The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1877-03-02

a LlGtBe Story that tzlo MAN with
the B8aR T0ad.

SAA< SSsaK AOAWs
It was a horrible scar. CommeEeing
at the roots of the hair, just over the
left temple, it ran down across the face
to right hand corner of the mouth, the
flesh had closed together in 3 great
ridge, and the nose seemed TO have been
shortened half an inch by the process OF
healing. The man with the scar sang
two or three songs, and then passed his
cap around for pennies.
"Did blow of an Iniun's tomma-
hawk do that ?'' He replied, "Nol
sir got that cut down in Old Virgin
ia, durin' the war bout the time it
looked as if jeff Davis was the biggest
patriot in the country"
you were IN the cavalry %
"You bet / was! / smashed up so
many horses that l was owing the Con-
federate Government $4OO, 900 when it
collapsed. If she hadn't collapsed I'd
been forced into bankruptcy"
He chnckled, and raised his hat so as
TO reveal the scar in all its hideousness,
and continued:
81 don't believe tommahawk could
leave scar like this. 1t takes a good
sharp sabre to spoil mans face SO that
ne darn't look in the glass or have his
photograph taken. A Yank slashed
me, of course, but who do You suppose
it was? You couldn't guess to save
your neck, and SO I'll tell-It was Gus
ter, that long haired daredevil Yankee
general, who used to ride around with
blood in his eyes and an extra sabre in
his teeth. He thought he'd done for
me when he gave me this lick, but he
didn't know our family"
''How was it ?''
IS It was down at TrAvi'loan Station.
He was Taiding around with lot of
cavalry, and our folks got him in box.
Somehow we got around him on all
sides, and we had cavalry, infantry aud
artillery. We were two to one, ard
had him fairly coppered, and by all de-
cent rules of warfare he ought to have
flung out the white flag, and handed
over his sabre, and politely said Boys
you've got the grapevine twist on me
and cave We expected it; but blast
him He didn't do any such thing.
No sir. lie massed his troopers, and
gave 'em to understand that it was hell
or home, and the whole capoodle of sem
come for us on the gallop, bands play
ing, flags flying and troopers yelling
like wild Injuns, our batteries played
on 'em from dozen hills; or infantry
tuslladed 'em good and strong, and our
troopers got the word to charge.''
"Durn nay buttons but wasn't it a
hot fight We were all mixed up-bul-
lets flying, sabres hacking, men yelling,
horses neighing, everybody shouting
aud it was DEVILS dance all round. |
heard Yank shouting orders, as if he
was some big gun or other, and | work
ed up TO him through the smoke. 1t
was Custer, had seen him before, and
| knew what fighter he was. pushed
right up to him, gave my old sabre
twist and a cut, ard off went his
head 10
He looked up with wicked twinkle
in his eyes and added:
I'm horn! | rose in my stirrups
and struck at him with force enough to
cut clean down to the saddle, but he
parried the blow, leaned over, I saw a
flash, and the next thing / knew / had
been. Tin the hospital for two weeks,
and the surgeons were trying TO look
into my boots through this sabre cut in
my face. l was whole year getting
over it, and then I looked so handsome
that was turned over to the home
| guards for the rest OF the war. Some
times feel like suicide, and again
don't care. don't bear no grudge
agin Custer for the slash, but he might
just as well have put his cheese knife
through me as to have given me this
* his mark to lug around. And
that's what ails the old red, and that's
how l feel."-N Y. Times.