The National tribune., 1898-01-20

GHOST.
he kin eat though Pm much obliged to you,
Jim, for your ham, and to you. Billy, for your
mutton, though I'm afraid it'll taste too much
Of the wool for wounded man.
Don't mind about that, " said 81 I'm
hungry enough to eat the wool ON the sleeps
back, even. Hand over your mutton, Billy,
an thankee forit My appette's not delicate
| can tell you. Woolly mutton won't faze it
more bark would buzz saw"
81 didn't Over-state the case. He ate every
thing that was cooked and offered him, until
he declared that he was SO full he could
touch it with his finger"
. I'm sure you're not ghost, from the way
you eat, said Shorty, who was beginning TO
recover his propensity for sarcasm. eff
ghosts ct like you thered have to be steam
bakery an pork packery run in connection
with every graveyard"
And I'd never take no ghost to board"
said Billy
Come, ST, said Jimmy Barlow, filling
briar-wOod pipe with kinnikinnick, lighting
it from the fire, taking a few puffs to start it,
and handing it to 81, tell us just what hap
pened to you. We're dyin' to hearn
WE'LL" said ST, settling down with the
pipe into comfortable position. u don't
L l.
wuz runnin' ahead ON Shorty left, loadin' my
gun, an tryin' to keep ug with the Colonel's
boss. Next thing / knowed / wuz wakin up
at the foot of blackjack. Everything was
quiet around me, except the yelIin' of two or
three wounded men little ways off At
first | thought a cannOn-bal'd knocked my
whole head off. Then it occurred TO me that
if my head was knocked off l couldn't hear
nor see -
Nor think, even," injected Shorty
No, nor think, even. For what'd 1 to
think with"
81 know some fellers that seem to think
with their feet, and that blamed awkwardly,"
unused Shorty.
81 kept on wakin' up, continued ST. "At
first thought had no head at all. an then
it seemed to me / was all head, it hurt so
awfully. | couldn't move hand nor foot
Then | thought mebbe only half my head was
shot away, an the rest was aching for all
tried shuttin' one eye an then the other, an
found I'd at least both eyes left. l moved
my head little, an found that the back
part was still there, for bump on the roots
of the oak hurt it.
"By-and-by the numbness began to 90 out
of my head an arm, but / was afraid to put
my hand up to my head, for was afraid to find
out how much was gone. Nearly the whole
OF the left side must be gone, an all my
schoolin' scattered over the ground l lay
there thinkin it all overflow awful I'd
look when you fellers came to find me and
bury me, an how you wouldn't dare tell the
folks at home about it,
$ Finally, got plum desperate didn't
seem to be dyin, but to be gettin' better every
minute. | determined to find out Just how
much of my head was really gone. L put up
my hand, timid-like, an felt my forehead
1t was all there. / passed my hand back
over my hair an the whole back of my head
was there felt around carefully, an there
was the whole side of my head, only little
welt where I'd got spent ball. Then | got
mad an jumped up. Think of my maxim
all that fuss over little peck that might have
been made by u brick bat l started out to
hunt you fellers an here | am
Yes, but you wouldn't we bin here
philosophical Shorty, examining the wound,
If the Teller that fired that shot'd given his
gun little bunch. If that bulet'd went a
haltlnch deeper, you'd be up among the
stars bow-legged Wabash angel"
We'll, we've licked the stuffin' out of 'em
at last, haven't we? asked ST.
well, should say we had replied Shorty
with an impressive whistle. | thought the
artillery would tear the foundations out of
the whole State OF Tennessee, the way it let
INTO them. There won't be more crashin'
an bangin' when the world breaks up. I'd
a-bln wlilln' to serve 100 years just to see
that sight. Lord, what q chance the can |
noneers had. First time ever wanted to be |
in the artillery. The way they slung whole |
blacksmlths shops over into them woods an |
smashed down trees, and wiped out whole |
brigades at clip, filled my soul with joy"
We must go over there in the mornin' an |
take look at the place." said ST drowsily. |
1t will be good to remember alongside o. |
the way they slapped it to us the first day"
81 and Shorty woke up the next morning |
to find the chill rain pouring down as if the |
country had been suffering from years |
drouth, and the rain was going to make up |
for it in one forenoon.
Lord have mercy" said the disguised
Shorty, as he fell into line for roll-call.
: Another seepin', soppn', soshin, spatterin'
day. Only had IA of EN- this week, so far
Should think the geese d carry umbrellas,
an the COWS wear 0yershoes in this land OF