The National tribune., 1903-11-19

any EYES WERE ABOUT A TENTH
"'Bekase, right over there hull O. thu
| rest O. the rijimint is in camps,' sait
Swackhammer. 'Thar's whar come las
night fer to git they'uns
getting hot all through in a aash, ant
raising his carbine. 'Ye did. ye secest
scum, and you deserve death for It.
"'Hold ON. Larry. Don't holler til
we're out of the woods said l. Were
not vet, by 40 rows Of apple-trees. You
say that the rest of that regiment Is ovel
| there, Swackhammer?'
"'Yes, don't speak so loud. And the
brigade is not much furder on
81 looked down into the valley, and
saw a few scattering tents. don't
think there can be more than . company
there
"'They y'uns all critter-back companies
an don't tote many tents, specially when
they 'all's on a raid, as thsy-aH Is now
They-alPs scattered round sleepin' In
houses. stables, shuck-pens, an wharevel
tl,ey'ail kin git a chanst. See all them
hoss-critters down tharg
81 looked carefully through the brush
and certainly made out enough horses fol
a regiment Of cavalry, grazing in the
fields. or fastened to buildings. I made
out men rubbing down their horses, wat
ering them. leading them out to where
they had found fresh bits Of grass spring
ing up after the rains, and from some
places farther down came the faint notes
of an anvil, where they were shoeing some
Of their mounts.
"'The brigade only got In last night.
explained Swackhammer. They-alPs
| waitin' fer the rest Of the division, which
comm up ter-day. You-alrs got ter keep
yer eyes peeled as you'll nsIsE did afore
in all you'all's born days II you'alli
a-gwine ter git back ter Atlanty through
thsy.ail.'
swered. Go ahead. Wen follow you al
right
"You know I've been on many scouts
and excursions, and think know a whole
heap about the woods, but I never saw
such snake-like meanderings as Swack
hammer made. He seemed to have the
same knack of slipping along out Of sight
that a weasel or a wildcat has. He
wasn't at al like a hunter after game.
but like a snake or a wild animal lodging
being seen and took trails that only the
rabbits and squirrels knew. And such
luck as we had All day long we were
right in the midst of rebels. They were
coming and going all through the woods
foraging for rations. hunting the nuts that
were falling from the trees. going home
and returning, and even hunting rabbits,
squirrels and wild turkeys, and q thousand
on top of us. but they never once saw us.
Swackhammer could hear their steps or
their voices as far as a wildcat could.
pnd he had an instinct as to which way
they would 30. When they passed we
were hidden IN some thicket. We always
crossed road or path at, some hollow
ont Of sight. and not until Swackhammer
come over the rise until we were all out OF
sight, It was mighty slow travelling.
though. and took all my fear of the conse-
quences to keep me patient In such cat
Ike sinking and hiding, often not max
Ing Q hundred yards In an hour.
Veal 80 faster when It gifts dark. =
hs said. whs1 I was almost completely
tired out By this slow progression;
at came On dark quite early, and then
camp fires blssils up all around showed
more rebels than We had seen at any time
during the day. It was clear that the
whole division had come up. and was fll-
ing the country. But there would not be
30 many out on the roads and In the
woods. We began to travsl alezy paths
and road: & Tor S. 'a:Tf @ 70 .nd make ns
UottU A'ha0s cee edA nAv " ssA" S"s euo
hide. from time to time. to avoid stras-
glers and parties"
"Oi nivver before apprayshiaesd tie
regulation that Everybody shsuld be In
camp and In quarters at retrats." broke In
Larry "Oi was disgustsd that there was
not better discipline In he rebel army.
to kape height providers Of the roads"
"AI the Same. We managed to So slong
two or three mile, o. more before the rebel
busles sounded 'tattso. which was fast
travelling compared to what we'd been
doing during the day. After tattoo
things quieted dswn q good deal. the road
became fairly clear. and We went along
for over 4 mile At 9eod gait Then we
saw by the fires that We were approaching
another camp.
"'Cems long with me. an weTl git the
countersien.' said Swackhammer to me.
The rest o you,.ii 90 10 behind that bresh
thar. an walt TIL veal come back. Don.
stir tll We do
"If ewackhammer had seemed ike
cat OF , snake IN the daytime. he was q
great deal more - at night. The only
way could ten where he vas, OF that
he was anywhsfA was b tie pises Of
hs savS me to hsll. the ether
end bsinS d hs hand, and 6y whix be
signslsl ns. Oas Jerk was 4 come On,
two to step. three = hp down. fsur - g
back. He wsuid ltand Sttn % long that
! esqid not tell hin ffsa The stumps
round aheat. and when hs moved he some.
hsW managed not 10 step On anyeh1ne that