The National tribune., 1903-10-01


good blaze tO put my prisoners, until
could think out ban.
- wouldn't go in dere,' said some
men whotvasi standing on guard. De
Cheneral intends to plOw up de fort. We're
all going right on to Shreveport. Dere's
lot of cannon powder in dat magazine.
enough 10 pillow up de whole fort. and he
is going to do it Ply laying desc fuses here
to it. De ground all around here is villed
NIT torpedoes. and he stationed us here
to keep efferypody away. and get things
ready to pillow up de fort
MY blan popped into my head at vonce.
"'AlI right. guards, understand
said. I hay yoost gene vrom de Chen
eral. and know all apout his blans. We
baf no use for dis blaze. and must destroy
it. You know I'm on de staff. and hat his
orders
'.Efferypody had. seen me at headQuar-
tiers. and riding around nit de Cheneral.
so de guards subbosed dis to pc true.
".All right dey answered. What de
Chencral says goes apout desc diggings.'
Come right along here said to de
Major and Captain.
Hold on dere,' yelled one of de guards.
making n chump for me, and cherking
me pack.
my Colt, man. de next step you'd
We put your foot right on torpedo. OATS
one dat I've bicked out. and We vas yOost
going to mark it. Dey're thick all around
here, and we're drying to Wind we're dey
are, and put marks to dem. We're not 60
ing foot farther into de fort, until we're
sure We know where dey are. We're not
anxious to be distributed in a hurry over
two or three Counties. Prefer to march
over them, step at a time
".All right, guards. I'll vino out for
Won ybara Como of dom ChpntlampO
will you oblige me py going ahead? l
said, turning to de Major and Captain,
taking off nv hat, and making a very
polite pow. and bOinting NIT my pistol
Mt dem and de way l wanted dem to go
up into de fort.
"Dis is an outrage on de laws of war;
said de Major.
"'C'est lie barbarisme-rinfame yelled
de Creole.
"'Sorry dat haffent de time to dis
cuss de matter NIT yOu. chentlemen,' l
said. But dime Dresses. You will please
walk right up dere to de door of dat maya
zine, or I shall hat to pc disagreeable-
pillow your brains out or Something's I'M
pleasant and l aimed my bistol square
at de Majors head, and not den feet
vrom him.
"At de same dime de guards raised DER
guns and pointed dem at dem.
"Dey both vent. hut very chincherly. De
guards and followed, marking yoOst
where dey slept, and getting up to de
door mtOut accident.
81 unlocked; de door. put dem inside.
and took n look.
"'DereLis certainly blenty of powder
dere. to pillow up de whole landscape /
said. And It can Pc easily fixed to wire
FROM n safe Biace down pehind de hill.
,,,,r I'll Gas> Of Iaro
Dake it and sgour train along ont of
de. door, and down along de path. Chen
tlemen. viii you smoke? Here are some
very vine cigars. Chenuine Cuban I'm
ported dem myself, and here is pox of
matches ~
"De Creole Captain gate yell of hor-
ror Which shook de ground.
"'No| said I, still smiling as if dey
we're cash Z customers. Veil, you don't
know vhatE Is good. Peter dake dem.
You may change your mind. lDey'l help
pass ayayode tfme.'cs- = '--r~ 90 f77.
az tossed, dem cigar apiece, and a
pox of matches. at which de Creole Gap
tain gave another Wild yell.
$50 long, chentlemen,' l said, as I
stepped outside and locked de door. Il
may neffer see again n piece of you pig
enough to recognize, but l shall neffer for
get you.' 81" 7''
"Den deg heard me outside Citing de
guards directions how to fix de fuse so
as to pillow up de magazine de minute dey
got orders vrom de Cheneral.
81 mounted my horse and rode offer to
see what was going on in de town, and
call on Zimri."
"But what became Of the men," breath
lessly inquired 81.
81 didn't bother nor care any more apout
dem. I had measured out de law of Moses
and Israel to dem, according to What
dey'd done to me de day pefore. and vas
through. l had more imbortant things to
think aDout dan What pecame of dem. I
vas satisfied dat dey vas a heap worse
scared dan I had peen de day pefore.'
"Well, never!" gasped 81.
"Nobody but a Jew could have carried
all that out" said Shorty. "What hap
pened?"
de guard-house de day pefore. and saw
dat de whole plock Of buildings had
gone up. Dey vas no great loss. however
De town vas peter off mitout dem, though
dat didn't enter into my CALCULATIONS.
saw Zimri, but gould gf him little sadis-
faction apout his cotton. and told him to
keep cool, stiff upper lip. and say nod
dings to nopody. I vas going to make
another set at Admiral Porter. I asked
him apout Gems. Franklin and Parks. and
he said dat he had heard dat morning
from as far down as Opelousas. and derc
we're no signs of Franklin or Parks.
rode ofer to Wind de Cheneral and dell
him dis. Admiral Porter vas nit him
when l got dere, and. weeping Rachel, you
should hat heard dem swear. and cuss
Parks and Franklin. I had thought old
A. ]. could peat any man In de army cuss.
ing. Brobabiy he gould, but Dave Por-
ter gould hold mp de navy end of de game.
"'Vell. We CANT stay here Waiting for
dem,' said old A. j., vinally. 'Cussing
Won't hurry dem up. We CANT lie idle. I
must get through nit dis Job. and get
pack to Sherman. who needs me. I'm
only lent to Parks for 30 days. you know.
and hat pigger pizness waiting for me over
toward Atlanta. I'm going to push up
things around dis town. and move on
"'Dat settles de chentIemen up dere in
de magazine thought to myself. Won
der if l Ought to dake pity on dem, and
let dem otitpt Dey've had a bretty pad
hour of itaS p dat enough?'
"Den got Interested in What Porter vas
saying apoift his not peing APPLE to go along
NIT de army, On ACCOUNT Of de water not
peing rs high as he had expected. He
didn't know whether he gould get his poats
! Offer de walls, yoost apove Alexandria.
Den old A. J. got mad. and cussed
| again worse dan effer. Dey gould all hang
pack, if dey wanted to, but he would 20
ahead NIT bis men, and make de campaign
alone. He did1't know but dat he would
pc as veil on Ifiituot men who were unyill-
ing Den Porter he hared nm and do o;r