The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1895-11-29
IHE COMEDY OF WAR.
By JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS.
copyright, 1895, by the Author.l
CHAPTER /.
ON THE UNION SIDE.

sat reclining against huge red oak.
Within reach lay rifle of beautiful
workmanship. In one hand he held
blackened brier root pipe, gazing on it
with an air of mock regret. 1t had been
his companion OH many weary march
and on many lonely day, when. as
now, he was doing duty as sharpshoot-
er. But it was not much of a compan-
ion now. 1t held the flavor, but not the
fragrance, of other days. 1t was empty,
and so was O'Halloran' S tobacco pouch.
1t was nothing to grumble about, but
the big, laughing Irishman liked his
pipe, especially when it was full of to-
bacco The words of an old song came
to him, and he hummed them to him
self:
There was an ould man, AN he had wooden
leg,
An he had no terbacky, nor terbacky could he
beg;
There was another ould man, as keen as fox,
An he always had terbacky in his ould terbac-
ky box.
sez one ould man, ''Will yez give me chew?"
SEE the other ould man: ''1'll be dommed eff !
do.
Kape away from the ginmills save up yer
rocks,
An yen always have terbacky in yer ould ter
baclsy box"
What with the singing and the far
away thoughts that accompanied the
song, Private O'Halloran failed to hear
footsteps approaching until they sound
ed quite near.
"Halt!" he cried, seizing his rife
and springing to his feet. The new
conner wore the insignia of Federal
captain, seeing which O'Halloran low
cred his weapon and saluted. "Sure,
sor, ye're not to mind me capers. I
thought the inimy had me completely
surrounded--I did, upon me sowl.
"And L. said the captain, laughing,
Thought the Johnnies had caught me.
1t is pleasant surprise. You are
O'Halloran of the sharpshooters. I have
heard of you-a gay singer and great
fighter. y
'tSure it's not for me to say that
same. sings little bechwans times
for to kape up me sperits, an takes me
chances, right an lift. Ye're takin
good many yourself, sor. so far away
from the picket line. If make no mis-
take, sor, it is Captain Somerville I'm
talkin to. F"
"That is my name" the captain said.
ST was touchin elbows wit ye at
Gettysburg. sor.''
The captain looked at O'Halloran
again. "Why, certainly" he exclaimed.
"You are the big fellow that lifted one
of the Johnniea oyer the stone wall"
"By the slack of the trousers. ana
that same, sor. He was nothin but bit
of lad, sor, but he fought right up to
the end of me ECse. The men was jab-
bin at i'm wit their bay SO l sez
to him, says I, Come in out of the i'll
clemency of TIE weather., says l, an
thin lifted hill over. He made at me,
sor, when I put i'm down, an it took
two men for to lead i'm kindly to the
rear. 1t was warm hour, sor. -
AS O'Halloran talked he kept his eyes
far atield.
"Sure, sor," he went on, "you stand
too much in the open. They had one
muddlehead Oh that post yesterday
they'll not put another there today,
sor. F" AS he said this the big Irishman
seized the captain by the arm and gave
him sudden jerk. 1t was an uncere-
monious proceeding, but a very timely
one, for the next moment the sapling
against which the captain had been
lightly leaning was shattered by ball
from the Confederate side.
Z" 'Tis an old friend of mine, sor,"
said O'Halloran; Il know i'm by his
| handwritin. They had a muddlehead
| there yesterday, sor. set in full sight
of i'm, an he blazed at me twice; the
| last time l had ME fist above me head,
an he grazed me knuckles, 'Bedad,
says l, 'ye're no good ia yer place,
an when he showed his mug I plugged
i'm where the nose says hoWdy to the
eyebrows. Twas no hurt to i'm, sor; if
he seen the flash, twas as much"
TO the left, i'll little clearing, was
q comfortable farmhouse. Stacks of fod-
der and straw and pens of corn in the
shuck We're ranged around There was
every appearance of prosperity, but no
sign of life, save two bluebirds, the pio-
neers of spring, that were fighting
around the martin gourds, preparing to
take possession.
THERE'S where I was born" The
captain pointed to the farmhouse. 'fIt
is five years since have seen the place, ~
'You don't tell me, sor I see in The
-Hur'ld that they call it the civil war,
. but it's nothin but oncivil, sor, for to
fight agin yer ould home.
"You are right" assented the cap
tain. "There's nothing civil about war.
! suppose the old house has long been
deserted. -
"S1re, look at the forage, thin. 'Tis
piled up as nately as ye please. Wait
till the b'ys git at it &! Look at the smoke
of the chimbly. Barrin the jay birds, tbs
the peacefqlest sight I've seen."
"My people re gone, Y said the cap.
tain. my father was Union man. I
wouldn't be surprised to hear of him
somewhere at the north. The day that
was IS he gave me larruping for dis
obedience, and I ran away"
Don spake of it, sor.'' O.Hallorau
held up his hands. ''Many's the time
I've had me feelin's hurted wit bar'l
stave'
"That was in 1892 said the cap
tain. "Iwas too proud to go back home,
but when the war began l remembered
what strong Union man my father
| ,,,as o,,J r 5,;naJ tI,o TTO,o, o~,,ox,