The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-11
|egbe GuD1mers Of Ours
BY pERcIE W. HART.

this handful Of soldiers, major" slut
tered the representative Of the law.
There are at least 10000 Of the worst OF
the strikers on the warpath. They've
! plenty OF shotguns and revolverS. We
asked for two regiments. You'd bet
ter go back q few miles and walt
till more help comes. Your presence
would infuriate the mob still fur
| Their. TIL go with you. They are like
ly to be coming this way soon. They
have threatened to burn the buildings
Of the Golden Hope people next. Well
just have time to
''What'd you say? Golden Hopper" de-
manded the major abruptly. oyer to
the left. amt it2'
YES" replied the magistrate, ''but I
would advise haste in retiring. You sure
ly cannot expect to do any"
Come along" put in the battery COM
mander suavely. you can find spare
seat on one Of the tumbrils Well take
charge of the Golden Hope"
.'I-I-d-on't believe-er-that I will"
began the local administrator.
None Of that nonsense, SIR" inter-
rupted the major. We've got to have
you to read the Riot Act. you know, be-
fore we can do anything Quick, now.
I've no time to argue the point. Here,
sergeant major, please act as escort to
it's advance. ForWard!'
1t looked much as If the worthy 1umi-
nary of the law was prisoner, instead
of the power behind the military to
judge by the way that the sergeant ma
jor lowered around him. However, In
justice, it must be said that he submitted
with a good grace.
| The. first dim light of the morning
found the battery in position, with guns
yad IN, oP IL 1~,,;1
of the threatened Golden Hope. Men,
horses and pieces stood at attention as
the major and his six officers passed
among them for inspection.
"Our muZzle-loaders look fierce
enough remarked Lieut.. Hardy, indf-
eating the old-fashioned weapons with
his glance.
you seem to put a dubious accent upon
the word 1oek,'' laughingly commented
another.
''The powder in the four printing TASKS
will make one fair charge, sir" the SER
geant major reported. "and we can use
| the empty practice shells in loading"
Very good. sergeant. Let it be done
upon regular ORDER" replied the major,
land CHANGING in the direction from
which the rioters probably would ap-
proach. use the real load for No. A."
The sergeant major ~saluted and pro-
ceeQoQ Win the routine.
About an hour later that sound which
| once heard can never be forgotten
| the hoarse shoutings Of an angry and
tumultuous mob-became plainly audi
| bic. Very soon the more advanced par
| ties appeared, fastening woIflike toward
| their expected prey. Behind them came
| the main body, adorned with bristling
guns, waving bIudgeons. tottering lad
| ders and hfgh-held barrels and other
| wood for kndlings. But the unexpected
sight of the field battery planted across
| their path had a deterrent effect The
| newcomers halted at a safe distance, and
| then commenced to surge backward and
| forward as the various leaders sought
one another out for consultation.
1t was trying time for the Gunners
Of Ours. They We're outnumbered ten to
one and, what was far worse, absolutely
ur1armed before foe by no means des-
pieable.
! Disaster to the Twenty-third ssGan-
stock" field battery meant great deal
more than mere dead and wounded men.
1t would include a, successful defiance
of the government and a dark blot upon
| the fame of the militia corps. It was a
subject too awful for contemplation.
L. However, the point of view from the
rioters side was not nearly SO morbid
and tragic. They had no reason to doubt
! that the citizen soldiers were prepared to
NOW them down with shrapnel from guns
anG bullets from carbines, not to mention
| the cold steel of sword-bayonets at closer
quarters The shortcomings Of penuri
Gus commercial government in leaving it's
free forces improperly equipped was an
unappreciated factor. Last of all, it
probably never entered the heads of these
strikers that an unarmed body Of militia
would dare to confront them so boldly.
All this had been thought out by Maj.
Morgan, and he was not one to forego the
slight advantage it promised. He felt
certain that if the mob once discovered
the fighting helplessness Of the battery,