The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-05-23

and much heavier one answered ours
The bullets knocked little spurts of sand
from the ridge or flew, singing like
mosquitoes over our heads.
Then the shooting became rapid and
irregular sounding like nothing SO
much as number of packs of frecrack-
ers set off together The men were fir
ing at will Lying next to the foreman
Spider was wasting cartridges, to judge
from the rapidity of his fire He was
using one of the rifles he had captured
the night before we had started out.
and each time he fred he would slip in a
fresh cartridge to avoid exhausting the
magazine Once man who lay near
him screamed and then swore, clapping
his hand to his shoulder and withdraw
ing it covered with blood As he back
ed down the slope Spider offered him a
bandanna handkerchief wherewith to
bandage his wound but he declined it,
and tore off his shirt sleeve. using that
instead
After awhile the firing slackened,
until there was only an occasional re-
port Followed by Spider the foreman
came down the slope and walked to-
ward me-
| 1T ain no good be called as he
came within speaking distance. Them
fellers kin hold Us here jus SO long as
we don t do no more than we're doin
All we en- do is ter keep EN- under
cover, an we've done that now. Their
amt one of 'em what dares ter show
his head. But while we're waitin here
they en- take them cattle clean back
ter Portland. Me. if we only give EN-
time enough We got ter get 'em outeT
there somehow.
Rush 'em outl" exclaimed voice
among the men.
"Reckon it comes ter sunthin like
that. :" responded the foreman. I'VE
can't touch their fanks. cause their
ridge is longer'n ours.
A charge. then. clearly was neces-
sary, and it was as clearly my duty to
lead that charge. 1 did not want to.
but if hoped to retain my self respect
or that of my men there was no other
course left open.
"All right, f" I called, trying to speak
unconcernedly 'tMount, boys, and line
up
'eHold on!'' cried the foreman. 81
don't need half the men l got up thar,
an you II want all you can get. Wait
till l send those 1 don't want back to
yoa. Spider. who had been listening
TO al that was said made a dash for
his horse. Being sternly ordered back
tc his place on the ridge. he went. TAX
ing the hcrse with him
The foreman sent ne nearly two
thirds of the men he had. They We're
all mounted and waiting when the
Ballet Girl rode up and joined them. l
ordered him away. bat he paid no at
tention to the command Not sound
could te heard except now AID then
the faint jinsErg Of bit or the whir-
ring click where some man whic!ed his
cylinder in examining his pistol The
foreman divided the men he had left
into two parties. one Of which he placed
at either end of the ridge they cccu-
pied, leaving an open space between
them. Then he sisnaled that all was
done. I wanted to give the order to ad-
vance, and the only words that oc-
Cured to me at the time were the ones
used to start footraces in the college
had loft the wear before
''Are you ready?' called. The men
screwed themselves into their saddles
and leaned forward Some of them
cooked their pistols. Then. "On your
marksl Set Gc!,'
Scarcely knowing what I did, darted
the spurs into the hanks of my horse.
He leaped forward. At the same instant
there was wild yell from the men.
and the ground thundered and shook as
they followed. AS we passed our men
on the hill. their rifles blazed all to-
gether could see the sand fly from
the opposite slope.
It seemed to take hours to traverse
the few yards that divided US from our
GuGLulSS- LII ASd11tJ ~ "OGG Ao' CSOH
somewhat less than half minute.
Then we galloped up the rise. Behind
its crest there was row of malignant
faces that Immediately vanished behind
clouds of rife smoke. My horse reared,
lurched forward and recovered himself.
I dropped the reins on the pommel and
began firing rapidly with pistol held
in each hand Another yell broke from
our men as they charged over the top
of the ridge. The six shooters began
to talk rapidly and all at once. inter
rurting the rifles
One of our enemies turned and ran :;
then threw up his hands, seemed 10
stumble and fell saw that it was
Hollis, and I wondered vaguely why he
was behaving in such a manner and
whether he was as badly frightened as
was. Then something struck me as a
club might strike. and for a time every
thing disappeared.
A few moments later became con-
scious that was beicg rapidly dragged
o,,o, y, y 6,ro,,pd Tbep onene6 NIX evec