The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-04-30
For the f NJ. Household.
FISHING ExTRAORDINA
Another of the Young ArtIiIe-
rist's Stories.

As every solGier. who had the honor
of belonging to Gen. Hoke's command
will doubtless remember. the commits
sary stores issued to the troops in Eas-
tern Carolina during the whole year. but
especially in the fall of 1864 were woful-
ly scant. aud very inferior in quality.
Indeed it was no uncommon thing for
a man TO eat up three days ratlons at
one meal, and then feel that he had
stomach room for as much more.
This state OF things lasted much lon-
ger than ones patience, and the boys
fell on all manner of devices to silence
the clamor of their internal commissa-
riat.
My mess Jared especially i'll, for "Old
Supplies, our Commissary Sergeant had
a grudge against some of the members,
and took it out of us all. The hard
tack issued to us was so hard and blue
that the very weavils had abandoned it
with tears i'll their eyes, and we didn t
even have their marrow and fatness to
grease the hinges of our jaws. / had ever
served the mess as a special purvegon,
and partly by good luck, and partly from
a hereditary talent for rowing, and cat
tie lifting" had been able to garnish
what would have been "a dinner herbs, -
with the herbs all omitted, with the
foot joint of some veteran porker, or
a tender fragments of some innocent
sucking.
But in this extremity whereof | write
even my prowess failed, and the mess
had hard-tack and hard-tack longer
than | like to remember even now.
One morning | was taking a medita-
tive stroll towards a farm house and
heard welcome sound, as it might be
the cackle of fowls. Forthwith inspired
by brilliant, but not altogether origi-
nal idea. l hurried back TO camp, armed
myself with fishing line, and stealing
round by the stables, picked up some
grains of corn and started back to nv
land of promise.
| made speed back to the farmhouse
and pursued warily the sound OF the
cackling. A wretched pair of guinea
fowls were the sole occupants OF that i'll
regulated barnyard. Batting the fish
hook with grain of corn threw it with
trembling eagerness towards the fowls
Minute after minute passed before they
espied it, and then at last the hen saun-
tering carelessly by caught sight of it,
and with greedy avidity swallowed it up.
That fatal appetite. in second she
was dragged with resistless speed from
the side of her beloved consort, and
in any instant he was widowed. Missing
his mate, the wretched survivor set up
IL sharp metallic Cry, and speedily a
sharp female voice exclaimed. "What
ails the fowl, | lay one of them pesky
soldiers is stealing it,"
/ waited to hear no more, but winged
with fear plunged into the woods, and
climbed into large stump, where l be-
gan picking my plize with frantic haste.
Guinea feathers fell like rain around
until the bird was plucked. Then l
shook all the loose feathers off my raj
ment and climbed out of the stump to
betake myself to creek and there alb
lutte the carcass of the slain. The abb
lutions performed, joyfully wended my
way towards camp, the body of my VIC
tim carefully concealed from the over
curious in the folds of my cloak, which
like that of the Spartan had hid many a
theft, though | took care that they were
always in a much more harmless state
than the fox of the aforesaid.
[ho Jul ilCSS llIt. L saw VILE
dismay one of our officers standing near
by. l hung uneasily on the outskirts of
the ''posish.' but it was getting time to
blow feed CALL" and L was bugler.
and unless that treasure trove was inn
mcdatelv put on, there was scant
chance of its being cooked by dinner
time.
So plucked up heart of grace and
walked boldly up the fire a pot was
suspended over it in which Bob c., the
new cook was boiling a few onions and
some red pepper. Leaning over the pot
as 1t inspecting its contents, | boldly
plunged in my two legged beauty. and
with never a work or sign TO Bob walked
on to where the Lieutenant was stand
ing.
Where have YOU been:' he asked.
Out fishing, eh :, Did you have any
luck:'
Nothing TO speak of, sir, only got
one bite,' WAS my serious and truthful
response.
Just then, turned round, and caught
sight of Bob {. who had just looked
into the mess pot, and his was speechless
but radiant joy.