Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-09-22
CHICKEN AND HONEY.
\ FORAGING EXPEDITION OF ONE
MAN ~ THE WINTER OF 1853.

Uncle Joe- Who Vas .Cap'n" Then. Liked
His Chicken Done Brown.
1T was wretched nigh. back n
1868" said Uncle Joe
Uncle JOe's stories q the war wer:
things 70 be looked forward 20 and re
nleinb-rei- He had served during the
entire four years a. a commissioned cfi-
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 winte. Of
1868 On cold raw nigh; that I. the off
Ger OF the day. rspared about midnight:
TO make. with half a dozen Of the guard.
what Is called TIE grand round or
mere plainly speaking. the visiting 81
the soldiers doing picket duty at their
different pOs;s. We were on short IA
tom. and every man Of rs. officer or
private. lonsed for a good. square meal
10 brace him up against the raw. danny
coldnesS # the night As was about
70 spring into my saddle low voice at
my shoulder said;
'Cap'n. how would a supper Of chick
en- and honey taste
Il swung hastily around AMI behelt
the speaker. He was a fellow called
Lang. one OF our most valuable spies.
ana In some respects a mighty clever
fellow, but in-uh. well. I'll let :. 90
By saying that his moral nature hai
never been overieyeloped He was a
short, ,hickset man. w;;h tzyiakiing
black eye ana otherwise the most thor
ouGEl@ impaSsive face / ever looked
into II was said 81 him that ne would
slip into the hutternu- suit Of TIE reb-l
and make himself much 2, home IL
Lees army. lie was nail fellow we,,
INST with al The me1 and came back 20
the Union lines possessed u the mos.
invaluable information lie mad expo
rienced thrilling adventures and was a
man Of intrepid courage
'Csp'n. ne repeated as he stood be-
side me that cold night. how would
supper II chicken and honey -aSte:'
Excellent, Lang. excellent. re-
piled. thinking OF our limited supply
OF smoked meat and hard tack have
y9J. some:'
No. Int might re. some I reckon
If / looked roIild biz. ne drawled. Lag
lily kicking Up clay with tie toe OF MS
boot. | saw immediately that ne meant
20 20 ont of camp, ind farmhouse and
help himself. Such things are not IN
heard ot IL .he amy
Nonsense, Lang said You
would be killed sure II yCG went The
p.csets are on extra sharp lookout to-
night and .s's altogether too dangerous
Won would never come hack alive.
With that I sIJany into my saddle
and r-.5e away, followed 5y my men
We ven Due two nS three hours
iIIZS<ns the roands Ct tae pickets. and
a more miserable ride had seldom tax
ca was chilled 10 the bone and hun
cry and m- men likewise As / rode
back toward camp The glow OF a bonfire
in remote corner cauRh, nv eve, and
l Immediately turned nv weary horse
toward IL Before the cracking heap
sa, Lang. calmly frying chicken. while
:, his side reposed hive Of honey. lie
looked up and smiled grizzly.
'Suprer's most ready. cap'n.' be
said, touching his apology fO- a cap.
Make yourselves 10 home. gentlemen
-" Lang. said ste.uiy, 'didE'; Tell
you 10, 20 co:'
No, cap'n. he replied a. he con-
tinuei 70 cut Up the plump fowl in his
hand; Won didat ray I couldn't q. al
tAoash, If / remember correctly. you
Gidn'. exactly advise :t or ne score Of
its being dangerous. b1, man what,
LII 90 / Ia. 60 -.
little thing Ike tina. stop him wher
he's hungry. and nc held toward ma
the plump !es Of q chicken nicely
Drowned.
Lang. said /. tell ne how ven
did it
No very great matter. he replied.
proceeding with his culinary arr. When
you gone, | walks along quie. - the
oltpos. and finds & picket walk.a up
and down like ne owned the earth. SO
fOps down on my stomach alongside a
fence. bein dark night. as it l.. Mr..
Picket comes along and don't suspec.
tina. fence 80 Of much as harbOrin 3
mouse Minute he gets half rod away
over that fence goes lichrninlika
and takes q scoo' into some woods close
by and then goes about my Business.
Go On. laid !. with NV mouth full
II chicken and honey.
Lang continued. Yo1 see know
this country mighty well. 60 make.
tracks fer farmhouse close BY where
they keeps plenty Of chickens When
opens .he gate 10 90 IN. along comes a
deg. Well. cap'n. that's the Crly dog
ever net with tina. | COULDN'T eithe.
scare or make friends with No, sir.
| that dog wouldn'. take no stock in
bluffs. 50 whips out ,ay revolver and
lays him ou.. At that up goes win
/ dow. and man begins 20 yell 70 find
| out who's there. Put your head inside
that window and keep j. there. or I'll
! knock i. off for you" says ! Now
| jim" / continues. you just watch
/ tina, window. and If :he fellow sticks
! his head cut don: wait 10 be ceremo-
niouslike, but jus, FIRE I'm goin 70
| get some chicken and honey" Course
there wasn't no jim along, but that