The National tribune., 1903-12-10

"'What air yo' gwine to do, Majah?
inquired the Captain.
| I'm gwine to shake this hull blasted
'ristocratic outfit, that's what I'm gwine
to do. They've never treated us far.
They've always bin sneerin' at us. an
Ned Forrest, who's somewhar over thar
in Alabamy.. Forests different style
O. man. Nothin stuck-up bout him.
"'Hooray for Ned Forrest! Three
cheers for Ned Forrest!,' yelled the men,
| He'll treat us right
"Yo'd've knowed all this. an saved the
| trouble o. my tellin' you, Capt. Cornsmut.'
a-bin in yo' place in camps. Itd've sarved
yo' right il Pd've gone off an left yO'
| I've bin reduced to tie ranks, and made
| to go On foot
'I was outen camp doin' a good job
said the Captain sullenly. 1 done tole
yo' I ketched 10 conscripts an two Yam
"'Yo' did?' said the Major, increduous-
| ly. 'Whar air they?
| Thar's the conscripts, said the Cap
tain, pointing at the boys. 'Thar's IL
o. them. / done hung two up, as a warn
in to the rest. An thar's the two Yam
| KEGS
His eyes turned around in search of us,
to discover Larry and me, standing des-
perately at bay, with our backs to the
twin-oaks, and our carbines, with the
magazines full, pointed in his direction.
Hold on, there said l, speaking cool
ly and distinctly. l was SO desperate
that my nerves were like iron. I've been
listening quietly to all of you. Now we
want chance to say something. We've
got 16 shots in these repeating rifles, and
we're dead shots, both of US. If we've
got to die We'll take big dray>load of
you along with us. And you, Major, and
you, Captain, will lead the procession.
We've got you both covered. The first
motion any man makes to raise gun or
draw pistol, or get behind us, we'll kill
the Major and Captain. sure as the Lord
made little apples. After that We'll sev
who can shoot the fastest. But we'li
surely salt down pile of you for Winter
use before We go. You hear the mellow
trill of the Yankee bazoo, and you'll be
nightly careful how you move 4 step, or
| lift a finger
''That's bout the way yo' always man.
jor angrily. why didn't yo shoot 'em long
ago?
"'Dad-gone the blue-bellied >varmints.'
said the Captain, trying to kick off my
boot, and hop behind tree. Why didn't
II
>" 'Hould on, there Captain shouted
Larry. If you move a step, off goes the
top of your head
.The Captain stood as if he had taken
root.
Major, order all your men to file off
the road, and go up over the hill, and give
us a fair chance for our lives l said
Tell them 70 be mighty careful in their
motions, for the first sign toward handling
a pistol or gun will be your last sight
of the SUM-
Whether the Ma jor would have given
the order we did not have time to see, for
there was sound of other galloping cav
airy, and there swept along the road a
regiment, led by a dandifed young staff
officer, in full gray uniform, with his
sleeves covered with wreaths of gold lace,
the chicken CUTS so much despised by the
| 'partisans.'
$50 you have been trying to add mutt
ny to your other offenses, Maj. Bradley
said he, refining ZIP his horse between US
and the Major. I suspected as much,
and watched you start out of camp. The
General ordered me to take a regiment,
follow you and bring you back, dead OF
alive. Now, which way will you go?
| It's Indifferent to me, though perhaps I'd
prefer to take you back dead Colonel
he continued, turning to the commander
of the regiment. 'Deploy couple of com.
panies around these men, and see that
none get awayO Hello, whom have We
here?'
Larry and l had started to take advan-
tage of the excitement to slip away and
make a run for it. but the young staff
officers eyes We're too quick for u.s.
"'Them's two Yanks that l ketched.
tryin' to run off passel O. conseripts into
the Yankee lines said Capt. Cornsmut,
in a propitiatng tone. 1 was about to
shoot EN-
"'We were about to blow their heads
off, Major l said. saluting the officer, to
prevent their numbering US. We surren-
dered to them, and they then robbed, and
were preparing to murder us. That's our
grave they were digging. We belong to
the 200th Ind. and are regular, straight
out soldiers. We surrender to you, expect
ing to be treated as prisoners of war;
Larry and l both offered him our car
bines.
"'Of course you shall be, men, he
answered.
"'Sergeant. take their guns, and go
over there and get their things Just like
these internal banditti. They won't fight
anything or anybody, but sthy'n rob and
murder to beat Capt Kidd. Well stop
the operations of this gang, however, and
give them n taste of serving their country
in the ranks. where they'll be made to do
their duty, or get killed.