The National tribune., 1902-03-20

! everything for the Government except
| bear arms and shed blood. | shall beaI
| it true faith and allegiance, but / shall
never take an oath. The Savior says eX
| plicitly, Swear not at ALL Threats OF
| immediate death could not make me take
the oath of allegiance to the Southern
| Confederacy. My own Government can
not bind me SO strong as | feel myself
bound by our Lords commands as to 10y
atty
If you don't enlist you can't go along
with uS-that is, with this particular
/ crowd" said ST. You'll have to rustic
around among the prisoners of war, team
sters and niggers.'
Always Goddess crews" groaned Kra-
mer. Its the souls contamination to be
with them"
If You don't think so now, you'll be
mighty certain if you try to play poker
with them" chuckled Shorty.
I'm very sorry" said ST. ''We want
to help you, but there's no place with US
unless you regularly enlist"
Somehow, the spirit seems to still i'm
pei me, as it did from the very first of
laying eyes upon you, to seek to go with
you, and no Others" said Kramer. Cant
you possibly take me along with you?'
You're cutting out the pattern for n
life of more trouble than you've ever had
before" Shorty warned him. You're not
Taccinated against hattie, murder and
sudden death. are your
'All the same. want to go along with
you"
Il don't know what we can do with a
man who is so modest about handling q
gun. Any hour we may be in position
where every man needs n gun worse than
he does anything else in the world, and
he has no time to debate the ifs and ands
of bloodshed. The only question before
the house, then, is whether he'll get the
other fellows scalp, or let him get his,
and the previous question is ut once called
on the notion
Still, the spirit impels me to go along
with you, and tells me that in some way
| can reward you by being useful to you"
"Well." concluded 81, rising to examine
his clothes as to whether they were dry
enough to put on, you seem to be one of
those very good people who'll only be good
their own way, and nobody else's. But
we want to help you, anyway. You can
stay with us few days and try it. until
we can report to our Colonel. You'll see
how you like it by that time. Boys, put
on your clothes, and We'll go back to our
horses"
They found the Colonel of the 1st Osh-
kosh advancing his regiment to occupy
Sandy Hill and take in the cattle and
hogs collected there. A detail was clear
ing the road, and constructing Il bridge
across the creek.
After securing the horses, and getting
them across the creek, 81 went over to
where the Surgeon had temporarily es-
tablished himself, and was attending to
the wounded, until the bridge could be
finished, and a regular hospital could be
set up on Sandy Hill.
He found warm fire built, and the
wounded prisoners lying on brush beds
near by. The Surgeons cook was making
beef-tea, and preparing other nutriment,
while the other assistants We're washing
the faces, hands and wounds of the pa
tents, and applying bandages.
The Surgeon was bending over Lieut..
Cosgrove, whom 81 recognized at once,
and anxiously watched to see what the
verdict would be-
.'You had close call, my friend,' the
Surgeon remarked to the officer ''The |
man who shot you had a good aim at
your heart, but you probably turned |
little as he fired, and the bullet struck |
q glanciDg blow on your ribs. It's ap-
broken two of them, and plowed |
an ugly hole in your side, but there's |
you'll be all right. except for a good deal |
Of soreness while those ribs are knitting
again. You would be more comfortable /
# you were little nearer the fire. Here,
some of you men lift this man up, and |
move his bed over there closer to the
fire."
All the Surgeons men were busily en-
gagged elsewhere, however.
81 saw the need at once, and throwing
lis bride to Sandy, sprang forward and
fitted the large man as gently as he |
would child, holding him in his arms,
while Shorty and Tom Radbone shifted
he brush to a better position.
stake my blanket off the saddle, San