Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-07-30

IlSe their boss'll know how wake our
line is. an they'll try to cut off our rigi-
mint from camp. unless maybe the rigi-
mint's already done the same by them.
an they'll ate us up intoirely.
$50 we must kape livery dhiVil av
'em from gittin' back. Scatter to the
roight an lift whin the skirmishers
come Let 'em git over the fnce an
toward the horses. Thin close In an
give 1t to 'em in the back wild yer pis-
tolls. an don't foire till yer so close
that yez can't miss 'em. They can't
foire more than wan shot apiece-the
skirmishers can't-if ye don't give 'em
a chance to reload"
An how'll we git away then. with
the .Johnnies close to our horses" ask
ed big Pat Callahan.
"Git away. is it? Ye don't git away
till ye kill me-ye or any av ye. We're
here to hould the tince. an here we stay
till the rigimint comes. or we go to
glory. If yer pistol gifts Imply, pick up
tince rail an use it loike lance or
poke. Glory be to the poikes av auld
Oireland that me gran'father an his
neighbors used ag'in the English!
Thin pine rails is loight. an they're
longer than a musket with bay'nit on
II. Punch below the belt wild 'em.
Don't fear. for Dim the referee In this
foisht. an Oi won't cry 'foulr no mat
ter fhat ye do to 'em. A fince rail jab
below the belt III kape any wan av 'em
quiet till we can rayson wild him.
Whin"-
Sergeant" said Brainard, ~ beg
your pardon. but the enemy's going to
do something"
"Attin.tiCn" Mick commanded. All
of us pepred between the rails. There
was Il perceptible movement along the
cneny's front. and at their left flank a
single feldpiece was pushed forward.
Suddenly that fieldpiece was fired. and
we heard loud volley Of musketry and
hundreds of bullets whistling over us,
hitting tree trunks and cutting twigs.
Sergeant Mick. the only man who was
standing. turned suddenly on his heel
and looked behind him as If he had
dropped something. Apparently shot
or bit of grape from the feldpiece
had come his way. for Mick's left arm
was severed just above the elbow and
hung by a strip or two of his sleeve.
"Will somebody loose that thing from
me-" said Mick.
drew my knife from it's sheath In
my boot and cut the shreds Of sleeve.
dropping the arm to the ground. Two
other men quickly bound the stump
with handkerchief twisted rope fash
lon. putting under 1t bit Of dead stick
In lieu of tourniquet. 1t was every
troopers duty to know what to do In
case of accident. Mick turned and
looked again toward the enemy. laugh
ed and said:
do yez moind the cunnin' av the
baste? That volley was to hoide the
skirmishcrS wild shmoke. Here they
come! There's not more than wan
comp'ny av 'em. Oi hope it's big. Re.
minlbpr the tince rails. min. Glory be
to the poikes av auld Oireland! Don't
let man git back! Scatter. now, roight
an lift. Coppyral Frost. would yez
moind givin' me that arm Nv moine"
What in began. Mick opened
three middle buttons Of his jacket and
said softly the first time | had ever
heard soft note in the nutmeg crater
voice of Mick McTwyny:
Its been around me swateheart.
II Oi'm kilt. Old loike 1t buried wild
me-"
Twas no time for ceremony. yet |
bowed twice. first to the arm. then to
its owner. as Mick thrust the fragment
of himself into the front of his jacket,
and he and made way TO the left un-
der cover Of the fence.
The skirmiShers came on in fine style.
fixing bayonpts as they ran. We after
ward learned that they had supposed
the way clear and had merely come to
make assurance doubly sure. They
soon found themselves in error and the
next few minutes were uncomfortable
In the extreme for all concerned. Shoot
ing at men at short pistol range Is de-
pressing work unless the shooter Is
drunk. Shooting any man in the back
is unmanly work. To fire into the
backs of brave soldiers for whom you
know that fathers and mothers and
brothers and sisters and sweethearts
and wives and children are longing and
hoping and praying Is not doing as you
would he done by. But war Is war.
Besides. not all our shots took effect.
Revolver shots seldom do except when
men are never out Of practice. beg
ged Mick to save his own revolver
charge for self defense. but he snarled
at the suggestion. Then ! reminded
him that an empty revolver would do
some effective work If held by the bar
rel and used as hammer. When the
pistol firing began to slacken. Sergeant
Mick shouted:
Don't ferglt the fince rails! Glory be
to the poikcs av auld Oireland"
\ fence rail could not be welded with
one hand. but Mick did not seem en-
barrassed. He thrust his empty re-
volvcr into his belt and fought with his
uniniured arm, the winner in many
fist fight. He did wonders at dodging,
tripping and smuggling" as he ran to
and fro near the fence to head off such
gray skirmishers as might attempt to
fall back. |. with my fence rail. fol-
lowed him closely and succeeded In
preventing some awkward situations,
for the reach of an arm does not equal
that of q muSket with q bayonet on it.