The National tribune., 1902-04-10

'It can't be that we cut right around
to the left all the time" murmured 81
with a cold sweat coming upon him.. as he
recalled his tunnel experience in Anderson
vile. 'It can't be that I've been such
foOl.''
There's the tree right over there that
we cut down to get over on" said Sandy,
pointing to felled trunk couple of hun
dred yards below.
/ Cant be such fools? Well, we just
are-" snorted Shorty, in a burning rage
Well we just are-both of us. If any
thing, I'm a bigger fool than you, fol-
I'm naturally expected to know more
Thompson colt was a Solomon along
side of us. How did we escape the lunatic
asylum until the Recruiting Sergeant got
hold Of us? Let's 20 right back to the
Surgeon and ask him to bore us for the
holler-horn."
To add to Sis misery, he heard in the
distance the sulen boom of a field-piece,
showing that the fighting had begun some
where-prObably in front of Shad.
Otterbein Kramer came up in breathless
haste Il see I'm too late" he gasped.
Il climbed a tree to watch you, and saw
you till you entered the brush. Then l
could tell the progress you were making
BY the shaking of the brush"
piOus pot-wrastler," roared Shorty, angry
at everything in the country. If you'd
been worth your salt. you'd "a skipt over
and told us we WIZ doubling on ourselves.
But | suppose you had to stop and pray
over it
Shorty" admonished 81.
"Well. I'm mad enough to cuss my
grandmother, if | could get at her. There
goes another gun. They're having it, and
we of about as much account as if we was
in the moon.'
THE tongues of men of war are bitter
and froward in speech" said Kramer
quietly. II could not tell for a long time
that you were doubling on yourselves. As
soon as | was sure of it L climbed down
to run over and tell you"
Much good that does us now,' snorted
the incOnsOlable Shorty. Wee lost two
hours time, and about an acre of skin
from our hands and faces, and are not an
inch nearer the other side of the river"
1T occurred to me-" continued Otter
bein Kramer calmly, that Uncle Julius,
Revolution, and has hunted raccoons and
spanked young wenches on both sides of
the Salkehatchie, must know the river like
the road to mill, and must have seen sew
eral floods like this. He ought to remem-
Der the paths and be able to point out
some way to get across. 1 have sent for
him and he is coming"
$50 he ought; so he ought" said Shorty.
He remembers a whole lot that's no use.
He ought to Tecollect something that's
some good to somebdy."
Hell be different from most oldest in
habitants around here, if he does" 81
murmured incidentally. But it'll take
him all day to get here"
Here he comes now,"- said Otterbein
Kramer. You see that the prospect of
being useful has galvanized the colored
brother with new life and activity"
They all looked with astOEishment at
ing his way along the tangled paths, and
over the logs.
"A coon himself couldn't skin along n
log as fast as that old fellow does" re-
marked Shorty.
mo. gemmen. you nebber git acrost de
Salkehatchie Ribber dat-away, in de lib
bin worl',' said the old negro. 'You's
agwine up an down de ribber dat-a-way.
Alters cross n ribber crOSswise stidder
lengthwise. OATS de shortest way"
THAT a safe proposition to start WITH
Shorty agreed. Hurry up, and show us
the way"
Zen you try to cross a ribber length
wise, hits lack shinnin' long fence.
You's done got to climb cherry panel. Now,
dar's dat fool nigger. Panks. He
Never mind about plantation biography,
Uncle" said 81 impatiently. Some other
time will do for that. Show us the way
across the river now"
Dat will / right willingly. III show
you the way dat l useter go wen l wuz
a-coahtin' my sebenth wife-Dalrymple'
Sal, who libbed on de Dalrymple place,
jes' crost de ribber. Dat was time oh
de Mexican war. an We had jes' sich a
big rise in de water dat you done see