The National tribune., 1898-02-24
TIE GENERAL INTERRUPTS THE GAME.

Continue your speech at headquarters, -
said the Sergeant, as he moved off Il
haven't time to listen to it now. You'd
better save your breath till then, for you'll
have to do some mighty slick talkin' to save
your spying neck, l can tell you that"
ID aeon Klegg sank back in the seat dunn
founded :. What on airth kin he mean ?n
he gasped
It's another of the outrages of the despot
Lincoln" answered his companion Its
another of the arbitrary arrests by his military
satraps. Liberty is dead in this country until
we can overthrow that niger loving usurper. u
Shut up" said the Deacon savagely. eff
you say another word III mash you / won It
be distured when I'm tryin' to think things
out"
Il want that carpet-sack and umbrella of
yours" said the Sergeant, coming back.
I've no doubt you've got 'em both full of
reasonable documents and information for
your rebel friends. Guard. watch both these
men clusely, and see that they don't destroy
any papers, nor throw anything out the
window"
Young man" said the Deacon resoutely,
you can't have that carpet-sack or that um-
breller. They're my property. If you tech
'em I'll have the law on you. I'll sue you for
trespass, larceny, assault and battery, and
intent TO provoke. / hain't done nothin' to
justify it. I'm Josiah Klegg. of Posey County,
Injianny, deacon in the Ebenezer Church, on
Mill Crick. Pm goin' down to Murfreesboro
to visit my son, Josiah Klegg, jr., o the 2O0th
lnJianny Volunteers. You all know him.
He's an officer. He's the boy that tried to
git commissary wagon away from the rebels
durin' the battle, and he and Shorty we got a
house with tin roof"
The other occupants gathered around and
laugh-d derisively
"'Twon't do, old man," said the Sergeant,
trying to wrest the carpet-sack away. lyon
tell pretty story, and you're well disguised,
but we're onto you. We got full particulars
about you from Louisville You're bad lot
down there in Posey County. There's a
knight of the Golden Circle Lodge under
every sycamore You'd be at Gen Bragg's
headquarters to morrow night if we let you
alone"
He pulled hard at the carpet-sack, and
Deacon Klegg resisted with all his sturdy
might. His strength was quite match for
the Sergeants, but other soldiers came to help
the latter. The handles came off in the strug-
gle, and the Deacon was forced down into his
seat The other man took advantage of the
confusion to work his way through the crowd
to the door and jump Off This angered the
Sergeant and coming back to where Mr..
Klegg sat, exhausted and intensely mad. he
said:
''I'll make sure that you don't get away,
anyhow. ought to've done this at first"
So saying, he snapped hand-cuff over Mr.
Klegg's wrist and then over the arm of the
seat.
The Deacon was never so Inundated in his
life. He was simply speechless in his rage
and modification.
Among the many Of Gen. Rosecrans's eccen-
tricities and vagrant fancies was one for prowl-
ing around through his camps at night, wear
ing privates overcoat and cap One night
he strolled into the camp of the 20Oth Ind.
The superior architecture of ST and Shorty s
cabin struck him, and he decided to look in
side He knocked on the door.
Come in," shouted ST.
He entered, and found ST engaged with
Tom Billings in game of checkers for the
championship of the 200th Ind Shorty was
watching the game intently, as Sis counselor,
and Zeke Tomkins was giving like assistance
to Tom Billings. Two other crack players
were acting as umpires. The light from tn !.
fire shone brightly upon them, but left the
front of the room, where the General stood, in
complete darkness. They were so absorbed
in the game that they merely looked up, saw
that the new conner was private soldier. and
supposed that he had merely dropped in to
watch the game.
Ibid you clean your feet on the bayonet
outside the door," demanded Shorty, as he
fixed his eyes again on the red and white
grains Of corn, which represented the men on
the board.
'No, forgot, 2" said the General, quietly
Well, go right outside and clean em off, ="
ordered Shorty. Don't want no mud tracked
in here for us to carry out agn."
The General, much amused, went out, care
fully scraped his boots, and then returned
"All right" said Shorty, looking up as he
re-entered. ''Now look all you like, but
don't say nothin'. Nobody's allowed to say
word but the players and the umpires."
The game proceeded in silence for several
minutes and the General became much inter-
ested. 1t was one Of his peculiarites that he
could not help getting interested in anything
that his soldiers were doing, from the boiling
of a cup of coffee or the pitching Of tent to
the alignment of company.
Siwas getting little the better of Billings,
and the Generals sympathes naturally went
toward the loser. He touched Billings on the