The Lincoln County herald., 1871-11-09

Aoross the street there lived . baker,
never known to be sick q day in his life,
and Who, on Morean's spproach, vas
uuaccoI.tably seized With the cholera
morbus, and eoa6ned to his bed. "Poor
man |" his wife said che would like so
much 70 have joined the militia" This
baker owned . horse. and to him did Mr..
Faxou HE. After extracting . promise
of payment 10 case the horse was lost or
damaged, the baker intrusted the animal
to Mr.. Fsxon's care. at is all can do
for my country" be said. This horse
was q great many hands high, and pos
ssssed a number of fine points--and blunt
ones, too, and angles about him. He
looked as though some carpenter had
built him after the pattern Of one OF his
own trestles.
Mr.. Faxon was now ready to 60. His
wife who had hoard of battles" aud
knowing when people fought somebody
got hurt-placeh hottie of camphnr in
10 one Of MIR. Faxon's side pockets, a
bottle Of brandy in the other "to keep
the balance true" filed his vest with
bandagss and lint, then babe him depart.
With much difficulty and "boostiug,"
Mr.. Faxon mounted his steed, and rode
of down the street like an animated
clothes. pin astride of an animated clothes.
horse; while Mrs. Faxon stood, with
admiriug eyes, and watched her hero-off
to the war.
If John Morgan had appeared in
Elderbush just then, ho would have
thought all the nations Of the earth, from
the days Of Noah down, had combined
against him, and had sent one man apiece
Anyhow he could not possibly have exc
cuted one Of them under pretext Of being
in citizens clothes. Red coats and blue
coats, coats astonishingly trimmed, tall
aud short hats, marvellous cockades and
feathers-glided hither and thither in
review. General Grandervack's "uni.
form" order had been needed in the most
ununiform manner, and even that astute
commander smiled at tho result. So did
his men, When Mr. Faxon arrived he
found the Elderbush forces nearly ready
to CO. General Grandervack's numerous
aids, with faces profoundly indicative Of
important military secrets, were gallop
ing about tremendously to the great ad
miration OF themselves and small boys /;
while the General himself resplendent in
uniform, and mounted on iine horse, was
directing with waving sword, the organza-
ton Of his forces. AT length all were
ready, the order to march was given, and
the chivalry of Elderbush moved off
cavalry in front, and infantry bringing up
the rear.
Our little merchant got along very
we'll until the horse commenced to trot,
then Mr. Taxons troubles began. lie
found great difficulty in keeping his seat,
aud bounced round over his horses back
like grain Of corn in pepper ; now on
the crupper; then he was joted to one
side, and in trying to recover himself
nearly fell off on the other. His bear
skin cap, too, persisted in resting upon
his ears, and hiding the outside world
from his vision, and he dared not relax
his grip upon bride and maue to raise it,
for fear of being altogether unseated.
cts an ilegart rider ye is, an anieGant
baste yer ridin', MIR. Faxon,' said an uu.
mistakable Celtic voice near him.
MIR. Faxon did not venture an answer,
or try TO discover who had addressed him
until the pace of the horse had been re
duced to q walk then, at great danger
of joining the infantry, he managed to
lift his cap, and look about him. He
saw in the spesker-Miohasl Fogarty, the
iun.loving Irish hostlor, of the St. Mich,
olas Hotel (for such the proprietor of the
village tavern grandiloquently styled his
house.) Mike was riding upon mule with.
out saddle. This animal was SO diminu.
tive that his rider feet almost touched the
ground; yet Mike did not care for that,
but rode along merrily, carrying over
his shoulder tho only weapon, except the
"shillaly," in which he excelled "a long.
handled stable fork. The effort of Mike
at "uniform" had not been very elabo.
rate, as the trailing peacock feather in
his hat band certified. In truth, Mr..
Fogarty looked upon the whole proceeding
as grand holiday burlesque, in which it
was the principal business Of the "des.
cendant Of an Irish King" to secure ae
much fun as possible.
"I'm not much of rider, Mike I" Mr..
Faxon responded to the Irishman's asser.
ton; "and I wish -whoa, pony-I wish
the whole pesky thing was-whoa, con.
found ye-was over with. But what in
Sam Hill are 70 goin' to do with that
fork, Mike? ?"
"Arrah, now, Mr.. Faxou an isn't it
seein' for yersilf what I'm doin' wild it
It's me arrums, an I'm goin' to prod il
full Of the rebil hsythens, an drag em
home at me horses tail-if the cray
thurs tail be not pulled out wid' EN-
l heard the praste say that some Roman
felly or gineral did that way wanst wild
his pris'ncrs." B."
"What, stuck 'em on q fork?" and
Mr.. Faxon laughed.
"Away wid yer nonsince-no HI
dragged 'em homo fastened to the whales
of his chariot, or at his horses tail, OF
somehow the likes o that I" answered