The National tribune., 1900-05-03
Another Nights Progress Through a Difficult
Country.

| Country.
what are we goin' to do with en-
| Shorty?' asked ST, with a nod of his head
toward the two goober-grahbers, as the
squad stopped to rest. Unite EN- and
| turn EN- looSe?"
"Dumbed if know. returned his partner,
with an absence of his usual decision In
such matters. That's what s bin riling
my thlnkery for some time. BY rights,
We ought to kill 'em. But that seems too
cold-blooded just now. Besides, it'd use
up. the loads we have in our guns, and we
| haInt got no more ammunition. Then,
agln, the rebels are dead anxious to have
'em killed. which is a mighty good reason
why, we should perfect 'em. But what kin
we do? It's an awful risk to let ,em go.
In someway they II bring the rebels doWno on
| us. Hnot ketched and made to tell, they ii tell
o their own accord. They'd do it O. pure
cussedness. They're so crooked that they
actually ache when they amt doin' nothing
mean to hurt somebody"
It'll be an awful nuisance to take 'em
II have to be fed, too, and they've appe-
tltes like thrashing- machines VIII they
be any good to pint out the road?'
! Nav. They're away off their range
now, and as ignorant O. this. country as
they are of Halifax. You don't under
| stand these clay-eaterS. They hain't
got no boss sense. You take hoss a
hundred miles away from home, and some
how he'll find his way back. They're
more like mule. You take mule five
miles away from home--just far enough
to be out O. reach O the stable, and he's
back in the world. These yahoos don't
know nothin' about any part O. Georgy
except that little runway where they've
| been Gvin' and stealin' ever since they was
| born. You'll find it So"
| well, I'm goin' to settle it by turnin'
'aTn lnpla - Iacida1 CT han To fhaI
men, and beginning to unite their arms.
What air yo' gwine ter do with we'uns.
Mister?' asked Gabe Boneset, with an
apprehensive whine. ,,".Sholy yo' aint
| a-gwine ter kill we'uns"
NO, we're not goin' to do nothin' to you,
| except set you free. You kin go where
you dumbed please. Only you go some
way different from us. You go one way,
and we'll go the other. But if you give
us away to the rebels. either willingly or
| unwillingly, Wen find it out, and we'll kill
you both. sure as the Lord made little
you down and kill you, if it's 10 years from
now. Remember, lis Yankees are diff
ferent from your urspeople. When we say a
thing we mean it and we're sure to do it.
You won't be safe, a minute from us, no
matter where you rppay be: We're the
not yet day. You've time enough to hunt
hole. Strike out, and make yourselves
scarce around here. Git"
By the gray light of, early dawn. ST could
see new look of terror spread over the
mems faces.
70 the love o Gayd yo' aint -r7rine ter
leave us alone in this e'er awful country,
air yo', Mister" gasped Gabe Boneset.
What's the matter with the country"
asked ST, irritably. "Tain't partickcrlarly
pleasant nor healthy for us, Just now, but
it's all right for you. You've lived here
all EOIIr life"
Not hyah! Not hyah, Way over
yander," said BoneSet. DAYS away from
hyah. Over yandor's all right Thar
we'uns's at home, an among our kin.
Hyah ,everyone's arter we'uns ter cotch
You lodged 'ern over there purity well.
why can't you dodge 'em here just as well?"
asked Shorty.
"We'uns can't. We don't know the
lay o the land. W@'uns don't know the
people. We don't know the trees an the
sWamps. Everything's aginst u.s."
Same kind o swamps. trees, people and
things here as over there" suggested
Shorty.
NO; they haint. All looks different
All is different All savage. an blood
suttenly kill us afo' night if yo'uns leave
We uns hyah. / kin smell hit. Don't
leave we'uns. Take we'uns along. You
'uns IS much smarter 'un we'uns or they 'uns
YO' kin take keer o. we'uns. Take we'uns
along. Wen do anything in the livin
world fer yo'uns. Take we'uns along an
save our lives"
"Aint no object" said Shorty, indif-
ferently.
NO; we can't take you along, nohow,"
said 81. We can't guard you nor feed
YOU and haVin' YOU along makes a much
bigger crowd to hide. Light out"
And he turned to lead the boys away
in the direction Of what seemed promis-
ing swamp in the distance
"Whatd tell YOU" said Shorty, as they
moved along. Them dumb clay-eaters
are az lost and helpless % miles from their
range as if they We're in Guinea. They're
Just like wild animals"
The swamp they entered was certainly |
different from those they had seen since
they left Andersonyille. They We're get
ting out Of the pine barrens, and into the
richer and more populous Piedmont coun-
try. They found hickories and oaks
beginning to appear among the trees, and
welcomed them as something homelike. |
There were familiar bushes among the
shrubbery, and their hearts rose. They
found the customary island in the center
of the swamp, and what seemed to be a good
hiding place, but as they began to bestow
themselves, they saw in the growing light
that Gabe and Hez had followed them
| closely, and were crouching behind trees
near them.
Shorty StIOub dllSflly over 10 Iflefn.
Here, what are You fellers sneaking
along after us for? Didn't we tell you to
go your own way, and we'd go ours? Git
out o. here, at once. We've got enough
20 do to take care o ourselves, without
l,okin' out for you. Git, say"
Co. Mister, let us go with yo'uns. We
| don't know what on earth ter do, 'cept
| foIter yo'uns. We're done lost, tell yo',
with inimies everywhar. We'uns IL do
| anything yo' say, 1if So'll only let We uns
go along Wen be killed sho, if yo cont !"
No, we wont ltaSt you taggin' along.
Git, ] say"
He cut young hickory, and began
trimming it into a goad, to drive them
away with, if they refused TO go. But
they looked so abjectty miserable that Sis
heart was touched. and he interposed
Let 'em stay, Shorty, at least to-day. |
They aint doin' no harm now They re |
too tired to do anything to-day but sleep. |
like the rest Of HIs. They're probably
better here than if they went away. Let |
'em he, so longs they lay down and |
keep quiet and out ~ sight"
Shorty desisted ebut laid his goad down |
by him. so that itswonld be handy if he |
changed his mindLt They all braakfastad |
off Benjamin Fraffklins supplies and ST |
was moved by the doieful, hungry looks of |
the two to carry 1them over enough for
their breakfast, in spite of the reproving
looks of Shorty and his own feelings that |
every mouthful Of food would be needed |