The National tribune., 1900-01-04

I men could strengthen il so as to riri, the
engine upon 1t. The prisoner voE'd lie
! taken OFT, "Ht the cars pushed ,~rr hy
/ hand. After the PRISONERS marched cross
/ @" the other bank. and while wSi,ira. lI- ihe
fcDmpicJIOu Ut tho work. t.cv iv.'- little
/ iir =. and began t-yirG 60 cook what s"lnty
rti'onS they had 20 apVgaSc their raging
hunger. Our cavalry "a! thrown g freight
! r;lin from III" track. ard nlrtall- urncd
/ II. An cNuedjeDt occurred 10 tho i.gg NOUS
| sandy Baker. He held q strip us tIe tin
! root over the fire until f'C solder at the
/ joints was melted. and thus sunni & each
ono Of the squad with . shcct-iro plate
upon which to bake his bread. With "A
spike Tor a ChISai and q bolt FOR q hammer
| he turned up other pieces into pans. The
! Reserves had by this time become some
what accusto ed TO tue presence of the
| Yankees and not SO nervous, so they al
| lowed Shorty to go down To- the creek, under
close uard. where he t."shcd ont his
trough. and cana back with enough water
in il to mix the meal Tho boys all got
satisfactory hOe-cakeS. which tho. sopped
in the grease fried out in one Of Sandy
! Bakers pans. and made better meal
| than they had expected. Shorty finding his
| bare feet hurt by the stones; aud the prlckly
pear whicH abounded on the banks Of the
creek. made a virtue OF necessity. and
picked up a pair of old shOrs thrown aside
by one who had been benefited 10y Cant
Smoots's confiscation. They were badly
d.lapdatad, and the solcs were coming
apart, but Shorty bound them together
with strips OF paW-paW bark until they
would stay on. While the boys were
eating. and Capt SmOots was standing in
rigid superinteudcuce of the crowd. Col.
Tate strolled mp and after complimeutiug
the Captain upon his success in getting
the prisoners so far, remarked in a gossipy
way:
"Thcy tell me. Captain. that you've done
sold your boy Bouucc?"
! Yes" answered the Captain: -niggers
is resky property jest now. an Eogncc is Il
reSky Niger. He's young an q tOllUble
hand, but thar's no telin' what night no
mout take hit inter his head ter walk over
ter Sherman or foller off the Yankee cav
airy. So let Nate Strawn have linn fur
q mere nothin'. 50 ter speak-S-G 90 in mon
| ey. yoka o likely steers, q fresh COW,
and his ole mare. | don't kuGU IS I've
| bettered myself much. To- the 500 won't
| buy a heap nowadays, ard the {, nfe:rit
Cover mint is likely ter impress II" cattle
fer .Johnston's army. But d'dnt Ike
| the look | sometimes seed in Rounce'S
ewes, an thought mout IS we'll g,t some
! thing fer him while ! could. Lei Nate
| lay awake nights now, thIukiu' about him
| Fm done tired of hit. Nate done seed me
III Atanty, an gin me the money. 80 hits a
sale
81 reckon you've done made good bar
gain, Captain" answered the Colonel.
"Niggers is a good thing Ter git shct Of now,
! if you kin git anything at all TO them
| re ABOUT Iile OllliktlltSI property IlszL
a man kin haze. an are gittin' oniikelier
every day. If we can't drive Sherman back
| they won't be wuth Bothn' at all. Your
cattle you kin hide from the impressin'
agent, especially if yOu don't let nobody
know YOU have 'em. That's probably
| body knowed he had 'em. He kin take
Bounce down inter the country. an work
on contract. ] WiSht SOmebody'd come
along an trade me cattll for some o my
niGgers. He could have 'em al bargain.
| We've got Ter make sacrifices fer the coun-
! try. and I'd sacrifice them
! A gleam came into Shorty'S eyes, and a
! look of resolve into his face. as he over
! heard about the Captain having received
| the money at Atlanta.
| flesh and blood and it'll be all right TO take
| it," he muttered to himself. Besides. it'll
pay him up for stealin' our shoes. / don't
| believe that even Maria or the Deacon
would say word agin it.
The prisoners were put back into the cars.
and the journey resumed. Shorty took his
seat on the end of the tie next To the Captain.
The night came on as they passed Macon,
but there was no abatement of the heat. ST
was still meditating plans of escape, but
none suggested themselves which seemed
feasible. He was in hopes that darkness
would bring something, but the moon rose
clearly.
The Captain, anxious to get the draft,
lla1 Sill1cO 1llllSSlf over the sac OF IflG
car. where the air made by the motion of the
train would strike him full in the face. He
sat on his box, and leaned his head against
the side of the door. His dignity had
melted away considerably since the morn
ing. and he at last unbuttoEed his coat, that
the cooling breeze might strike his fevered
breast. In spite of himself his eyes would
close in cat-napS. from which he would
rouse himself and look Sternly at the guards
and the prisoners. Presently Shorty could
hear his snoring minGfng with the rum
bling of the train. Shorty rose. and took OH
Sis big pine-leaf hat, which he held in both
hands. and edged around the Captain as if
trying to get as near the door as possible.
Others were doing the same, in the tired,
restless movement of men kept on their fee
without an opportunity To sit down fort
hours. From time to time the guards
would make them stand back. Shorty
held the hat i'll his left hand, and under its
cover slipped his right down in the Cap
tain's breast as softly and carefully as il
lifting butterfly from flower, without
hurting its gauZy wings. He touched
leather wallet. and gently catching it be-
tween the nail of his forefinger. and his
second finger. without bending his hand,
n trick which he had learned from an expert
pickpocket in his gambling days, gently
drew it out, behind the cover of the hat.
Another large man had crowded III between
him and the door. and the guard ordered
him back. Shorty went back with him,
of the tie, handed the hat back 10 ST. and for
hours seemed engaged in fixing up his
shoes with the paT-paw strips he had
brought with him.
The awful long wearisome night finally
ended as the train halted at a shabby little
station which differed from the others they
had been passing in that povcrty-stricken
country since leaving Macon i'll having
quite Il show about it OF camps. military
appurteuanceS and soldiers.
Hyah's AndersOnVille, Squire. Wake
up called the middie-aged asthmatic
guard, who was the only one really awake.
Il declar'. | rayily believe dropped off
inter little dozc," exclaimed the Captain,
rubbing his eyes and entirely unconscious
that he had been sound asleep for hours.
Il didn't intend ter. but | wuZ pow erful hot
an tired. only got about 10 winks any
way"
The excitement of the arrival possessed
him. He buttoned up his coat 10 his chin
and assumed his sternest official air.
Come down. up thar" he called to the
men on the roof. Cit down. an form
string out thar around these prisoners as
they git OF. Be spry, now, 70 we want ter
turn these VarmiutS over, an git shet o
them"
CFo be eontinued)
Y HE 4" Sits"