The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-06-10
vi

| Puss0nal Rekollekshuns Of IN Army Cook
Tho War Viewed from the Rear.
| vi.
Sum times I used tub git 80 down in de mon
dat almost wished I'd been bawn white. Z
| l wuz gwine tuh hab jest ez much bodder a
trubble ez a white man dere WE no fun bein
| . niggeh.
One o. dose times WIZ while Mistuh 10 wu
| in de gyardhouse on count O. dat mock dress
! parade frolic. / wuz always low-spirited w'er
! Mistuh 10 wnz in trubble, an tried tub cheer
myself up like by likkin de udder no. account
niggehs haDgin round camp, an not earnin ds
salt in DER bareback.
Icleaned out most O. dem very beautifully
till dey rung in on me young corn-f fed
buck from de Mattapony Ribber, who'd been 9
blacksmith's prentice, an he Almost msuled dc
life outen me. But OATS anudder story.
Ez soon's l got ober dc lambsstin little,
found de regiment wuz gwine out on scout
undeh de swfuly flip Majah l fought I'd
jest trail erlong, see eff i cuddent pick up
chicken or sumfn to tote tuh de gyardhouse
TO- Mistuh Jo Dey dident set good table at
de gyardhouse. Hit run too much tub bread
an watch, wild de absent on de watch.
had good luck vile ! wuz out. TO- con-
fsbnlated up wild some cullud gentlemen an
ladies o. de finest quality. ! glib dem come
drawin's O. Yankee coffee, and dey Glled my
habersack wild aigs, ketched cupple O. de
mistesses, fat pullets and glib mo quart flask
O. corn.likker dey'd confstikated from de
masteh. / wus mitily tckled and started
how I'd fix up de aigs an pullets SOS tub please
Mistuh 10 best.
Bimeby, ez we .wuz plunkin erloug de road
de flip Majah stopt his boss by me. aud sezzee
Snowfall, dere's fine fat sheep ober dab
witch yo' may bring erlong tub camp. Jest
take piece o. cord an throw ober his horns,
and 20 kin lead him right alter yo"
oughter been 'spicious o. dat flip Majah, TO-
he WIZ too everlastinly smart tub be lowed
tub run at large. He wuz forever an . day
cOnjurin an contrivin sum racket on udder
people, an specially en- de cook gentlemen.
Den oughter knowed I'd enough an plenty
already but wuz like sum udder blimmed
fools W at nebber knows wen dey has enough.
looked at de sheep, an fought hit wuz de
cu'iouses sheep / ebber see. Hit looked like q
sheep, an yit hit dident seem tub be exackly q
sheep, and hit smelt mitey strange. Hits
horns wuz shaped differently from de bucks
down on our ole place. Dey wuzzent twisted,
but bent right back like SICKLE An from
hits lower jaw wuZ regler long whiskers. I'd
nebber seed sheep wild whiskers afore, but
wuz seein things ebbery day dat I'd nebber
seed afore, an / dident want tub 'spose my
greenness by akin fool queschuns.
De flip Majah had halted de regiment tub
rest, an dey waz watchin me. So Jest got
a piece o. stout string, made q moose on de end,
took hit in my right hand, an my puliets in
my left. an marched up tuh de sheep ez bold ez
brass.
Ez got purity nigh, de sheep stopt chawing
on a blackberry briar, cooked up q sharp black
eye, an TUX good look at me.
De next ting / observed. he'd made hisseIf
round ez ball, an wuz cummin at me ez eff
hurd cI rfn,, al -. 4
forts. He hit me squar on de habersack OBJ
aigs an de squush made my heart turn ober an
faint. loss my grip on de pulle,s. an dey
run cacklin acrost de field. Ez waz turnin'
my fourth summerset he ketched me agin on
de bust o my pantaloons an KEEP on turnn
summersets worlds widout end. Alter at least
milyun flip flaps, ! lighted on solid ground
ergin, an tried tub git on my feet but afo' my
knees straitened dat blimmed sheep landed
full on de flask O. Iikker, an knocked enuff
breff outen mo to fill de hull 20-acrc field, an
de smell o whisky WIZ powerful enuf to
bulge out de- fence.
Wen l cum TO, could heah de regiment
Dustin themselves latin and cheerin. Dat flip
Majah wuz latin louder'n any o. dem. | wuz
mad, enuff tub split. Suddenly de fought
popped intuh my head: Eff dat dad burned
sheep wants tub but, jist glib him his belly full
OBJ bnttin."
Quicker'n scat wuY on my hands an knees
an wen Mistuh Sheep cum crgn butted him
SIGH biff dat he stopt q minnit tub Tink ober
wat ID struck him.
De soljers begin yellin:
go hit, Billy Goat; go hit, SNOWFALL"
1.-TWO tub one de Billy Goat. Who wants
tub bet on de nigRah 2"
thine! Time!"
Fair play; make ring; Marks O. Queens.
bury ruies."
"Gib 'em both show 'cordin' tub DER rank
An smell"
"'Pint referee"
Go fur him. SNOWFALL; he's burned rebel
goat" an sich udder dad drafted nonsense
wuz madder'n 3 hornet by dis time an wen
Mistuh Buck cum ergin glib him biff dat
added his brains an druv HE head back
atween his shoulders. He wuz dead game.
dough, An tried it two or tree Nmos mo-, but /
see he'd loss his SAND, SO bime-by got up an
put my string around his horns an tuck him
we'll tub pay up fur dem aigs, and dose pullets,
and dat whisky.
Drilled de best piece OBJ him mitey nice an |
tux up tub Mistsh 10, at dc gyard- house, erIong
wid sum roast pertaters aud . cup o. strong |
Coffee
Wat smells 50, Snowballf Hab de rebels
loaded up lanyard intuh shell. an busted |
hit in de camp?"
Wen dun tole him wat had happened I |
fought he'd died latin. Den he seq, sezzee /: |
Dat Majah's too owdachusy Zip tub lib. |
Ez soon's git ouren heah I'll larn him not |
tub play any o his pranks wild my darby.
But SNOWFALL. you's jewel. Pm glader'n
ten tousand dollars 20 outbutted dat Billy |
Goat far and squar. An yo'li know q goat
necks time 70 see one.