The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-08-25
CHICKEN AND HONEY.
A FoRAGlNG EXPEDITION OF ONE
MAN IN THE WINTER OF 1868.

1861" said Uncle Joe.
Uncle Joe's stories of the war were
things to be looked forward to and re-
membercd. He had served during the
entiro four years as commissioned Off
GER and knew whereof he spoke, having
an excellent memory and an inimitably
humorous way of telling the adventures
iof himself and his men.
1t was i'll Missouri in the winter of
1858 on @ cold raw night that I, the Off
GER of tho day, prepared about midnight
to make, with half dozen of the guard.
what is called tho grand round or,
more plainly speaking, tho visiting of
the soldiers doing picket duty at their
different posts. We were ON short "a
tions, and every man of us, officer or
private, longed for good, square meal
to brace him up against the raw, damn
GOODNESS of tho night AS was about
to spring into my saddle low voice ut
my shoulder said:
'Cap'n, how would q supper Of chick
en- and honey taste?'
II swung hastily around and behold
the speaker. He was q fellow called
Lang, one Of our most valuable spies,
and i'll some respects mighty clever
follow, but in-oh, well. I'll let it 90
by saying that his moral nature had
never been overdcvcloped. He was q
short, thicksct man, with twinkling
black eyes aud otherwise the most thor.
oughly impressive fsoe I ever looked
into. 1t was said Of him that he would
slip into tho butternut suit of tho rebel
and make himself much at home in
Lees army. He was hail fellow we'll
met with nll the men and came back to
tho Union lines possessed of tho most
Invaluable information He had expo
rienced thrilling adventures and was q
man of intrepid courage.
'Cap'n, he repeated as he stood be-
side me that cold night, how would
supper of chicken and honey taste?'
Excellent, Lang, excellent, I re-
piled, thinking of our limited supply
of smoked meat and hard tack Have
you some?'
No, but might get some, l reckon,
if l looked round bit, he drawled laz-
lily kicking up clay with the toe of his
boot l saw Immediately that he meant
to go out of camp, find farmhouse and
help himself Such things are not un-
heard of i'll the army.
Nonsense, Lang said l. You
would be killed sure if you went The
pickets arc on extra sharp lookout to-
might, and it's altogether too dangerous
You would never como back alive.
with that l sprang into my saddle
and rode away, followed by my men.
eve were gone two or three hours,
making tho rounds of the pockets, and
n moro miserable ride had seldom tax
zen. I was chilled to the bone and hun
CRY and my men likewise. AS 1 rode
back toward camp the glow of bonfire
Ill 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
Supports most ready, cap'n,' no
said, touching his apology for n cap.
Make yourselves to home, gcntlcmen.
Lang. said l sternly, didn't tell
you not to go?'
No, cap'n, he replied rs he con-
tinued TO cut up the plump fowl i'll his
hand; 'you didn't say couldn't go, al
v,
didn't exactly advise it OH the score of
its being dangerous but man what's
led the life l have amt goin to let
little thing like that stop him when
he's hungry, and he held toward mo
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, walks along quiet to tho
outpost and finds picket walkin up
and down like he owned tho earth, SO /
fops down OH my stomach alongside a
fence Bein dark night, rs 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 I goes lightninlike
and takes a scoot into some woods close
by and then goes about my business.
Go OH, said l, with my mouth full
of chicken and honey
Lang continued: You see, / know
this country mighty well, SO 1 makes
tracks for q 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 tho only dog
ever met with that I 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 that up goes u win
dow, and q man begins to yell to find
out who's there. Put your head inside
that window and keep it there, or I'll
knock 1t off for you," says T. Now