The National tribune., 1900-06-21

"A LINE OF NEGROES OF BOTH SE8
| AND MOUTH Open
FIVE Yankees any day, didn't your
Il may have said something like that
then, and believed it, said the Judge.
yet, when there's anything like fair
| show"
We'll, my place in the company's open
| ter yo' fer some weeks till git well O
this crack on my noddle. Yo' haint had
10 'sperience yit foutin' Yankees. Yo' go
up thar an take my place an yo'll done
find monty quick that yoll have yer hands
plum full downin' that thar one Yankee
who whacked me. l thought that l wuz
quicker'n a cat, but he wuz all round me
afo' | could git my gun off. Go up an
try hit onct Jedge."
| giving him the story of the fight in detail
| ind informing him that they were on
| their way home to get well Of their
wounds, he rode off, while those OF them
who were able to dismount got down pain
| fully. drank copiously of the water, and
| handed drinks to those who could not get
out of their saddles.
! They soaked their bandages. which
were stiff and painful, and finally rode off
| toward their several homes.
| Our cavalry only 10 miles off," thought
| 81, with n great eXultation in his heart
| 1--WE ought to git TO them in a single
night, if the boys could only walk. They
can't tonight though. Mebhe they'll be
| able tomorrow night, If we kin git some
thing to live on till then"
| AS the rebels disappeared around the
bend in the road, the bushes on the side
| opposite ST opened to reveal the broad
| face, surmounted by a turban, of Aunt
Minerva Ann. She looked cautiously up
;sld down, to see that the coast was en-
| tirely clear
ITS all right, Aunty. They're gone,
| and here | am, waitin' for you," said 81.
''Bress de Lord" she CALCULATED fer
| yently. Didn't de harnts fly away wild
yo', nur eat yo' up, nur do muffin ter yo'
last night?''
"Nothin' at ALL answered 81. Didn't
! bother us a bit Haunts know their biz
| Mss. They give Yankees a wide berth, 1
| tell you"
Gracious me, / wuz so skeered erbout
yo' ] couldn't close my eyes. l prayed
| ter de good Lord Gawd ter take keer OBJ
yo', an sabe yo' fom de harnts de last
| ting last night an de fust ting dis mawn-
| in. Den I'd git skeered sometimes tink-
| in mebbe yo' wuz harnts yoselvcs, jest
| taIin' dat shape ter fool po' niggehs. L
talked data-way ter Eph'aim. but be said
he was done sho' yo' wuz rayle meat-an'-
bone Yankee. Harnts couldn't eat an
drink an laugh lack yo'uns done. Eph-
aims an ole fool erbout most t'ings, but
he knows some mouty well"
Don't you have any doubts about our
bein real flesh and blood Yankees, Aunty.
If you knowed how tired and sore and
hungry we are, you'd understand that we
were flesh, and mighty weak. suffering
flesh, as the preachers say, at that. Did
you bring us something to eat. Aunty?"
deed l has, honey. is bin bakin'
an a-bilin' an a-brilin' all de blessed
mawnin' ter git sumfin fer yo' all. l had
ter get my ole mans dinner besides, an
take hit out ter him. Den had ter sneak
hit all past de oberseer an de big house,
but let Aunt Minervy Ann alone fur dat.
Dey all t'ink demselves powerful cum
min, but dey've got ter git up monty airly
| in de mawnin' ter git ahead OBJ me. Eph-
| aim wanted ter come erlong, but l
| wouldn't let him. He'd spite ebberyting
| wild his mind sames he is wild his feet.
He had no mo- gumption in his feet dan
| mud-turkle. i got de vittels right back
dar, an I'll done bring 'em ter you. Keep
yer eye peeled fer folks a-comin'-"
She presently reappeared with split
| hickory basket on her head and gallon
| jug in her hand.
Bring it right over here, Aunty."
called 81 from his side of the road.
mo, sah," she said, most decidedly.
Mary step will yo' git me on dat side
OBJ de road. I'm jest as nigh dem harnts
| as L i d-S WiIle.
every well, I'll come over there for It."
| ST glanced up and down the road to see
| that all was clear, and then crossed to
| the other side. He found that the jug
| contained milk from the spring house, and
| in the basket covered with cabbage-leaves
were corn-dodgers, still hot from the oven,
| and a roast pig.
"Jest fink" said Aunt Minerva Ann,
as ST gloated over the viands, II ackchel-
| ly done went an killed one OBJ dem lubbly
! leetle shoats, an roasted hit-all fer dat
| leetle teenty Yankee. l done hated or
| fully ter do hit, fer I'd sot my heart on
| raisin' dem shoats, but l rassled In pra'r
ober hit, an hit seemed ter me dat my
| lights tole me dat l wuz layin' up treas
| ures in heaben, where de moth don't cor
| rupt nur de thieves break in an steal.
| If hit hadn't a bin fer dat leet!e teenty
hoy wouldn't a done hit. l could see
hine-quarter and some OBJ de spare
| ribs"
He shall have them, Aunty, and
| never kin thank you enough for this. II
you live hundred years you'll never do
anything better'n this. The Lord'H re-
! ward you for it, If we don't. Wen be
! back here, / hope, in a few weeks, with
| the army, and I'll see that you get re-
warded for it,
"Good-by, now. Take monsous good
| keer OBJ dat leetle teenty Yankee, an let
him had all de nice parts of dat pig. Me
an Eph-aim ii come ober dis ebenin'
some time, an bring 20 some mo- Wit
| tells Be on de lookout fer us. Squall
lack cat-bifd ter let we'uns know yo're
thar"
81 hurried back to the ruined cabin
with his supply of food. and found the
boys al awake, except Monty Scruggs