The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-09-23

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| nebber could hear a chicken crow in d.,
I night wifdOut a peculiar feein' Is aIIus
/ seemed Providential intimation tuh me dat n I,
WIZ dar. an pressin' invite tuh 90 ont. git
him. wiring his neck an put him in de Dot.
faint nacberat fob chicken tuh crow in ds
! night. When he does it is a sign Many folks
don't believe in signs, but do. And belieys
dat it is intended as sign to any culInd gentle
| man in de naborhood, who is in need of meat,
ez TO whar he kin git it. IL is one OBJ de WAYS
de good Lord has OBJ pervidin'
While we WIZ still kiyverin' Pope's retreat,
We went into camp one night powerful hongry.
Wed lost track OBJ our wagons. an ct up ebbery
crnm OBJ grub we had in cur hayersaeks We
jest settled down roun' de fires tub spen' de-
time ez comfortably could cussin' de
Jineruls, and abusin' de no account Quarter
masters
weot little ways outside de guard lines
tub git sum dry wood foh de fire. an Jest ez I
picked up rail i done heered a chicken crow
ober acrost de fields. Idrapt de rail an stahted
foh bin. j reckoDed dar wuz some more whay
he wuz clearin' his throat, for y rooster don's
crow foh hrs own delight no more'n a man
makes speech Jest tub hear his5elf talk
/ sweIled big wild de idee of how tickIed
Mistuh 10 an de rest ID be tub see me cum
into camp wild bOfe hands full Oh fat puIlets
Den MIstuh 10 d sen one or two up tub de
KunnePs tent wild bis com pliments and glib
one tub de Csp'D, but woaidnt sem uary one
tn h de Zip Majah, an we'd nab feast wild de
rest, while do udder boys stood around on
empty stummick.. an euvied Mistuh 10 foh
habbin' so smart niger foh cook, an wished
dat dey could get me away from him.
De rooster KEEP on CROWN ez | made my way
up sub de house. an begin tub locate da
cnicken-coop an think up plan tub circum-
went de dogs.
Ali tuh once felr a cold ring Of iron showed
Z
Surrender. you dod- blImmed Yankeei"
fell down on my knees. an sung out:
30, Lord q maSsy, don't shoot me-"
Den de awful voice SEE, sezzee, digusted.
like:
III be dog gasted If it haint niger.
Come here. you ornery jimson- weed. What are
you doing cut heref"
My knees knocked togedder ez he drug me
around tub de back of de house. whar deg wus
udders standiu' round FIRE. for i knowed dat
VOICE by dis time De gent wild de cold
shootln'irOn glib one look we cum intuh de
light OBJ de fire, and, sezzee
"'Tarnal. blazn' birthstone, eff it amt Kun.
mel Toiiver's SNOWFALL, what run away tree
months ago. Go an lay down by dat fan dar,
you black pup, an don't you dar' so much ss
raise your head. I'll jest skin you alibe, when
/ git trough wild dis udder biznss."
Wild dat he glib me kick dat crinkled my
backbone. l went an laid down, more dead
nur alibe; but, mortaliy SIX eered ez / wuz
done KEEP my eye peeled. an done diskivered
dat il wuz dis Teller what WIZ doin de- CROWN,
an he WIZ dom il so well dat he would nab
fooled de oldest hen on the plantation, let alone
q young niger. He a scout who WIZ
signalin' some udder scouts on de next hill,
VINO wuz a CROWN back at him. | wanted tub
wiring his blimmed neck an bile him den wuss
dan ebber.
He KEEP up his crown an answerin' little
while longer an den he stopt. SuGdntly, ne
come slippin' round de house, an seq in a loud
whisper:
Oars hull passed. OBJ Yankees comm Up
de road. Come out heah, ebbery one."
Dey all snatched up deir guns, run a'teP
him. Den dey all shoot, but hull LOT OBJ shots
cum back at dem an dey past der house
down tuh whar deir bosses WIZ hitched, an
jumped on dem. an gallOped away. Land OBJ
Goshen, dear Jerusalem, Balm ob Gilead,
done heared Mistuh JOS voies yellin' Poke ID
into dem. Don't let dem git away. Oar dey
go down de read. Shoot deD."
done laid low till dey quit shootin' an den
run out. Sho' euuf. it wuz Mistah 10 an de
Mornn' Glory Mess. Dey'd done heared de
CROWN same ez | had, an very queer, de same
idee ID kotch hold on dem. Ia some ways
white man is ez smart ez niger. Bless de-
Lord. dey'd had sense eDHf tuh bring der guns
along. Oar wuZZ.nt chicken on dat blasted
farm. but we found an old ram, wild which We
managed tuh git erlong till our wagons done
come up lie next day.