The National tribune., 1900-05-31

. precipitation. yet the finely-developed for
aging instinct of the boys had kept then
prom missing anything really good. Monty
Scruggs had snatched from the twisted tow
strings upon which they We're turning ano
basting before the open fire, two fat chick.
ems, DIst Drowned to the right tint. Gid
Mackali turned into his pot the contents OF
a Dutch oven, in which quarter of lamb
mad been baking with some new potatoes.
he added to this the SaleratuS biscuits
from another oven, and a corn pone from a
thlrd. While he was doing this. Harry
| .IoSlyn had seized a fine large loaf of salt
rising bread, and a cruet of sorghum mo-
iaSses from the table. Alf Russell laid
predaceous hands upon ham and plate
OF butter, while Sandy Baker and Pete
Skidmore cleaned off the tables remaining
burden of green onions, pickles, beets, and
a couple of juicy mulberry pies. A large
pitcher of fresh milk was passed from one
to another, without interfering with the
scramble, and drained, as the easiest
method Of carrying its contents.
Immediately on Seizing the horn Shorty
! had flung it over the rail into lilac hedge.
The women lost valuable time in looking
around for it, before thinking to scream,
| and III the meantime the boys were far
| down the road, and soon turned to the right
INTO an elder-curtained lane, which led up
To the hill that trended northwestward,
| where they stopped III a thlck-groWlng
grove Of oaks to make surnptuous meal.
My, but aint those chickies nice" said
| tIid Mackall, VINO was luventoryIng and
! arranging the provisions. lie picked them
up, still warm from the fire, shifted them
| appreciatively, and noted the delIcacy of
| the perfect browning. Stuffed with bread
| crumbs and sage. Amt that too scrumpti-
oIls. And did you notice how they roasted
them? Hung 'em by tow strings in front
o the fire. which twisted and untWisted
SOS to give 'em just the right motion.
Great Idee. I'm going to try 1t myself
when we get back. Mother couldn't have
baked chickens nicer i'll her new patent
| OVen."
"And here's loaf Of old-fashioned. home
made bread" remarked Harry Joslyn,
breaking off a piece and nibbling it. Just
like mother makes, only not quite so nice
as hers. Seems TO me I'd be glad to live
all my life on hardtack. if we could only
get once more where there was plenty; but
sait-riSing bread makes mighty nice
change, especially when you've got butter
and molasses to go with it," And he looked
lovingly at the cruet of sorghum Sirup.
"Cii' me n swad O. that billed ham, and a
slab off o that wheat loaf first, Gid" said
Shorty. when / start in to build a big,
three-StOry, square meal | like to lay a
solid foundation first. Biscuit and chick
ems all right for trimmins-they do for
Methodist ministers, but bread and hams
the thing that sticks to the ribs, and makes
steam for hard work"
He I4DfuS IIpBHtN PDDt 10 Us. Lu'IE-
INJURED ST, gratefully when he was firiShing
the feast in approved style, with a quarter
OF mulberry pie, the crimson JUICE which
Streamed over the rlIddy down Of youthful
beard fringing mis- face. He always has
been, for that matter, but I'm sure he never
sent us a better meal than this, nor when we
needed it most.
"Aint there something in the Bible, ST.
about Seek and We shall find?" asked
Shorty, who was similarly decorating his
face with the rich juice of the mulberry.
The Lord helped US, no doubt. but We
hustled a good deal ourselves. Amt many
men that would've bin bold enough to've
hugged them women as we did Great
Jehosephat, nothin' but dead mlnger'd
made me put my arm around that weather
beaten snuff-dipper. Wonder if anybody
ever hugged her befOre?"
Your text hardly fits, Shorty. Never
heard before of "a man huntin' a dose o.
peppermint, and tindin' barbecue layout
1t puts me in mind o what you say when
you're playing cards, about draWin' to a
shoe-string and Citing lanyard"
The Lord moves In a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform" murmured Shorty
finishing up his pie, and wiping the juice
from his mouth with the back Of his hand
while a look OF deep content occupied the
unstaiued portions of his face. He may
have given Pete and Sandy the stomach
ache TO lead us to our salvation I've
We'll, | hope we've enough left to carry
us through TO Sherman" said 81, surveying
the remnants, SOS we won't have to call
on Him agin, until we reach our own Com
missary. These hills IRE gittin' higher
and higher all the time, and I'm III hopes
that another nights travel II bring us in
sight o the mountains. I've bin lookin'
for them all day"
well let's shah out for 'em, said Shorty. |
"Gether up the leayin's boys, an take good
care of 'em. Well he awful hungry agin |
in the mornn'. It's a disease which comes
periodically. rs the doctors say o the fever
and ager. Wen make a march tonight |
that'n wear out all you've ct, and more
too"
They went along the hilltop for quite a |
distance, and came to a road which led
down into lonely highway, that seemed |
but little Travelled, and made their march |
along this for hours without meeting any
one, or seeing any signs of human life. 1t |
led them in the way they wanted to GO and |
Sis and Shortys hopes rose constantly, !
with the thought that every hour was
bringing them miles nearer Sherman. |
They felt that they could go on forever, |
until they reached our lines.
But after midnight the boys began fag-
ging out badly, and though ST and Shorty |
alternately encouraged and scolded. it at |
length became painfully apparent their |
limit Of effort was being reached. Then, |
the country was becoming more open and |
cultivated, and so ST began to look around |
for a suitable place in which to hide for the |
day. They left the road, and made their |
way up hill TO aden growth of cedars, |
crawled under the low-growing branches, |
and lay down.
Early in the morning 81 was awakened |
by the ringing OF number of axes very
near. The day was bright and clear, and |
the sun had risen very hotly.
Great Scott" he said to Shorty, who was |
also aroused, who S cuttin' wood or maxim, |
rails at this time o. year? 1t makes me
tired to think of it"
They cautiously crept forward to recon-
noiter. They found a gang of eight or 10
negroes, under the supervision of an old |
white man, at work on the edge of the
cedars cutting down SIN II trees, TO make
rails TO replace fence that had been washed
away by the freshet, and exposed the crop
TO ruin. AS they We're Selecting cedars OF |
rail size to cut, they We're making pretty
rapid progress up the hill. The old white
man, who leaned on a high staff with a
rams horn head, and Wore spectacIes with
large round glasses, walked feebly around,
the work, and choosing the trees
to be felled. He was coming directly
toward them.
81 and Shorty quietly slipped back to
waken the boys, and hunt some other place
of concealment This was no easy task,
with boys as Wprnout and sleepy as they
were. Not daring to speak, ST and Shorty
had to confine themselves to nudginp and
This the boys resented, by
and swearing at one another for