The National tribune., 1903-09-24

brick buildings nit cheap nine-inch walls
Upstairs vas room where de clerks had
slept, and which vas still used py some
pody-brobably de Officer of de Gart-to
sleep in De room pelow fall of con-
scripts. deserters. and on. but dey we're
nefer allowed to 20 upstairs. | sat down
on de cot, after de Sergeant turned ME into
de room, and locked de door upon me.
and for Il view minutes felt like breaking
down. Den my upper lip stiffened again,
and l PECAN To think of some way of get
ting oud. vent TO de vront windows and
looked down into de street. / could easily
ehump down dere. but it would be in yronr
of Il lot of solchers loatnC around who
would hat no lrouble in running me down.
Il vent to de pack window and looked
Dere vas de usual backyard of a country
store. yiiled up nit old parcels and poxes,
which de men we're breaking up to cook
DER grub in py little wires around de yard
Dat vas as pad as de vront. Deere vas no
way OF getting on de roof Apove de cot
vas 4 hole for stove pipe. which vas now
closed INIT Tin cover. over which de vail
paper had peen pasted. / took out my
knife. cut de paper. pulled out de cover
and looked through. 1t opened into n
room apove the next store. So far as I
conld tell the room had pecn used at some
time for making cartridges. Dere vas two
or three open powder Kegs standing on a
| long table on de far side of de room, and
some measures for powder, nit other tools
| for cartridge-making. I could not see
whether dere vas any powder left in de
Kegs or not, or What dere vas on de side
of de room next to me. | calculated
| though. dat dere vas probably a lot Of
trash dere. such rs dose careless Southern
ers always leave around where dey are
working. l vas getting desperate, anyway
for it PECAN TO look more dan likely dat I
vas going to make de evening dreSs-parada
much more interesting dan usual l would
try one little trick. at least. to beat dem.
Dey shouldn't get away nit n Yankee shy
as easy as dey planned. l took news
paper lying in de room. wrapped it up a
| little. lighted one end and poked it through
the pipe-hOle. so dat it would fall down in
de other room. | den wrapped de mat
tress and ped-clOthes around me. put de
pillows around my head, crawled under de
cot and waited.
For a minute or two | could tell moth
ing. l vas scared. for | thought heard
de voices down stairs of de Major and
Captain coming for me.
Den de smoke PECAN bouring back
| through de stOve-pipe hole. and knew
dat my paper had caught some dngs and
We would half wire, if holdings else
could probably slip away in de confusion.
Den l shivered for dat vas certainly de
voices of de Major and Captain. nit Him
melwurst coming up de stairs. Dey seemed
sion on de oder side dat shook de thin
walls. Den dere vas another still louder
one. dat seemed to tear de tin roof off and
de walls PECAN rocking. | waited no long
er. but wrapping de blankets around me-
chumped up, threw de straw tick out of de
pack window. and chumped down on it.
EfferypOdy vas running like Crazy. As
Int another keg vent off. de walls PECAN
dumblng. and de flames shot I'D. As
reached de pack street a spirited young
horse vas piunging wildly. De going of
of de last key scared him so dat he flung
his rider off. who still chung to de Pride
run up to de man. snatched de reins
out of his hands. quieted de horse a second.
and turned as if l vas going to help de
man. He raised up, as if he'd dake de
pride and mount again. but l said. Nay,
nay. Pauline: need dis horse in my piz-
ness put my foot in de stirrup. chumped
on. and vent down de road like de Wind.
Dat horse vas only too anxious to get
away. Eferypody vas so pusy Watching de
wire and de explosions dat dey didn't no.
tice me.
"a little after midnight de bickets halt
ed me. as | gone to a deep, vide bayou.
and after Ginning NIT dem q second. I
wound dat dey we're for sure Union pick
cts, de advance of old A. Us army who
vas coming right along. yoost as he said
he would. He had his men behind de
bayou so de reppels could not surprise him
by a night attack. l vas taken right to
where he vas alseep under n tree. He
questioned me. apout efferything. and I
made anodder map vrom memory. He
told ME to go pack to de ambulance and
lay down. and he PECAN waking up effery-
pody NIT orders to march at daybreak"
We'll, did Stinkingbone & Spitslobber
give you that big diamond for that?'' asked
Shorty. 81 fail to see the connection
80. dat-is still another story. I CANT
dell dat tonight. 1 want to dalk to de
ladies a little while. I'll dell you dat to-
morrow efening I'm coming here for sup
per den. l like your pOarding-house very
veil"
Ito be continued)