Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-06-07
AN LDCORPORAL'S STORY
by COL. Is. ID. BAILlE.

Said the old Corporal, between the
puffs of his pipe, as he lay in the glare
of our campfire:
"Aforc I came to this country and
listed for soldier. and just after I'd
turned to be big lump of boy, OF the
fore-end of man, I sarved a while in
the Consteblary of Guild Donegal,
where I were born, and where my peo-
pie live yet, them as is living. God rest
them, live and dead.
Twas great place that, Donegal,
for poteen that never paid penny to the
gauger, and Sergeant Houlahan, in
charge of Carrichsen barrack, where
we were quartered, was the hard man
on the poor boys that run bit
of a still, and hard on us
men OF the force, with his
everlasting and eternal day-and-night
still hunting. Never friend had he,
in the force OF with the peasantry, at-all-
at-all.
"Well, it was just afore the time I
took my French leave of the constablery
and the country, that three Of us, my
self, Flynn, and Donovan, was called
from our hunks one midnight to tramp
after old Houlahan. and him after his
nose, whilst we went smelling out bit
of still.
S'It were three miles we tramped that
might over the murtllcrin mountains,
most Of the time black as the divil's
pocket, until we came TO .Iullyard, and
there we got the order Haiti" and Dono-
van, with the old man, went on ahead
to reconnoiter. We smelled smoke,
and soon they too discovered it coming
from bit of crack in the ground, and
creeping up close, they see it We're from
a bit OF hut built against the side of
the slope.
I'VE was all told off TO our places.
Me and Flynn had to 60 to the door of
the craw and cry the Surrender to them
inside, whilst Houiahan and Donayan
surrounded the outside to cut off any as
might run.
FLYNN and myself crawled up, quiet
and light, to the door and peeped in.
There was two men there. One was
lying full length on some rushes in the
back of the hut. snoring like an ele-
phant; the othcr was sitting on an old
key in front OF great blazing turf fire
that was under the still, and about him
everywhere was all tho materials, full
and complete for making the best sort
of royal ould poteen.
"This waking chap was holding
zap 70 his eye a big black bottle
half filed with stuff from the
stillworm, and was examining it by
shaking and looking OF the bead on it.
Deed and I'd affixed to have tested
that same by sample Of my mouth. But
anty's duty, you know. boys, aud SO,
first thing this fellow knew was the bat
tering in Of his door, and:
=" Surrender, in tho Queens namer
sHe looked up, and there was me and
Flynn standing IN the doorway. with
our guns planted across it. Up he
Jumps bold lad he was.
Z" The Queens far from ye,' says he,
quick as flash, and just as quick he
lets drive that black bottle and took me
between the two eyes Of me, clean as
whistle, and down I went like a shot,
and himself was on top of Flynn that
same moment, and it's him was
slapped. or tumbled atop of me,
and then this fine chap drives
his head into the stomach of
Donovan, that had come running to the
rescue, and he made flop like clown
in the circus, and the boy was off into
the dark.
FLYNN was on his feet instanter, and
gave the surrender! again to the chap
that had been sleeping on the rushcs,
but with the divl . surrender that
chap put one foot on the top of the old
key, gave spring and whoop!-up he
goes through the straw thatch of the
roof like he we're shot out of gun,
grabs the stones ON the hillside and