The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1883-12-07

Ye thousand leaves OF the wildwood yist
How Beauty Rohtrant's mouth / kissed.
Hush! hush! wild heart.
-George Meredith.
HOW MULE WAS STOLEN.
"A Rebel Soldiers Taefl in the South Caro-
lima Swamp.
! once stole a mule. Inever had any de-
cided symptoms Of kleptomania before the
day when / saw that mule. Inever prigged
a handkerchief or umbrella. Once, when a
very small child, I purloined a tiny brass
cannon. After I had stolen it I buried it in o
garden, and the consciousness of my guilt
prevented my going near a certain flower
bed forever. Like Eugene Aram's VIC
tim
'sThough he's buried in 3 cave,
And trodden down with stones,
And years have rot,ed of his flesh.
The world shall see his bones
that cannon, nota baby's finger long, I AM
quite positive, never was converted into
verdigris. but remains in the hole I buried
it in, az bright and shiny Us ever, as a last
ing record of my crime. In older life that
cannon has often sounded its alarum, but
rs to that mule, somehow or other, I am
perfectly callous about it. I was on the
wrong side in the civil war, and toward The
close of the contest commanded a scouting
party in South Carolina, whose business
was to collect information, keep up COM
munications, and in an incidental way to
bother all it could the ~outposts of q federal
corps. OF course, the colonel, who COM
manded a regiment of United States caval-
ry, understood his business thoroughly,
and, always on the aggressive, generally
took the initiative. 1t is wonderful to
think, however, what a solid amount OF an
noyance o small body of men can intlict,
provided they are we'll mounted and
and know the country, and as to the
horses of our little body, they were all ex-
~ccllent.
Dear 10! He was as black MS a silk hat.
When q bought him for a song, with a bad
ripping shot wound in his flank, he had
been given over to die. But a fortunate
halt n good care brought him round. He
had all the advantages of a thorouph
education, a cquired in the ranks. for
though but six years old. half his life had
been spent in camp. Such accomplish
ments we're special. Imprimis, was his
care of number one. How often have I
seen DO. when turned loose with 80 other
horses in Il plantation yard, in a single
manger containing only corn enough for
10, how he would take his share, and the
lions share at that. If fair means did not
insure him his bellyful, he played foul. He
would side into the mob, quietly Mt first,
elbowing his way, as it were, until he sight
ed the feed. Then from the meek manner
of a humble solicitor he would Mt once as
feet and flying hind ones he would drive
right through the ruck and secure his pla,e
a. the manger. Other horses might starye.
while DO always kept in prime order. He
was not a good natured horse 10 most men.
and brutal with his w kind. His bad
temper undoubtedly arose from some thor
ough~- bredcross, which was %perceptible in his
clever, spare head and his lusty shoulders.
sumo the nien Of a hippic fiend. His lips
would curl, his ears would be glued to the
back o. his head, and with pluneing fore
he was as near as possible in build to
an English hunter, with the same endurance
intelligence. Catch 10 throwing him.
self with his halter! The cleverest horse
will get snarled sometimes with n lariat. I
have seen 10 tangled up like In eel. line.
then be never showed Impotence nor
pulled nor ierked. He worked ut a knot
as Mechanically as would u clever child at n
cats cradle. Believe it or not, I saw 10
after working patiently for % min
utss on a bad gnarl III his halter, deliberate-
" pull up the tent pin with his teeth and
so free himself. After that I always had
to bury-his hitching iron.
! must say tiit, | Rnew my BUSINESS, anu
always Saving" my horse. Iecono-
mixed him for special bursts of speed, which
more than once saved my neck. He was
a fair. not a good, walker, and to look
him jogging along you could never think
That there was ANYTHING Of the mare Swal-
about him. rod q heavy weight
accoutrements and NIL 200 pounds. Still,
The enduring qualities of the man ere
greater than those of the horse, for / have
ridden 10 to stlnd-still, and felt myself
ltIle the worse for il, aud tn at was on a
~ hour ride NIGHT and day. with only two
leeds for 10. which he carried, while his
rider had three small bits of corn bread.
but endless smoking tobacco. l remember
ohee when coming off a long scout of 26
hours. where I had played the dlsagreeable
role of a human fox, having had for four
hot and close after. me a pack of ca
! bounds, 1 i5ined my division. Just as
| had turned il my rep6rt-an importan
one--to headquarters. an attack was threat
An idiotic lieutenant, seeing ma
alsmornted ordered me gu to picket duty.
He.aopld listen to nc exclamation, Il am
so fftssued, said, that II the enemy were
% coaie now | shonld fall asleep on post.
can't fight against nature.
You knoG the peuaity-death for sleep
on post. /" he said.
Gus hot-headed in those days and ir-
fitible, and | rnp.ied: @Ycu may shoot aud
be -
What | dc know is that, regardless of
anything. | went TO sleep at once, andt
oa2 there was a battery within half II
siiiie OF Tue tlat kept p fire half through
ne night, ] never heard it. Next morning.
zen. 4 bad no time before blm. | de-
ny long ride, referred to tho infor-
N ton bad brought him of recent date,
ma after receiving Il scorching repeimand,
ntNrd notliing further about it. !.
just wherein M4rion's time, in a South
Carolina swamp, this partisan tiiiser had
ser,eted himself, VT had been hiding. We
had burned several bridges and been bar.i
pressed by tho enemy's cavalry. and the
chantes weull have been strong OF captura
oad II not been FOR heavy rain, which
1ootleu me water courses. In the middle
Vi the swamp there was q humaock, the
dry ground for miles around. o.
about three acres eight men and their
were hnddled. ARrawth of hack
lnatiek and yonrg water oaks formeda
convenient curtain. Here We bad madea
cfche OF .tew bushels OF corn and bundles
forage+he dried stalks aud lsayes Of
ioraee-s.nA there We're 50ponnds of margy
bacon. Here was . s9eet business! We
We're 10 a trap with hardly food enough for
the animals for three DAYS, the enemy
the swamp, showing we were in
ana waiting Tor US to 10 our. There was
g rii,ee OF eefess, bad enough when
faaEsahla whan fhN ann.l Ln5 30 = 80