The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1904-04-14

I
Watts tried to call them back.
whats the use your gettin' killed?"
he shouted
why not?" answered Lige, and, like
the others, was increasing his speed
when old ''Wimby" rose up suddenly
from the roadside ahead of them and
motioned them franhcally to go back.
They're laid out along the fence wait
tn' fer ye,'' he warned them. "Git out
the road. Come by the fields. Fer the
Lords sake, spreadv Then as sudden
~ as he had appeared he dropped down
into the weeds again. Lige and those
with him paused, and the whole body
came to halt while the leaders con-
suited. There was sound of metallic
clicking and thin rattle of steel. From
far to the rear came the voice of old
Wilkerson:
| "John Browns body lies a-moldering in
the ground,
John Browns body lies a-moldering in
the ground
A few near him as they stood wait
Ing began to take up the burden of the
song, singing it in slow time like
dirge. Then those farther away took
1t up. 1t spread, reached the leaders.
They, too, began to sing, taking off
their hats as they joined in, and soon
the whole concourse, solemn, earnest,
uncovered, was singing-a thunderous
requiem for John HAIRLESS.
| The sun was swinging lower, and
the edges of the world were embroider-
ed with gold, while that deep volume
of sound shook the air, the song of
stern, savage, just cause-sung perhaps
| as some Of the ancestors of these men
sang with Hampden before the bris-
ting walls of hostile city. It had
iron and steel in it The men lying on
their guns in the ambuscade along the
fence heard the dirge rise and grow
to its mighty fullness, and they SILVER
ed. One OF them, posted nearest the
advance, had his rifle carefully leveled
at Lige Willetts, fair target in the
road. When he heard the singing he
turned to the man next behind him
| and laughed harshly, II reckon We'll
see big jamboree other side Jordan
| tonight, huh?'
| The huge murmur of the chorus ex-
banded and gathered in rhythmic
strength and swelled to power and
rolled and Numbered across the plain.
"John Browns body lies a-moldering in
the ground,
John Browns body lies a-molderine in
the ground,
John Browns body lies a-molderinp IN
| the ground,
His soul goes marching on!
| Glory, glory, halleluiah!
Glory, glory, halleluiah!
Glory, glory halleluiah!
his soul goes marching on"
A gun spat fire from the higher
ground, and Willetts dropped where
ne stood, but was up again in a second.
with red line across his forehead
where the ball had grazed his temple.
The mob spread out like a fan, the
men climbing the fence and beginning
the advance through the fields, thus
closing on the ambuscade from both
sides. Mr.. Watts, wading through the
nigh grass in the field north of the
road, perceived the barrel of a gun
shining from the fence some distance
In front of him and the same second.
although no weapon was seen in his
hand, discharged a revolver at the
clump of grass and weeds behind the
gun. Instantly ten or twelve men
leaped from their hiding places along
the fences of both fields and, firing
hurriedly and harmlessly into the scat
tered ranks of the oncOming mob.
broke for the shelter of the houses,
where their fellows were posted. TAX
en- on the tanks and from the rear,
there was but one thing for them to
do to keep from being hemmed in and
shot or captured. (They excessively pre-
ferred being shot) With a wild, high,
Joyous yell, sounding like the bay of
young hounds breaking into view of
their quarry, the Plattville men fol-
lowed.
The most eastward of the debilitated
edifces of Six Crossroads was the sa-
loon. It bore the painted legends, on
the west wall, "Last Chance on the
east WALL First Chance" Next to
this and separated by two or three
acres Of weedy vacancy from the cor
ners, where the population centered
thickest, stood-if one may SO predi-
cate of building which leaned in sew
en- directions the house Of Mr.. Rob-
ert Skillet, the proprietor of the sa-
loon. Both buildings were shut up as
tight as their state Of repair permit
ted. AS they were farthest to the east,
they formed the nearest shelter, and to
them the Crossroaders bent their fight,
though they stopped not here, but dis
appeared behind Skillett's shanty, put
ting it between them and their pur-
suers, whose guns were beginning to
speak. The fugitives had good start,
and, being the picked runners of the
Crossroads, they crossed the open,
weedy acres in safety and made for
their homes. Every house had become
a fort, and the defenders would have
to be fought and torn out one by one.
As the guns sounded, a woman in q
i