The Yellowstone journal., 1894-09-15
CHICKEN AND HONEY.
A FORAGING EXPEDITION OF ONE
MAN IN THE WINTER OF 1868.

lang Knew the Country ana Also HUMAN
Nature. For His Little Blur Worked.
Uncle Joe, Who Was "Cap'n" Then. Liked
His Chicken Done Brown.
1T was wretched night back in
ises," said Uncle Toe
Uncle Joe's sto-ies of the war were
things to be looked Iurwaru to and re-
meanbered. He had served during the
entire four years as commissioned OIL
Ger and knew whereof he spoke, having
an excellent memory and an inimitably
humorous way of telling the adventures
of himself and his men.
''It was in Missouri in the winter of
1868 on a cold raw night that !, the Off
Ger of the day, prepared about midnight
to maks, 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 Us, officer or
private, longed for good, square meal
to brace him up against the raw, damp
coldness of the night As | was about
TO spring into my saddle a low voice at
my shoulder said:
"'Cap'n, how would a supper Of chick
en- aud honey taste:'
81 swung hastily around ana Deheld
the speaker He was a fellow called
Lang one of our most valuable spies,
and N some respects a mighty clever
fellow, but in-oh, well, I'll let it go
by saying that his mo al nature had
l.,
short, thickset man, with tTinkling
black eyes and otherw SC the most thor
oughly impassive IA e | ever looked
into. Ii was said Of i'm that he would
slip into the butteru { suit Of the rebel
and make himself much at home in
Lees army lie W hail fellow we'll
met with all the II Il and came back TO
the Union lines pc sessed of the most
invaluable inform ,tion. He had expe-
rienced thrilling .dventures and was a
man of intrepid e)urage.
'Cap'n, he repeated as he stood be-
side me that cold night, how would
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 might get some, reckon,
il looked round bit, he drawled, laz-
iiy kicking up clay with the toe of his
boot. | saw Immediately that he meant
20 go out of camp, find 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
packets 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,
I'VE were gone two or three hours,
making the rounds of the pickets and
q more miserable ride had seldom tax
n. / was chilled TO the bone and hun
CRY and my men likewise. As / rode
back toward camp the glow Of 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 hive of honey. He
looked up and smiled grimly.
" 'Supper's most ready, cap'n, he
said, touching his apology for cap
Make yourselves 10 home, gentlemen.
g Lang, said / sternly, didn't tell
you not to go:'
"'No, cap'n, he replied as he con-
Hnued 10 cut up the plump fowl III his
hand; you didn't say | couldn't 60, 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 have amt goin TO let a
little thing like that stop him when
he's hungry, and ho neiu toward me
me plump leg Of a chicken nicely
drowned.
q Lang, said !, tell me how you
did it
No very great matter, he replied,
proceeding with his culinary art. When
you'd gone, / walks along quiet to the
outpost and finds picket walkin up
and down like he owned the earth, SO !
fiops down on my stomach alongside a
fence Bein dark night, as it is, Mr.
Picket comes along and don't suspect
that fence so of much a. harborin a
mouse. Minute he gets half a rod away
over that fence / goes lightninlike
end takes a scoot into some woods close
hV and then goes about my business
ECO on. said i, with my mouth full
OF chicken and honey.
Lang continued You see, know
tins country mighty well, so makes
tracks for a farmhouse close by where
they keeps plenty Of chickens. When /
opens the gate TO go in. along comes a
dog. We'll, cap'n, that's the only 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 / ,,aIps our my revolver and
lays him ous. ~ that MP goes win
dow, and a aa be, - yell to find
out who's thcE. Put your head inside
that window and keep it there, or I'll
knock it OF for you," says l. Now
Jim." j continues, You just watch
that window, and if the fellow sticks
l..