Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-11

tHcin over tnelr nres, ana ate then
with more or less relish. he could not join
| them. He could not even look on and wit
ness the proceeding. The sight OF the
| dreadful provender-even the thought oil
it-was horribly offensive to his SENSIBLE
| ties. His sympathlzing companions did
| everything they could to overcome his sen
timental scruples They cut trim and
slightly outlets and broiled them until they
He could not eat them. The consequence
was he went unfed. There was not a SCRAP
of Venison or dried beef or biscuit or OF
anything but pony meat to be had
To so without food I'm any season is
bad enough. but with the temperature al
~ degrees below zero IT is more a question
or freezing than of starvation. The lieu
tenant was Obliged TO heat himself con-
tiEually, and to get others TO heat his limbs
to keep his blood I'm circulation. Col. VII
hanson became alarmed for his sons life
and he begged him to eat the food but all
i'm vain.
on the third day after the rations gave
out the colonel and Capt. Phil Parker who.
as / have already said, was a man OF de-
vices, were riding together, when the colonel
asked the captain IL lie could not think OF
some way % overcome his sons sentimen-
tai feeling, ana. after pom 1erirg awhile. the
captain replied that he would see what he
could do.
lie hal hit upon plan: and the next time
they stopped to prepare their food ne pro-
ceoded IL carry ii cIt. Cutting from one
of the slaughtered ponies strip Of meat
siIaiiar to the strips OF jerked antelope
meat which mad formed a par of their ra-
tions when they started on this trip. he
heated il Slowly before the fire, TO give II
a dried appearance. and then put IL into
his haversack, where. In a little while, IL
was frozen stiff Afterward. as they rode
along, Letting one of the men into his
scheme, he told him TO tell the lieutenant.
as the greatest OF favors. and under the
strictest injunction of secrecy as to who
was his informant, that Capt. Phil. couldn't
eat pony meat any more than he could. and
mat he had some antelope meat in his hav-
ersack. Ii was not many minutes after this
was done before the young lieutenant drew
alongside of the captain, who had purposely
drawn his horse little apart from the
others and told him what ne had learned.
begging him for Gods sake to give him a
piece of his antelope meat.
II haven't got any," said the captain en-
phatically.
Yes. you have" insisted the starving
youth.
Il tell you I have not How could have
any when the rations gave out days ago."
Now, look here, Capt. Phil, one OF the
men told me that he saw you get some an
telope meat out OF your haversack. and that
you couldn't eat horse meat any more than
can"
Who told you?"
Il swore / wouldn't tell"
IF l knew the man I'd kill him. Now,
look here. / have a small strip Of antelope
meat but / shall need IL all and more too
We get out OF tnlS ID Scrape. III
divide with you / shall probably have to
go without myself. but IL you will swear
that you won't tell any one / will give YOU
a piece"
The Lieutenant swore by all the gods that
he wouldn't tell. and the captain, looking
about. IL he We're afraid that some one
would see what he was doing. reached into
his haversack and took out the strip OF
pony meat he had prepared a little while
before. and cutting off very small piece
he cautiously handed 1t TO the starving
wretch, who seized IL fiercely and imme-
diately concealed IL in his hayersack and
at evening. when they stopped and built
their fires he made haste TO broil It. eating
IT Yoraciously. When his companions won
dered at his eating pony meat he told them
that his hunger had overcome his scruples
thinking the while to himself how they
were fooled.
The next day he came begging again "a
the captain for another piece, and again
the captain insisted that he could not let
him have any without endangering his OWN
life.
If give II to you shall starve. and i
must think Of myself, for I have a wife
and children and you haven't"
But YOU wouldn't see me starve. would
you?"
IF you starve It will only be the fortune
of war" the captain answered grimly.
IF one CT US must starve 1 had rather 1t
should be you"
Captain, I'll give you my whole month s
salary when We get back TO the fort IL You
will let me have one mere piece.
The captain finally yielded, after again
making him swear that he would not tell
any one and warning him not to forget
that he owed him $3.50.
All this time their suffering from cold
and fatigue and the harassing by the In
dams had continued. but they had managed
TO kill a good many of the ponies, and they
Y ere now not more than ten miles from
tier Camp. Col Williamson accordingly
decided that the time had come for decisive
action. Sending two riders to gallon ahead
TO the camp TO announce that the troops
would arrive that evening and to see that
hig campfires were built and abundant ra-
lions were cooked. the colonel ordered the
men TO ride in among the ponies and shoot
them with their r6volvers as rapidly as pos
sible This was speedily accomplished, and
in short time the whole troop galloped
away, leaving the Indians behind with no
resources except the food which their dead
ponies afforded. That night. as the SOL
diers sat around their campfire after an
abundant supper. enjoying the comforts of
warmth and stated appe titles and their pipes
as they had never enjoyed them before,
Lieut.. Williamson told how Capt Parker
had saved his life by sharing his antelope
meat with him. But" said he. with dol
crous expression. he made me pay for II;
piece of jerked meat no bigger than my
hand.
The time had now come for the captain
to let the cat out of the bag. which he pro-
ceeded to do and when. amid the roars Of
laughter Of of:icsrs and men, the young
lieutenant realized how he had been dupei,
and that he had eaten pony meat after all,
he broke away from the campfire and rush
ed out into the darkness, where, as the
narrator who told me the story said he
threw up everything except his commission
JOSEPH b. MARVIN.