Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-09-18
CHICKEN AND HONEY.
A FoRAGlNG EXPEDITION OF ONE
MAN IN TIE WINTER or 1868.


His Chicken Done Brown.
1T was wrctched night back ia
1863, )" said Uncle Joe
Uncle Joo's stories of the war were
things to be looked forward to and re-
mcmbered. He had served during the
entire foul years as a commissioned off.
Ger ard knew whereof he spoke, having
an excellent memory and cn inimitably
humorous way of telling the adventures
Of himself and his men.
1T was in Missouri in the winter of
1868 ON 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,
moro plainly speaking, the visiting of
the soldiers doing picket duty at their
different posts. We were on short ra-
tions, and every man of us officer or
private, longed for a good, square meal
70 brace him up against the raw, damp
;oldness of the night As was about
to spring into my saddle a low voice at
my shoulder said:
A" 'Cap'n, how would supper of chick
ell and honey taste?
81 swung hastily around and behold
the speaker. lie was a fellow called
Lang, one of cur most valuable spies,
and III sonic respects a. rlichty clever
fellow, but in-oh, well, III let it go
by saying that his moral nature had
never been overdeveloped He was
short, thickset man, with twinkling
black eyes and otherwise the most thor
oughly impassive face l ever looked
into. 1t was said of him tn; t he would
slip into the butternut suit Of the rebel
and make himself much ut home i'll
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 eXpe-
rienced thrilling adventures and was a
man Of intrepid courage.
'Cap'n, he repeated as he stood be-
side me that cold night, low would a
supper of chicken and honey taste?
Excellent, Lang, excellent, re-
piled, thinking of our limited supply
of smoked meat and hard tack Have
you some?'
&" No, but 1 might get some, reckon,
if 1 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 a farmhouse and
help himself. Such things are not un
heard Of in the army.
Nonsense, Lang, said l. You
would be killed sure if you went The
pickets are on extra sharp lookout to-
night, and it's altogether too dangerous.
You would never come back alive
with that I 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-. l was chilled to the bone and hum
cry and my men likewise. AS ! rode
back toward camp the glow of a bonfire
in remote corner caught my eye, and
1 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.
Z" 'Supper's most ready, cap'n, he
said, touching his apology for cap.
Make yourselves to home, gentlemen. I,
=" Lang, said sternly, didn't l tell
you not to go9'
NO, cap'n, he replied as he con-
tinued to cut up the plump fowl in his
hand; you didn't say I couldn't go, al
though, if l remember correctly, you
didn't exactly advise it on the score of
its being dangerous, but man what's
led the life l 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 l, tell me how you
did it.
"'No very great matter, he replied,
proceeding with his culinary art. When
you'd gone, l walks along quiet to the
outpost and finds picket walkin up
and down like he owned the earth, SO /
flops down ON my stomach alongside q
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 goes lightninlike
and takes a scoot into some woods close
by and then goes about my business.
"'Go on, said ], with my mouth full
OF chicken and honey.
'Lang continued: 'You see, l know
this country mighty well, so l makes
tracks for farmhouse close by where
they keeps plenty Of chickens. When ]
opens the gate TO go in, along comes Q
dog. Well, cap'n, that's the oDly dog ]
ever met with that couldn't either
scare or make friends with. No, sir,
that dog wouldn't take no stock IN
bluffs, so ] whips out my revolver and
lays him out. At Shat up goes a win.
dow, aud man begins 20 yell TO find
out who's there "Put your head inside
that window and keep II there, or III
knock Il on for you" says J. Now
Jim, / continues, 'you just watch
that window, and II the fellow sticks
Ills head out don't wait 20 DO oeremo'
niouslike but just fire. I'm goin "a
Ret some chicken and honey Course