St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-10-12

| peaceful children. Are you hurt?'
asked Sergt. Bob from behind the tree,
mo, I'm not, but I'm very :.aesxu-
Portable"
''What's the matter?''
"Why, look at mol" said the other
sergeant. ''Here :n, lying in pud-
die of ice-water''
''Why don't you get out of it then7'
SECT out of it? These old we'll
boards won't stop ball, and have
to stay fiat on the ground behind this
curb. don't want to get shot. This
is where you tipped over that bucket
of water. wish bad that villian!"
A shot from the thicket answered
him as he shook his fist beyond the
conner of the well. Sergt. Bob
leaned against the tree and laughed;
then he stopped laughing and Won
dered how long the unseen marksman
would keep them there, and if their
absence from camp would be noticed
at noon mess.
Every movement, it seemed. brought
a shot from the bushes. Once in a
while the man in the thicket turned
his attention to the clothes on the
fence and shot holes in them, while
the owners howled at him from their
cover.
''Well, I guess can stand it as long
as he can" commented Bob.
Eyes; you're not exposed to the
wintry blasts as I am" complained
the other sergeant.
''Wintry blasts! Why, man, the
suns burning patches on me till I
look like tiled foor.''
SWELL, you aren't lying in small lake
of well water that is way below zero.
Part of me is frozen; when / turn
over the other part freezes, and
crash towel is small clothing, and I'm
dirtier than when I came up here.
Wouldn't like to get crack at that
fellow"
Say" began Sergeant Bob after an
other half-hour, cant you get one
of the rifles? The little snap of his
gun can't be heard at camp, but if
you could fire one of ours, the bang
would bring the guard up in hurry
Il can't reach them from here.
Every time I stick my hand out that
reprobatc shoots at me. Wait min
nte! Is your rifle loaded?"
"No; but the box is hanging on it
with the belt and there's twenty
rounds in it,
The other sergeant looked around
and found a stick. Then he reached
over and poked the stick through a
crack in the boards, saving it back
and forth until he got it against one
of the rifles. The gun came rafting
to the ground, and he pulled it behind
the curb. This brought out more
shots from the man in the bushes.
els that my rifle?" asked Bob.
''Aine, and the best one in the COM
pany, tool"
swell, you'll get your shoulder
kicked off. You've got no clothes for
padding
''This rife don't kick. No rifle does !
if you hold it right, and I'll make a |
pad of this towel. OF course you fell |
lows who shut both eyes when you
fire and hold the butt two inches from |
your shoulder get kicked, and no
''Shut both eyes? Who got the
bar, I'd like to know?
But go ahead! Blaze away into the
hill! Noise is all we want
Bang! went the rifle, and a crack
rom the bushes answered it. Half a
lozen times the sergeant shot, as fast
Is he could load and fire.
''That will do, I reckon" he said,
'ubbing his shoulder. They'll think
here is BATTLE" and the two
:huckled as they waited for re-en-
orcements and relief.
Hi, there, you men! What are
'ou doing here?" It was the fat lieu
enant, coming from behind the old
og house.
Get back, lieutenant" both boys
ried. you'll be shot!"
''There's villain six feet tall up in
he bushes there, with Winchester!
les kept us here an hour" explained
sergeant Bob.
"Hey!" and the lieutenant lodged
ehind the log hut. From back of him
he grinning faces of half a dozen of
he guard looked out.
''We'll get your man for you. We
saw from where the
hots came, and I sent squad up over
he hill. They'll come down on his
ear. But what I want to know is
that you two are doing outside of
nes?"
Taking bath, SIR
Taking bath, eh?' Well, I might
verlook you coming out for such a
purpose, especially since
ou've been penned up already, but
ou've made me run up this hill in the
ln, and you ought to be court-mar-
ialed. Hello! The other squad has
our man."
There was commotion in the
ushes; then the corporal and the
est of the squad appeared. The cor
oral held in his hand a dingy little
lobert rife. Two of the men led a .