bout lovin' and takin' keer O. them
that WIZ fernenst ye."
well, it's in there. all the same" said 81
impatiently, "and you must mind it, same's
take care O these men. They ant goin'
TO die. We wont let 'em. They're all
right. Just faint from loss O. blood. We
kin fix 'em up. Set your gun agin that
beech there. and go to the branch and git
some water to wash their wounds, and
we'll bring 'em around all right"
There was something so masterful in
Sis way, that the rebel obeyed. ST set his
own gun down against hickory, i'm easy.
reach, and had the boys do the same He
had naturally gained good deal of knoWl-
edge of rough surgery in the army, and he
proceeded to put it to use. He washed the
wounds, stayed the flow of blood, and to
he
hound on them fresh, green dock-leaves
wet with water. After the man he had
struck had had his face washed, and his
head thoroughly doused with cold water
he recovered rapidly and was soon able to
sit UP. and then rise weakly to his feet.
The rebel looked on wonderingy.
"Well, yu'uns is as good doctorin' hurts
as ole Sary Whittleton, and she's a natural
bone-sctter," he said.
well. don't stand around and gawk &"
said ST snappishly. Help. What's your
name"
"Gabe Brimster."
well, Gabe, go down to the branch and
git some more water, quick as YOU kin
move them stumps o your'n. Give the
men all they want to drink, and then pour
some on their wounds. Then go there and
cut some o them pawpaws. and peel their
bark, to make litter to carry Your pardner
hack to the mill. Boys, look around for
guns. Smash, all you kin find On that
rock there, SO they won't be of no more use.
Bust the locks COOL and bend the barrels.
Save two to make the handles of the litter"
ST proceeded to deity construct litter
ont OF the two guns, with some sticks that
he cut with a knife, and bound with paw
paw strips.
the hospital, saw weak convalescent faint
and fall He rushed to the Surgeons tent,
and that officer being busy. handed him a
small bottle with metal top, and filed with
strong ammonia, telling him to unscrew the
top and hold the bottle under the mans
nose. He did so, with the effect of reviving
him. 81 thrust the bottle into his pocket.
to help the man back to the hospital, and
forgot all aboutit, until one after another of
his present patients overdid himself, had
relapse, and tainted away. 81 happened to
feel his bottle, drew it out. unscrewed the
top, thrust 1t under their noses, and revived