The National tribune., 1900-11-15

rebels, but its immediate effect on thos,
| to be closely studied. Harry had no
thought of the Jackstaff in his hasty aim
| ing, and it was cut off as if by a knife
| Nor had the boys thought of the recoi
from the heavy charge. This took the gur
overheard, and Sandy Baker with it. The
| Major paled with the thought that hi.
ammunition was exploding, and started Il
| altering his Napoleon-at-St. Helena pose
cast an inquiring glance at Shad, as tt
| what part this event was playing in his
| program. Harry had presence of mine
| enough to throw rope to Sandy, which
he caught, and then 81, rushing over tt
that side to see what had happened, lay
down ON the deck, caught Sandy by tn,
collar, and lifted him aboard by sheel
strength.
The rebels were replying by a sputteI
of shots, which did no damage, except tt
| the woodwork of the boat, as she sweep
ahead, and turned to them her big, rapidly
splashing wheel, and was soon out Of gun
, shot.
Il declare" said the Colonel, looking
at the fearful glare, which made the coun'
| try for miles around awfully lurid, Ill
certainly looks as if they were burning
up everything in Johnsonville. 1t is the
most frightful confiagration | ever wit
messed, and would seem to compare with
that of Moscow. The authorities at Wash
sngton cannot give me too much credit fol
having so successfully extricated my com
mand without loss from that disaster.
must go down and incorporate this Incl.
dent in my report"
81 and Jake occupied themselves in rig
sing up a new jackstaff, for the pilot tc
steer by.
Say, Jake" called Shorty, whats
that you told us about going with you to
have nice, restful, pleasant time?"
I'VE haven't had nothing so very I'M
pleasant, so far, have WEI" Jake answered
with asperity. You want featherbed
in bomb-proof, l expectW
For the next 80 or 100 miles they had
leisure to think the matter over, and con
graduate themselves over escaping the
great disaster at Jacksonville, where For
vest had actually captured two gunboats
and five transports and burned an immense
quantity of supplies. They sped past the
old battlefield of Shiloh and the othei
points of interest two years before, with
out a sight of another rebel, and began
to hope that their troubles were virtually
over, and their road open to Chattanooga
and Sherman. But as they neared Flor
ence, Ala, the rebels began to be in eyi-
dence again along the southern shore, and
when they reached that place they found
the greatest perturbation with the news
that Hoods whole army was gathered
south of the Tennessee River, between
there and Decatur, and that terrible things
were to be expected any hour. Everyone
with whom they spoke-river men, sol
diers and citizens-strongly dissuaded
them from going any farther, and the
Colonel, who suspended his report long
enough to listen to the News which Shad
reported to him, at length went up town
for "a with ha Of
ficer.
THE situation seems to be this" said
Shad, calling 81, Shorty and Jake Dye
into council of war with him, after the
Colonel had. gone. Hoods slipped away
from Sherman with his whole army and
cut down around through Alabama, aim
ing at Nashville, to draw Sherman back
after him and make another Bragg land
Buell. race for the Ohio River. Hoods got
his whole army-50,O00 or 10000 men
out here between this place and Deca-
tur, trying to get across the Tennessee
River at these Muscle Shoals, and rush
Nashville. Sherman's sent Pap Thomas
back with the Fourth and Twenty-third
Corps, what troops he can pick up along
the railroad, and what will be sent him
from the North, to head Hood off, and
leave Sherman free to attend to the other
job that he has in mind. Sherman'S hold
ing the road from Chattanooga to Atlanta,
and may be planning to come in on Hoods
rear while Thomas is bluffing him in front.
That looks like good sense. Above Deca-
tur the river is clear to Chattanooga, and
il we could once get to Decatur we'd be
all right, and have a nice, easy run the
rest of the way. But between here and
Decatur are 20 miles of these Muscle
Shoals. which they say no boat can get
through at this stage of water, even one
as light as ours. Even if we could make
it, they say we're likely to run into the
rebels working their way across the river
with pontoons, and wading; they're likely
to be on some of the islands with artil-
lery and do no end of things to u.s. The
whole stretch of the Shoals is lonely and
gloomy, with lots of timber and brush in
which the rebels can hide and ambush
u.s."
The boys thought it over for a minute
or two silently, and then 81 spoke quietly
and firmly:
1.-THE orders came straight from Col
McGillicuddy to me and Shorty to join
the regiment with these men. Them was