The National tribune., 1902-04-10

to the island, and were now making their
way cautiously through the underground
TO surprise the choppers, whom they ex-
Pected much nearer than they were. 81
sent Harry with the canoe back for Abe,
Aif ana Sandy. Pete reported from his
lookout that the rebels had reached tho
second creek, and were slowly filing over
I log.
Sandy went back with the boat for
Tom. Shorty and Pete. Otterbein Kramer
and Uncle Julius picked up the axes and
continued the chopping- though Unclo
Julius's blows were very weak.
Some of them Yanks is getting monty
tired remarked the rebels, listening to
the blows, as they worked their way
through the underground. ''We'uns II
give they something to be tired for"
AS soon as Kramer and Uncle julius
saw the bushes shaking dangerously near
their side of the island, they prudently
retired to a safe distance. and the advance
of the rebels looked around wonderingly
for the force which had been making so
much noise.
The rear straggler of the party had his
attention attracted by noise, and looked
around to see the canoe containing Shorty,
Tom, Sandy, and Pete whsk into the
mouth of the creek, and paddle swiftly
to the log on which the party had just
crossed. Shorty, Tom, and Sandy jumped
out, while Pete remained in to hold the
canoe. \ few nervous blows with their
axes cut off the splinter of the stump on
which the log rested. and it fell into the
boiling current. Its top, which had rested
on the other bank, mad long since rotted
to weakness. 1t broke off shortly, and
floated down the stream, leaving the reb-
els cut off and imprisoned on the island.
You whelpsr' shouted Shorty, shaking
E1fa -bs =bssA hng Oh IN, lie
may at the alarming call Of their comrade,
serves you right for sneaking around try
ing to interfere with honest labor. Stay
there and starve, you rebel sons of per-
.ditiOn."
He padded away to join 81.
The firing up in the direction Of the
crossing had become pickering. They
reached the main road. and, glancing down
it, saw a party of rebel cavalry, with a
piece OF artillery, coming as fast as they
could urge their horses through the mud,
to reinforce those at the crossing.
There was a rude bridge just ahead,
built of pitch-pine logs, old and dry. 81
led his party in rush for it; they gath
cred up some brush from the tops of fallen
pines and expresses, and piled it on it, and
then 81 touched it with a lighted match.
A blaze shot up, and 81 remarked with
satisfaction: Them fellers can sit down
and twirl their thumbs, too"
The rest raised yells of triumph, scorn,.
and derision at the baffed cavalry, as they
snatched up their guns and followed 81 at
the double-quick in the direction of the
crossing.
They found this on high ground, which
narrowed the river at that point to a
hundred yards or so, with cleared fields on
both sides. They ran up on to bare
knoll, which was separated by a wide
creek from the knoll beyond, upon which
the road ran. They thus got a good view
of both sides of the river. Shad had gotten
one wagon down to the edge of the water.
when the picket on the opposite side had
given the alarm, and mis- companions had
come up to help him.
A field piece had been rushed up from
somewhere to assist, and was being fired
slowly and ineffectively, for at the first
appearance Shad Graham had carefully
gotten his pont0Ons under cover of the in
equalities of the ground, and deployed his
men behind fences and trees, to sharp
shoot with the rebels and drive them off,
The rebel infantry had taken similar
refuge behind the fences, and the skir-
mishing was going on rather inconclusively
when 81 arrived. The rebels thought that
reinfOrcements had come, and raised
cheer. Then they called out:
Say, you fellers, come on down here.
Go back around piece, an you kin git
acrost the crick. Come over heah. You
'uns can't hit nothin' up thar"
TRY to hit that slim, tall Yank. who's
struttin' round givin' orders. None o.
we'uns We bin able to fetch him.
Skip cut O. there, you hell-hounds,"
shouted Shorty in reply. Cit, you butter
nut hounds. We're Yankees
With that he laid his gun across the
fence and fired at the man who was ram
ming the cannon.
Hello, Shad! Shadr' yelled 81. 'Tt's
US. We've got here at last
Bully boys"' shouted Shad back. "Can
you reach that gun? Knock it out if you
can. 1t isn't doing any harm, but it
makes the boys nervous, and it's. calling
up the rest of the rebels. Settle it, and
we'll take care of these other fellows"
Consider it settled!' shouted 81.
:" 'Tain't morn 400 yards from us, and
we can handle it like top"
Tom" he continued. take that teller
at the handspike. I'll take the one that's
thumbing. Abe. look out for the one at
the Wheel
The rebel artillcrymen were turning the
gun to bear on the newcomers.
81 rested his Springfield on the limb Of
a sassafras, and got good line on the
feet of the man who was thumbing. He
raised his muzzle slowly and fired. The
man clapped his hand on his hip. reeled
and fell. The man at the wheel fell.
The other boys fired into the backs Of
those behind the fences.
The whole squad of rebels jumped up
and ran back in the greatest haste, dis
in the woods beyond the fields.
Look back therei Look back there~
shouted Pete, pointing in the direction
where they had made the crossing.
They looked and saw among the bare
branches of the trees the rebels whom
they had cut off, and who had climbed up
to see the issue of the fight. Three or
four of them had their guns with them,
and were firing long shots at the Yam
KEGS.
''Oh, you rebel whelps," shouted Shorty.
Your goose is cooked. You'll just stay
there till you starve, if the water don't
go down first"
Come on with your pontoOn. Shad,"
shouted ST. ''rhey are all gone
So the crossing OF the Sal5ehatchie was
secured.