The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-09-11
CHICKEN AND HONEY.
A FoRAGlNG EXPEDITION or ONE
MAN nv THE WINTER or 1863.

H. MSa&@##
Lang knew the Country and Also Ruman
Nature, For His Little BluR worked.
Uncle joe, who Was "Cap'nsThen. Liked
His Chicken Done Broxn.
1T was a wretched night back In
1868, +" said Uncle Joe.
Uncle Joe's stories of the war were
things to DO looked forward to and re-
membered. He had served during the
entire four years q o commissioned Off
Ger and knew whereof he spoke, having
an excellent memory and an inimitably
humorous way of telling the adventures
of himself and his men.
1T was in Missouri in the winter Of
1868 ON q cold raw night that ], the off,
Ger of the day. prepared about midnight
to make, with half dozen of the guard,
what is called the grand round. or,
more plainly speaking, the visiting Of
the soldiers doing picket duty at their
different posts. We were ON short ra-
tions, and every man of MS, officer or
private, longed for q good, square meal
to brace him up against the raw, damp
GOODNESS OF the night. AS / was about
to spring into my saddle q low voice at
my shoulder said:
"'Cap'n, how would q supper Of chick
en- and honey faster
81 swung hastily around and beheld
the speaker. He was q fellow called
Lang, 0le of our most valuable spies,
and in some respects q mighty clever
fellow, but in-oh, well, I'll let it 60
by saying that his moral nature had
eve been overdeveloped. He was o
short, thiokset man, with twinkling
black eyes and otherwise the most thor
oughiy impassive face / ever looked
into. re was said OF him that he would
slip into the butternut suit Of the rebel
and make himself much at home in
Lees army. He was hail fellow well
met with all the men and came back to
the Union lines possessed of the most
invaluable information. He had expe-
rienced thrilling adventures and was q
man OF intrepid courage.
'Cap'n, he repeated as he stood be-
side me that cold night, how would, q
supper Of chicken and honey faster
Excellent, Lang. excellent, I re-
piled, thinking Of our limited supply
of smoked meat and hard tack. Have
you some?'
No, but l might get some, I reckon,
If I looked round o bit, he drawled, Lag
lily kicking up clay with the toe of his
boot. / saw Immediately that he meant
to go out of camp, find a farmhouse and
help himself. Such things are not un-
heard Of in the army.
Nonsense, Lang, said L You
would be killed snre if you went. The
pickets r on extra sharp lookout to-
night, and it's altogether too dangerous.
You would never come back alive.
with that / sprang into my saddle
and rode away, followed by my men.
we were gone two or three hours,
making the rounds of the pickets, and
a more miserable ride / had seldom tax
en-. i was chilled to the bone and hun.
CRY and my men likewise. As / rode
back toward camp the glow Of a bonfire
in a remote corner caught my eye, and
/ Immediately turned my weary horse
toward it. Before the cracking heap
sat Lang, calmly frying chicken, while
at his side reposed a hive of honey. He
looked up and smiled grimly.
/" 'Snpper's most ready, cap'n.' he
said, touching his apology for a car.
Make yourselves TO home, gentlemen.
Lang, said / sternly, didn't I tell
you not to go?'
mo. cap'n, he replied as he con-
tinued to cut mp the plump fowl in his
hand; you didn't say / couldn't 60, al
though, if / remember correctly, you
didn't exactly advise it on the score of
It's being dangerous, but a man what's
led the life / have amt goin to let q
little thing like that stop him when
he's hungry and he held toward me
the plump leg OF o chicken nicely
Drowned.
Lang, said ], tell me how you
lid it.
No very great matter, he replied,
proceeding with his culinary art. When
vou'd gone, / walks along quiet TO the
and finds a picket walkin up
md down like he owned the earth, 80 I
Hops down on my stomach alongside o
lence- Bein q dark night, ss IL Is, Mr.
Picket comes along and don't suspect
hat fence so of much as harborin n
mouse. Minute he gets half o rod away
,ver that fence ] goes lightninlike
takes q scoot into some woods close
~ and then goes about ny business.
"tGo ON. said j, with my mouth full !,
Df chicken and honey.
Lang continued: 'Yon zee, I know
his country mighty well. 30 ! makes
racks for o farmhouse close by where
hey keeps plenty of chickens. When /
opens the gate 30 60 In. along comes o
log. Well, cap'ns that's the only dog I
syer mel with that I conIdn't either
or make friends with. No, sir,
hat dog wouldn't take mo stock in
bluffs. so I whips ont my revolver and
Iays him ont. AT that up goes q win
low, and O man begins 70 yell to find
,ut who's there Put your head inside
hat window and keep IL there. or I'll
knock IL or for you. says + Now
I continues yon Just watch
that window, and IL che fellow sticks
n{n E6anl n~& A~~~ - ~wn4&6 49, hmm@-~m~ Il