The National tribune., 1900-05-31

Y FLANK TURNED TOWARD SHORTY"
dogs III be all over this hill before they git
done cuttin' them baskets full O bark. II
III take 'em all day to git all the bark they'y
come after, and they've brung their dinners
along"
The mention of dinr.<r reminded them
that they had not eaten anything since
morning, and dinner would be very welcome
if they could find something to dine on.
Shorty now included in his denunciations
all those who wore butternut clothes, and
| spoiled good nut-bearing trees TO get a vile
| ugly dye-stuff.
The day was getting oppressively hot,
| and they were becoming unutterably tired
Ind very sullen, as they tramped painfully
| llong, winding hither and thither through
| he woods to keep out of sight of those in
he houses, the roads and the fields of the
: Jpen country. For hours they could find
| nothing that offered any promise of safe
| hiding. AT last, when it seemed that they
| could scarcely go another step, they came
to cedar-crowned hill, that overlooked
pasture field in which were a number of
| cattle. 1t was remote from any house, and
nearly a mile from the big road running
| through the valley.
| Les stop here, boys" said ST. Its
the best place we've found, and We kin rest
here until dark, anyway"
| The wearied boys sank on the ground,
while ST and Shorty advanced a little ways
| 10 get a good view of the farmhouse, mile
away, and saw also gang of negroes In
the field beyond plowing and wedding
cotton.
| Presently man came up the road, at
| pretty sharp pace. He entered the house,
and in a few minutes horn was blown,
/ at which signal the negroes left their plows
and hastened to the house. The next step
was for the negroes to make their way
rapidly to the pasture. and while two of
them came to the upper side to lay down
the fence, the rest began gathering up the
gap;
Shorty, out of all patience.
Il hanit no idee, but if I have to guess,
it is that that man over there's going to hide
his cattle up there in the cedarS from some
likely from the rebel impressing agents.
You remember how we found cattle up there
in Tennessee, which was hid out from the
rebel QuartermaSterS."
Shorty devoted to eternal destruction
the rebel CommiSSary Department, the
owners OF Georgia cattle, and generally
everything south of Mason & Dixon's Line. |
But there was no time to be lost, for the |
negroes were hurrying the cattle forward |
into the brush, and the partners now noticed !
that not far from them was an open place |
where evidently the cattle had been before |
gathered and concealed. |
Shorty took Pete on his back, and they |
began again their weary clrcllng around |
and dodg ng from covert to covert.
From the top of one hill that they gained |
they could look down the road, and verify |
the correctners of Sis surmises, for the |
rebel impressers were coming along with |
a great herd of cattle they had gathered |
from the farms they passed. The cattle |
they had seen hidden did not escape. for |
the impresSerS had with them a couple OF
companies of cavalry, which We're deployed |
on either side of the road, riding through |
the woods. and bringing out hidden stock. |
The sight of these gave the fagged-out |
boys terrible alarm, and Spurred them up |
to fresh exertion, though every step was a |
pain. They must get out of the way of the |
cavalry, who evidently knew the country |
well, and were searching 1t thoroughly and |
rapidly.
ST and Shorty discussed the situation |
feverishly as they hurried along to the next
hilltop.
The big road along which the impressers
were advancing ran nearly east and west |
and it was very desirable that they should |
cross it to the north side, to continue their |
Journey. But it was being filed up by
men who galloped ahead tospy out the land,
and look out for. the people trying to get
their stock in hiding.
Its no use Shorty" said ST with a sick
at-heart expression. "We kin never git
acrost the road tonight, or until these
iIlielutii WHeiiS Slt n.y. we We SOi W tsthe
the back track, and circle around to the
left, and try to dodge this dod-gasted
measly cavalry"
Shorty made no attempt to express his
feelings. The situation was too intensely
aggrayating for any words in his vocabu-
larry. 1t meant miles of backward travel
and anxious lodging of the horsemen,
while they themselves were sinking with
fatigue and unutterably hungry.
Come on the jump" said 81, taking
Sandy Baker by the hand and starting
back briskly., They're Citing closeter
every minute
They could see squad of horsemen at
the foot of the hill, looking around for cattle.
They ran as fast as their jaded limbs would
carry them, down on the opposite side, and
tore through the brush for some distance,
only to be arrested by the sound Of the
their left, compelling them to make another
detour.
So it went for long, anxious, painful
hours. Whenever they would stop to rest
and breathe, and indulge in the hope that
they had at last got beyond the cavalry on
to be freshly alarmed by the sight or sound
Of another squad of cattle-hunters. 1t was
long after the sun had gone down, and the
had begun their mournful, :
depressing chorus, when they halted, and !
81 felt tttl.et they had at length got out of
Their faces and hands were torn and bleed !
ing from the brush and briers through i !
which they had rushed, some had lost their Z
hats, and all were so Frustrated with fatigue /
that they did not seem capable of taking {
another step.
80, I'm so hungry" walled Pete. "Haint {
none O. you got anything to eat?' /
The others seemed too tired to feel the /
famine that was gnawing them. Id