The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-12-29

going to he very DARK Then he blushed
ly. all TO himself, over the thoughts
which arose.
= To think OF me. Deacon in the BAPTIST
Church, akehelly meditatin' about goin' to
another mans coop At night and steain' his
Oh ekens? Could Maria ever be made TO
believe sich thing? 1 can't believe 1t my
self"
Then he made himself think of all the
other WAYS in which he might get chickens
They all seemed i'm oSsible. he turned
again to those IN the coop:
F" N0thin' but measly dunghills, after all
dear ut fip-aud- a-blt and vet | offered her
a dollar apiece for em. II she'd bin a real
Christian woman she'd bin glasl to've given
me the chickens for as sick man rs ri is.
Gracious, motherd give every chicken on
the place, if it'd help sick person, and be
glad o the chance. They're both iough old
rebels, anyhow, and their property oughtter
be coniisticaied."
He stopped and considered the morals OF
the affair little further, and somehow the
| idea OF taking the fowls by stealth did not
SEEM so abhurrent As at first. Them every
thing was overslaughed by the thought OF
cong into camp with the precious birds, OF
cleaning one and carefully stewing il, max
| ing delicate, fragrant broth. the very smell
OF which would revive ST. and every spoon
| full bring nourishment and strength.
Me'be the army's demoraIizin' me" he
said to himself; but ] believe it's a work o.
| necessity and mercy. that don't stand on nice
considerations. I'm goin' to havefive o. them
chickens. or know the reason way"
As has been before remarked, when Deacon
Klegg made up his mind something had to
happen 1t was now quite dark. He took
one OF the 81 bills out Of his breast and put it
in a pocket where it would be handy lie
Looked over at the house. and saw the old
man and woman sitting by the FIRE smoking.
He picked up the hickory withe to keep oil
the dogs, and made a circuit to reach the
chlcken-cOOp from the rear OF the house.
The dogs were quarreling and snarling over
their supper, and paid no attention to him,
until be had reached the coop, when they
came at him full tilt.
The Deacon dealt the foremost ones such
vicious blows that the beasts felt as if they
had been cut in two, and ran bowling under
the house. With u quickness and skill that
would have done cre,iit to any veteran in the
army. he snatched five chickens from their
r'osts, wrung their necks, and gathered them
In his LETT hand. Alarmed by the noise of
the bar&ing and yelping, the old couple
flung open the door and rushed out OH the
porch. with shouts. The open door threw
long lane of bright light directly on the
Deacon
Blow the horn, Grandad- blow the horn,"
screamed the woman. Her bus band snatched
the tin horn down from the wall, and put all
his anger into a ringing blast. IL was Imme-
diately answered by a shot from a distant
bill. Still holding his game in his left hand,
the Deacon pulled the So bill out OF his pocket
with his right, walked up 20 the porch, laid
1t at the womans feet and put stone on it.
There's full PAY for your dumbed old
dunghiils, you cantankerous rebel, said he,
As lie disapl cared into the darkness. go into
the house and pray that the Lori may soften
your heart. which is harder than Pharaoh's,
until you have some Christian grlce.
When he reached the road he could hear
the sound OF hoofs salloping toward the
house. lie smiled yrimly, but kept under
the shallow of the trees until he reached the
main road leading to Chattanooga, where he
was lucky enough To lind a train making its
slow progress toward the town, and AcpS
with it until he WAS within our lines.
TO be co,,tissted.)