The National tribune., 1903-01-01

red strips" remarked 81, rather uneasily
I'D caught on" answered his partner.
wonder what it can mean? There's no
chance to run into an ambuscade around
here, is thereT'
Don't see none." answered 81. There
seems to be big raft of those felers on
the other side OF the crick-a mint more
than'll be comfortable for us to tackle
out in the open. But il we can get to
some ford ahead of 'em we can hold 'em
till some of the other boys come up.
haven't seen any since We started out
but that's probably because we got too far
over to the right. There must be some
squads nearer the column. Anyway,
we'll tackle those .Iohnnies. il there's a
thousand of EN-, and do our best to hold
EN- off the column"
The rebels exchanged winks, which did
not escape Shorty's eye, and troubled him
as to their meaning
Condemn the luck, just look at that"
exclaimed 81 angrily, as they came to
where they could see the creek suddenly
widen out into a great swamp, directly
across their path. Come on, boys" con-
tinued he, Immediately turning to the let,
aud squirting his horse into gallop. eve
must cut around and get ahead of those
whelps. no matter il it kills the horses"
Don't want to be impolite." said
Shorty to the prisoners. with a meaning
look at his carbine. You see this is
Spencer seven-shooter-and l can han
die it in a way to make your eyes bulge.
You'll keep right along with us, and make
no monkeying about escape, or you'll get
enough Of them seven shots TO stop all
three of you, sure. UnderstandT'
The rebel leader nodded.
"We'uns'll go along all right. Want to
see the thing out. But we'uns hain't
obleeged to tell yo'uns Bothin'."
81 swept around the swamp and COM
ing out on higher ground, saw, off to his
left, the road along the river, filled with
the vehicles of the white refugees, wagons
conveying the Union sick and wounded,
and thousands of negroes, carrying all
their earthly belongings on their heads,
their faces set hopefully toward the glo-
rious Lincoln-land of Freedom, and swell
ing with marvelous1y sonorOus voices the
joyful psalm of Emancipation
81 and the rest heard and saw all this
as they galloped forward, and they gallop-
ed still faster, and clutched their carbines
more fercely, for seeing away to the right,
on a ridge cOnverging toward the river.
another column, in brown butternut garb,
hurrying forward to wreck all this bright
prospect and remand the poor blacks to
wretched servitude.
81 saw clearly the ford for which the
EtDelS were Il
and pushed for it With all the remaining
strength of his horses-his prisoners rid
ing with the rest, under Shorty's watchful
eye and readily persuasive seyen-shooter.
Had Shorty only known it, he need not
have been so watchful. They had rea-
sons Of their own for a willingness to go
on.
The ford was at last reached in advance
of the rebels, and jumping from his horse.
81 ran forward to get in position to open
fire on the head Of the column. Handing
the prisoners over to the care Of Tom Rad
bone, who has been badly blown by the
the other boys range themselves behind
logs and stumps. The ridge beyond the
creek, to their right, is alive with men in
butternut uniforms, on foot and on horse
back. Just how they are arranged, and
exactly who they are cannot be told, as
the thick brush allows only fragmentary
glimpses.
From far away to the left came the
sound Of thousand negroes voices, roll
ing up in volume of perfect harmony.
There's a heap of rebels over there,
little in taking their places. But we'll
stop them, no matter how many they are.
We've each eight shots apiece, and if we
put 'em in right it'll give those fellers
something to think about for awhile.
Don't anybody shoot till 1 do. Then
everybody pick his man, and let him have
it sure. We mustn't let them get where
they can modest them niggers."
To the anxious boys the rebels were as
tonishingIy long in coming around the
shoulder of brushwood, where the road
bent down toward the ford.
81, with his Spencer against syea-
more, and his finger on the trigger. waited
for a sight of the advance guard.
There was a clatter on the hard. frozen
ground beyond of horses hoofs advancing
quickly.
To Sis amazement there swept around
the elbow of trees two fne-looking young
women, each carrying baby in her arms,
and riding spirited, young horses. Be
tween them rode an elderly, ministerial
looking man, with a hymn-bOOk in his
hand.
The young women had hanks of yarn,
dyed brilliant red with madden and poke
berry juice, worn conspicuously over their
shoulders, sash-wise. The elder had
similar sash of pokeberry-dyed muslin.
Behind them rode other men and wo-
men. similarly decorated, with a consider
able body of men, riding in regular order,
as soldiers.
Halt, there! Who are your" called 81,
uerNOuSiy IWllCuius his nhSch iioln eHo
trigger, at the startling sight of the wo-
men and the babies.
"We'uns air all right. We're Red
Strings. Hooray for the Union" shouted
one of the young women, in a clear, musi-
cal voice. riding straight down toward 81:
Red Strings? What on earth is that?'
inquired 81. raising his carbine.
Were friends of the Government. my
son." answered the Elder, following the
young woman into the ford, and coming
straight toward the muzzles of the guns.
We're leavin' the House O Bondage"
They're bodashus traitors. every one
of them.' shouted the leader of the rebels.
"And look at them white-liyered hounds
of deserters," he continued. pointing at the
solid ranks behind 'Thar's nearly our
whole company gone over to the Yanks.
o, you egg-sucking varmints, so over an
jine the niggers! Thar S whar you belong!
You never was fit to 'sociate with white
men! Shoot them poll-evil runts, Yanks.
They amt fit to lick /. white mans skillet.
Give US our cartridges, an weuns'll save
yo'uns from the trouble o takin' keer O.
they-uns." go
Calm your emotions, my young fried"
Shorty adjured him. This amt your
say. Yo-uns amt obleeged to tell we-uns
this meeting. Somebody put US onto this
Red String racket"
Yes. that's what I want" added 81,
motioning to the rest to move around a lit
tie, but still be in readiness for any de-
yelopment.
My son." said the Elder gravely, ''if
you will read the second and sixth chap
ters of Joshua you will find that when the
great Hebrew Captain sent his spies into