The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1897-08-27
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CHAPTER XI.


Through the efforts of his wife he had
managed to hold onto small farm just
outside of Winchester, left him by his
father, but it is doubtful if her argu-
ments would have carried the day had
any one made cash offer for the few
acres. While Ike always referred to
himself as broken down by hard work,
about five days out of every week had
been spent tramping around the coun-
try with his gun or discussing Yam
KEGS" and "niggers" in the village bar
rooms with others of his ilk. Accord
ing to his own line of argument, he was
martyr. Ill luck had always followed
him, even to the birth and death Of
triplets.
Mrs. Baxter also had constitutional
and ready made grievance. If she had
been allowed to have her way about
things, she always argued, they would
long ago have been rich and owned mig
gers, "Yes, sab, real niggers and mo-
or fewer SIS nevis"
Ike Baxter had also been granted a
furlough, and according to the stories
he told after reaching home the battle
of Bull Run would not have been vic
tory without him. When anything was
said about Kentcn, he was prompt in
replying:
''Durn the Yankee! But we uns has
got our eyes open now, and he un can t
play us no mo- tricksl'
He was SO outspoken in his language,
and his language was SO bitter that
Lawyer Williams and others were given
an inkIing of the true state of affairs.
The lawyer found opportunity to in
quire of Ike:
didn't my nephew enlist of his own
accord, and is there a man in the COM
pany who has exhibited more bravery
and won more of reputation?'
''What did he un rush in and rally at
Bull Run fur befo' Duke Wyle could
git thar?' demanded Ike in reply. HE
un Just wanted to show off and make
believe. And ism t he un givin us away
to the Yanks all the time? And isn't he
IN talkin bout Gineral Jackson and
holdin his head above us? And if he un
gifts the chance won't he un give up our
hull army to Gineral Mcclellan? Oh,
we uns has our eyes open fur him!''
Mrs. Baxter had got the idea from
Ike's letters home that he had not only
won a crown of fame under fire, but
was holding the whole Federal army in
check. She could read and write, but
very poorly. She had picked up most of
her information and all her military
terms from others scarcely less ignorant.
When Ike appeared in sight down the
road, she ran to meet him and welcomed
him with:
"Hurrah fur Gineral Ike Baxter, who
fit and fit till the Yankees dun run
awayI'
"Don't yo' un know nothin?" angrily
demanded Ike as he came nearer.
Didn't yo' un fit and fit?"
"Of co'se fit, but yo' needn't CAB 1t
all over Virginny and make other folks
jealousp'
''Whar's yo'r stripes?' she asked.
''What stripes?"
"On yo'r arms-yo'r gineral stripes?"
''I hain't no ginerall''
.'Yo' hain'ts yVhy. 1 thought yo'
was boss of the hill armyi What's the
matter yo' hain't no gineral?"
whats the matter yo' hain't got no
sense in yo'r headf"
"But yo' In's a corporali'
"No."
ga major?"
"No."
"A leftenant2'
"No."
"Hain't yo' un nothin but jest com
mon folks?" she persisted.
"No." ------'
Didn't l allns say yo' un had no
speerit about yo', and that's why we
was allus pore and low DOWN." she
bitterly exclaimed as they passed into
the house. like Baxter, yo' hain't
shucksl You un's low down. and yo'
like to stay right thar! Everybody else
is comm home with gineral's and cor
poral's and majors stripes on thar
sleeves, but yo' has dun let 'em walk yo'
inter the mud and hain't got no speerit
to resent it! If I'd gone down thar, I'd
"a come back as big as anybody I've
dun told everybody yo' un was a GIN
eral, and now-now yo's only jest COM
monP'
Mrs. Baxter sat down and wept and
used her apron for handkerchief. Ike
had expected just such reception, and
he had plan to develop at the proper
time. While she continued to weep he
helped himself to bite to eat from the
cupboard and maintained silence.
''And why didn't they make a gin
eral of yo'?'' asked Mrs. Baxter after
about 10 minutes.
IF yo' un dun had any sense in yo'
head, could tell yo'," he sullenly re-
piled.
..Sense! Sensel If 1 hain't got sense,
who has? If it hadn't bin fur my sense,
we uns would hav bin right down to
tater skins y 'ars ago! It's my sense that
has kept us outer the porehouse and let
us hold our heads up with the best of
'eml Leastwise I've allus held my
head up, even if yo' hain't!'
Its this way" said Ike as he con-
tinued to eat and reflect. Its cor
poral, sergeant, orderly sergeant, ieften-
ant, captain, major, kurnel and GIN
e1al. Takes heap O. time to git up
tharl Everybody has got to begin way
down."
''But yo's not even corp-corporal
yitl'' she exclaimed as one eye filled
with tears of disappointment.
''And what's the reason I hain't2 Do
yo' un remember that Yankee lawyer
who lived yere-feller named Kenton?''
'Seems like l did,
lie un's to blame. Tried to git us
all captur'd at Bull Run. Tried to put
all the officers down. Got in with Gin
eral Jackson and talked agin US, par
ticklarly me. Reckon he un said heap
bout yo', too, while he un was at it. If
it hadn It bin fur he un, I'd hev had
stripes on my arms-heaps O. stripes
and yo'd bin proud o. me. It's jest he
IN that keeps me down. We all hate he
un, but him's got Gineral jackson on