Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1899-12-14

Il.
But first of, sir, I'd like another
de tail fur little while"
What d'you want 'em for"
o buiy the first detail, SIR
"What!"
The captain jumped as though shot.
That's right, sir
Grlif' voice trembled a little as he
made answer
Corporal, tell me about it." said
the officer sadly as he sat down in q
half finished treuch and buried his
face in hie hands.
We'll, sir, yu see it was this wav:
l picked out my men-ell old hands
cept Slocum-took EN- down t. tn
foot O th' bill, an deployed 'em two
PAGES apart, Shorty Smith on tn right
an me on tn left. Then we advanced,
lneanin' to fire into tn first 'spicious
! lookln' tree we struck.
I'VE hadn't gone forty yards when
1oungs, next t me, says:
'Shorty's down
That's rough luck saws T.
Right through tn head, too, says
| he
$50 halted EN- al walked over to
tn other end of tn line, an there he
was, dead. sure enough.
''Well, We held a little confab,
) tryln' to determine where tn bullet
come from. But 'twant no use, fur
they was trees on all sides an in front
al SO much firm on the hill that VIC
couldn't tell single shot on the bot
tom. SO. tcllin' EN- to keep sharp
watch out, | ordered another advance.
eve jest started off wheu Youngs
went down like q log, never maxim q
sound. But l didn't stop EN- then
| had my eye on q tree about three
hundred yards away, an we was
maxim fur it right lively when Model
Mike tL:cw up his hands an fell all
in heap.
'Then ] halted EN- again an we
dropped INTO til tall grass fur protec
ton. Mike WASH dead yet, an be-
fore he cashed in he said he knew
where that shot come from. It was
tn same tree I'd spotted, an so give
orders t. charge it en- pump lead into
tn top Of it from til word SO.
eve charged an fired an three
fellers come tumblin down out of it.
One Of 'cm wasn't dead, an as we
come runnin up, he sort O half set
up and pointed to his mouth, sa-in':
'Agwa, agwa;' meaning wafer, yu
know
I'll give y'u agwa,' says Solly
Smith (Shorty's brother), jumpin'
ahead. 'Y'ure one OF the dirty
greasers that killed Shorty
An with that he bats him over tn
dead with til butt Of his gun. jest
then there was shot from the tree
an Solly dropped, bein shot through
tb' head from tn top down.
''We got that feller o. th' tree
mighty quick and then I took a sort
OF inventory. They was Jest six left
besides me. Three shot in tn adj
vance, two in tn charge an one under
the tree.
Wed got four greasers, SO we was
still couple shy on our order. reck-
onel we'd be able { git them all
right. al ordered another advance.
''When we started Young Slocum
he begun blubberin', sayiu' he'd be
tn next one to git it, an sonethin'
about girl. an a lot OF such bosh. |
told him lie would be next sure
enough if he didn't shut up, as Idplant
him right there myself. But twan't t
necessary. sir, fur be dropped fore
| fairly had tn words ont O my
mouth.
Il lost the other five gittin' tn
next greaser, an that left ME t hunt
tn last one alone. We seen each
other about til same time. He jest
missed me an that's how | come t
git him.
After that lay in the grass till
dark an then come back to report;
"Grltf. said the captain, rising
slowly. take your detail, mark ell
the graves as plainly as possible and
then so TO the hospital
Very well, sir and Corporal
Gritf saluted rs he disappeared IL the
darkness.