The National tribune., 1900-02-08

SHORTY RECOGNIZED HIM AS ONE
"Spose we'd better lay down agin," said
Shorty, adjusting himself to the blanket
Lay down, Pete, quick. AS Ike Deeble
says, this locality may be the very best III
the whole prison, but it has its disadvan.
tages. It's too Internal close TO them blood,
thirsty little brats, with their old Queer
Anne musketS, with quart o. buckShot fol
a load. When they're shootin' buckShot, ]
prefer to be a little further away. Great
Jehosephat, | just ache for the time 10 come
when kin git after these fellers with my old
Springfield musket."
Everything became deathly quiet, for nc
one dared even utter loud word to give the
guards pretext for renewing their fire.
81 and Shorty's burning rage did moi
keep them from falling asleep, after they
had relieved Alf by Gid Nackall, and given
the latter extra cautions as to his conduct.
The rebel guards on the percheS changed,
and the new ones received the same in.
structions given those relieved, and these
We're given in loud tone, SO that the priS-
oners could hear and be duly impressed.
For a few minutes the same silence
reigned all over the southwestern corner OF
the stockade. Then when it seemed GER
tain that all the old guard had been taken
off, and the Officer and Sergeants of the
Guard had gained their places at the guard
fire in the rear, and were possibly lying
down to sleep, the guard on Post No. a,
coughed significantly, and struck three
times on the bottom of his perch with the
butt Of his musket.
Hello, Skinny" said Ike Deebles voice;
'.is that you?"
YES" answered a wheeze from No. 4.
who's on and 81" asked Deeble.
"White-Eye Sims s on No. 3, an Bur-
docks on No. s." answered Skinny. Hits
all right. Is Brad thar"
Gid Mackall, who had gotten an impress
sion that something unusual was going on,
had promptly awakened ST and Shorty
Not yet" answered Decide, "but he'll be
here soon. Have you got the things for
him."
have 'em up in minnit. Zach, tote them
things up"
Here comes Brad" said Deeble
Shorty recognized the newcomer as one
of the suffers" on Broadway" that led
from the North Gate, and who did thriving
business, selling plates of cooked coW-peas
to the new prisoners, who happened to have
wheat biscuits three for 81.
It's all fright, Brad" said Deeble.
skinny Tuttle is on No. a. and White-Eye
Sims and Burdock on the other two"
Brad unhesitatingly stepped across the
fatal dead-line and marched up to the
SlOckdue beGedtH NO ) pefcN-
'.Say, Skinny" he demanded, "did you
bring all asked you to-"
"Yes, answered Skinny, throwing down
string. lie your money to that, and
send hit up. I'll let the things down when
git the money"
Here's s1O0 Confed for the sack O. flour"
said Brad, fastening bill TO the string.
That's all right" said Skinny, after
examining the bill. "Hyah's yo' poke O
-four"
you sardine," grumbled Brad. as he
hefted the sack. you've snouged enough
out of it to make you loaf O. bread. But
here's $50 Confed for the bag o. beans"
"And hyah's yo' nigger-peas," answered
Skinny, letting down bag of those we'll
known products of the sterile fields of the
South. I've gin yo' heapin' measure
thar"
Its fairer show for my money than the
scoop-shoveI full O. beans more or less to
you? They're so cheap that a Confed
dollar, wuthless as it is, II buy a bushei."
Not now hit WON'T" wheezed Skinny.
"Nigger-peas has riz like smoke, sence
they've done tuck away all the field hands
ter work on the Notifications, an Confed
moneys went down. I'll have to have
greenbacks purity soon."
well, you won't git 'em from me-" said
Brad, fixing another bill to the string
There's $50 Confed for that side O. meat"
Blast you, Skinny, you're Citing to be
a bigger hog every day, said Brad, angrily,
as he examined the piece. This aint half
as much as you ought to give me for $50,
an you know it.
Hits all that yo' orter have. an every
smidgin' yoll git" snorted the asthmatic
Skinny. DO yo' s'pose l kin sell you
bacon at market prices? What'd have ter
divide with White-Eye an Burdock, let
alone fer nay own trouble? D'yo' s'pose
I'm tradin' with yo' Yanks jist fer fun?
How much d'yo' reckon | had ter pay the
man ter git on this post ter-night? Pick up
yer truck an skin out now. afore the Sar-
gint comes around. Git, now. Post
num-beh foh-halfIpast-foh-o'clock,
Brad Wilcox picked up his load, and !
carried it over to Ike Deeble's tent, whom he |
gave a mess" of peas and meat. as toll for
parted TO his own place with the flour and |
meat, leaving the peas to be brought over
later. During the next two days he re- |
tailed his purchases to the hungry pris- |
oners at about 900 per cent. profit.
They're all on the make out there,
Decide explained the next morning to ST |
and Shorty, with a comprehensive wave of |
his hand to include the whole rebel garrison. |
- AS have told you before, the whole hell'S |
boiling of them are crazy to make money
that is all of them that's got sense enough |
to know a Confed bill when they see it.
Those wall-eyed whelpS of boys in the Re- |
serves, and those string halted old men |
haint got as much brains as Northern OK |
They hardly know money when they see it, |
and can't tell one bill from another All |
they know Is to eat corn-pone and shoot |
gun. They are on dead level with the |
IDIOT Aztec children you see in the circuSeS.