The National tribune., 1901-10-17
Il don't catch on"

Couldn't we lay down a roadway of
brush same's we done once back there by
| TullyhOmy, and roll our sycamore gum
along it,"
| the Colonel about it,
| The town clock over in Savannah struck
The Colonel took look at the rapidly
falling water in the field went over him
self and probed the mud, and coming back
ordered the Major to take the rear rank
of the regiment back into the woods and
cut brush
! The rebels saw the men filing back, and
installing it for a retreat. raised n yell of
triumph. to which the front rank respond
ed with Il sharp volley. $3.50
We're here yet, tending strictly to
business, and mean to stay until We get
ready to go forward" said 81, as he
| brought down saucy rebel who had
jumped up on the works and swung his
hat. in order to be able to yell louder.
81, Shorty, Tom and Abe went back to
where their gum had fallen in the hole,
rolled it out, and examined it. The horse
canister had only gone through one thick
ness at most, and many of the balls had
only penetrated the tough hard sycamore
Il couple of inches.
| Bully for the old Monitor" exclaimed
ST. Il always thought sycamore a mighty
poor wood, but it seems it's good for some
| thing: Roll her forward, boys. Wen
take Sayanny with her yet"
The town clock struck 3.
The watching rebels were astounded to
see the brush of the distant woods come
marching down the bank toward them, Is
the men of the rear rank filed back, each
one bending under all he could carry of
the green orange, cedar, myrtle, pine and
cyprus brush.
The big siege gun in the fort thought
hot hot oh
tend TO, and sent a shell so close that the
brush-carriers scattered in a lively way.
But two rifled tield-pieces which had been
sent up there to look out for the big gun,
took this for their cue-to speak up, and
sent in their shells with such close aim
around the big gun, that it thought it
would have enough to do to attend to
them, and began an angry effort to shut
them up.
While the artillery duel was shaking the
earth the brush-carriers rushed down to
81 and Shorty, who threw their bundles in
front of the gum, and began rolling it for
ward over the improvised causeway.
The rebels concentrated a musketry fire
on it, but 81 and Shorty We're careful only
to expose themselves at the instant of
throwing the brush over, and to hold the
bundle well before them as they rose. They
caught several bullets in the bundles,
which staggered them with their force,
out tney remained untouched.
The noisy firing excited the Adjutant al
most to the point of forgetting the precious
demijohn. He ran forward with it IN his
hand to the brink of the bank, and took
a quick glance of the situation. He saw
Uncle Ephraim working his way back
with his coffee-kettles slung together over
his shoulders, to take up less room in the
crowd.
drop those kettles and take that,
Uncle" said the Adjutant, passing the
demijohn to him. Run back for your life
with it, and get behind that bomb-proof,
and stay there as long as there is
and stay there as long as there is a shot
fired. Don't risk it, any more than you
would your immortal soul. Sergeant"
said he to young non-com. of battery,
who had been sent up to see if he could
be of use, but who was fretting because
the rebels were out of range of his - |
pound Napoleon, 'you want a job. There's
one for you. Unlimber your gun, load !
with double canister, and work it forward
by hand to that bank and help the boys
out Quick! I'll run ahead and clear the
way for you"
The Sergeant and his squad sprang to
their work as if set off by electricity, and
were right at the heels of the Adjutant,
as he walked along the bank. shouting:
open out there for the artillery Clear
the way for the gum"
Inns - al aPpedi thit inIunliy always
respond to instantly. Men in the rear,
tired of being unable to do anything,
sprang up to help rush the gun along
80. this is a picnic" muttercd the bat
terry Sergeant, as he wheeled his gun
around on the bank behind 81 and Shorty
and put his hand on the elevating screw.
ITS the chance of a thousand. Just the
right range for canister, and they're over
there thicker n fiddlers in hades Won't
L just salivate 'em. Ready? Break away"
He stepped back, raised his hand, the
man drew the lanyard taut, the Sergeant
dropped his hand. and the gun seemed 10
yell with a fendish delight as it sent a
storm Of canister into the dense ranks Of