The National tribune., 1900-06-28
leader, but because sae etubbornI, :.

pray. sah. and received another cue
/ for her obduracy.
| The other women screamed 6r n-av
sah. MS the switch whistled through the
alr. and escaped much more easily.
I, now, Glt back ter yo' quarters, y0'
lazy black wencheS. an be monty glad yo'
done got OH so easy said the Lieutenant,
as he finished and threw down the biek,
| ory.
An empty wagon. drawn By a span Of
good mules, and driven by q staid old
negro, clattered up. 1t was going TO the
Sourt House, and in it sat on a sack OF
iced Tor the mules, rebel soldier with
| ms lett arm of. and the stump in band
ages and sling. He was one of the "po'
WHITES of the neighbOrhood, who had
been wounded in the battle of July %, be-
Lore Atlanta, and was trying to make his
Here's just the thing want" said fbe
Lieutenant. "Belcher, tell yer massa that
/ impressed yo. in the name o. the Com
iedrlt States, ter carry these Yanks fer
the Coaht House. fer safe-keepin.' in iaiI.
SarJlnt, II yoye got any sense left, pile
IN tnar with yer men. an be monty spry
Dout hit: too, fer times pressin'. Git in,
now. Git in. No tarryin, an no back
talk. 1 amt in the humor fer neither"
81 and Shorty helped the boys in, and
then got IN themselves, seating themselves
on eilher SIDE OF the wounded rebel to get
a chance to talk to him of the battIe and
the Ig,, condition of things around Atlanta.
Inc springless wagon jolted terribly over
tne rough places, as the Lieutenant urged
the driver to push his mules along as ran.
ldig as possible. The poor wounded man
SUFFERED 3, frightfully at these passages, and
81 did all he could to help, rearranging the
sack TO make the seat softer, and holding
the stump of the arm in his hands n,
DreaK as much as possible the jar of pass
ing over the stones and gullies. The rebel
Ieit very grateful and became communica-
fnpv
stretches ''o'"
Hit war jist the goI-darnedest orfulress
fout L ever seed" said he, with the horri-
Die memories showing in his weak, sick
eyes. hut war even wuss'n Chicka-
maugy, an wuZ in both on 'em. We'nna
done went outside our works. an piled OF,
you ms, Jist like at Chickamaugy. VEINS
struck yo,uns enwise, an rolled yo'uns nm
an thought we'uns had done licked yo'. fo'
sho, an we'uns tuck lots o. prisoners. Hir
Ruz Rut then the that we killed that big JineruI.
BUT then yo' folks gathered on the hill
Tops, an begun foutin' jist like cata-
mounts. We'uns couldn't bulge 'em no
ways. We'uns got on their eends, an
3eniae they uns. but hit didn't make no
aaiherence. They'uns jist stood an fit an
how they'uns did shoot. Hit seemed as
II every bullet an cannon-ball jist moved
We uns down. Our ossifers KEEP runnin1
round ,mong we'uns, an yellin' an slap
pm, we'uns with. their swords, an maxim
we uns glt together agin, an go forrard,
right into the fiery furnace, whar the
fames'd eat US right up. You couldn't 90
forrard 'lthout steppin' over dead an
wounded men, an yit the ossifers made
we uns go forrard, and git piled up with
the rest. How any man 'scaped gittin'
killed is past fndin' out. I didn't git hit
TIL nigh the last, when thar want a half
dozen men left in my company. Then
thar war no more ossifers left ter drive
we'uns forrard with their swords, an We
uhs went back fer good ter our own
works. The boys helped me back behind
the works, and then everybody that was
able ter walk came back an lined us Pm
monty glad l got out of hit as did, am
that I'm out of hit fer good l don't want
ter see no more foutin' of any kind. I'd
heap ruther die right now an be done
time"
But you went back?" said ST, eagerly.
"Yom fell back to your own works, did
"We'uns sartinly did, an monty glad
But what did the Yankees do?
Where'd they go?"
''They'uns staid right thar whar they
'uns war in the fust place-didn't move
a peg arter the fust rush. An they'uns's
thar yit. When l come away from At
right inter the City. One, bigger'n a
come right through the roof
o the church in which L was last, but
luckily didn't bust. / was monty glad ter
git away fer home. hope I'll never hear
another gun crack as longs / live. Hit
makes me shiver ter think O. any more
ShoOtin'"
The sun had set by the time that they
drew near the weed-grow struggling vii
lase which was the seat of justice-the
Court House of the little mountain Coun-
ty. 1t would not have risen to the rank
Of village in the North, but be merely
"a settlement" or "the Corners" 4
crazy, shackling, unpainted wooden tay-
ern stood at one corner, where the roads
were beaten through the rank growth Of
dos-fennei: A little distance away,
rough roof, with no walls of any kind.
slightly sheltered blacksmith's bellows,
forge and anvil. a weather-beaten sign
Oh one log-house proclaimed that it was
4 store, and couple of wrecked whisky
barrels outside showed what it's principal
better architecture was evident
y church: Across the fennel-grown
commons, which had evidently been laid
out for public square, was a dingy little
brick building, with a weather-beaten Gu
pola, in which hung bell. This was the
Court House. Around it were q still
smaller and dingy brick the frewning, for
bidding exterior clearly indicating that it
was the Jail, and two or three other little
arectionS for the accommodation of the
Sheriff. the Clerk, etc.
This is the Court House, the County
seat" said 81, with a contemptuous sur
,ey of the locality. Pap wouldn't give
lis farm for the whole city, as they call
t, with a square Township O. land
hrowed i'm
I'D hate to be found dead in such a
.ity." remarked Shorty.
AS they approached, they saw group
# long-haired, shaggy, elderly men gath
red around the front of the tavern. They
we're chewing tobacco, smoking pipes,
sticks, discussing the war, and
,assing large bottles from one to another.
they were expecting somebody
# consequence, for they turned their eyes
p the road, opposite to the direction from
Which the Lieutenant and his squad was
Oming. Presently their expectations were
ewarded, for Il large, important-looking
nan riding fine horse. appeared, rode
n aInong them, greeted them with re-
erved Seniality, addressing them as
brethren" and dismounted. They helped
i'm to get off, and volunteered to take
are of his horse.
Great Jehosephat," murmured Shorty.
l have seen that man somewhere before.
do believe it's that old Bible-banger,
beacon Hornblower, 81, whose hoss you
tOle"
j. Its him. sure as little apples" gasped
i.
The attention of the crowd was drawn
rom the Deacon by the arrival of the
lieutenant and his squad
They surrounded the wagon. looked at