The National tribune., 1904-06-16

"who struck the FIRST biow" demanded
Maj. Bowersox.
81 did, sir" said Skinny manfully, land
I'll do it again if he says"-
Il intended TO hit first" said Pete, not
to be outdone. Il was gathering to hit him
when he struck, and can just pound the
melt out Of
"sers't Klesg. buck and gag them both
buck and gag every one of thsm," said
the Major. sheathing his sword, and turn
ing away TO go and pay his respects 20
Maria and Annabel, whom he had recog-
nized as being the occupants Of the car
riage. "Adjutant. see that it is done"
81 and Shorty looked blankly at one an
other, and then at the Adjutant, whose
wrath had melted away at once when he
saw that Pete was one of the culprits
Monkey around little with them, and
I'll go up and get the old mans attention
directed to other things" the Adjutant
said In low tone to Si and Shorty. LET
them go presently"
Pete. Sandy. Harry, Monty, Af-you
young rascals. what do you mean by such
villainous conduct? Disgracing the regi-
ment in the presence of the Generals" he
continued severely TO the boys. Fighting
had not had enough 10 do fighting Lees
army! Why don't you fight. il you must
fight, in your own class? III make you
| sorry for this. Sergeants, do your duty"
He walked away to the carriage
You saw that those boys were prop
erly disciplned!' inquired the Major, in
terrupting for a moment his absorbing
conversation with Maria, as he came up.
The Sergeants are attending TO them."
replied the Adjutant, equivocally That's
Libby Prison right over there" he con-
tinued. gazing at the gloomy warehouse,
with its iron barred windows. Great
Cesar's Ghost, how near we came to get
To- Tk.k
day at kenesaw we actually smelled il,
We were so near. If somebody hadn't
shot that big rebel who had me covered,
was goner sure as you're born"
ITO think of those young scamps kick
ing up riot at that unlucky moment"
| said the Major. looking back vengefully TO
| see how his orders were being carried out
-. Major, you certainly can get along
without Will and ST." Maria pleaded.
| You don't need them. There isn't much
more to be done, and see what lots of men
You have without them"
Il want those whelps taught a lessor"
| continued the Major, with a recrudescence
| of his soreness. There's getting to be en-
tirely too much slackness in the regiment
1t must be stopped. We are going on the
Grand Review in Washington, where we
must put our best foot forward before the
President and the Army of the Potomac.
l think I'll walk over there and sec
| Say. Major" said the Adjutant desper-
ately, they say they have got Maj. Dick
Turner. the old turnkey, in there. He was
so scared when they captured him that
they say his black hair turned white in q
single night like the Prisoner Of Chillon.
I'd like to know il its so. Let's go over
and see. Let's call Lieut. Smalley to go
with us. He was in Libby, and hates Tur-
ner worse than snake. It'll do him a
lot of good to see Turner in his old place.
Come on"
| Il guess they are bucking- and d-gagging
them all right" murmured the Major, look
| ing over toward the crowd in which there
was commotion, as they drove down to-
| ward Libby. "But / don't want to be too
| hard on them. Go over presently, Adju-
| tant. and release them"
The truth was that as Si and the New
Jersey Sergeant turned toward each other
for moment to consider the method Of
restoring. Pete and Skinny had taken ad-
vantage of their released hands to jump at
one another. and Pete's superior training
on the school grounds as a wrestler had
given him the initial advantage. He got a
grapevine twist on Skinny Mclaughlin,
and fell heavily upon him.
The row threatened instant resumption
all along the line. but Si and the New Jer-
sey Sergeant pulled the two apart, while
| Shorty running down the lane which had
separated the rest of the combatants,
slapped them back from one another with
| muSket Darrel
Il expect the best thing is to take them
over there behind that wall and let them
fight it out" suggested the New Jersey
Sergeant, after order had been measurably
restored.
"Mebbe 1t would Be better" considered
| 81.
"No." decided Shorty, who was getting
| very tired of the fuss. ''I'm going to ref
cree this business, and declare it a dead
| heat. One knockdown for the Army of
the Potomac: a square fall for the Army
of the Cumberland. First blood for both
sides. Gen. Sherman is the greatest Cen
eral for Georgia. South Carolina and the
West, and Gen. Meade for Virginia The
Second Corps is the Greatest Corps east
Of the Alleghanies. and the Fourteenth
| Corps west of the mountains. Both you
boys shake hands gladly on that agree
! ment or I'll spank the souls out of you.
Hurry up, now. Mutual consent and good
will, remember, or I'lr haste you both"
The Adjutant came up. 1.-The Major
sent me up TO order the release of those
boys" he said to 81. LET them all go to
their quarters"
CTo be continued)
A LlFE.SAVING GLOBE.