Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-08-28

let man git back. Scatter. now, roight
an lift Coppyral Frost, would yea
moind givin' me that arm av moineT'
What in began. Mick opened
three middle buttons of his jacket and
said softly-the first time l had ever
heard a soft note in the nutmeg crater
voice of Mick McTwyny:
ITS been around me swateheart.
If Dim kilt, Ord loike it buried wid
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 l made way to the left I'M
der cover of the fence.
The skirlnshers came on in fine style,
fixing bayonets as they ran. We after
ward learned that they had supposed
the way clear and had merely come 10
make assurance doubly sure. They
soon found themselves in error and the
next few minutes We're uncomfortable
in the extreme for all concerned Shoot.
ing at men at short pistol range is de.
pressing work unless the shooter 10
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 be 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 l reminded
him that an empty revolver would do
some effective work II held by the bar
rel and used as a hammer. When the
pistol firing began to slacken, Sergean
Mick shouted:
Don't fergit the fnce rails. Glory be
to the poikes av auld Oreland"
4 fence rail could not he welded with
one hand, but Mick did not seem en-
barrassed. He thrust his empty re-
volver into his belt and fought with his
uniniured arm. the winner in many
fist fight. lie did wonders at lodging,
tripping and smuggling" as he ran TO
and fro near the fence TO head off such
gray skirmishers as might attempt 10
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 a musket with bsyonet on it.
When either of us downed a man, Mick
| followed with a vigorous kick below
the belt. The kicks We're brutal, but il
was Mick's duty TO hold the line OF that
fence. Tie odds were heavily against
him, and lie was obliged to use any and
all means within reach.
Fighting with fence rails as weapons
was new to us, but we took to it kind
ly. We had 10. They demanded lot
of free space, which was not always
to be had, for the tree trunks would not
get out Of our way, and some OF US came
to grief while downed by our weapons
having collided with trees. Once |
rushed to Brainard's assistance, sup
posing him in deadly peril, for two OF
the few remaining Johnnes closed on
him with their bayonets ready to lunge,
But Brainard turned like a teetotum,
holding his rail horizontally. 1t struck
one Of the Johnnies and knocked him
down. In an instant Brainard jumped
and landed with both feet on the stom'
sch of the fallen man. He also said,
II beg your pardon" but the fallen
mans reply was couched in language
unfit for publication. Then Brainard' .
rail struck the other man below the
belt, and he. too. fell. Sergeant Mich
saw the encounter and screamed.
"Hooray, BrainaFdl Ye little dhivil
I'll thrain We up to the ioightweigh'
championships av Anerikv whin we