The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-17
an why in thunder some of you uns don't
go for 'em is a mist'ry to me-
He Wanted Some Fish.


go for 'em is a mist'ry to me-.
He Wanted Some Fish.
!" Better stay where you are. old North
Carolina said /. The Yanks'lI pick you
of If you go foolin' round down there
''No, they won't. II they don't shoot
afore git to the bank over thar point
ing to the bank on the opposite side Of
the creek, which was fully four feet high
You uns wait It'll them dad baned fools
quit wastin' powder an we'll see.
when the Federals, or Yanks, as we
called them, ceased firing few minutes
later, Rawlins, jumped out Of the pit,
waved an old dirty handkerchief on his
ramrod. and yelled: Say. you fellers over
thar! stop that dad baned bangin, will
We? I want ter go a-fishin'.'
"Just then a Yank blazed away and shot
hole in the rag. Then Rawlins got mad
He didn't jump back into the pit, but he
did some cussingl
Eyer dad baned. pot-bellied idjuts!
What'n thunder be you uns firm at flag
nv truce fur? I've dunn big notion to
cum over thar an maui little sense inter
those cussed heads of you uns'
while Bill was just getting into good
shape for cussin' match. a short, heavy
set, store-box-built Yankee jumped out Of
his pit and yelled: Say you long-legged
tar heel. Dou you call that rag a flag of
truce? Flag of truce is white and not a
dirty red. like that old bandanna OF
yours
'Sho' nun, Yank! pologize Jest you
uns walt an I'll go back an 'pothercate
the kunnels nightshirt, eff you uns so dad
bane pertickler.'
:" Let it go at that. Johnny What do We
want, anyhow?
" Dad bane It! Didn't you all heer me
say I wanted ter go a-fishin'?'
"'Where In thunder can you catch any
fish, reb?'
Right down thar in that crick.'
"'Well, go ahead; but hurry up, for
some blamed line officer will come swoop-
in along, and you want to get out Of
sight quick about that time
Didn't Care for Yankee Gums.
".All right. Yank,' ye,lod Rawlins.
jumping down in 'front.' He then walked
leisurely down hill. cut long switch for
pole, deliberately turned over log for
worms, and, without the slightest evidence
of fear, continued until he reached the
creek bank. We could see him disappear,
and thought he had found a quiet nook
under the bank on our side. but he was
too smart for that In a minute or two
the long-legged tarheel again appeared on
the Yankee side of the stream, where the
bank was four or five feet high. Then he
sat down on a stone, and as deliberately
as If he had been school boy out on
holiday. pulled string from his pocket,
snooded on fishhook, which he took out
of his jacket lapel. baited the hook with
a worm and began to fish. BY this time
whole rows of Rebs and Yanks were SIT
ting or standing on top of their pits
watching Rawlins and making remarks,
complimentary and otherwise. but princi-
pally the latter, to which the lank tar
heel paid not the slightest attention. Raw
Inns hadn't settled down to work five min
utes before he landed fine bass on the
bank above and behind him. Then he
landed another and another as fast as he
could bait his hook and throw 1t In. The
creek seemed to be alive with fish. BY
this time the character of the remarks
passed by Reb and Yank alike changed in
tone. and fully half OF the spectators were
getting ready to slip down and steal a few
of the fish lying on the bank. In fact, the
fat Yank had left his friends and was
slipping stealthily down behind Rawlins
when another bluecoat ye,ied: Out Of
sight. boys; here comes the major.'
Two or three shots were fired into the
air, giving time to the soldiers to get
under cover before real shooting began.
Then for half an hour we peppered away
at each other in earnest. until the Yankee
officer went off again. Meanwhile Raw
Inns kept on fishing. Amid all the shoot
Ing he never turned a hair, except when
some Yank, who couldn't see his body.
would shoot, through pure mischief, at
the end of his rod, which occasionally
projected above the bank; then Bill would
cuss. His education In that line hadn't
been neglected His profanity wasn't
scholastic, but 1t was vigorous and ple-
thoric, with biting sarcasm of pinawoods
flavor and originality. He blew UP Yanks
and Rebs alike, charging both with an in
herited natural depravity. I don't suppose
there was another man in Lees or Nc
Clellans armies who could have held
candle to him in that respect.
"At last the oficer went on down the
line, and both sides stopped shooting
again.
Yankee and Reb Together.
ss,rhan the fat Yank 1umned out of his