Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-08-28

III the gov'ment"- began big Pat
Callahan, but Mick snarled:
"IIould yer jaw an talk wild yer car.
bine! All av ye fix yer carbne soights
mt 500 yards. Loie down an take good
rest on the fince rails. Count Off from
the roight up to IL. Whin / give the
worrud, number wan is to folre Mt the
first mounted officer at the right for
ninst him, number two at the mkt, an
so on. an aich av We kape on shootin
till yez bring down yer man. Whin
they amt got any ginerals an colonies
an majors an things, mebbo they'll
shtop to talk about 1t an give our rigi
mint chance to come up an charge
'em. Them min that amt got no
mounted officers to shoot at, foire loike
blazes at the colors. Don't any man
shoot till boiler 'toimcr"
The jacket filing heart throb that all
soldiers can recall came upon me as la y
down and selected a rest where there
was clear way between the shrub.
berry and weeds which always infest a
country fence row. The promise was
of a fight of kind for which had nj.
ways longed-a fight with n mass of
troops instead of with occasional heads
and shoulders half screened by trees
and stumps. But had also longed 10
be in the saddle and following a dash
ing, trusty commander and with an
even chance of success. Now l was
h1Eging the ground, with an unfamil.
lar carbine In my hands, a Summerton
ruilian for my commander and the odds
against me at least 80 to /.
"Toimew screamed Mick.
Our carbines reported almost in vol
ley force style The heat simmer pre-
vented good aim, yet there were three
less heads visible above the gray line
when the smoke had been blown away.
"Kape peggin' at EN-" said Mick as
he leaned on the fence, shaded his eyes
and peered forward. A few more shots
were fired in quick succession by each
man, after which no more mounted
officers were visible. The gray line
stopped quivering like q heat band.
Evidently it had halted.
"Kape on foirin'," Mick ordered IAN
make aich shot tell Pepper all along
their loine. Take lot of ground to the
roight an lift, youse fellers on the
TANKS, so they'll think our loine is lon.
ger an there's more Of US than there
be-"
The order was obeyed. The gray
line had decreased the distance be
tween us to about a quarter Of a mile
so we could note breaks in the ranks
whenever our shots told.
Aim careful" Mick ordered TITS
no tonne to fool away cartridges"
war of the same opinion. and l was
beginning to wonder what would hap
pen should we run out of cartridges
There was standing order in the reg
iment that every man should Away!
have 40 carbine cartridges in his DO,
and 10 full rounds for his revolver, bu
SO short had been our many previous
fights that all of us had become care
less as to quantity of ammunition. Sci
dom had any man more pistol ammuni
ton than that already in his revolver
No one was astOnished to hear big Pa
Callahan growl:
"Dhivil another cartridge hev to M
name"
"Nor l." said Brainard.
"Ye're dhivils, both av ye! But kap
yer revolyers-all av ye-fer close nc
ton" shouted Mick, IAN pray fer tn
rest av our rigimint to come up"
The carbine fire continued, but NOR
slowly, while men who were out o
cartridges borrowed from comrade
with fuller boxes Soon the firing ceas
ed entirely. Mick frowned. glare,
wildly and said to me:
! "Coppyral Frost we've the bigges
ears in all Summerton. Go out to tn
road an lay yer ear down to it an Sc
av We can hear the regiment acomin.'
| obeyed orders and at first mistoo
my heartbeats for hoofbeats, but l wa
obliged to report that could hea
| nothing.
The silence was becoming appalling
! for the enemy had not yet fired q shot
The Johnnies, more sensible than thei
! adversaries. seldom or never waste
their bullets on smoke puffs and ''coy
} ers' behind which figures did nc
show.
I "Ord loike to LUX into the oiye av tn
! felly that's a-bossin' 'em an see that hi
\ thrick'll be-" said Sergeant Mick. "A
7 OF was him an things so QUOT in fror
l ay me, ORD think he was sneakln' for
back holt. Coppyral Brainard, that
yer own opinion"
: Same as yours. sergeant" Brainar
, replied. He doesn't know how FEY
, we are, for we've fired great man
| shots, and he doesn't imagine We hay
4. breechloaders. Probably he thinks h
g enemy has left his front and is tryin
/, to flank him. wonder though, ths
he doesn't send out skrmishers to loo
t into the situation over here"
0 "Thrue fer yez. It's ividint W
u didn't lave yer brains in yer bunk bac
: in camp Now moind whole OF spab
/, to yez all. Call in thin min on II
n flanks-tell 'em to come on their han
u an knees. Are yez all here? Thi
y listen: Av they sind skirmishers owe
we mustn't let none av 'en cit bacI
:. ilse their bossll know how wake oil
Q line is, an they'll try to cut off our rie
II mint from camp unless maybe the RIG
II mint's already done the same by then
an they'll ate us up intoireiy.
80 we must kape livery dhivil a
4 'em from gittin' back. Scatter to Il
roight an lift whin the skirmishe
!, come. Let 'em git over the 6nce a