The National tribune., 1903-11-12

i AA1oA = w 6-14Ao W00I u0 y Viu, uOE Wu0t
he's seen. Wisht ia killed the varmint.'
"Sendbreaker looked a. hs had Q moind
to follow after him, but just thin Buck
i ThrockmOrton came up, with four re-
cruits. and Oi began to see my company
growing rotEht up before my eyes. II
they were there'd be no doubt in the world
about Wills marching battalion back to
Atlanta"
Il thought so myself, when the whole
seven had gathered around me" said Wills,
Sandbreaker and Throckmortou brought
good news; More men. singly and in
squads could be expected in during the
lay. The rebel cavalry, delighted with
their achievement had gone back to the
army with their prisoners, which, with
4 he determination OF Black Reeves's and
Wolf Sloan's gangs, left the country open
and free. We sat down in the cave and
talked. got acquainted. and waited. BY
noon Is, including Sandbreaker and
Throckmorton, had gathered in, which was
very good beginning. l liked the looks
| of every one OF them. They were farmer
boys, who had been in Joe Browns militia.
and for Southern country boys were we'll
dressed in homemade, butternut jeans.
They were clOwnish and bashful, saying
little, but Sandbreaker said they came of
Union families, and would rather so into
the Union army than join regular rebel
regiments, which they would have to do.
unless they got away. All were about 16.
| when they became liable to conscription."
There were differences Of opinion as
| to what we should do next. Most Of the
boys had been notified that they must join
rebel regiments, but had succeeding in
keeping out by serving in the militia.
They were naturally impatient to start
right away, while the country was clear.
and lose no time in getting firmly and
| safely into the Union camps. Burt ThrOck-
j mo SfIo1 NTH oL-nr
| the other hand. wanted to wait until the
| ne day, at least, when he expected many
more to come in. 1t would be a cruel dis
appointment to them not to be able to
join us. Larry and l sympathized with
his views, and probably We were over
| up a minimum company. Sandbreaker
was sure that the arrivals the next day
would be still greater than they had
| been that day, and if they were, Larry's
company was in sight, and my battalion,
| il Bob McQuade, and the other boys did
| proportionately as well.
| "It was at last decided that we should
| move back 10 or Is miles nearer Atlanta
| to place Sandbreaker and Throckmorton
| agreed upon, and which would be con-
| venirnt for Bob McQuade. Job Hunt and
the others. ssH.'
"a good. lively march of one night from
| there would take US nearly back to our
| lines.
I'VE saw nobody ON the way. except
some men and negroes in the fields and
around the houses in the distance who
we're too far away to tell us from rebel
troops.
"Sandbreaker left us on the road, to go
off and rally his recruits, leaving Throck-
morton to conduct us to the place agreed
upon, when he, too. would go out into the
country upon the same errand.
Before dark we came to the head of
a broad hollow, in which stood a deserted
house, with some farm buildings. 1t was
two or three miles from the main road.
The house seemed to have become vacant
brush had grown up rankly all around it
and over the burrows Of the corn-felds. |
Tall weeds filled the paths, which, ap-
parently, had only been trayersed by wild |
animals for years.
'"rhrockmorton took US into the house. |
and helped us build fire in the wide |
stone fireplace. and then assuring US we |
would be perfectly safe, left us on his |
mission.
Eve spread our blankets on the floor |
and cooked supper by the FIRE, sharing it |
with the Georgia boys. They had found |
the loft Of the stable and the eorn-pen |
full Of con-husks, and decided that it !
would be warmer and more comfortable |
to sleep there than on the bare floor. 1t |
came on to rain-a cold. searching, per- |
sistent Georgia rain, which hurried them |
off to their shelter. I thought of putting |
out a guard, but it did not seem at all |
necessary, and Larry and I were both |
absolutely too lazy to begin the instruc-
ton at night and in the rain, Of those |
greenhorns in the intricacies and respon-
sibilities OF guard duty"
"Yis," broke in Larry. "Oi admit that |
Oi said, the more blame to me: %, the |
divil fly away wild guard duty to-noight. |
We CHANGED it last nOight. Let's chance
it to-noight. Thin sardines II have enough
through with thin. It'l be tonne to be-
gin to tache thin guard duty when we get
thin into camp at Atlanta Wen give
thin their fill of it thin"
1--WE sat and smoked. and toasted our
shins and talked of our Georgia regiment.
until we were startled TO see the drenched
miserable figure Of SOLDERING Swackham-
mer come shambling through the door,
He seemed more startled than we at see
ing us there, and then walking up to the
fire, stretched his dirty, bony hands out
to the blaze. and whined a request for
some grub-he was starving.
Larry gave him hardtack and a
piece of meat, and he drained the dregs of
our coffee cups.
How in the world did you happen to
come here. SwackhammerT 1 asked
40, often come hyah when the rain
overtakes me- he explained. This is one
Of my places. lister know the man what
lived heah. First cousin o. mine
"'Did YOU see any Confederates any
where to-day?
"'Not livin' soul nowhnr All done
gone down toward Macon and Lovejoy,
whar the main army is. So the folkeses
I've seen say. Awful glad to be with you
gents. YO'uns are the only friends I've
got. YO'uns don't mind my layin' down
heah by the fire, do you. Hits awful
night to be outside. 'Tain't fit to turn
dog out in
''Larry's warm heart was at once
touched. 'Oi don't see any objection, |
Wis., he appealed to me. If he lies far :
enough away. He can lie over on the
other side Of the fireplace there. 'Tain't
Christian to turn any living creature out
in such a rain rs this. Go over there in
the corner and lie down, you croppie. ,
Moind, you don't snore.' Swackhammer
seemed to fall into deep, steer-like slum-
ber the moment he touched the floor, and s
stretched his tattered, soaked boots out to-
ward the fire. II
Larry and talked little longer, then !,
amptied our pipes, and crawled in, plac-
ng our Spencers alongside of us, ready =
Tor instant use, and our revolvers under :
,ur heads. We kept awake little while. q
,ut nothing could be heard but the steady y
lash of the rain on the roof and the dry
caves Soon We were both fast asleep
Just at daylight Larry and l were both