News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1902-07-30

half dozen other things. 1t would at
least serve for self defense in hand
to hand fight, and fights Of this charac-
ter were almost unknown to us. thanks
to the enemy's objection to getting
within close reach of us. At the worst
l would have the honor and pleasure of
being present for duty" should the af-
fair prove serious.
My horse was as good as the best,
so | soon passed through the village
and galloped along the Richmond road,
for the hoof prints in the dust showed
that the regiment had taken that route.
Unarmed though l was, my sense of
exhilaration was intense. Over this
same road had passed in other days the
patriot soldiers of two wars, even great
Washington himself. my regiment
was no longer at an out of the way
outpost that had been held a year only
to be told that it was not worth hold
ing. We were now really in the enc
my's country and with possibility of
seeing service of sufficient Importance
to be mentioned in the newspapers.
In fact, my head got so far into the
clouds that l neglected to keep my eyes
on the road, which is the worst blum
der. of which trooper can be guilty,
When | did chance to glance down
ward, it was to discern that only
few horsemen had preceded me. 1t did
not take me long to learn that the few
did not belong to the enemy, for on the
moist OrD1n1 hnci1n a small ctr
that crossed the road l saw the prints
of horseshOes and their nail heads.
The enemy's troop horses were unshod,
as rule. | rode some minutes longer
and was suddenly stopped by famil-
lar voice shouting:
"Come in here, ye little dhivilv
Twas the voice of Sergeant Mick Nc
Twyny, who had been detached with
his platoon, to watch" a portion of
crossroad far to the right of the old
postroad. His platoon of 16 men con-
sisted principally on this occasion of
his own gang. Birds of a feather
flock together" But Brainard was also
in it.
Somebody lend me a revolver mere
ly as matter of FORM" said |, Gin
case anything may happen. l was in
the fort when the regiment came out.
hadn't time to go back to camp for
my things so l just came along on
general principles"
That's the thing" said Sergeant
Mick, with a tigerish grin that was
meant for an approving smile.
The platoon seemed to me to be in
great luck. 1t was a hot day; the men
were dismounted and resting at ease
their sabers strapped to the saddles, in
the shade on the edge of forest in
front of which was an abandoned, bare
plantation at least half a mile square.
A gentle breeze from the northwest
blew refreshiAgly. The line between
the open ground and the forest was
marked by a rail fence; how this had es.
capped the campfires of the hundreds of
thousands of northern and southern
soldiers who had tramped the Peninsu.
la was a mystery to me, except that il
seemed a great way from the Rich. |
mond road, which had been the bone
of contention.
Mick leaned upon this fence and
appeared to undergo a TRANSPORTATION,
for he looked intelligent and seemed to
have something on his mind besides
liquor, tobacco and desire to snarl at
some one. AS already minated, my
head had been in the clouds for an
hour so I pulled myself up sharp" by
reminding myself that Mick, though |
sergeant and therefore my superior Off |
Ger, was merely a Summerton tough"
with all that the name implied. Be-
sides, | still was without shooting |
irons" I looked about me at the men
lying at ease beside the fence, their |
horses being tied to trees near them. |
l started to ask Brainard for carbine |
or revolver, it mattered not which, |
when Mick shouted:
"Coppyral Frost. take me carbine an
lift into yer pockets the cartridges from
me box an take some av me percussion
caps. Oh think Oil be afther doin
most av me foightin' wild me eye an
wits" Then he looked about the men
On the ground, approached small man
who owned big horse, kicked him
gently and said:
"Git on yer horse an go like milk.
man that's been on a dhrunk an woke
up two hours late. FOND the rigimint
an tell the colonel that the whole ribil
army is azcomin' across the field be-
yant."
All the .men en- the ground jumped
to their feet as the messenger proceed.
I'd to obey orders, and they saw almost
half a mile away gray line that
night have been mistaken for the shin.
nering heat band" that lies near tire
surface of any fat, open, dry ground
IN very hot day had not the line been
licked with spots of color and topped
1t regular intervals by spots that re-
solved themselves, through troopers
yes, into mounted men. Twas not
Is Mick had said the whole rebel ar.
ny, but it was at least a regiment,
a brigade, advancing slowly
n line of battle formation, the mount
ID officers in the rear. We were but a
quarter of a company. And our regi
nent was-where? And we were so far
rom Summerton or any part of the