The National tribune., 1901-02-07

IMENr IN RAILS AGAINST The CLIFF.
They all yelled in assent. The cliff rose
as straight and smooth as the wall of
house, and overlooked the valley for miles.
1t was far easier TO bend the rails into
fantastic shapes than to "a resemblance of
letters, but by midnight they had finished
II, and the regiments, which marched by
the next day, saw leaning against the face
Of the cliff
''200th Ind. Vols"
There" said Shorty, as he wiped his
face, after placing the last raIl in position,
these blamed fools maynt know the
ZUGth InJianny, or where 1t is, but they'll
all know where it has bin
Lets lay down" SAID 81, surveying the
work with equal satisfaction. We want
TO get up early tomorrow morning, and
make circuit out to Uncle Ephraim
and Aunt Minerva AIMS. We can never
90 past where they live without calling.
It'd be awfully ungrateful."
Learning their object, the Colonel read
lily gave them permission to make the de-
tour, and join the regiment in the even
ing at PeachStone Shoals, on the Ocmulgee
River. AS they now knew their division
and brigade, there would be no trouble in
finding the regiment.
There was niue trouble in finding Mr..
BenJamin Smail's plantation, and by brisk
marching they came to the place on the
road where they had turned off to go to
the home of the .'harnts' by the middle of
the forenoon.
LOW Inherently everything looked from
what 1t did months before, when they
were skulking refugees, anxiously watch
ing every turn of the road, every field and
every house, and avoiding the sight of
white men. Now it was the white men
who avoided their sight, as they STROBE
masterfuiiy along, fully armed, and eager
to encounter those before whom they had
then Shrunk. They were surprised at the
quickness with which they had covered
what had before seemed long distances,
and before they realized it were at the
well-remembered by-road down which
Uncle Ephraim, Aunt Minerva Ann and
the others had come with their welcome
loads of food.
Resisting the temptation to revisit the
scene of the Harpster tragedy, which had
been their home for several days, they
turned TO the left, and quickly came to the
row of negro-quarters.
Aunt Minerva Ann was out in her col
lard patch, knife in hand, seeking the ma
terial for Uncle Ephraim's dinner, and
singing in a powerful and musical con-
tralto:
''On Jordan's stormy banks 1 stand,
An cast wistful eye,
T. Cane-yun's far an happy land,
Whar my secessions lie"
mo, not 'secessions,'r she communed
with herself. "Secession's bad an wicked.
OATS de way l sing hit at de house, t
tickle de white folks. When l sing hit fo'
myself hits whar my-my-O, yes, recess
siOns lie. Recess is what dey had at
school, when dey gifts out. OATS a good
time-"Whar my recessions lie."
Good morning, Aunt Minerva Ann"
called out 81, blithely.
I'm de name OBJ God, who dat?" said
the terror-stricken old darky, dropping her
knife and looking with starting eyes on the
file of starwart blue-coats that came out
from behind the bushes.
Why, Aunty, don you know us?" said
81. We're the Yankee soldiers that you
fed last Summer-the fellers that was up
there in the home O the harn'ts.''
No, yo'n amt. Dey's all done daid.
Dey killed dey'uns. Ebbery one oh dem.
Dey'uns done killed dey'uns Cut deir
crick. Dey done tole us so. Dey showed
us de place: Yo'uns is ghostses. o. don't
hurt me. rs only po' niggah"-
She started to scream at the top of her
voice, but 81 caught her arm.
Nonsense, Aunty. Don't be a fool" he
said. We're all alive and well. Every
one of us. Rebels couldn't kill US. Here's
niue tLt, IUdI you ilkeU SO much. Come
up here, Pete"
Here 1 am, Aunty," said Pete, jump
ing off his mule and running up to her.
20, yo' Dressed leetle SOUL" circulated
the negress, forgetting all at once her hys-
terical fear, and taking him in her mother
ly arms. SIS it rayly yo? yo' Dressed
leetle, teenty Yank?. An dey said dey'd
done cut yo' froat, an buried yo' in de
crlck, an, heaped great heaps O rocks On
yo'. An yo' amt dead, an yo'r froat
amt cut, an dar hain't a heap O. rocks
piled on yo', an yo've done growed more'n
a mile taller. Lawd, bress yo' soul, SO yo'
have"
Pete extricated himself from the smoth-
ering embrace and said:
Yes, it's me, Aunty. and believe there
is some more of me than there was when
you We're so kind to me. I've brought you
whole lot O. genuine Yankee coffee. RI
told the rest O. the boys about you, and
bag. I'll get it."
He ran back to his mule and brought
large bag of fragrant coffee.
And heres some more things, Aunty,"
said 81 and Shorty, producing various arti- |
cles that they thought would please the |
woman and her husband. "And here's |
Uncle Ephraim, too. Uncle, we're on our |
way with the army. We're in a great |
Not We iIih tudt we go DIV 1
without stopping and thanking you all for |
your great kindness to us when we were in |
lots o trouble. Well come back again |
when the wars over, and do you SONS
good"
Every negro on the place seemed to have
learned Of their presence, and was gath
cred around, deyouring every detail with
their great white eyes. They pressed up
close to touch the hands or even the
clothes Of the boys.
One white-haired old uncle began a
at the top OF his sonorous