The National tribune., 1903-12-03

down among them, kicking. cursing, and
| striking. They were as dumb sheep be-
| fore the butcher. The appeal in their eyes
| turned piteOusly on Hie hurt me far worse
| than anything in my own situation or that
| of Larry. i had seemed to them so strong
and ready when L was leading them
| through the rebel camps, but now l was
powerless to do the least thing for them.
sit was the rebel Captains day of
| might and glory, and he was making the
| most of it. H. had never before had so
many men under his complete power. and
was fairly reveling in his opportunity. He
| would do that which would impress his
| own company and fill his little world with
| his fame as man of iron will and terri
BILE purpose.
I'm a-gwine to hang every last one of
| yo' as desarters from the Confederate
army he announced with stream of
oaths, AN I'll hang these two Yankees for
spies. All of yer git ready to die, for
yo'll never see another sun RISE
He came back roaring to where Larry
| and / sat under the shadow of the nOoses
at the foot of the beeches, and then walk
ed over to the edge of the cedars, took
look at the Union picket, and swore at
| him sayagely.
.'If hit warn't for that swamp down
| thar I'd lope over thar and take in that
blue backed son of a Yankee tin-peddler,
said he wrathfully. I'D like to gather
| him in to add to my pile this mOrnn.'
go wan and try it, said Larry de-
| risively. Old loike to see ye. The swamp
needn't bother We at all. There's worse
| than that kapes ye back. He would shoot
| your ribl head off before ye got within
800 yards of him Ye're afraid to tackle
him in the open, or any ither Yank that's
got a gun in his hands.
".How far will this yer gun carry.
nelyn tbn fnin trrrY tyt1 SrIA-
denly and taking my Spencer from the
hands of his Orderly-Sergeant.
'Rade the sights yourself. if yer can
| ye ignerant spalpeen,' said Larry. L mis-
doubt, though, If you know b from bulls
fut. I'll not tell ye. Dim not peddlin'
| information to the rebels now
Hits marked up to LOCO yards. Cap
tain,' said the Orderly-Sergeant, pointing
| to the sight. 'Yo' kin see thar
LETS see: 1 reckon it's jest bout 600
yards over whar that thar Yankee is
standin'. Put up the sight to 600 yards,
an hand me back the gum
1.-THE Sergeant took the carbine, ad-
justed the sight, and handed it back to
| the Captain. The latter took rest
against young black oak. aimed carefully,
and pulled the trigger. Somehow, wicked
| as the Captains intentions were, 1 could
not believe that the picket stood in much
danger, but / watched him with interest
He started little, and looked off to the
right, as IL he heard the bullet cutting
| through the brush there. Then he looked
over to where the smoke was curling up,
brought his musket to his shoulder, and
| fired. The white smoke puffed out in
rings. as if some gigantic lily had sud
denly blossOmed from the stump by which
he was standing. The bullet sang so
close to the Captain that he instinctively
jumped behind the blackjack, and the bull
let flattened itself against the tough beech,
just above Larrys head.
"'Ha-ha, whatd Oh tell YEP laughed
Larry, brushing the dust from his eyes.
That's fellow to lave alone. He can
outshoot ye livery day in the wake. and
{, lay off on Sunday. Ye've got no busi-
ness wild the loikes Of him.
"'Gol-blast him. snorted the Captain,
changing his position to larger tree.
nearer the edge, he came moughty near
hittin' me. I'll fetch him for that
HE took long. careful aim, and fired
again. The picket was down behind the
stump BY this time, and almost instantly
replied. He had evidently aimed at the
tongue Of FIRE from the carbine. for there
was a streak Of red along the Captains
or. He had need to. for the videt's COM
rades had snatched up their muskets. to
help him out, and were firing searching
shots, with cool, deliberate aim, at where
they saw the smoke.
'Hurrah for the old Springfield 1
sang out The Spencers may shoot often
er. but give mo the good old Springfield
for long.distance work. Captain, what
DO you think Of Yankee marksmen now?
| You seem to have walked up the wrong
customer
"The Captain swore savagely at us that
| il we did not keep our heads shut he would
come back there and break them. His
temper had not been improved by the oc-
0urrence.
"For moment it looked as if he would
take his company and make hasty re-
treat from that dangerous neighborhod.
The picksts only fred a few shots. how
ever, stopping as soOn as they saw no
moro were coming from that direction
The videt maintained his cover behind the
stump for soTne dpe, With hts gun pointed
towayd the tree from which the Captain
had fred the second shot.
"As tho picksts qUieted down, aud
showed no disposition to SOME out and in-
|ysStis&te HIN, the Daptain's attention re-
tlFnkd IN I'D Ho want 0var- N fha hova