The Opelousas courier., 1895-09-28

you understand Zeb had been turned
out for ridin the circuit with a squealtn
chestnut sorrel horse-and put him IN
to be the preacher of the true church.
But IL scCct cccc::.e+tc .'ass that the true
church didn't draw like Drury and Zen
thought it would. Zeb was the preach
er and Drury was the church, n there
they stood. AS time vent on they
found out that they want turnln the
Christian world upside down any TO
speak of, so they held a few private
cussin matches together and ADJOURNED
the meeain and took out and quit.
Well, as time went on old Drury put
his name in with first n church and
then another till he didn't have no
where to 60. He put in with the Pres
byterians but soon got his back up
because they set down to sing n stood
up to pray. He lowed that want IN
line with his notions Of religion, so he
pulled out and quit.
The next thing anybody knowed he
had jined in with the Episcopal church,
but he couldn't stick there six months
He lowed dancin was worse than GUS
sin accordin This doctrines, and be-
sides that they didn't do nothin in
church but read prayers and sing songs,
and kneel down and git up, and then
git up and kneel down. So he "riz and
fell with EN- as long as he could stand
it, and then dropped out into the cold
world oncst more.
The plain unwashed truth is that any
church and all the churches was toe
good for Drury Griffin. The mainest
trouble with Drury Griffin, you under.
stand, was the general %all-around GUS
sedness of Drury Griffin. He lived on
to a good old age, made plenty Of money
and left his folks in good fix. But he
sdied out of the church and out OF sorts
and out of line with the whole entire
human family. And he died for the
good of his country.
Here lately l have seen and heard a
right sharp about the soldier boys trap
sin around and goin off to their sum-
mer camps and drillins. 1t puts me in
mind of Captain Steve Buntin and his
soldier boys, and the Saturday evenin
drillins they use to have. Steve Bun.
tin stood l reckon about six feet and
three axe handles in his socks, you un-
derstand, and covered all the ground he
stood on.
Soon along in durin of the first year
of the war the boys over on Long Creek
fell in together and got up soldier
company they called the Long Creek
Horse Guards, which Steve Buntin he
was the Captain. They had their reg
lar weekly drillins every Saturday
%evenin, and whilst they didn't raise no
scandlous big lot of fuss and feathers
they meant war and wal meant fight.
in, and when the time come they fit like
80 many tigers all the way from Stump.
ter's battered walls to the famous ap-
pie tree.
But / started out to tell you sometnln
more in particlar about~C rptain Steve
Buntin and the drillins him and his
men use to have. 1t was then in the
summer time, you understand, and all
the work stock about the farms was
busy peepin through their collars aud
pullin the plows and wagons. So con-
sequentially Captain Buntin and his
boys had to hook up their brood mares
and ride over to the old field where they
had their drillin grounds. And natu-
rally of course there was a young colt
followin along at every mares heels.
The boys had mfde Steve their Captain
because he std5s way up wonder higher
than they rest and made a monstrous
fine appearmapt on a horse. But as to
Steve, he didn't know no more about
military matters than a mule knows
aboA mathematics. He didn't know
but fd9& general DIVERS, and I recollect
till yet how he use to give them out to
the bevs. He needed two to start and
then two to stop. In orderment to start
up the drillin he would say:
Company - attention Ride your
horses"
Then he would ride off ahead and
lead the boys round and round, back
and fourth across the old field for hours
and hours. Then by-and-by in order
ment to come to a stop he would say:
Company - halt! Suckle colts"
But whilst there want NO stars and
stripes or fancy trimmins on Captain
Steve Buntin, when his country called
him in dead earnest he showed down
like a thoroughbred, and reckin no
doubts the most gonebyest fighters that
ever raised the rebel yell was the Long
Creek Horse Guards.
Through the Dark Valley.