The National tribune., 1899-05-25

You've had a mighty narrow squeak of it.
there's no Yankee and rebel soldiers huntin'
one another in the neighborhood. Coons
have tough time then"
Yankee soiers!" gasped the negro, as
he was led back to the fire. and saw the blue
uniforms. Lawdy, massy, don't kill me.
| pray, sab, don't. l haint done muffin.
Sho' | haint Massa said you'd burn me
alibe If you eber cotched me, but you won't,
will you?"
: We amt goin' to hurt you, said Shorty.
" Sit down there by the fire, and git the
goose-ilesh often you" Then turning to the
boys, he remarked sarcastically:
Fine lot o. marksmen you are, for fact.
Halfa-dozen o you bangin' away at hun
dred yards, and not comm close enough to a
Niger to let him know you was shoosin' at
him. Now will you lay down and 90 70
sleep? Here, ii, Yen take charge o. this
gang, and let me go to sleep. I've had
enough o. them for one night"
During the night train came up, carrying
regiment of entirely new troops In the
morning these scattered over the ground,
scanning everything with the greatest in
terest, and drinking in every detail of the
thrilling events OF the previous night.
IT'S just killin,'' said 81 to Shorty, Yto
watch the veteran airs our boys are putin,
on over those new fellers. You'd think they'd
fit in every battle since Bunker Hill, and
learned Gen. Grant all ne knows about tactics.
Talk about the way the old fellers used to
fill US up, why, these boys lay away over
everything we ever knOwed | overheard
Harry Joslyn laying it into about 40 of them.
No man knows just what his feelin's will
be under fire until he has the actual expe-
rience, says he. Now the first time heard
a rebel bullet whistle, and his face took on
look as if he was irving to recollect some
something years ago.
"Yes. ?" laughed Shorty" and YOU should
hear little Pete Skidmore and Sandy Baker
lecturing them greenies as to the need o,
lOokin' carefully to their rear, and beware o.
rebels sreakiu' round and attackin' their
trains. Hold on. Look through this brush
There's Monty Scruggs explainin' the plan o.
battle to a crowd of 'em. He don't know
we're anywhere around. Listen and you'll
hear somethingn
The enemy had reached the ground in
advance OF us" Monty was calculating. in
language with which his school histories and
the daily papers had famiiarized him,
and had strongly posted himself along
those nights, occupying a position of great
cussedness. Their numbers was greatly
superior to ours, and they had prepared a
cunning trap for us, which we only escaped
by the vigilance of Corpril Elliott and the
generalship of Serg't Klegg l tell you,
those men are n dandy team when it comes
to running battle. They know their little
biz, and don't you forget it for minute
The enemy opened a CALLING fire when
Corpril Elliott gallantly advanced to that
point there and responded, while Serg't
Klegg rapidly arrayed his men along there,
and the battle became terrific. 1t was like
the poet says:
Then shook the hills with thunder riven.
Then rushed the steeds to battle driven,
And louder than the bolts of heaven,
Far flashed the red artillery
20, come off, Monty" called the more
prosaic Gid Mackall; "you know we didn't
have no artillery. If we'd had, we'd a
blowed 'em clean often the hill"
The whistle summoned them to get aboard
and move on.
(To be continued1