The National tribune., 1899-10-12
One came almost directly toward

slope. One came almost directly toward
him. the other going 20 :lc LEFT. 1t oc-
Cured to him to capture one of the men.
He would have suggested to Shorty 10 get
the otlcr, blt he could not bring himself
To speak 10 his partier. Keeping his eyes
fixed ON the man directly in front. he slowly
wriggled forward without rising. The
man was evidently coming cautiously,
lultiug every few steps, and looking and
listening.
Perfect quiet rcigned in the regiment.
Tho mcE We're mostly ;.sleep. Those who
were awake were iuteHtly watching the
hill for some sign of the enemy. or us ST.
leptly forcboding the happenings of the
morrow.
Without making the least noise. ST
reached the edge Of the abasis. There a
Young tulip Tree had been left standing
and its plentiful branches and large leaves
made Il thick mass of darkness. he rose
upright behind. but his foot came down
on Il dead stick, which broke with Il sharp
crack. All the blood rushed to his heart
But at the same instant his head had dis
tnrbed Il whip-poor-will who had taken
refuge there from the noise; She flew
away with a tumult OF plaiutive whips. "
The rebel in front halted for a long time.
Then he apparently concluded that an
owl was after the whip-poor-will, and,
reassured, came forward.
As he had crawlcd along, ST had felt
with his hands that he was on a tolerahly
beaten path, which ran by the saplinp
he was now standing behind. He was
sure that this led through the abatis. and
the rebel was coming down it. The rebel
came on so near that ST could hear his
breathing, and Si feared he could hear his.
The rebel was carrying his gun at trail
Ill his right hand, and putting all his pow
ers into his eyes and ears to detect signs
of the presence of Yankees. He hesitated
for a little while before the sapling, and
then stepped past it.
AS he did so 81 shot out his right arm
and caught him around the neck with so
quick and tight a hug that the rebel could
not open his mouth to yell. ST raised his
| arm so rs to press the rebels jaws together
| and with his left hand reached for his gun.
| The rebel Swayed and struggled. but the
| slender SoutAcrncr was no match for the
| brOad-shouldered Indiana boy, whose mus.
cles had been knit by hard work
| The struggle was only momcntary until
81 secured the gun, and the rebels muscles
relaxed from the stoppage of his breath.
| II you say Il word, or try to. you're a
dead man." ST whispered. as he dropped
| the gun and substituted his left hand AT
the mans throat for his right-arm Tax.
| ing silence Tor acluieScence, ST picked uI
his own guil and started with his prisoner
| for the Colonel. He walked upright boldly
now. for the watchers on the rebel works
could not see that there was more than one
| man in the path.
| The Colonel ordered ST to bring his
prisoner back into gully some distance
| behind the line. where he could be in
lerrogated without the sound reaching
| the men III the works.
| Where do you belong?" asked the Col
onel.
40 Kunnel Wheatstone's Jawjy rii
mint"
| How many men have you got ovel
| there in the works?"
| We'll, right smart passul"
| What do you mean by a right smar
| parcel?"
We'll, good big heap"
What, a thousand?"
@Yes, | reckon So"
ren thousand?"
81 'Spects So"
Twenty thousand?"
"Mouty likely"
You don't seem to have a very clear ides
| of numbers. How many regiments hay,
you got over thcre?"
well, thar's kunnel Wheatstone's Jaw
gy rijimint-that's mine; then thar's
kunnel Tarrants South Carliny rijmint
and then thar's Kunnel Birds Tennessee,
rilmint, and don't mind how many others
They've bin comm and goin' all day
and L hain't paid no attention to 'em.
only know that thar's enough to giyt
youns wallopin' if yo'uns II only com,
on"
Sergeant" said the Colonel, "you dir
splendid thing in capturing this ma,
and bringing him to me, but l fear shall
| not get as much information out of him a.
I'd like to. I don't presume ANYBODY
| really knows just how many men are owe
there. We've got to Jump the works anG
| take the chances on what We find"
Were ready the minute you give tn,
word, Colonel" said 81, saluting.
Colonel said Shorty's voice out of tn,
darkness, I've brung you one o the rebe
scouts that was piroutin' out there.
don't know as you kin make much out O
| him. though, for the welt 1 fetched hin
with my gun barl seems to've throwef
his thinkery out O gear, and he can
talk straight"
"And so you got the other one," ST started
to say to his partner, but then he remem
bered Shorty's "farin' up," and held hi.
tongue.
81 don't imagine that his 'thinkerv.
as you call it, was of much account when
| was in order, If it was no better than thi.
| other MANS" said the Colonel, with ;
smile. Perhaps, if he could think bette
he wouldn't be in the rebel army. Ser
geant Ito the Provost-Sergeant), tax,
charge Of these two men. Give them some
| thing to eat and send them to Division
Headquarters.
ST and Shorty carefully avoided on,
| another on their way back to the company
and declined to discuss their exploits witt
either the Orderly-Sergeant or Capt. Nc
Gillicuddy.
60 out and git you a rebel for yourself
if you want to know about 'em," Short,
had snapped at the Orderly. There.
plenty more up there on the hill. It's full
of 'em."
AS everything now seemed quiet il
front, the two partners sat down with thei
backs against trees to catch a little sleel
before the momentous movement in thu
morning.
1t seemed to ST that he had hardly CLOSED
his eyes when the Orderly shook him ant
whispered an order to help arouse tn,
men and get them into line
Don't make the least noise," WHISPERED
the Orderly. 81 hear the rebels moving
around, but we want to jump 'em before
they know we're up. The further we car
get through that abatis before they dis
cover us, the fewer We'll have killed. IT,
going to be mighty tough work at best
and 1 wish that we were going over the
works now"
1t was the chill gray of the morning
when every mans spirits and courage
are at cbb-tide For an instant, 81 fell
his heart sink at the thought of the awful
ordeal that confronted them. There came
across his mind swift vision of the peace.
full home back in Indiana, with the pleasant
fields lying about, over which he used tr