News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1902-07-30

ninst him, number two at the mkt. an
so on. an aich av ye kape on shootin'
till yez bring down yer man. Whin
they amt got any ginerals an colonplS
an majors an things, mebbe they'll
shtop to talk about it an give our rigi.
mint a chance to come up an charge
'em. Them min that amt got M
mounted officers to shoot at, foire Ioik"
blazes at the colors. Don't any man
shoot till holler 'toime!"
The jacket filling heart throb that all
soldiers can recall came upon me as lay
down and selected "rest" where there
was a clear way Detween the shrub
berry and weeds which always infest
country fence row. The promise was
of a fight of kind for which | had al
ways longed-a fight with mass Of
troops instead of with occasional heads
and shoulders half screened by trees
and stumps. But had also longed to
be in the saddle and following a dash
ing, trusty commander and with an
even chance of success. Now | was
hygging the ground, with an unfamil-
lar carbine in my hands, Summerton
ruffian for my commander and the odds
against me at least 80 to l.
'Toime! 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 'em" 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 a heat band.
Evidently it had halted.
"Kape on foirin'." Mick ordered, IAN
make aich shot tell! Pepper all along
their loine! Take a lot of ground to the
roight an lift, youse fellers on the
TANKS, so they'll think our loine is Ion
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 mile,
so we could note breaks in the ranks
whenever Our shots told.
"Aim carefulp Mick ordered. Its
no tonne to fool away cartridges"
was of the same opinion, and was
beginning to wonder what would hap.
pen should we run out of cartridges.
Ctn in, 40
iment that every man should always
have 40 carbne cartridges in his box
and 10 full rounds for his revolver, but
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 Pat
Callahan growl:
"Dhivil another cartridge hev to me
name"
Nor l." said Brainard.
"Ye're dhivils, both av ye. But kape
yer revolvers-all av ye-fer close ac-
ton" shouted Mick, IAN pray fer the
rest av our rigimint to come up"
The carbine fire continued, but more
slowly, while men who were out of
cartridges borrowed from comrades
with fuller boxes. Soon the firing ceas.
ed entirely Mick frowned, glared
wildly and said to me:
''Coppyral Frost, we've the biggest
ears in all Summerton. Go out to the
road an lay yer ear down to it an see
av We can hear the regiment a-comin'."
| Obeyed orders and at first mistook |
my heartbeats for hoofbeats. but | was
obliged to report that | could hear
The silence was becoming appalling,
for the enemy had not yet fred a shot. |
The Johnnies, more sensible than their |
adversaries, seldom or never wasted |
their bullets on smoke puffs and Gov.
ers" behind which figures did not
show.
"Oi'd loike to LUX into the oiye av the |
felly that's abossin' 'em an see that his |
be-" said Sergeant Mick. "Av
Oh was him an things so quot in front |
av me, Ord think he was sneakin' for a
back holt. Coppyral Brainard, That's
yer own opinion"
Same as yours, sergeant" Brainard |
replied. He doesn't know how few |
we are, for we've fired a great many |
shots and'he doesn't imagine we have
Probably he thinks his
enemy has left his front and is trying |
to flank him. wonder, though, that
be doesn't send out skirmishers to look
into the situation over here"
'Thrue fer yez. It's ividint ye2
didn't lave yer brains in yer bunk back
N camp. Now moind whole OF spake
to yez ALL Call in thin min on the
lanks-tell 'em to come on their hams
an knees. Are yez all here? Thin
listen: Av they sind skirmishers over.
we mustn't let none av 'em git back,
lse their boss'll know how wake oul
inc is. an they'll try to cut off our rigi
mint from camp, unless maybe the rigi.
hints already done the same by them,
IN they'll ate us up intoirely.
$50 we must kape livery dhivil aV
EN- from gittin' back. Scatter to the
'oight an lift whin the skirmishers
'ome. Let 'em git over the fince an
oward the horses. Thin close in an
rive it to 'em in the back wild yer pis.
OILS an don't fOire till yer so close