The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1914-10-02

Tom took position and waited.
1t was IL O'Clock when they set up
the dummy. A wagon passed into the
town a half hour later, but Tom and
his assistant heard 1t coming in time to
remove the figure and set 1t up again
as soon as the team was gone. This
was the only interruption that occur
red. At o'clock Tom heard q distant
sound like the rumbling of artillery
over a bridge. The wind being from
the south. the sound very faint and
Toms hearing acute, he judged that
whoever was crossing the bridge was
miles away. He wished he could be in
two places at once. He would have
liked to so back and hurry up the Fed
erals who were coming and remain
where he was at the same time.
In another hour the sounds Of an
approaching force were unmistakable.
and not much later the tramp of men
was audible. Then down the road
Tom heard an officer order skirmishers
to deploy, covering the road and each
side Of it
bhShI up, Sdiu lOlu 10 ScHDlltC-
There was tiny fash, which rose
and fell as Schmitt pulled on the tube.
while clouds Of tobacco smoke rose
from the pipe. There was just light
enough to reveal the figure to those
advancing without their being able to
see that 1t was dummy.
There was crack. and bullet Jared
the wooden soldier.
stop smoking" whispered Tom, and,
screened by the darkness. he ran to the
figure, which still stood bravely on its
feet, and. Selling the musket, fired
shot that went singing down the road.
Then. drawing his revolver. he fred
three shots in quick succession.
whats that for?' asked Schmitt.
They'll think 1t signal for our
troops In the town to warn them that
the enemy is coming. They won't dare
come OH against an unknown force.
My opinion is that if our troops come
up before the enemy can see that
there's no one here except three men,
one of them dummy. we've won. You
can't do anything more here. Suppose
you go down the road on the other
side of the town and hurry up whoever
Is coming. If this game succeeds you'll
be well paid, I'm sure"
Schmitt set off through the town.
having little over half a mile to so to
reach the Union picket post.
1t was now about an hour before
dawn. Tom kept his position on the
ridge, from which he sent an occasional
shot, always changing his position be
tween shots to make the enemy be-
lieve that they were fired by different
men. The fire was not returned. for
the enemy could see no one to fire at
They were very quiet Toms fear was
that they were moving around to push
forward on his flank, where they would
not meet with any opposition what
ever, and the fact that the town was
unoccupied would be apparent
For the greater part of an hour Tom
stood between the Confederates and
the town. He was within sound of
the troops below and could hear the
usual noises made by soldiers on the
march. halted while the commanding
officer deliberated as to what he should
do. That was the longest hour Tom
ever spent in his life. Every minute he
expected to hear the command "For.
ward!" given and to see through the
darkness a dim mass coming up the
road. His imagination served him
many trick. At one time stump
appeared to be Confederate standing
with his musket to his shoulder; at
another he was sure that he heard
the tramp of men coming nearer and
nearer.
But all these proved to be nothing
but scares. The Confederate com.
mander was not minded to walk into
death trap that he could not see.
In some twenty minutes after
Schmitt left Tom he came near the
picket post and made himself known
He was admitted to the lines and
rushed to the general. not far distant
who. on hearing his story. ordered a
regiment under arms instantly and
pushed forward. In this he disobeyed
an order Of his superior. but took the
TlSk. Ill less luuH ulteeH DuluuteS Cuc
men were marching toward the town
and. under Schmitt's guidance. to the
point held by Tom Bixby and his
wooden support. Silently ranging
themselves along the ridge on each side
of the road, they waited the dawn and
the coming Of the brigade that was
supposed to be advancing.
AS soon as 1t was light enough to |
see the enemy he was discerned drawn
up in line Of battle at the foot of a
declivity. An officer on horseback in |
the middle Of the road was looking up |
through a. pair of glasses. But he
could see few Of the Federals. for their |
colonel had posted the men where they |
would be concealed. However. he |
made himself known to the Confeder- |
ates. who withdrew out Of range.
Before sunrise the tramp Of men was
heard In the town. and 1t was evident |
to those at the front that the expected |
brigade had arrived. They had no
sooner been distributed ut the weaker
points when the general commanding
the Confederates ordered part of his
force to feel them to determine their