The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Little Dusky Hero, by Harriot T, Comstock

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Title: A Little Dusky Hero

Author: Harriot T, Comstock

Release Date: February 23, 2010 [EBook #31366]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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A LITTLE DUSKY HERO

BY HARRIET T. COMSTOCK

_AUTHOR OF "CEDRIC THE SAXON," "TOWER OR THRONE," ETC._

NEW YORK
THOMAS Y. CROWELL & Co.
PUBLISHERS

Copyright, 1902,
By Thomas Y. Crowell & Company.

THIS LITTLE BOOK
IS
LOVINGLY DEDICATED
TO
Philip and Albert
BY
THEIR MOTHER

[Illustration: COLONEL AUSTIN STAGGERED TO HIS FEET, LEANING UPON THE
LITTLE SHOULDER.]

CONTENTS

I. George Washington McKinley Jones

II. The Box from up North

III. The Little Gauntlet and Sword

IV. Waiting in the Turret Chamber

V. The Boy up North

VI. "War, G. W.!"

VII. The Battle on the Hill-Top

VIII. The Colonel's Body-Guard

IX. "I'se Got de Colonel!"

X. In the Tent Hospital

XI. "It's all yours, G. W.!"

XII. A History-Evening at Oakwood

A LITTLE DUSKY HERO.

I.

GEORGE WASHINGTON MCKINLEY JONES.

Scratch! scratch! scratch! went Colonel Austin's pen over the smooth
white sheets of paper, sheet after sheet.

The dead heat of Tampa hung heavy within the tent; the buzz of the flies
was most distressing; but the reports must be got off, and after them
there were letters to be written to "the Boy and his Mother" up North,
telling them--especially the Boy--what a glorious thing it is to serve
one's country under _any_ circumstances. The present circumstances were
extremely trying, to be sure, but the firm brown hand glided back and
forth over the long pages in a determined manner that showed how Colonel
Austin believed in doing his duty.

Scratch! scratch! scratch!

Buzz! buzz! buzz!

"Good-mornin', sah!"

It was a soft little voice, and it droned away into the buzz of the
fli