The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1900-11-29

| u Morse Wnen MS SUSPICIOUS are drOUSeu
Somebody's chopin up thar apiece
What does hit meant he asked.
Il don't hear any ,chopping." answered
the pilot, listening as we'll as he could
between the coughs of the eseape-pipes
They sartinly air" affirmed Jim.
"Thars more'n one-several. Go' kin tell
the different licks. They're chopin some
thing green and soiid-a tree
You're right, jim said the pilot. n
few minutes later, as they came nearer.
What does it meant"
This chute swings over toward the
other shore up thar by the head q Cop
perhead Island" said Jim refectively, try
ing to reason out the probabilities. They
| 'uns may'vc cut acroSt the bend. and then
make they 'uns's way over the shallers
tod Copperhead. andre now chopin
down trees to clear away for a cannon,
or ter make a bridge. Hello. who's the.y-
ms
He saw a number of rebels doing some
| thing on top of large bare rock that
overhung the chute ON the right hand.
They ran down behind the rock, as the
boat approached
They have poles and prizes in their
hands" said the pilot, after speaking
down through the pipe to the engineer TO
give her every ounce of steam he had.
Il think they are trying to pry that rock
down on us. But they're too late"
Shad, Shorty and ST snatched up their
guns to fire on the rebels, but they were
too well under cover of the rock. and as
the boat passed they flung heavy stones
down on the deck, which crushed through
the light planking.
Jake Dyes quiet, pleasant trip, with
all the comforts of IL home, is becoming
pleasanter and luieter, and more homelike
every minute" remarked Shorty.
| As the boat passed up out of musket-
| shot the boys were surprised to see the
rebels swarm up on the rock again and be-
gin working with their prizes. The rock
at length yielded to their efforts, rocked
Il little, and then toppled down into the
stream with sounding splash
| What in the world does that mean?"
| asked 81. I'VE amt going back. There's
no use stopping up the road after we've
passed.
That's what it MEANS said Shad Ora
ham. as the boat turned point and gave
view of a stretch ahead. There they
saw group of axmen run away from
tall tulip-tree, three feet through at the
ground, which was topping TO its fall
1t came down with Il crash, falling
| straight across the chute, and barring the
Lorena's progress. They've got us in a
| trap which they think we cant get out
| of"
The woods rang with the exultant
| shouts OF the rebels, and several bullets
i
cured their guns.
The scene was too much even for the
| statueSque compOsure which the Colonel
had so far maintained. For the first time
he turned troubled, wondering look upon
Shad. as if feeling that this was too much
for the resources of his subordinate.
As usual, in moments of supreme dan
| ger, Sis courage rose, and his mind acted
with quickness in exact proportion to
| the desperateness of the emergency.
| Load, boys" he shouted, land run
| back there to the stern, ready to jump
| off as it swings agin the bank. Shad, I'll
go ashore and drive them fellers back, and
give you time to think. The sooner l do
| it the better, for the fewer there'll be.
Shad, you'd better take six or eight of
| the best choppers and charge that log,
| while I'm holding them back. Monty,
| Harry, Gid, ALT, Sandy and Pete, you
| stay aboard, and gather up every light
| thing you can find, and make piles around
on each of the decks. Then stand by
them with matches, ready to light, if you
| see we're whipped. Monty, you take the
hurricane deck, where you can see, and
give the word. Don't take any chances.
If it looks at all like we're being whipped
start the fires. The rebels mustn't have
this boat, no matter what happens. Come
| on, boys"
He ran back to the stern and jumped
| ashore, deploying his men as they reached
him, in long skirmish line, to sweep
across the little island. They set up a
yell of defiance as they pushed forward,
firing at will at every rebel they could
see.
With veterans shrewdness, 81 had
realized that comparatively few rebels had
reached the island, and they were hoping
TO hold the boat fast until the others could
come up. The thing to do was to iInme-
4. .L.,~
of the other side of the island, wherever
that might be, and hold it, SO that no
more could come over.
He and Shorty, therefore, rushed the
boys forward at all as rapidly as they
could, and soon came to the water on the
other side, through which the rebels they
were pursuing were making their way.
There they saw a fiat, rock reef, per-
haps 400 yards wide, over which the
water ran in rather sluggish current, at
depths varying from 10 inches to two
feet. The reef was covered with Mid
summer slime, which made 1t very slip
perry, and the escaping rebels would fire.
quently fall headlong, and roll over in the
water. Besides, there were many deep
holes, into which they would sink up
above their waists, and founder around
before they could get out. The rebels
were swarming up on the opposite side,
but the difficulties their comrades were
having in getting away did not encourage
them to advance in front of the strong
force 81 was developing. They seemed
to be waiting, either for more to come up,
or for some formation for an advance.
We can hold them, Shorty" said 81,
with quick decision, as he disposed his
boys under cover, and instructed them to
fire deliberately and with careful aim, at
the groups across the reef, so as to retard
their formation and diminish the chances
of an immediate rush. He presently saw
that this would not take place, and leav
ing Shorty in charge, hurried back across
the island to see what Shad was doing.
With ready resources Shad had swung
the boats head across the chute, landing
his axmen on the opposite bank. where
they were attacking the giant trunk at its
smallest diameter. While they were do
ing this he was rigging the boats cable
about that end, so that as soon as they
cut through the boat would swing her
weight on the log and drag the end around
until it fell into the chute and would be
disposed of.
Guess you won't have to burn the
boat boys" said ST to Monty and the rest
as his eyes rested satisfedly on Shad's
preparations. Three of you'll be enough,
anyway. Harry, you, Monty and Sandy
can come with me. ALT, Gid and Pete
will stay on the boat to set the fires, if
necessary"
He wanted to hurry back, because the
firing was increasing in a way that he did
not like When he got back he was