Under Fire: A Tale of the Shenandoah Valley — page 145: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

138 COLONEL TRAFTON FALLS. ‘‘T°qd been deader’n a door nail before this time if it hadn’t a been for you, Colonel——’’ ‘“‘Not colonel, but captain, Andy,’’ said the captain, interrupting the young Ohioan. “Well, you deserve to be’a general,’’ asserted Pot- ter. ‘‘So I up an’ fainted jes like a gal. What a fool —what a fool! Dad would think I wasn’t good for nothin’, here’s well as to home, if he’d heard I fainted when I wasn’t hurt;’’ and the countenance of the young soldier assumed a lugubrious aspect. ‘“But my dear boy, you were hurt, and badly. I thought at one time you would never look upon the sun again.”’ | Andy felt of his head, which was very sore, and ached badly. ‘Yes, that’s a fact; I did git a clip on the head; but I can’t see how ’t should effect me. Dad always said I hadn’t the brains of a wasp. Can anybody feel t’hout brains, col—captain, I mean ?”’ The look on the questioner’s face was so comically serious that Captain Chetwood could not repress a laugh. ‘Well, you may laugh if you like,’ cried the awk- ward youth; ‘‘but if I’ve got brains, it’s the fust time I ever was aware on’t from feelin’.’? ‘“Hivery one has brains, more or less, Andy.”? ‘“Well, it must be ve got less. Ought to b’en a gal. An’t fit to fight if I tumble over in a swoon at smell o’ gunpowder.’’ Then Andy attempted to rise, but sank back from sheer weakness. : : ““Weak’s a cat,’’? he groaned. ‘‘Confound it! won’t I ever ’mount to anything ?’? ‘“Hush, my boy!’’ cried Captain Chetwood at this point. ‘You are a brave fellow, and a worthy de- _ fender of the Union and the flag. Andy Potter, I am proud to know you!” . 7 comicboo CS co