The Irish standard., 1896-05-09
Juice aga inst the incl
for IA instant eloonniIy silent.
Fell us about 81 e afig ht again; saM

Juice again4G the IA oiGSO0ns 1nS0
for an instant & onllI II Ssilelt &.
ell US about he ght said
smiling auditor sEssassf:
Hooker looked around the room
q certain dark sugpicio usless and then
in an affected lower voice, Rhich his
theatrical experience made per- ectllY1.
audibla went on: 1T Amt much tp
speak Of, and II: it wasn't forstAes prin~
ciple Of the thing T wouldn't be- talk
in. a man who's seen Iniin fghtin'
don't 20 much on this here West Point
fRhtin' by rule-of- three but TINT ain e
here or there. Well, I'd bin out a-scout-
in'just to help the hoys along, and a 4
was sittin' in my wagon about day
break, when along comes a ibrigadier
general, and he looks into the wa aon
flap. oughter to tell You first. gentle-
men, that every mint he was expect
In an attack-but he didn't let on q
hint of it to me. 'How are you, Jim 2
says he. How are you, general says y
]. Would you mind lending me yonr
coat and hat ? says he. I've got i little
game here with my pickets, and It'on't
want to be recognized anything to.
obEge, general says I, and with that
/ strips OF my coat and hat, and he
peels and puts them on. Nearly the
same figure, Jim,' he says. lookin' at
me. Suppose you just try on my things
and see' With that he hands me his
coat--full uniform, by God-sith the,
little gold cords and laces and the ep-
aulets with star, and I puts it on =
quite innocent like. And then he: says
bandin' me his sword and belt: Same
inches round the waist, too, [ reckon,
and puts that on, Too. You may, .as
we'll keep 'em on till come back says.
he, for It's mighty damp and malarious
at this time around the swamp And
with that he lights out. Well, gentle
men, / hadn't sat there five minutes
before bang! bang! rattle! rattle! kerr
shiz! and hear YELL I steps out CT
the wagon; everything s quite dark. but
the rattle goes on: Then along. trots
an orderly leadin' horse. Mount.
general he says. We're attacked
the rear guards on ,ls!' Ill
He paused, looked around his audi
cnce and then in q lower voice said.
darkly: II amt fool, gentlemen. aud
in that minute mans brain works at
high pressure, and I saw ittalll saw
the little game OF the brigadier--to
skunk away in my clothes and leave me
to be captured in his. But ain'ta dog,
neither, and mounted that horse. gem
tlelnen, and lit out to where the men
were formin'! / didn't dare to speak
lest they should know me, but waved
my sword, and by G.! they followed
me! And the next minute we was in
tile thick Of it. / had my hat as full Of
holes as that ice strainer; ] had u dozen
bullets through my coat, the fringe Of
my epaulettes was shot away, but I
kept the boys at their work-and we
stopped 'eln! Stopped 'em, gentlemen!
until we heard the bugles of the rest at
our division, that all this time had been
rolling that blasted rear guard over on
us! And it saved the fight! But the
next minute the Johnny Reds made a
Inst dash and cut me off-and there [
v,as-by G., q prisoner! Me that
had saved the fight!'
A ripple of ironical applause went
round as Hooker gloomily drained his
glass and then held up his hand in
scornful depreciation.
II said was prisoner, gentlemen"
he went on bitterly, "but that amt;
all: asked to see Johnston, told him
what had done, and demanded to be
exchanged for a general officer. He
said: You be id / then sent word
to the division commander in chief. and
told him how had saved Grey Oaks
when his brigadier ran away, and he
said:'You be ID I've bin you be
d-ied' from the lowest non com. to the
commander in chief, and when I was at
last exchanged was exchanged, gen
tlemen, for two mules and a broken
wagon. But I'm here, gentlemen, as
was tharl"
why don't you see the president
about it?" asked bystander in affect
ed commiseration.
Mr.. Hooker stared coDtemptuously at
the suggestion, and expectorated. his.
scornful dissent mot lnnch!" he said:
''1,ut I'm going to see the man that
carries him and his cabinet In his
brooches pocket-Senator Boompoint
err !.
"Boompointer'a big man. contin-:
ued his auditor, doubtfully. 'sDo you
know him p n
..Know him?' Mr.. Hooker laughed
bitter sardonic laugh. We'll, gentle
men, amt the kind o man to go.in fol.
family influence, but" he added with.
gloomy elevation, :'conside,sin' he's an
intimate relation of mine by marriage.
! should say did," + I
Brant heard no more: the facing
around IT his old companion toward
the bar gave him that opportunity ofes-
Gaping be had been waiting for. The
detection Of Hooker and his peculiar, in /
ventions were too characteristic of him
to excite surprise, and, although they
no longer awakened his good -hu1nored
tolerance, they were powerless to affect
him in his greater trouble. Only one
thing he learned, that Hooker knew
nothing Of his wife being in camp as
q spy. The incidentw have been too
tempting to escape his dramatic em--
Enlistment. And the allusion TO Sem
ator Boompointer--mon as lit 4
seemed in Hooker mouth gave him .
grim temptation. He had heard OF
I.ooInpointer's wonderful power; he be-
lieved that 6usy would and could help
him, Clarence, whether she did or did 1
not help Hooker. But the next mo-
ment he dismissed the idea with flush