Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-04-08

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rich, manly voice swelled up from the bo-
som of the valley.
Hush" says William, sternly cycling
the band, who had Just hiccupped-"' It's
the Lyme of the COntrabands.1
We all listened, and could distinctly Y
hear the following words of the singer:
They're holding camp Getting in Hickory Swamp
De pEsaoheF's % dark dat he carry um lamp,
De q bTaddsrs ~! am singing dis jubilee tune,
Two dollars : year ioF the Weekly Tribune,
o, let my people gO!"
AS the strain died away ia the distance.
the adjutaut slapped his left leg.
Why" said he, dreamily, "that must be
Greeley down there"
mo !" says William, solemnly, "it is one
OF the wronged children of tyranny war
bling the suppressed hymn of his Injured
people. 1t is sign says William Irem-
bling with bravery, ''that the Southern
Contederacy is around; for when you hear
tue squeak of the agonized rat," said Viii
liam, PhiIsosPhically, "you may be sure
that tue sanguinary terror is on the war
path"
Scarcely had he spoken, my boy, when
there emerged from the edge of the wood
before US rebel company, headed BY an
othcer of hairy Countenance aud much
shirt collar. This officers face was IA
whisker plantation, through which his ewes
peeped forth like two snakes coiIed-
up in window brush. His dress was
shoddy, his air was toddy, and a ward of
valuable stair carpet enveloped his manly
shoulders.
"Haltp said he to his file of reptiles,
whose general effect was that of a con-
gress of rag-merchants Just come iu from
happy speculation in GeOrge-Law mus
kets.
''Sir," said the officer, bowingiu a grace
lul semicIrcle, 81 am somewhat in the
first family way, own a plantation, drink
but little water at home, and have the
honor to be Captain Munchausen, of the
Southern COnfederacy"
"Dost fence 2" says William, grimly draw
ing his sword.
"Fence - says Capt. Muuchauseu, also
drawing his disguised crowbar. "Didst
ever hear, boy, or read, of that great fen.
Ger OF the olden times, the Chevalier St.
George2"
"Often," says William, in tone that
was as plainly the echo of lie as is that
of the delicate female eater of sIate-peu-
ellis, when she says that she never could
bear pork and beans.
''well," says Capt. Munchausen haughti.
", "the chevalier was so'extremely Jealous
OF my superior skill, that he actually went
and died nearly hundred years before l
was born"
"Soap," says William, like one talking
in his sleep "is sometimes made with pow
erful lie."
by chiTalry !" says Captain Muuchau.
sen, cholerically, 81 swear | never told
single lie in all my life"
"a single liein says William, abstracted-
ly "ah no for the lies of the Southern
ConfedeFacy are all married, and have large
This domestic speech, my boy, was too
much for Munchausen. Asking one of the
rag merchants to hold his three ply over
coat, and carefully removing his fragmen-
tary cap, that none of the cold potatoes
should spill out of it, he planted the re-
mains OF his right boot slightly in advance
OF the skeleton of his left, and thunder
ed:
"'sbloodm
Quick as the tightening leaps along the
cloud did Captain William Brown send the
great toe of his dexter foot to meet that of
his foe, his damascus blade lay across the
opposing braud, and he whispered:
"'SdeathI"
1t was beautiful slightly Minerva it
was
"stOpF' says William, suddenly hauling
in bis weapon again; ''it shall never be
said that took advantage of a foemau."
AS he uttered these memorable words,
my boy, this ornament of the service
plucked aninfant demijobn from his fear
less bosom and magnanimously passed it
to his antagonist.
A soft commotion was visible in the
kSslra ~
burb of smile as it were; a cavern omen.
ed in their midst, the vessel ascended onr.
vilinearly thereto, and the sound was as
the trickling of water down mountain
gulch.
The adjutaut took his seat on the Sleep
ing body of the band, aud with pencil and
paper prepared to record the combat. The
opposing champions faced each other, and
as William once moro raised his blade he
smiled horribly.
Then, my boy, was witnessed a scene to
make old Charlemange's paladins dance
High-jinks in their graves, and call all the
Artustau knights to life again. Carte ct
tieTcc! but it was spectacle for Hector
and Achilles. With swords pointed straight
at each others noses did the valorOus he
roes skip wildly back, and then as wildly
forward. Slaml bang crack smack |!
right and left over and underl parry,
feint, and premiere force! Now did thew
hop ferily along on opposite sides of the
road, eyeing each other like demouiac
Thomas Cats upon the mOonlit fence. Ever
ard anon did they dart furiously to the
centre, cutting the blessed atmosphere to
invisible sPliuters and Staying imaginary
But crisis was at hand. In one of his
terrible chops the cool and collected vii
liam brought his deadly weapon down foil
upon the knuckles OF the enemy. But for
the fact that Williams sword was not
quite as sharp as the side of an ordinary
three-story brick house, Munchausen's
hand would never have welded the tren-
chant blade. As it Was, he hastily dashed
his brand to the ground, crammed his
knuckles into his mouth, struck up an i'm