Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-10-14

had to stop a mint on de way to leave
some money wild de wife OF one his men,
an he could do dat while was giltin' out
de hoss But, by Judas. when | rode de
hoss down dere he was dat lame he could
only go on his three legs. So dat wouldn't
work. In mint de gen'ral came along,
aud in less dan de hall "A shake of lambs
tail he see how de Ian lay, and says, as
quiet's AS If ebery thing was lovely, Jake
you take the roam back, ani I'll get under
de cover OF de timber Jes den dis yere
chile member something. II come in my
head like flash dat dere was loose board
in de ceilin' OF de school house, and tole
de glnerai he'd better git up there and lay
low on de rattcrs under de peak OF de roof
while de secesh was around. l guess de
gineral thought so too, for he got up dere
welly y,and moved dc board back In its
place ana knowed ne was all right. cause
you see, Massa Colonel, I've been dere
myself. Well. den histed one OF de back
windows kind o permiscus and jumped
out.cf Ii aud made tracks toward de tim
Der Tor u rod or two where de ground was
soft, and den made a straight streak for de
house again. Ne and ginral hadn't been
gone morn half an hour before was back
dere, in time for you To give me dat ar rous-
10 kick. Guy. Massa Colonel, you kin kick,
dat's a iac."
Here JaSe's merriment became quite OBJ
streperous again, and he rubbed \ name
less part OF his garments with the same ex.
pressiye pantonine as before, z Ian cling Il SIX
ancc AT the Colonel all the while with a
look which was an indescribable mixture
OF shrewdness and simplicity, oft serio-
comic, the impudent, and the respecttu
the whole qualified By the pretense OF an
apprehension that the colonel might be
tempted 10 essay once more his kicking
capab ilities.
coming restive. while Jake was not slow
to perceive, and sujdenly. checking his
mirthfulness. he resumed:
De lac Is, colonel. dat ar kick was lis
wot dis nigger was a-prayin for. You tot
was a-peachin' on de gin'ral, and dat
was zactiy what wanted; cause know,d
ei | could only make YOU believe dat you
wouldn't expect me OF hidn' him away
Beside dat ar hoss standiu' down there
had given me sight OF trouble for fear
somebody else would get ahead of me aud
tell you he was derc. and den you'd 90 a
scootin' round TO tiud out how he got derc
So 'cluded dat Id be de fust To tell you
he was dere, II dc lord'd let me. tell
you what, Massa Colonel, you white FOLKS
Is mighty smart about some things and
htllAh bh arc u OliiHt Inin
you IS. But, Massa George, n nigger's
mighty cuonIn, aud wien you give me dat
almighty kick | hnow'd that it was all
right, and dat you tot dat | was a dam
mean Niger. And den, when YOU rushed
out OF de house and pitched INTO De school
house, and swarmed all fru de wood wild
dose Secee>h oi yourn a huntin' high and
low an not finding muffin, | knowd I'd
got you oil dc scent, aud 'cluded to make
myself scarce till you aud your soldiers
had skcdsdlcd tor fear you'd axe me some.
thin | mightnt want to tell Den. Us
abont sunset | went tp where de g!u'ral
was slowed away among de ratters. aud
to.e hun dc coast was clear. aud We went
back TO de house. and dc missu, she ll,uh
and cry bofe togcdder. and he gifts on his
ho>s aud yits for sure. And dat's de way.
Massa George, you didn't get de gin'raI
dat time"
1t was very interesting To watch the play
OF the coloneis frank aud open coumre-
nance a. Jake told his story in his rouuda-
boat fashion. Cloud and sunshine chased
each other over his face. PuzZlcmeut
faded INTO veNNion, yeXation into amusc-
IN, ut. amusement into supreme satisiac-
ton. till, when Jake had ended his recital.
lie clapped him cordially OH the shoulder
and vowed he wa, a regular trump. in
terms more emphatic than deyout.
The close oithis retniniscencc OF the war
was signal for other narratives Of hair
breadth 'scapes" relating TO tile same event
fui period,ior nearly all the party had been
engaged In the contest on the one side or
the other. and each had some stirring Incl
dent 10 relate that we need not now re-
peat. 1t was very interesting. however,
10 note the absence OF any symptoms OF
bitterness or remnant OF aninosity, and
the entire cordlality which marked the In-
iercouTse Of these men. They were itom
widely different classes some were educa-
ted and refined, others rude and unpolish-
ed. They had been arrayed on opposite
sides and at times as their narratives re-
vealed, had been in fierce antagonisni.
lille the war had lasted they had been
alert and unsparins foes, often pushed to
dire eXtremetIvs by each other. But now
that the war was over they seemed To have !
totally forgotten their old hostility; and |
just as quondan school-boys revive Old |
recollec,iOns OF hard knocks given and re-
ceIved. or rejoice over the memory of |
pranks played. ieuds waged rivalrIes |
kindlcd. triuInphs Won, aud defeats suffer /
ed. these dwelt upon their mutual conflicts /
and escapes on "A sterner theatre. Not IA /
trace OF vlndiCtlyrncss was visible and 4
thelr comrade>hip seemed as perfect as il /
II had been uninterrupted. II was difficult |
to realize that they had ever been hard |
pressed by each other, and on more than |
one occasion had been engaged in deadly |
grapples; and | was amazed at the good |
hnmor with which they gosspped over
events so full OF passion at the time. and |
on the turn Of which hung captivity, or. |
nayhap, life or death. Instances Of this |
nature were recalled by one and another /
OF the party and the attendant circumstan- |
ces were related as though they were capi- |
tai jokes and each was as merry over the |
refninlscence OF some tight place" in |
which he had been put by some other as
though IL had been nothing more than a |
harmless frolic undertaken for mutual |
pastime,-lOctober Harper's.