The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1894-10-18
HICKEN AND HONEY,
A FORAGlNG EXPEDITION OF ONE
MAN IN THE WINTER OF 1868.


1858, said Uncle Joe.
Uncle Joe's stories of the war wer
things to be looked forward to and re
membered. He had served during tn
entire four years as a commissioned off
Ger and knew whereof he spoke, having
an excellent memory and an inimitabl
humorous way of telling the adventure
of himself and his men.
''It was in Missouri in the winter O
1868 on cold raw night that I, the off
Ger of the day, prepared about nidnigh
to make, with half dozen of the guard
what is called the grand round, or
more plainly speaking, the visiting O.
the soldiers doing picket duty at theil
different posts. We were on short ra
tions, and every man of Us, officer OF
private, longed for good, square mea
to brace him up against the raw, damp
GOODNESS of the night. AS 1 was about
to spring into my saddle low voice al
my shoulder said:
'Cap'n, how would supper of chick.
en- and honey taste?'
81 swung hastily around and beheld
the speaker. He was a fellow called
Lang, one of our most valuable spies.
and in some respects mighty clever
fellow, but in-oh, well, I'll let it &C
by saying that mis- moral nature had
never been overdeyeloped. He was q
short, thickset man, with twinkling
black eyes and otherwise the most thor.
oughly impassive face I ever looked
into. 1t was said of him that be would
slip into the butternut suit of the rebel
and make himself much at home in
Lees army. He was hail fellow we'll
met with all the men and came back to
the Union lines possessed of the most
Invaluable information. He had expo
rienoed thrilling adventures and was
man of intrepid courage.
'Cap'n, he repeated as he stood be-
side me that cold night, how would a
supper of chicken and honey taste?'
Excellent, Lang, excellent, 1 re.
piled, thinking of our limited supply
of smoked peat and hard tack. Have
you some?'
No, but 1 might get some, reckon,
if looked round bit, he drawled, laz-
lily kicking up clay with the toe of his
boot. 1 saw Immediately that he meant
to go out of camp, find farmhouse ana
help himself. Such things are not I'M
heard of in the army.
Nonsense, Lang said ]. You
would be killed sure if you went The
piczets are 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.
eve were gone two or three hours,
making the rounds of the pickets, and
q more miserable ride had seldom tax
en-. l was chilled to the bone and hun
cry and my men likewise. AS 1 rode
back toward camp the glow of a bonfire
in a remote corner caught my eye, and
I Immediately turned my weary horse
toward it. Before the cracking heap
sat Lang, calmly frying chicken, while
at his side reposed hive of honey. He
looked up and smiled grimly.
'Supper's most ready, cap'n,' he
said, touching his apology for a cap.
Make yourselves to home, gentlemen,
Lang, said sternly, didn't tell
you not to go?'
No, cap'n, he replied as he con.
tinued to cut up the plump fowl in his
hand; you didn't say couldn't go, al.
though, if 1 remember correctly, yea
didn't exactly advise it on the score Of
its being dangerous, but a man what's
led the life have amt goin to let a
little thing like that stop him when
he's hungry, and he held toward me
the plump leg Of chicken nicely
Drowned.
Lang, said 1, tell me how You
did it.
d" No very great matter, he replied,
proceeding with his culinary art. When
you'd gone, walks along quiet to the
outpost and finds a picket walkin up
and down like he owned the earth, so I
aops down on my stomach alongside
fence Bein dark night, as it is, Mr..
Picket comes along and don't suspect
that fence so of much as harborin a
mouse. Minute he gets half rod away
over that fence l goes lightninlile
and takes scoot into some woods close
by and then goes about my business.
eco on, said l, with my mouth full
of chicken and honey.
Lang continued; You see, know
this country mighty well, so I makes
tracks for farmhouse close by where
they keeps plenty of chickens. When l
opens the gate to go in, along comes a
dog. Well, cap'n, that's the only dog l
ever met with that 1 couldn' either
scare or make friends with. No, sir,
that dog wouldn't take no stock in
bluffs, so whips out my revolver and
lays hin out. At that up goes win
dew, and man begins to yell to find |
out who's there. ''Put your head inside
that window and keep it there, or I'll |
knock it off for you, says l. 'Now |
Jim," l continues, you just watch
that window, and if the fellow sticks |
his head out don't wait to be oeremo.
but just fire, I'm goin to
get some chicken and honey" Course
there wasn't no Jim along, but that
fellow in the house had to be kept out |
of the way. SO, being dark night,
Just bluffed him about there being more
than just me around. You bet he keeps
his head inside, and I goes to the chick
en- house and helps myself to some plump
young codgers, and takin beehive
on the other shoulder makes tracks for
The Damn the wav 7 come
Have piece Of the breast, cap'n.
That's done particular brown, the way
-ou like it. "--ChioaGo Post
To RENT.-A new brick house, seven
rooms, with city water and 10 odern
three and half blocks
east of Hotel Roberts. Apply to John
]. Davies, First ward, Provo city.