The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-12-21

In the darkness ahead there were occa-
sional flares of red flames, and from them
assembled long, conet-like tracks of light
that flashed into momentary blazes. The
boom OF the cannon, the wierd shriekinE
of the shells and their sharp explosion
blended in one wild DEVILS concert.
The boy from Maine drew back quickly
from the muzzle of the starboard gun No.
l OF the United States gunboat Mackinaw.
The old gunner standing rigid drew tho
lanyard toward himself with a sudden
jerk. There was Il deafcning roar and a
cloud of choking smoke envclopcd the gun
crew. Another shell had been sent into
tn" solid e%artIlworks of Fort Fisher.
The boy from Maine rushed forward
through the smoke and thrust the clean
ing rod into the muzzle of the gun. An
other of the crew dashed a pailfull of
water over the long steel tube. The gun
was reloaded and another shell was hurl-
ed at the spurts of flame ahead. They
had been doing this at intervals since the
early afternoon, and now it was almost
midnisht-midnight of Christmas eve,
1864.
Cease firing came "A hoarse order
out of the dark. Thc gun crew of No. 1
flung themselves down on the sloppy deck
with audible signs of relief. The DEVILS
concert did not abate noticeably. The
remaining vessels OF the Federal fleet
were still exchanging compliments with
Fort Fisher.
The old gunner quickly filled his pipe,
and the glow from the bowl half illumin-
ed his wrinklcd face now and then.
Puts me in mind of a Christmas eve
] spent at the mines in Californy," he
remarked, 'only its just a mite worse"
Don't talk about Christmas" said one
of the crew in Il husky voice. II left
three children at home. They are in bed
now and three little stockings are hanging
above the fireplace same as always, 1
hope. The wife is sitting up Il while may
be, a thinking of me or maybe saying a
bit of a prayer. Don't like to think of it
when things are so dubious. What are
you thinking about. Fritz"
"Of the Naterland-some." replied an
unmistakable accent. Vat is the matter
init the boy? He is always talking be-
fore"
The boy heard nothing. He s~prawled
on the deck with his head on one arm.
The smell of the pine trees and the odor
of boiling maple sap was in his ~nostrils.
lie was many hundreds of miles away
from the Mackinaw, off Fort Fisher, back
in the Maine woods with a sugaring party.
The smoke {. the pine-knot fire was ris-
ing slowly and the golden brown syrup
Missed and dubbed in the kettles. Merry
little shrieks of laughter rang in his ears.
She was there. the pink and white Of her
face so p%rettily emphasized by the mink
tippct. How absurdly small those little
red mittenS seemed in comparison with
his. How blue her eyes were! There
was no one looling-just one kiss on
those lips created solely for the purpose
"Starboard batteries commence firing"
came the hoarse and relentless order from
the darkness.
A none too gentle kick brought the
boy back TO the Mackinaw, but her face
looked at him for an instant out of the
gloom. Starboard gun No. / again added
its voice to the devils chorus.
The sky began 10 turn from black to
gray. "a Christmas present. said the
gunner grimly as he jcrked the lanyard.