The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1899-01-14
Hello, SHORTY! Thought YOU'D wait till

Ecllo, Shorty! Thought you'd wait till
we got to tavern, did you?"
Hold on, boys! l tried to save the
captain. No use. He's down for good.
Got any water? My canteen's busted.
Hole right through it." And he ex-
hibited battered canteen, with the
ragged tin edge of bullet-hole show
ing over its soied brown cloth cover.
Bill, where's your gun?'
"Some awkward cuss knocked it out
of my hands as we got up to charge.
Like enough it's ruined. Lieutenant,
want to go back and get me gun. I'm
no use here without one, and was an
iGiot to come up barehanded; but l
wouldn't like anyone to say flinched."
Useless to tell how the battle ragged,
how at times it seemed as if the lines
ahead of us were too stiff to get
through; how each charge by us or on
US left fewer men and officers; how
we fought at times in companies where
we were comparative strangers - al
finding fewer men in it; how madly
the few water courses crossed were
drunk from, all muddy and detiled as
they were; how fellow wanted to
smoke until his mouth and throat
ached; how our last halt for the day
proved, after all, to be our resting
place for the night, little as we sus-
pected it; and how that day was so
seemed like old things passed year
ago. But the log fires, with scanty ra.
tons saved. and pipe of niggerhead
tobacco, brought peace to those unhurt
or not attending to the wounded. At
such times there is no consolation which
is so satisfying as that derived from q
pipe.
In log hut, in mile in the rear of
the last position carried. were lanterns
end groans. All the floor was cum
bcred with resting figures, and, at "a
crude table in each room. officiated
what had been surgeon in the morn
ing, but gorebespattered. grim. and
with all the human sympathy splashed
cut by human blood, was butcher to-
night.
A hospital steward with assistants
would remove the last burden from the
table and substitute another, groan-
ing, perhaps, but often strangely quiet,
though great drops of beaded sweat
might stand on the temples and the
teeth be clenched until the jaw mus
',lcs stood out rigid as stone. Most of
the boys were true grit clean through,
and bore their terrible suffering like
the brave men they were.
To this temporary field hospital came
the colonel-not for aid for his ban
daged hand; that was an episode; but
his wounded men were calamities. To
the once chubby farmers son. lying
one of row on the floor, came the
colonel, speaking kindly: "Why. Char
lie, knew you were hurt. but thought
It only scratch. How badly are you
hit?"
SWELL, colonel, they took my foot
off, but" with weak chuckie, IL got
a joke on the doctor, anyhow. The foot
he's left me is as sound as nut, and the
che he tuck off wasn't worth much, any
how. 1t had two corns on it that had
| been Fostering me ever since | enlist
cd, an there was something like a
bunion coming on it, too. So amt near
as bad off as might be. But, colonel
I'm afraid it let's me out of the regi-
ment. 1 suppose there's nothing for it
but to stay home like one O the old
women home-guards. or enlist again
as cussed cavalryman. That's what
disgraces me-"
1t doesn't matter what the colonel
said about one of his boys being dis.
graced; but it made the lad feel the
worse for the loss of his foot and his
I.lace in the regiment.
Could the colonel get anything for
.he wounded one?
Well, If he could get few ripe apples
seemed as if they would taste good and
COOL
Next day, foraging party took
the boys chum as one of its members
all-mindful of the boys longing for
apples.
The sergeant warned him that, like
as not, some of the bushwhackers were
still hanging around just such places
as that orchard on the hillside, and
that he'd better look out.
He was careful, so careful that when
there appeared above the rail fence a
stock head, surmounted by dark
SLOUGH hat with the bushwhackers' sign
Of square white paper on it, the boys
lartner promptly sent mimic ball
crushing through it-that is, through
the head; the aim was just below, the
hat-and went on seeking few more
apples. He had determined to go back
to the forage wagons, when second
lushwhacker fred at him. AS he
wheeled about, he caught part of the
contents of second barrel, buckshot
loaded. A rapid run soon brought him
up to his party.
THE fellow plugged you in the face,
said the sergeant. Lucky he carried
one O. them shotguns. If he'd rifle
he'd have snuffed you out"
II reckon" replied the apple bear.
er, smearing the blood from his cheek
| ~ l.