Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1912-02-01
ot7" questioned the Sergeant, anx-

iously.
Certainly; and desire you TO re-
member one important thing: let me
do the talking, but If any OF you are
asked questions, we are deserters from
Hills corps, tired of the war"
"Mein Gott!" muttered the German,
disconsolately. 81 hope 1t vos not long
off. Captain; am no good on foot in
der dark, by Chiminy."
you had better manage to keep up
tonight unless you are seeking to
commit suicide. Now, men, mark me
carefully! Load your carbines. Are
you all ready? Sergeant, see that each
man has his gun properly charged and
capped. You are to carry your arms
as thoroughly conc called as possible;
keep close to me always; obey my or
ders instantly, and to the letter. We
are but twenty men pitted against
over two hundred, remember, and
when we strike, 1t must be both quick
and hard"
mounted the mule, counted the
dim figures in the darkness, and then
gave the order to march AS we
moved slowly down the hill I was
aware that Cation walked upon one
side of me, while Bungay pledded
along upon the other; but my mind
was so filled with the. excitement of
our adventure and all that depended
upon its successful elimination, as
scarcely to realize anything other than
In ri 7 net 1u nj
fortune and audacity alone could COM
bine to win the game we were now en-
gagged upon.
A tall heavily beared mountaineer
stood squarely in the middle of the
road to the north of the picket-tire.
/ could make out but little of him as
the light shone, excepting that he
wore high coonskin cap and bore q
long rifle.
stop right thar" he called out
hoarsely, upon hearing us. "Who are
you uns?"
AS he challenged, q dozen others
sprang up from about the flame and,
guns In hand, came toward us on
run.
I'VE uns are doggoned tired O. sol
dierin', an a gittin' nuthin' fer it," l
said in the slow Southern drawl, IAN
wanter jine yer gang, pervidin' thar's
any show fer It,"
How many are ye?" asked one OF
the newcomers, striding forward be-
tween us and the sentry.
"A right smart heap o. bunch; bin
a pickin' O 'em up ever since we left
Charlotte" returned evasively
They be dandies ter fight, an
reckon as how We kin use 'em, can't
ye?"
Maybe; who did ye want ter see?"
oval, they sed as how Teller
named Lowrie wus runnin' this we're
gang, an if thet's Their way O. 1T, 1
reckon as how it's Lowrie we're after.
Be you Lowrie?"
"Naw."
The answer was SO gruff and short,
and the fellow hesitated so long in
adding anything to 1t, began to think
it was all off
''Wal," he consented to say at last,
ungraciously, thar's blame pile O.
ye kim in lately, an calculate we got
bout 'nough fer our business, but
reckon as how Red will use We some
whar. Anyhow you uns kin come
long with me an find out, but yell
diskiver him bout Their ornerest man
| jist now ever We run up again. He's
plum mad. Red Is, fer sartain."
He turned and strobe off, without SO
much as giving us a backward glance,
and, with hearty oongratulatory kick
to the mule, I and my company fol
lowed him. A hundred yards further
in we passed through the fringe OF
trees and emerged into an open space
from whence we could see plainly the
great white house still illumined by
the flames which continued to con.
sumo the stables. Shots were flash
ing like fireflies out of the darkness
on every side of us, the smell of burn
ing powder scented the air, and
could distinguish the black forms o!
men lying prone on the grass in some
thing resembling skirmish line.
MAXIM a fight O. 1t, amt they?"
asked Of our taciturn guide, as we
picked our way carefully among the
recumbent forms.
| Damn 'em, yes, hell O. fight
he admitted bitterly.
Just beyond musket-shot from thu
house, and nearly opposite the from
entrance, quite a group of men were
standing beneath the black shadows o
a grove of trees. In spite of the CLEAN
from the fire could make little O
them, but as we approached from thu
direction of thu rear one of them eS
claimed suddenly:
"Who comes thar What body c
men is thet?"
Its mother party O. deserters, a
wants ter jine us" said the guide
sourly. "They's Johnnies from Lee
army"
"Oh, they dew, dew they? Who
ther boss O this yere crowd?"
swung down f-om NV seat on iii