The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-09-09
CHICKEN AND HONEY.
A FORAGlNG EXPEDITION OF ONE
MAN IN THE WINTER OF 1868.

Nature, For His Little BLUFF Worked.
; Uncle Joe, Who Was "Cap'n, Then, Liked
His Chicken Done Brown.
''It was wretched night back in
1862" said Uncle Joe.
Uncle Joe's stories of the war were
things to be looked forward to and re-
meinbered. He had served during the
entire four years as commissioned Off
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 cold raw night that 1, the off
Ger of the day, prepared about midnight
to make, 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
GOODNESS Of the night. AS was about
to spring into my saddle low voice at
my shoulder said:
"'Cap'n, how would supper Of chick
en- and honey taste?'
IT swung hastily around and beheld
the speaker. He was q fellow called
Lang, one Of cur most valuable spies,
and in some respects q mighty clever
fellow, but in-oh, well, TIL let it go
by saying that his moral nature had
never been overdeveloped He was a
short, thickset man, with twinkling
black eyes and otherwise the most thor
oughly impressive face I ever looked
into. II was said of him that he would
slip into the butternut suit Of the rebel
and make himself much at home in
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-
rienoed thrilling adventures and was
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, re-
piled, thinking of our limited supply
of smoked meat and hard tack Have
you some?'
No, but might get some, reckon,
if looked round a bit, he drawled, laz-
lily kicking up clay with the tee 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 !. 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 piclets, and
a more miserable ride / had seldom tax
EN-. was chilled to the bone and hun
CRY and my men likewise. AS | rode
back toward camp the glow Of bonfire
in remote corner caught my eye, and
I Immediately turned my weary horse
toward it. Before tho cracking heap
sat Lang, calmly frying chicken, while
at his side reposed hive of honey. He
looked up and smiled grinlly.
&C Supper's most ready, cap'n.' he
said, touching his apology for cap.
Make yourselves to home, gentlemen. :
Lang, said sternly, didn't tell
you not to go?'
No, cap'n,' he replied as he con-
tinued to cut up the plump fowl in his
hand; you didn't say couldn't go, al
though, if I remember correctly, you
didn't exactly advise it on the score Of
its being dangerous, but a man what's
led the life have amt goin to let
little thing like that stop him when
he's hungry, and he held toward me
the plump leg of a chicken nicely
Drowned.
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 I
fops down on my stomach alongside
fence Bein dark night. as it is, Mr..
Picket comes along and don t suspect
that fence SO of much as harborin
mouse. Minute he gets half rod away
over that fence I goes lightninlike
and takes scoot into some woods close
by and then goes about my business.
"'Go on, said l, with my mouth full
of chicken and honey.
LANG continued You see, 1 know
this country mighty we'll. SO l makes
tracks for farmhouse close by where
they keeps plenty Of chickens When 1
opens the gate to go i'll, along comes
dog. Well, cap'n, that's the only dog 1
ever met with that / couldn't either
scare or make friends with No, sir,
that dog wouldn't take no stock in
bluffs, 80 I whips out my revolver and
lays him out. At that up goes win
dow, and man begins to yell to find
out who's there "Put your head inside
that window and keep it there, or I'll
knock it off for you," says I. "Now
JIM" continues, "you just watch
that window, and if the fellow sticks
his head ont don't wait to be ceremo-
niouslike, but just fire I'm goin to
get some chicken and honey" Course
there wasn't no Jim along, but that
fellow in the house had to be kept out
Of the way; so, being a dark night, /
just bluffed him about there being more
Al -