The National tribune., 1900-05-10

| recent treatment, or so naturally bull-like,
| that he went roaring about, making 1t
| quite easy to follow or avoid him. ST was
careful to keep in the shadow of the trees,
so that II the Sergeant should happen to
| look back he should not be seen.
The Sergeant looked in all manner Of
| likely and unlikely places for his quest,
| and two or three times greatly alarmed 81
by turning as if coming back. But he
| finally headed toward one of the fires.
An old camp-trick of catching the counter
sign flashed upon ST, and he lessened the
distance between himself and the Sergeant
Soon the latter was sharply challenged.
Friends" he answered, irritably. Bill
Swads, yo' know blamed well who | am
Sarjint Turley, with squad. Don't fool.
I'm in devil of hurry"
Don't know nobody without the counter
sign, an specially yo', Jim Turley.
Come ford an gin me the countersign
tOwunst, or I'll shoot"
"Yer a-gittin' too blamed smart. by
peck and a half, Bill Swads, an need takin'
down few pegs" growled the Sergeant.
| 'Kenesaw.-Thar, will that satisfy yo'?"
"Countersign's kerrect. Advance, Sar-
int Turley and squad"
Don't yo' be a-chucklin' over gittin' the
hitch on Inc, Bill Swads," yelled the Ser
geant, as he hurried his squad past. III
git hitch on yo' thatl make yo' laugh
out o the other side O. yer mouth. YOVe
done hindered me when l wuz obleeged ter
be in hurry. I'll settle with yo'."
We'll, y9 W Jest sett1e tie e1 an be dgrned' Jim
an need ter be taken down every day."
81 waited for Serg't Turley to gain some
little distance, and then slipped back to the
squad. and consulted with Shorty.
=, Les 60 through right there" said
Shorty. Il heard it all, and kin manage
it. Le' me take the lead"
The rain began falling again in dash
ing shower, and Shorty moved forward
boldly in the direction of the post. He got
very close before he was challenged.
Friends, with the countersign," he
answered promptly rs that yo', Bill
YES" answered the sentinel. "Come
for'ard, an give the hecountersign. Who air
,"kenesaw," answered Shorty, in loud
whisper, to be heard through the rain.
Say Bill, don't yo' know me? I'm Shorty
Elliott, O. Co. Q, Yo' know we'uns only
jined the rijimint spell ago, but I've
knowed you an lots o. the boys a long
time. I'm from over on Hogcrawl Creek.
Yo've done heard O. the Elliott boys over
some o the boys air goin' out ter git jag
O. pinetop for the Cap and ourselves.
We done heared of kag of hit
in a house out hyah erbout a mile on the
big road. We'uns III be back hyah in an
hour with hit, an fill Yer canteen when
We ullS lout we stll ltIlSltll
up, in the rain and dark. The gyard
lines done bin changed since dark, and
we've lost the lay O. the big road, an We
'uns don't want ter run agin Sarjint Jim
Turley. Idone knocked him over spell ago.
an I'll do hit agin if he gives me any o.
on duty ter-night, anil have the bulge on
Inc. Yo' jest pint out the path by which
we'uns kin strike the big road, an we'uns
IL be back sho' afo' tattoo, an fill Yer
canteen plum-full o. the best ole pinetop
thar is in the country. 1 tasted some o.
another swig of hit.
"Yoll sho' come back afo' tattoo" said
the sentinel, his mouth watering in antici-
patton. "Kase l go off at tattoo"
done obleeged ter. Cap made we'uns
promise that afo' he'd give us the counter
sign. He'll tie we'uns up if We don't.
He's 'spectin' the pine-top ter treat his
friends, Cap Cudlip and Lootenant Pringle
an the Others"
that white stump thar, an yo'l find a
path that'll take yo' inter the big road
erbout hundred rods furder on. IS
longs yo'uns keep in the path Jim Turley
can't see yo'uns, if he should look. So yo'
done knocked Jim Turley over, did yo'?
I'm gwine ter do hit myself some day,
when he haint got his stripes on. The
overbearin' ole hog! When did you do
hit?"
20, Jest leetle spell ago." answered
Shorty. "Yo' done said ter go right up
ter that white stump thar? We'uns IL be
back afo' tattoo. Look out for we'uns,
an have yer canteen ready. Be keerful
an don't mistake we'uns fer Yankees, an
shoot"
Great Scott, Shorty" calculated ST,
after they had gotten fairly out into the
path, beyond the sentinel. and stopped for
a minute. to draw grateful breaths of re-
lief, after the sharp tension, Il never
knowed lying to bring good luck before, |
but you kin do it as if you'd learned the |
trade regler. I'm goin' to keep my eye on
them fires now. We've done circlin' !
around enough for one night"
They had reached the big road, and |
were feeling elated over their good luck,
when they heard coming down the road |
one who was evidently trying TO defy the
elements with drunken shouts.
.Hooray fer the Southern Confedrisy!
Hooray fer jeff Davis! Dam the Yam
KEGS! Damn the Bobolishiuists!"
Il guess there must actually be some
pinetop up the road, an he's got his kag
FULL" said 81. Let him come on. He
won't do no hurt"
The drunken man staggered up to them.
"Hello, boys" no shouted. I'm out
late, aint 1? Jest a-gwine inter camp.
Bin up at my Cousins cellerbratin' my /