The National tribune., 1898-04-07

EMANCIPATION PRoCLAMTIoN.
off into the woods when YOU wuzn't l0okin'
while you WIZ busy with your mules, and
you don't know whether they went to the
right or the left, up the road or down it."
Do you s'pose I'm 5oin' to help steal q
niger, and then lie about it to the officers.
for you galoots and all for nothin'?" said
the teamstcr. - ou are blamed fools, that's
all I've got to say"
"Look here, Grounding" said Shorty
coming up close. with Il portentous donbled
fist ''You know me, and you know ST.
You know that either of Us can maui the
head off you i'll Il minute, whenever we've Q
mind to, and we're likely any time to have q
mind to. We're q burned sight nearer Won
all the time than any o. the officers, and YOU
can't git away from us, though you may from
them. They may buck and gag you, as they
ought TO, bout every day, but that won't be
nothin' to the welting one of Us ii give you.
Now, you tell that story, jest as 81 said, and
stick to it, or you won't have "a whole bone
in YOUR carcass by the end o. the week
When they came up to the entrance there
indeed stood the owner of Abraham Lincoln,
holding his horse, and by him stood the Lieu
tenant Colonel Of the 200th Ind a biz, burly
man, who had Eeen drover and an iniluen-
tial politician before he got his commission,
and had 4 high reputation at home IA Il
rougll-and- tumble fighter He had not added
to his bellicOse repute since entering the field,
because for some mysterious reason he had
been absent every time the regiment went
into fight, or was likely to. Consequently
he was all the more clustering and dOmineer-
ing in camp, in spite of the frequent re-
pressions he got from the modest, quiet little
Colonel
cold Blowhard Billings is there, " said ST.
"Now we'll have gust o. wind"
Didn't know he was in camp" said
Shorty I've notion to bust n cap and
scare him back to Nashville agin Don't let
him bluff you, ST, even if he is the Licntcn-
ant-ColoneI"
They rode up to the entrance looking as
innocent and placid as if bringing in load
from the fields on the Wabash.
Corporal Klegg," said the Lieutenant
Colonel sternly, bring out that niger from
the wagon"
We amt got no Niger in the wagon
Colonel" said ST, with an expression of sur
prise.
"Come, now, don't fool with me, sir, OF
i Il make you very sorry for it. I'm no man
to be trilled with, sir If you amt got q
niger in the wagon what we You done with
him ,"
"Wc amt done notlin' with him, Colonel, u
persisted ST {" hain't had nothn' to do
with no niger since VIC started out this
mornin; hain't spoken to one. Sometimes
ringers jump on our wagons, ride a little
ways and then jump off agin, | can't keep
track of 'em. / generally make 'em git of
when notice EN-"
(loof, 1rcr,ro I,,;, 10 mo
said The Lieutenant Colonel, roughly. CPL
settle with you directly Grounding, have
YOU got Niger in the wagon? 2"
No, sir, replied the teamster.
Didn't yon have one?"
Grounding looked up and caught Shorty s
eye fixed unflinchin9ly on him.
81 b'lieve that one did git on" he STAN
mercd, but he got Off a.in, directly.
didn't notice much about him. My mules
wuz very bothersome all the time. They re
the durnedest meanest mules that ever a man
tried to drive That there off swing
mule'd -
We don't want to hear noihin' about your
mules. Well look in the wagon ourselves"
The search developed nothing. The Lieu
tenant Colonel came back to ST, angricr than
ever.
Look here, Klcgg, you're foolin' nc, an
won't stand it. I'll have the truth out o.
You if have to Kill you Understand ?"
There was a dangerous CLEAN in Sis and
Shorty's eyes, but they kept their lips tightly
closed.
This gentleman here" continued the
Lieutenant Colonel says, and believe his
story, against all that you may say, that the
men with this wagon, which he's bin watehin'
all along, took his niger away from him and
drove him off with insults and curses. They
threatened his life He says he can't rcco-
nize either Of you, and likely you have dis
guised yourselves. But he RECOGNIZES the
wagon and the teamster, and is willin' TO
swear to em. | know he's tcllin' the truth
because know you fellcrs You're impudent
and sassy. You've bin among them that's
hollered ut me- You've bin stealin' other
things besides niggers to day, and have 'em
in your possession. You're loaded down with
things you've stolen from houses L won t
command regiment of nigger-thieyes. |
won have nigger-thieycs in my regiment
If I've got any in my regiment III break 'em
of it, or III break their internal neckS | be-
lieve you iellers got away with that niger
and I'll tic you up by the thumbs till | get
the truth out o you. Sergeant o the guard.
take charge o these men, and bring EN- along.
lake ilttJ SUN tiEtt tuey We StOien away nom
them and send it to my tent"
ST and Shorty got very white about the
mouth, but 81 merely said, Is they handed
their guns to the guard:
Colonel, you may tie Us up till doomE-
day, but you'll git no help out of US to ketch
runaway niggers, and put 'em back IN
slavery"
Shut up, YOU scalawag," roared the Lieu
tenant-Colonel. eff hear another word out
o. you I'll buck-and- gag you"
They marched to Regimentai Headquarters
and halted, and the Lieutenant Colonel re-
newed his browbeating ST and Shorty con-
tinued obstinate, and the Lieutenant-C oiouel,
getting angrier every minute, ordered them
tied up by the thumbs. While the Sergeant
of the Guard, who was friend of the boys,
and had little heart for the work, was daily
ing with his preparations the Colonel himself
appeared on the scene.
''Ah, Colonel, you've got back have you p"
said the Lieutenant Colonel, little pleased at
the interruption. "I'vc inst caught two Of
the men in little job q nigger-steaiin, and
| was about to give them lesson winch
would break them of the n.sDit. With your
consent III go on with the work"
'Nigger-stealine said the Colonel,
quietly. ''You mean helping Il slave to get
away? Did you learn whether the owner
was Il loyal man?'
Il don't know as that makes any differ
euce, replied the Lieutenant Colonel, surlily.