The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1907-01-19

WHY. We mean Jim Potter:s. He
a mean -uss. Forty year-why, mat
must hev- been durin' the war. hey
Yes acknowledged the man, that
was durin' The war. There was Billy
Martin an Sam Woodward an jim
Lock in our company. We all stopped
at the next house an got drink o
well wa,cr--eucmbcr il just like yes
,erdav. RilIv be we're killed at the last
Wilderness fybr. Sam Woodward, he
pegged out at Richmond, an LOCK-
lemme see-Lock finished at Beaver
Dam Greek All gone, them feile's-
all gone"
"W-hat were ye asked the boy, look.
ing at him suspieiously through han
closed eyes. What were ye
"Johnny Rel" said the man quietly
-Spose I'm one OF the rearguard now.
Yes. ,hc.;'re most al gone.
Ny company's al gone but me-
"Say. you come home with me an
git that drink q well water. Papn be
glad to see We. ard sides, II | do say
II m'self, he's greeh'er man than jim
Potter. and sides, the waters better,
"No. Guess Id better stop
at Porer's fur the water. stopped there
last time. ye know. Me an
Billy Martin an Sam Woodward an
an'-wl,o's that other feller ! said q
minute ago. Lock. Yes, me
an Jim Lock,
Say" said the bow. in voice of awe,
did ye do any fghtin' round here
well now, sir. | certainly think We
did Why. along this yer road was moth
in but dead an dyin' men. That ere
ditch was full OF 'em. and that ere hill
side, why. l tell ye, SIR they were as
thick as bees"
N.Y. exclaimed the wondering boy.
Pap never told me bout that
They stopped at Potter's and waited
until the Old man drained his tin of
well water. He mouthed it. and tasted
it various ways, and then. holding the
cup in hand. thought about it. Then
they trudged after the sheep, picking up
one here ard there and calling at them
harshly
"Taste the same'" asked the boy.
"Much the same"-then, with a dry
laugh-"long time between drinks.
Forty year-considerable time
The peaked roof of tumble down
house loorned up at an angle of the
road, 4 place as old as the countryside
and not half as fresh
"Where's pap bawled the boy to a
smaller urchin playing in the dirt.
Amt come home from the cuttin'
yet replied the other.
Wont ye come in2' he invited the
veteran.
Think I'll walk piece up the hill
side there. That's where we
had our last stand. Old Simpsons bat
terry held it and nigh on to fou:. hun.
dred men killed up. Want to go 'long?
Course" said the boy
aye see," said the man, waving his
cane in an explaining sweep over the
country, all this yer section were full
of Rebs and Yanks, but mostly Yanks
We came up this yer road, and in the
first days tightin' took that ERE hill
and held it all the second day. Mac
held the other road an rushed troop,
up fast. an took that other hill from
Larkins' men, an drove 'em straight
across the open, KILN 'em like so many
sheep Then or the second day Mac
sent nigh whole brigade through thai
last field, an desieycd 'em along"
"What's deployeds" interrupted til.
boy sharply.
"sorter scatter n EN-" explained the
warrior.
ooh" calculated the boy, satisfied.
Then old Larlins, who was in COM
mand of US, but who wasn't fit to COM
mand lot of suffers, he says we'd hev
to drive 'em back on their side of thc
country. an down we goes, the hull Of
us. An after we went down, We fought
like cats for bout an hour, an the,
crawled back badly crippled. l tell you
sir, we lost bout hundred an fifty mer
right at that ere stream. We had BIT
off considerable more'n we could chaw.
what did ye do then?' quericd The
boy, 'anxiously.
'fMac, he thought it his turn to pla,
the fool then, an ordered forward :
br .gade or two, and up they came at US
We shotted 'em with grape and tore
holes in 'em that you could drive car
through. Next day we fell back a piece
an the next day we licked EN- the wors
of the war, at Cold Harbor."
Slowly they climbed the long hill, tn,
boy listening with great interest to tht
rambling tale OF nothing at all, the ole
man gasping in his effort to keep pac,
with his little companion, planting hi
cane iri the scrub and slip ing over drieC
grass and roots The smell of smould
ering wood blew down upon them from
the crest, and the shadows OF the for
est's black archways grew more ant
L +l.a,- A l.