The National tribune., 1898-01-27

his head shaved. A man that'I steal ought
to be hunted down aud kicked out o the
army. He's not fit to associate with decent
men"
Why, Shorty" SAID ST, amused at his
partner heat, 9 You stole that yourself"
Il didn't do nuthin' o. the kind, " snorted
Shorty, and / don't want you sayin so, Mr..
Klegg, if you don't want to git into trouble.
| tool, it from q teamster. You Ought to
know its never stealin' to take anything
from n teamstcr. / II bet it was some of that
Toledo regiment that stole it. Them Mau-
NEE River muskrats are the durnedest thieves
i'll the brigade They'd steal the salt out o
your bareback if you didn't watch 'enl-not
because they wanted the salt, but just be-
cause they can't help s,ealiu' They ought
to be fired out o. the brigade. I'm going
over to their camp to look for it, and il
find it III wipe the ground up with the Teller
that took it. 'Taint SO much the value Of
the thing rs the principle. | hate Il thief
above all things"
ST tried TO calm Shorty and disSuade him
from going but his partner was determined,
and ST let him 90, but kept an eye and ear
open for developments.
In q few minutes Shorty returned, with
jubilation in his face, the canvas III one hand
lasses in the other.
Just as / told YOU" he said trium-
phanlly. 1t was some o. them Maumee
River muskrats. | found them asleep in a
bunch T. cedars, with our nice tent stretched
over their thievin carcasses. They'd been
out Oh guard or Sc0utln, and come in after
we'd gone to sleep. They were still snorin'
away when yanked the tent Off an picked
up their fryin pan an canteen o. mOlasseS
to remember 'em by"
Il thought you hated a thief" ST started
to say; but real comrades soon learn, like
husband and wife, that it is not necessary to
say everything that rises to their lips. Be-
sides, the frying pan was beauty, and uSt
what they wanted
1t became generally understood during the
day that the Army OF the Cumberland would
remain around MuriIeesboro indefinitely
probably until Spring-tO rest, refit ana pre-
pare for another campaign. Instructions
were given to regimental commanders to
select good camping ground and have their
men erect comfortable Winter quarters.
The 20dth Ind. moved into an oak grove,
on gentle slope toward the south, and set
about making itself thoroughly at home.
ST and Shorty were prompt to improve the
opportunity to house themseles comfortably
ST had now been long enough in the army
to regard everything that was not held down
by man with a gun and bayonet as legiti-
mate capture. He passed where one of the
Pioneer Corps had laid down his AK for q
minute to help on some other work That
minute was spent by ST in walking away with
the AK hidden under his long oyerc0at. Those
long overcoats, like charity, covered multi
tude of sins.
The AK was not sharp-no army AK ever
was,-but ST and Shorty's muscles were Wig.
orous enough to make up for its dizziness. In
little while they had cut down and trimmed
enough oak saplings to make q pen about the
size of the corn crib at Sis home. While one
would whack away with the az the other
would carry the poles, and build up the pen
By evening they had got this higher than
their hSads, and had to stop work from sheer
exhaustion.
''I'll declare" said ST, as they sat down to
eat supper and survey their work, g if father'd
ever made me do half as much work in one
day as | have done to-day should have died
with tiredness and then run away from home
1t does seem to me that every day we try
new way of killing ourselves"
swell" said Shorty, arresting liberal
chunk OF fried pork on the way to his capaci-
Gus grinders to cast an admiring glance on
the structure, it's worth it all. Itll Just
be the daisyest shebang in Tennessee when
we git it finished Pm only afraid we'll
make it so fine that Gen. Rosecrans or the
Governor of Tennessee Ill come down and
take it away for himself That'd just be our
luck"
6 Great Scott !" said ST, looking at it
with groan How much work there is to
do yet What are we goin' to do for roof?
Then we must cut out place for q door.
Well have to chink between all the logs,
with mud and chunks; and we ought to have
fireplace"
"I've bin thinkin' Of all them things,