The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-01-17
ON THE TURNER PLANTATION
BY JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS.
"Why. he hain't bigger'n a pound er soar
AFTER a hard dny,a waahin,s

"Why. he hain't bigger'n a pound or soap
arter a hard days washin'."
NAV" said the other. ''I've saw i'm
befo'. He's that little rooster that ulster be
runnin' roun' town gittin' in all sorts or
devilment. Irecken he's sorter out or his
element here in the county,"
I've seen you, too" said Joe; GIVE seen
both of you. l used to see you drilling in
the Hillsborough Rifles. / was at the
depot when the company went off to the
war;
The two men looked at each other in a
peculiar way, and busted themselves trying
to dry their clothes by the fire standing
close to the Pickering flames. They were
not handsome men, and yet they were not
~ looking. One was short and stout with
black hair. He had q scar under one of his
eyes hat did not improve his appearance,
but the expression of his face was pleasant
in spite of this defect. The other was thin,
tall and stoop-shouldered. His beard was
scanty and red, and his upper teeth pro-
truded to such an extent that where his face
was in repose they were exposed to view.
But there was a humorous twinkle in his
eyes that found an echo in his talk. Both
men were growing gray. The dark man was
Jim Wimberly, the other John Pruitt, and
both had evidently seen hard times. Sol
dleF-fashion, they made seats for them
selves by sticking the ends of loose boards
through tho cracks, and allowing the other
ends to rest on the floor. Thus they could
liked a seat for himself in the same way.
while Mink and Injun Bill sat on the floor
on each side of tho fire place. .
J What do you call those here fellers?'
said Mr.. Pruitt, lighting his pipe with a
splinter, and turning to Joe; these nero
comes home arter awhile without lief or Ii.
cense!'
"Deserters," said Joe, simply.
80 fur, SO good" said MIR. Pruitt. Nov
then, what do you call the fellers what
lines inter the army arter they're been told
that their families III be took kur of an
provided fur by the rich folks at home; an
then. arter they'er been in a right smart
whet, they gifts word that their wives an
children is a lookin' starvation in the face
an stedder gittin' better it gifts wuss, an
bineby they breaks loose an comes home?
Now what sort or fsllers do you call them?
Hold on"' exclaimed Mr.. Pruitt, as Joe was
money an no niggers; they hainTt got
nothin, but n little piece or lam. They
goes off expectin' their wives III be took
keer of, an they comes nome an fines 'em
la the last stages. What sorter fellers do
you call them?'' ="
We'll" said Joe, I've never heard of
such Il thing before"
No. said Mr.. Pruitt, ''an' I'm mighty
sorry that you've heard about it now. II
amt a purity tale"
Who are the men?' Joe asked.
"1ou's, respectively, John Pruitt nm
Jeemes Wlnberlv, Ashbank deestrict, Hills
borough postof1ice, state of Georgia." said
Mr.. Pruitt, solemnly.
joe had heard it limited and rumored
that IN some cases, especially where they
lived remote from the relief committees.
the families OF the soldiers were not as well
provided for as they had a right to expect
ne had even set up soma editorials in
The Countryman which limited that there
was suffering among the soldiers' wives
ana chlldren; but he never dreamed
That 1t was serious enough to create discon-
tent among the soldiers. The story TIM,
Mr.. Pruitt and his companion told amazed
joe Maxwell, but it need not be repeated
nero IN detail. 1t amounted to this. thai
the two soldiers had deserted from the
army because their wives and children