The National tribune., 1901-04-11

Blakely, turning his dim eyes from AIf's
| lurid torch to the ghostlike forms of the
stalagmites and the glistening white bones
| covering the ground. ''Is this Rusurrec-
tion morning? Is this the other world?'
| Alf remembered him three months be-
| fore as the cheeriest and most undiscour-
ageable of their detachment at Anderson
vile, always with q joke on his lips, or a
word Of hope and helpfulness for his de-
| spairing companions.
Alf filed the bootleg bucket with water
| and washed all their faces and hands,
made another cup of coffee, crumbled an
other hardtack in it, and again went
their rounds, giving each 4 few spoonfuls
at a time.
Il guess I have given them all the food
and stimulation that is safe at this time"
said he to himself. .'Ill go out now where
| the boys are. They may NJ I'd me-"
They did.
Out of the confusion in the rebel regi-
ment aroused by the unexpected voley
and the fall of the Colonel and Captain
arose a commanding voice, shrill and PEN
etrating as a steam-whistle:
STEADY, men. Steady! Count off for
fighting On foot! COUNT OFF"
Shorty stepped forward and parted the
bushes to get view of the owner of the
voice. He was a small, slight man, with
black beard, who had mounted his
horse, and was gesticulating with his
sword, as he called the men into line.
apparently the Major or Lieutenant
Colonel" said Shorty to those next him.
''IIl get him presently. Keep cool, boys,
and only shoot when you get a good aim
belts. Harry, you and Sandy scatter out
more to the right, SO as to give them an
idea of more Of us. Monty, you run over
to that rock on the left, and get behind
it. Brainard, you and Grimshaw stay
near me. All of you take look at me
occasionally, and fall back as l do"
Some of the more excitable rebels were
firing wildly into the woods, where they
thought they saw something, or merely to
shoot and make a noise, and show their
interest in the affair These were stopped
and brought into line, and the counting
off for hOrsehOlderS proceeded. Apparent
ly, the men had little liking for the ad-
vance into the woods, for as the count
came to each fourth man, who had to
hold horses, he would shout Bully" in
stead of Four" and brought out
chuckle of congratulation from the other
lucky horseholders.
stop that, you cowardly scoundrels,"
yelled the shrill-voiced little Major.
That's no way for the JEFF Davis Ora.
goons to act. Captains, make No. Is
hold horses, and send No. as forward"
A simultaneous groan rose from the
disappointed men.
The Major dressed the line a little in
the road, and then commanded:
Attention, battalion. Forward -
march,
The line started slowly into the woods,
and the Major turned to follow it, when
an Aid dashed up.
Major, are you In commando" he in
ouired. "The Generals compliments, and
hat bo IayiI'S tbp mnttnr hack hpFay'
I'VE have been fired upon by strong
force of Yankees up there in the woods"
answered the Major, hating the line.
"The Colonel and Capt. Dost, and some
men have been wounded, and I'm just
moving forward to drive the Yankees
OUT
''Pooh. Poohr' said the Aid, scorn.
fully. "Theres no Yankee force within
- miles. That's only squad of those
thieving bummers. We've no time to fool
with them. We must go on to Waynes-
borough, to save Augusta. Drop them and
join the column"
II tell you it's no squad of bummers,
sir. It's a regular Yankee command,
probably a company-may be battal
ion. strand I'm going to whip them
20, stuff and nonsense" said the Aid,
impatiently. Il tell you there's no force
OF Yankees around here that a company
can't handle. This is no time to be she'll
ing peanuts. We're needed to save Au-
gusta-every man that We can get. Send
a Sergeant out to reconnoiter and come
on. There goes the headquarters bugle
now"
II did send a Sergeant out, SIR" said |
the Major, whose fighting blood was up. |
"They captured him. I'm going to pun
ish them for shooting the Colonel. Give |
my compliments to the General, sir, and |
say that | will finish up this little job in |
hurry, and oyertake the column before |
night, SIR"
Il shall report to the General, sir" said
the Aid, galloping away to oyertake the
column.
'Now, men," said the Major, turning |
to his line, LET us go up there with n
whereas, and root those fellows out in n
hurry. They aint worth but few min
utes, and that's all we've got to give
them. Don't waste any time taking pris-
oners. Shoot them down as fast as you
come to them. Forward-march~
LET them come through that first fringe |