The National tribune., 1900-03-15

WIDER THAN SIS BROAD SHOULDERS. y
smart enough not to let 'em ketch you.
| Make the peas up into little parcels. and
put 'em into your pockets. Mind, must
have at least u full gallon of 'em. And
then I'll show you how to pack the cards
SOS not to have all the aces together and
give 'cm to the other feller. Hurry up.
now, for / want the boys to have some
| thing good TO eat today
Tibbets groaned. but he saw that Shorty
was determined, and he picked himself up
and departed on his GRAND. In an hour
| he returned, took piece of salt pork about
J half the size Of his hand from his panta-
! looms pocket, bag containing a quart or
so of stOck-peas from inside his shirt. and
| handfuls of the same from his other pockets.
| They maGc less than gallon. but Shorty
accepted them, paid 1fbbettS his S25. and
! gave him some additional lessons in card
manipulations.
"Well, boys" said Shorty. handing the
! stuff over to Gid MacEall, well have
something now to brace YOU UP after your
| last nights work, and us up for our share
tonight. Cook about a quarter o them,
| Gid, for to-day, an save the rest for the
next three or four days. Providence may
provide something else by that time. We
must MT call on Him, though, any oftener
| than we kin help"
! Gid and Harry washed the peas, and
! cooked the most savory mess that the boys
| had eaten since their entrance into the
stockade.
That night Ike Decide took Shorty,
| Alf Russell, Sandy Baker and Pete Skid
more down 10 the tunnel. and their ex-
| perienceS were somewhat similar to those
of their comrades the night before. Alf
| Russell did well in carrying away, but
made a failure of digging. Thisw more
than made up by the skill shown by Sandy
| Baker and Pete Skidmore. who. however
would not dig straight. They could not
work with their left hands, and their work
| had to be Strengthened by Decide. The
| tunnel was pushed forward another foot.
and. rs near as Shorty and Decide could
measure with their eyes, was more than
| halfway from the dead-line TO the stock
ade.
| While Sandy Baker was doing his
| tiresOme trick or stunt of lying on the
| blanket in the tent, Stimulating a man with
scurvy in an advanced stage his ingeni-
GUS mind was active in thinking out de-
vices for pushing the digging. He told
| Pete that he was certain that something
could be gotten that would be more effective
for attacking the stiff clay than the old
case-knife, and the two boys canvassed all
the possibilities.
'We want something like q pick" said
Sandy; something with Il hard. stiff,
sharp point, that you can jab right into it,
and pry it Off"
Something like bayonet." suggested
| Pete, with an idea occurring TO him.
Exactly. If We could get hold of a
| bayonet it'd be great thing"
1--WE an idee. That guard that stands
| in front o the gate sometimes has his
| bayonet OH his gun, but generally in his
| scabbard. Let's go down there when the
I first ration-wagon comes in, and get in the
crowd, and try to steal his bayonet, if it's
off his gun"
Wecouldn't do it, could we?" said Sandy,
half-cOnverted.
I'VE could try, any way. I'll try it if
can get Enlf-a-chancc. Let's not say
anything about it to Serg't klegg or
Corporal Elliott. They're taking all the
chances for us. Let's show EN- that we're
ready 10 do something. too"
All Russell thought the thing very
dangerous and doubtful, but he would go
along. if they decided, and do what he
could to help.
After being relieved, and reporting at the
tent. the three stroled down to the South
Gate, and mingled with the throng of
thousands of hungry men who were stand
ing there waiting the advent of the ration
wagon, rs if somehow just looking at if
come i'll would help appcaSe their hunger.
Pete wormed through the throng. and
came near the guard, who had his bayo-
net i'll its scabbard. Pete flashed back a
look of satisfaction 10 the others, and
pressed little nearer.
Presently tile wagon WIS ucdFu 10 urlEe
into the outside iaciosUIrc. and the guard
ordered the crowd 10 stand back and make
way for the wagon, when the inner gates
should open. The crowd moved back
slowly. and an officer entering through
the wicket sharply ordered the guard 20
drive the prisoners back. The guard step
bed forward and began thrlisting and
pushing at the men with his gun, and
threatening to fire. Those i'll front tried
to yield. but they were weak and lame, and
those behind them held them in place
The guard got tangled up with the crowd,
and Pete slatched the bayonet out of his
scabbard. The guard turnedquickly. only
to fall over Sandy Baker, who had ap-
parently been pushed down in front of
~ against Alf Russell, who seemed to be
only trying TO get out OF the way.
In the meanwhile, Pete, slipping the
bayonet down inside his trowsers, ducked
down, and wriggled through the crowd, as
only a lively boy can. and was rods away
when the rebel officer and guard began an
angry hunt for the bayonet thief They
StOrmed around and abused the prisoners
near. and threatened to Shoot if the weapon |
had seen nothing, and really knew nothing |
as TO who took it. nor where he was Sandy |
Baker escaped with nothing more than
sharp blows i'm the ribs from the muSket- |
butt of the angry guard.
An hour later Pete slipped up to the tent,
with Il grin OF triumph on his face, and
after gathering the squad inside, produced
the bayonet, which was examined with
delight by Sandy. 1t was one of the very
old-fashioned kind. broad. thick and heavy.
and would make an excellent tool. Sandy
Baker selected long pole for u handle,
his ide.; being to have every one in the