The National tribune., 1902-10-23

| they won't have the laugh on us. We
drank a good deal ourselves, but no,
enough to make US unfit for duty"
"All right; we'll get them. Just make
yourself comfortable there for a little
while"
who at once called out:
Boys, don't pay any more attention to
| those men running through the swamp.
| Get together, at once. Alf, march these
| prisoners over to the bridge, and deliver
them to Shad Graham. The rest of you
fall in behind me-"
The less drunk Of the men left in camp
! stood and gaZed yacantly as 81 and the
rest came gallOping up the road. They
had seemed to rather enjoy seing theiI
companions used up so quickly by the Yam
KEGS, and yelled derisively at them. One
or two of them had vague idea that they
! ought to fight, but their hands were too
| nerveless to aim their guns, and their shots
went up in the air.
Harry and Monty knocked down with
their carbine barrels two or three men
| who had guns in their hands, and 81
sharply ordered all of them to sit down at
| once, with their backs to the trees, which
they did, while Sandy, Pete and Gid went
among them and took away what guns
were near.
81 and Shorty rode toward the fires in
the center of the camp.
They found the Captain and his two
Lieutenants-all nattily dressed in Confed-
crate uniforms, with their full allowance
of gold braid. and unstained by field ser
vice-were lying maudlin drunk on rich
| rugs taken from the wagons. All around
were cobwebbed and dusty bottles, some
| full, some empty, of rare old Port, Sherry.
and Madeira wines, and Otard brandy.
Great JehOsephat, won't these be a
dandy present for the Adjutant," exclaim-
| ed Shorty, surveying the lot. "He can
Just set em up in great style for every
body. Old Billy Sherman himself won't
have anything SO good to set out And
mighty nice for them swell houses he
and the Colonels planning to set up when
the war is over. Aunt Minerva Ann will
think she is walking over a feather bed
when she steps on them. We mustn't
lose thing-especially bottle. There
must be heaps of more nice things in those
wagons. I'll go over and look at them
presently"
ST directed Abe Grimstead and the
others to collect the prisoners about one of
the fires, and make them sit down. until
arrangements could be made for sending
them back to the Brigade Provost Mar
shall
pile Of rugs on which the Captain was
lying, kicked him on the soles of his boots,
and commanded:
Here. you; wake up and surrender"
The Captain gave petulant kick in re-
ply, and mumbled out:
"G'way. Le'me alone. Tell Lieut. Gil
man to tend to it."
There's something here you've got to
attend to yourself, Captain. Surrender,
and hand me your sword"
Surrender calculated the Captain,
sitting up and trying to take in the sit
uation through his bleared eyes, What
are you talking about? South Caro-
linians never surrender. Remember Fort
MOultrie and Serg't Jasper"
Fort MOultrie and Serg't Jasper are
all right. but you don't belong to that
breed, and you'll surrender at once, before
something worse happens to you. Hand
me that sword"
"Sir, do you know who I am? I am
Capt. Gilhllan, sir, of the Charleston
'Keep those particulars for the Provost
Marshal. I'm Serg't Josiah Klegg, of
the 20Oth Injianny Volunteer Infantry,
which is matter of great deal more i'm
portance to you and to history. Get up
at once, and go over there with the rest of
the prisoners"
'Sir." said the Captain, drawing himself
up in ludicrous drunken dignity. .'this
rudeness to South Carolina gentleman,
belonging to one Of the first families"-
'There. there: cheese that" said 81,
impatiently, and giving him shove.
Hustle along. now. We all belong to the
very first families of Injianny, and Inji-
anny's better'n South Carolina any day i'm
the week. Get move on you.'
The Captain stalked ever toward his
men, but stood little apart from them,
with his arms folded. and his attitude
copying as nearly as possible the pictures
of Napoleon at st. Helena. Nobody paid
any further attention to him or his glow
ering, and presently he sank down at the
foot of n tree and went to sleep.
81 and Shorty went to the First Lieu
tenant. who had reused up and was watch
ing the Captains proceedings, with drunk
en- sadness.
'The cause of the South is lost. The
Southern COnfederacy is no more" he
walled with drunken tears in his eyes, as
he handed over his sword. "When / Weld
up my sword. all is lost All 1 can ask
from you is the respect due a brave but
vanauished foe."
THAT'S all right, Loot" said Si, taking
the sword with scant ceremony. "Yon
can have anything you want that don't
cost ANYTHING. TrOt over there. beside the
Captafn."
The Second Lieutenant was one Of the