The National tribune., 1899-01-19


Pap's never knowcd no other kind II
wouldn't harm nobody for the world. aBt
none o tbcnl'd harm him. He'so nlv a chill
among these tot.hs down here | wisht ont
Of us was able to he with him all the time. ;
. hat father O ,yarr5 is,certainly quite al
innocent old party Shorty answered, con
solugly, and the things he don't know
about army life'd make more'n pamphlet
But he has a way of wakin' up to the stua
ton that is sometimes very surprisin'.
visit | was able to 20 about with him,
though. | think. though, he's able to take
care o himself around in camp. There's al.
WAYS somebody about who won't see an old
man and citizen imposed on But what
l'm AFRAID of is that he's wandered out in the
country, huntin' for somethin' for us To eat,
and tie gnerrilas' We got him."
And lie and ST sliuddered ut the thought OF
that good old man III the hands of the merci-
less scOundrels who infested the mountains
and woods beyond the camps.
Yes mourned 81, Pap's likely to
mosey ont into the country. jest like he
would on Bean Blossom CriclS, and stop at
the first house lie come to, and set down
witt: 'em on the porch, and talk bout the
weather. and the crops and the measles in
the ncighborhOod. and the revvalS, and the
price o. Fork and corn. and whether they'd
better hold their wheat ill Spring, aud W G
was c5min' up for Office, and all the time the
bushwhackers'd lie sneakin' up on him, al
him know no more 'Eout it than where the
blackbirds was rooain'. He's jest that
nnoaent and unsnspiciouslike."
T. If they We ketchcd him." said Shorty
lercely, we'll find out about it, and when
we git able, we'll 60 out there and kill anil
burn everything for five miles around. I'll
do it, if have to spend the rest o. my life at
hard labor on the Dry Tortugas. / will, SO
help me God"
They heard the rattle of light wheels on
the frozen ground outside, and the hoof-
beats Of quickly moving horse.
Buggy or spring wagon" muttercd ST,
with farmer boy 8 instructive Interpretation
of such sounds. What's it doin' in camp
Strange horse. In better condition than any
around here"
d, The vehicle stopped in front OF the corn-
crib AT the Deacon command, Whoa !"
Gracious-there's Pap now" calculated
81, with whom memory went in Il b0a::a ~
the many times he had listened for his
fathers coming and heard that order
Hello, boys" called out the Deacon.
How are you? Shorty, come out here"
Shorty sprang up with something of his
oId-time alacrity, and ST made an effort to
rise, but was too weak
Throw piecs O. that fat pine on the
fire, Shorty" said the Deacon, and let's
see what Eve got y
BY the light of the blazing pine, the Dea-
con pulled off the cedar bOughs and devel-
oped his store The boughs had kept in
the heat, so that the food was not yet quite
al - bo,, n flo fro, =
covering. The Beacon broke one of the corn
pones in two and gave half of it to Shorty,
with as much as he thought he should have
of the meat and vegetables Then he fed
81, who relshcd the new diet almost as much
as he had the chicken broth. The Deacon
made hearty supper himself, and then
stored away the rest III his cellar" under
the crib, rolling up some more large stones
us an additional precautOn.
We'll, you do heat me-" said Shorty
admiringly, rs he studied over the Deacon S
booty. Il used to think l was rs slick a
forager us there was i'll the army, but | sim
PLY amt in the same class with man that
kin 80 out in this Sahara Desert o. starvation,
and bring in a iOur-year-old boss and a
wagon-!oad O. cooked vittlcs. I'd never even
See the distance pole runnin' with him
Gen. Rosecraus ought to know you. He'd
appint you Commissary-G General o. the Army
at once. When git a little stronger want
you to take me out and learn me the ABC's
o. foragin' To think that me and ST WIZ
grievin' about yonr being ketched by the
guerrillas. What fools we wuz. 1t wuz
lucky for the guerriIas that you didn't run
acrost EN-, for you'd ketched 'em, instid
o. 'em you"
"That's what I come purity nigh dom, !"
chnckled the Deacon. But what in the
world m l gon' to do with that boss and