The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1897-01-01
PART III.
CHAPTER I.-CoNTINUED.

wished to evade him. In the days OF
his own prosperity his heart had al
ways gone out towards this old com
panion of his boyhood; in his present
humiliation his presence Jared upon
him. He would have slipped away, but
to do so he would have had to pass be-
fore the counter again, and Hooker
with the self-consciousness of story
teller, had an eye on his audience
Brant, with a palm leaf fan before his
face, was obliged to listen.
eyes, gentlemen" said Hooker, ex-
aiming his glass dramatically, when
mans been cooped up in rebel
prison, with a death line before him
that he's obliged to cross every time
he wants a square drink, it seems sort
of like a dream of his boyhood to be
standin' here comf'b BILE before his liquor,
alongside O. white men once more. And
when he knows he's bin put to all that
trouble jest to save the reputation OF
another man, and the secrets of few
high and mighty ones, it's almost
enough to make his liquor go agin
him!" He stopped Electrically, seemed
to choke emotionally over his brandy
smash, but with a pause of dramatic
determination finally dashed it down,
mo, gentlemen" he continued, gloom
lily. 81 don't say what I'm back in
Washington for-I don't say what I've
bin sayin' to myself when I've bin pick
ing the weevels outer my biscuits in
Libby prison-but eff you don't see some
pretty big men in the war department
obliged to climb down in the next few
days my name amt Jim Hooker, of
Hooker, Meecham & Co., army beef
contractors, and the man who saved
the fight at Gray Oaks!"
The smile of satisfaction that went
around his audience-an audience quick
to seize the weakness of any perform
ance-might have startled a vanity less
oblivious than Hooker's, but it only
aroused .Brant's indignation and pity,
and made his position still more in
tolerable. But Hooker, scornfully eX-
pectorating thin stream of tobacco
juice against the spittoon, remained
for an instant gloomily silent.
"Tell US about the fightagain," said
smiling auditor.
|
certain dark suspiciousness, and then
in an affected lower voice, which his
theatrical experience made perfectly
audible, went on: 1T amt much to
speak of, and if it wasn't for the prin-
ciple of the thing wouldn't be talk
in. A man who's seen Injin fghtin'
don't go much on this here, West Point
fightin' by rule-of-three-but that aim
here or there. Well, I'd bin out a-scout-
in'-just to help the boys along, and I
was sittin' in my wagon about day
break, when along comes a brigadier
general, and he looks into the wagon
flap. oughter to tell you first, gentle
men, that every mint he was expect
in an attack-but he didn't let on a
hint of it to me. How are you, Jim p
says he. How are you, general" says
I. Would you mind lending me your
coat and hat?' says he. I've got little
game here with my pickets, and don't
want to be recognized Anything to
! oblige, general says l, and with that
1 strips off my coat and hat, and he
peels and puts them on. Nearly the
same figure, JIM he says, lookin' at
| y
and see.' With that he hands me his
coat-full uniform, by God-with the
little gold cords and laces and the ep-
aulets with a star, and 1 puts it on
quite innocent like. And then he says,
| handin' me his sword and belt: Same
inches round the waist, too, reckon
and l 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, l hadn't sat there five minutes
before bang! bang! rattle! rattle! kerr
shiz! and l hear yell. 1 steps out of
the wagon; eIerything'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 us!'
He paused, looked around his audi
| ence and then in a lower voice said.
darkly: 81 amt fool, gentlemen, and
| in that minute a mans brain works at
high pressure, and l saw it all! l saw
the little game of the brigadier-to
skunk away in my clothes and leave me
TO De captured III MS buC AIN d CoS,
neither, and mounted that horse, gen.
| tle1nen, and lit out to where the men
were formin'! l didn't dare to speak
lest they should know me, but waved
| my sword, and by C.! they followed
me! And the next minute we was in
the thick of it. l had my hat as full of
holes as that ice strainer; had dozen
bullets through my coat, the fringe of
| my epaulettes was shot away, but L
kept the boys at their work-and we
stopped 'em! Stopped 'em. gentlemen!
until we heard the bugles of the rest of
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
last dash and cut me otf-and there l
v'as-by C.. prisoner! Me that
had saved the fight!''
A ripple of ironical applause went
| round as Hooker glooInily drained his
glass and then held up his hand in
scornful depreciation.
81 said was a prisoner, gentlemen"
he went on bitterly, but that amt
all. l asked to see Johnston. told him
what had done, and demanded to be
exchanged for a general officer. He
said: You be id l then sent word
to the division commander in chief. and
told hin, how 7 had saved Grey Oaks