The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-11-20

commanded them. "YOu remember we tool
all that in when we were. out there, and
saw that There was no way of getting 9
big force across there, anywhere"
The gentlenesse of the slope now showed
| them that they were approaching the creek
where they might expect their enemies
Had they gotten across the creek!
They stopped, looked, and listened. The
| light gray of the darkness Immediately in
! front showed that tAere were open fields
| leading down to the creek, with the deep.
er darkness beyond Indicating heavy
woods on the opposite side. They could
hear nothing, except the dismal hooting
of the owls and the ripple of the water
| in the creek.
said 81. impatiently. Our orders are to
go to the ford and across it, if we don't
meet the enemy before
Il wish that if they're down there they'd
shoot, to break the suspense" muttered
Shorty. Prom the sound of the water it's
| running over stones, so that there's good
crossing. But we've got to move. or the
regiment II catch up with us. I'll ride
ahead little, and see what l can stir
up"
He rode down at Il trot, with 81 and
the rest following 4 little ways behind.
His horses hoofs rang out sharply on the
gravel as he neared the water.
They're not this side, anyway, ST." he
called to his partner.
NO: but heres plenty of us over on
this side, you salivated son of a sea-cook, Z"
shouted a voice from the blackness, and
a musket blazed out fierce fame
Scat! you cant shoot for sour apples,
cOntemptuOusly rejoined Shorty, firing two
or three shots toward the flash. Hist out
o there. We're coming to see you"
ri and tha ipS or hoe; Ia
him, and the whole squad pumped three
volleys into the darkness beyond while
the rebel muskets burnt holes in the dark
ness like fireworks. Bullets sang around,
but mostly flew too high.
Forward" shouted ST. who had watch
ed the firing, and gagged the number of
his foes. There's only few of them
Save the rest of your shots for them as
they're running. Forward"
They rushed forward through the ford,
with their horses slipping on the smooth,
Shiny rocks, but all gained the bank on
the opposite side, and fired at whatever
seemed a moving clump of blackness
They're all gone, Yanks. You needn't
bother any more about them" called from
behind them the voice which had hailed
Shorty. They looked around in surprise
Here l am said a man, coming out
from behind a tree where he had thrown
himself fiat, to escape danger. I'm Jim
McCurdy, from Ohio. l was pressed into
the rebel army, and have been trying ever
since to get away. l yelled at you and
fired wild to keep you from running into
their ambush. Then 1 dug my nose into
the ground at the roots of that sycamore
and waited for the storm to pass"
How many were there of yOu?" asked
81.
There were % of us sent oyer-that
was all that could be got across, and we
had to coon it along the logs There was a
great show of sending the whole brigade
over, and a good deal of chOpping down
trees, and other things, to fool the Yankee
scouts, but we was all that come over. !
The rest was marched off some other
way"
..Where've they gone, who We're with
you?"
They're skipping back to where we
crossed. That was the orders. We was
to watch this ford. and hold back any
body that come till just before morning,
and then light out on the back track
(Which way did you Gomez"
sYOu follow up this road until You come
70 another leading in from the right,
That'll take YOU to where we crossed
I'VE must follow those fellows I'D to the
,rossing," said ST. Tom Brainard. take
his man back to the Colonel, and report
what we've done, and where we're going.
hear the regiment coming down the hill
low. Forward, boys"
They pushed forward rapidly for a mile
n more, and came to the road which fine
nan had spoken of, and some distance
lown 1t made out a clump of blackness,
which they took to be the routed rebels
making for the crossing. They rushed af-
er them, but lOng-mud-hole checked their