I've got business o' my own to 'tend to.
There's a feller over there that's firing buckshot at me that I've got
to settle, and here goes."

"The 200th Injianny Volunteers couldn't put up a purtier skirmish than
this," murmured Si, in accents of pride, as he raised his gun and fired
at a series of flashes on the farther bank.

"I say, tell that engineer to uncouple his engine and bring it back up
here where the head-light'll cover the other side," said Shorty. "It'll
make the other side as light as day and we kin see every move, while
we'll be in the dark."

"Good idee," said Si, hastening to find the engineer.

He was none too soon. As the engine rolled up, flooding its advance with
light, it brought a storm of bullets from the other side, but revealed
three men creeping toward the other end of the bridge. Two were carrying
pine knots, and the third, walking behind, had a stick of blazing pine,
which he was trying to shield from observation with his hat.

"Take the front man, Harry. Take the second one, Gid. I'll take the man
with the light," commanded Shorty.

The three rifles cracked in quick succession and the three men dropped.

"Bully, boys," ejaculated Shorty, as he reloaded. "You'll do. The 200th
Injianny's proud o' you."

"I hit my man in the leg," said Harry, flushing with delight, as he bit
off another cartridge. "Jerusalem, I wish they'd send another one down."

"I drawed on my man's bundle o' wood," said Gid, "and then dropped a
little, so's to git him where he was biggest and make sure o' him."

"Well, my man's beauty's spiled forever," said Shorty. "The light flared
up on his face and I let him have it there."

"But Linden saw another light.
When beat the drums at dead of night,
Commanding fires of death to hight
The darkness of her scenery,"

recited Monty Scruggs. "Gracious, I'm hit!"

"Where?" asked Si, running up to him.

"Through my leg," answered Monty.

"Kin you walk?"

"I guess so."

"Well, make your way back to the cars and git in and lay down."

"Not much," answered Monty determinedly. "It don't hurt much, and
I'm going to stay and see this thing out. I can tie it up with my
handkerchief."

"Scatter again, boys," Si warned several, who had rushed up; "don't make
too big a mark for the fellers on the other side. Go back and 'tend to
your bizniss. I'll help him tie up his wound. I'm afeared, though, that
some o' the boys are runnin' out o' catridges, the