The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1862-09-05

VI tlc SIlOit uoIuS III iilc IlNCi, ildU ISIhcl
on his chains too hard, an snapped one OF
them rite in two. This noise is what sound
ed down in the cabin like shot.
When we got to the landin, Gineral Nc
ClelIan had hosses ready for all Of us 10 ride.
Linlin choose black one an got on. Ses
l. Kernel, is black your favorite colorg'
Ses he, 'Majer, no joking now. This is a
serious matter.' So | got on white one.
| can't ride quite SO handy as did thirty
or forty years ago, yet it's not every nag
that could throw me now. Linkin's stirrups
were too short for his legs, tho they were
let out jist as long as they could be. 1t
kinked him up good deal, an before we got
thru reviewin the troops, ses he, Majcr, |
can't stand this here bendip of my jints. |
am goin to remedy it; an so he jist turned
one leg over the hoss's neck an rid sideways
the rest of the time. The sogers cheered
him as we went along, an seemed nifty glad
to see him. In one place, he got up on a
breastwork an made short speech to 'em.
lie wound up by tellin em that he had Ma
ier Jack Downing, Gineral Jacl;son's old
friend, with him. When he sed that, the
cheers were dubbed, an l paid my respects
to the compliment by takin off my hat an
maxim jist about the neetest bow that ever
was.
After we had seen all the troops an made
all the inquiries we wanted to-, we cum a.
way. The seceshers didn't trubble US cum
in down the river, an we were soon once
more sailin up the Potomac. Comm up the
river The day was warm, an we all tell tust
rate that Mcclellan was as well Oft as he
was; the Kernel said he felt like as if he
would like TO have swim. All hands a
greed it would be capital chance, an SO
Einkin, an Blair, an Stantin's chief clark,
undressed for splurge in the water. The
Kernel axcd me to go in tu, but teiied
him that as hot as it was, my rumatIz
wouldn't allow it. When they got about
reddy, ses |, Kernel, look out an don't so
where the waters tu deep, for ef you git
tired out or have the cramp, you may not
git to the botc agin. He sed there warnt
any danger-that he had swum in the Mas
sasippy river nigh about all over when he
the PotollaC. 80 off they went. Llncon
could outswim the hull party, an Blalr an
the other feller with him seemed like suIl-
fish alongside sturgeon. | tho't probably
l1incon might overdo himself, Or git the
cramp or sumtllin, SO [ js went to my va
lese an tux out my patent guilty perchy life
presarvcr. [ ment to have it reddy if eny-
thing happened. Wal, hadn't more'n got
to the side of the bote, when | seed the
Kernel houndcrn an splashin, an BLOWN as
eff he was stranglin. Blair an t'other feilel
were tryin TO help him, but it was the blind
leadin the blind, an sech another muss IN
the water you never did see. saw that II
was time for my lfc-prcsarvcr. 50 jest
bowed it up an hol.cred to Lincon to catci
hold of it, an told Blair an t'othcr fellcr tt
let him alone, that that would save him
when Lincon got hold of it he jest raisec
himself rite up, an seemed as happy as
bow with moo hat. He hoatcd rite along
towards the bote, an soon cum aboard. Be
he, Maer, | owe you q debt Of ctarnal graf
itude. You've saved my life. Ses he, Ma
ier, this Gfc-presarvcr Of yoursis the great
est article ever invented. When Igit dress
ed | want to examine it. So, purity soon
he cum in, an ses he, let's have peep a
it. So / showed it to him. The first thing
he saw on one side of it was the following
words:-Ihs Constitution as At as md tn
Union as 1t qoaS. Ses he, Maer, wha
have you got that motto on lite-presarvel
for? Wal, ses I, Kernel, put that there
because of the similarity between the tive
things. Now, that presarver saved you
life, didn't it?-Yes, ses he, Majer, it did
Wal, tie sentiment IN those aoO13s as th'
LJe-presar0er of tie country. You cam
eny more save the country without stickir
TO them than you could have saved your life
without holdin on TO the life-presarver. You
must stick to the Constitushin as 1t Is ant
moi as Sumner an Greeley want it. The
Kernel begun TO look wild when he see how
| had him, an so sccin my advantage, | went
on. Scs |, Kernel, the truth is, you arc
list now in swimmin with Greeley, an
Sumner, all Wilson, an Lovejoy, an Thad.
Stevens, an it's no wonder the country i:
Ike you was jist now, slranglin, an gaspin,
an list reddy 10 sink. You must cit Out o.
sech company, an the only way 10 do it is
to lay hold Of the CoaStituahin as ii IS, an
ef you do that, you'll save the country jist
as easy as saved you with that life-presar-
yer. Scs he, Majer, hold up, you're drivin
your hoss rite into my stable, an you don't
give me chance TO say whoa. Ses 1, Ker-
mel, go ahead, an of you can refute what
have sed, would like to see you. Ses he,
Majer, do you know why a mans face is
like the cend of an old fashioned house
Scs I, no Kernel, can't say do. Wal,
ses he, because it's his ga5bte eend. Wal,
ses 1, that may be good joke, but after