Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1897-09-16


The sergeant was too good a soldia-
TO be inattentiye to the call of a suna-
rior officer, and instantly obeyed The
summons, though with horrible ra-
lrctance. However, he hoped 10 "a
turn shortly to the warm berth ba
thought he had secured; but he might
well be said to have reckoned witbon,
his host.
There was no preserving OF places.
one soldier was the same as another
to the master OF the house, and moor
Mackenzie, having been detained soma
time by the captains detail of orders
fer the morning, was cruelty chagrined
TO find on his return to the quarters he
had chosen, hat not only the room
where he had ensconced himself hpt
the whole OF the house was completely
filed with a detachment which had en-.
tered the village after his own regi-
ment had been dispersed and housed
for the night.
This was a chilling disappointment
to the honest sergeant; but he was
NV LIN III IA ~ OuClkEI-0lS
half-starved and tired comrades were.
many of them, lying under the walls of
the house or c%rouching on the snow
against the fences which surrounded
the homestead, with no convenience
for a nights rest but his knapsack for
a pillow.
Mackenzie had bivouacked too often
to be easily satisfied with the prospect
of a night passed in SO comfortless a
manner. He, therefore, carefully sur
Eeyed the premises, for the moon for
tunately enabled him TO do so.
Every ou%tbuilding however, had its
occupants, and the wearied soldier wa.
beginning to lament his hard, cold for
tune when he stumbled on what he
justly conceived to be a pigsty.
The entrance TO this tenement was
secured by a paddock, or probably it
would have been invaded before, but
Mac was desperate, and hesitated not a
moment to wrench off the bar to his
ptgsty in the hopes of a warm lodging
The pigs he meant to eject, but here
49, ~ & AS4itd NIlIlCul Ills ulfSI. or
rather hosts, for the sly was tenanted
by two enormous hogs. He used every
effort, gentle and ungentle, but they
would not be dislodged; they would
not ever rise from their recumbent
posture.
The sergeant paused, but it was only
for a minute; he was painfully weak
and miserably cold-he looked enyi-
ously at the stubborn pigs, which were
lying hack to back, and threw himself
dcvn upon them in a transport OF an.
get, revenge and despair.
Even this did not rouse them entire
ly from their deep slumber. They
We're sensible of an additional COM
panior, and grunted pretty loudly in
evidence thereof; but they were hos
pitable, good-tempered swine and by
degrees edged away 50 as to let their
military guest sink gently down be-
tween them, and there the unfastidi-
Gus Highlander fell fast asleep, and to
use his OWL words, got into a beautiful
~persioration, and woke in the morning
thoroughly -efreshed and as lively as
a lark.
1t is to be feared, however, thai the
pigs made an earlier exit from the
world than was intended. through their
strange bedfellow; for Mackenzie
could not help relating his sleeping ad.
/ venture to his captain who reported
} the whereabouts OF the fat hogs to hi:
| commissariat, and provision for the
{ army being scarce, it may be surmised
that they were taken to comfort the
| inner man of many a poor fellow, after
5 they had externally contributed TO the
rest and refreshment of Mackenzie
e London Evening News.