The National tribune., 1898-01-06
every knoll was crowned with battery of

every knoll was crowned with battery Of
frowning guns.
They got their bellies full o. fightin' yes
terday," added Shorty, studying the array
judicislly. They hain't none o. the brssh-
ness they showed yesterday mornin', when
they were jumpin' US in front right, left and
rear at the same minute. They're very
backward about comm forward acrost them
fields for us to-day. / only wish they'd try
it on"
Bat the forenoon wore away without the
rebels showing any disposition to make an
assault across the muddy fields Sis vigilant
appetite took advantage OF the quiet 10 as
sert its claims imperiously.
Shorty" said he, there mist be some
thing to eat somewhere around here. I'm
goin' TO look for il
You'll have Just about rs much chance of
findin' it," said Shorty dolefully, 'among
that mob o. furnished suckers as YOU would
o. tindin' straw-stack in the internal regions
But III go long with you. We can't lose
the regiment IN the day time"
BY the way, Shorty" said 81, happening
to glance at the sleeves OF the overcoats
which he had picked mp, I'VE both seem to
be Sergeants.''
80, ssSSc0LcI Shorty IDt0
these are Sergeants oyercoat5 Well, well
take oar guns along, and play that we are
on duty. 1t may help rs out somewhere
Things looked SO quiet in front that the
Captain gave them permission. and off they
started. 1t seemed \ hopeless quest
Everywhere men were rsveuous for food
They found one squad teasing on their
hammers the pieces of luckIess rabbit they
lgI Inn nfai9 e L,~faw
was digging away at n hole that they alleged
contained woodchuck. A third was parch-
ing some corn found in q thrown-away feed
box, and congratulating themselves upon the
lucky find.
Finally they came out upon the banks of
Stone River at the place to which ST had
wandered during the night. ST recognized
it at once, and also the voices that came from
behind little thicket of paw-pavs as those
OF the men with whom he had had the
squabble.
81 motioned to Shorty TO stop and keep
silent, while he stepped up closer, parted the
bushes a little, looked through, and listened
Two men were standing by fire, which
was concealed from the army by the paw
paws. Four Others had Just come up, carry
ing rolled in blanket what seemed to be a
dead body. They flung it down by the fire,
with ordinations of relief, and unrolled it.
1t was the carcass Of pig so recently killed
that it was still bleeding.
Hello" exclaimed the others ioyfully;
;" where did you get that? u
Why" exclaimed one Of the others, "we
were poking around down there under the
bank, and we happened to spya niger cabin
on the other side OF the river, hid in among
the willers, where nobody could see it. We
thought there might be something over there,
so We waded across. There wasn't anything
to speak of in the cabin, but we found this
pig in the pen. Jim bayoneted it, and then
we wrapped it up in our blanket, as if we
wuz taking boy back to the Surgeons, and
fetched it along. We couldn't We got hun
dred yards through that crowd if they'd
dreamed what we had. Jerusalem, but it
was heavy, though. We thought that pig
weighed a thousand pounds before we got
here"
Bully boys" said the Others, gleefully
Wen have enough to eat, no matter how
many wagons the rebels burn. / always en-
joyed dinner of fresh pork more on New
Years Day than any other time"
81 turned and gave Shorty a wink that con-
yeyed more to that obSeTvant individual than
a long telegram would have done He winked
back approyingly, brought up his gun to a
severely regulation carry arms" and he and
81 stepped briskly through the brush to the
startled squad.
Here" said ST, with official severity
You Internal stragglers, what regiments do
you belong to? Sneaking out here, are you.
and stealin' hogs instead of being with your
companies. Wrap that pig up again, pick it
up, and come along with Us to Headquar-
ters'
For minute it looked az if the men would
fight. Bnt 81 had guessed rightly; they were
stragglers, and had the cowardice of guilty
They saw the chevrons on Sis
arms, and his positive, commanding air
finished them They groaned. wrapped up
the pig again, and ii mercifully made ths
two who had waited by the fire carry the
heaviest part.
81 started them back toward the 200th Ind,
and he and Shorty walked along close to
them, maintaining q proper provost guard
Ike severity OF couutenance and carriage.
The men began to try to beg of and make
advances on the basis Of sharing the pork
But ST and Shorty's official integrity was in
corruptible.
Shut NJ and go on, " they would reply to
every proposition. We amt that kind of
soldiers. Our duty's to take you to Head
quarters, and to Headquarters you are going"
They threaded through the crowds for some
time, and IS they were at last nearing the
a battery of artillery went by at as
near trot rs it could get out of the weary
horses in that deep miro. The squad took
advantage Of the confusion 70 drop their bur-
den and scurry out Of sight in the thFong.
''AIl right; let EN- eo,n gIinncd ST. 81
wuz jest wondcrin' how We; get rid OF en-
I'd thought o takin' them into the regiment
and then givin' them chunk o their pork.
but thea Id get mad al the way they talked
about the 200th Iud last night, and want to
stop and lick 'em. It's better as it is. We
need all that pig tor tie boys"
81 and Shorty picked up the bundle and
;arried it up TO the regiment. When they
inrolled it the boys gave such lusty cheers
hat the rebels beyond the field rushed to
arms, expecting charge, and one OF our
mpulsiye canuoneers let fly a shell at them |
81 and Shorty cut Off one ham for them
elves and their particular cronies, carried |
IO,- 49,: