The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1900-12-27

at headquarters. No wonder everything S
going at skies and sevens around the army.
They can just spill barrels o pork and lin
bers all over Pigeon Mountains, for all
care. I'm done"
Come, Shorty, and get your dinner
called out 81. We've got Il bully dinner.
That Hospital Steward back there gave us
lot o potatoes and onions, and We've
made stew while you were out there
helping run the army"
The fragrance of the sayory stew dissi-
pated ShOrty's anger, and by the time he
had eaten all he could hold and lighted his
pipe, he had forgotten all about the Incl
dent, and was looking around for another
opportunity to make himself useful.
They We're now about TO cross the
Oostenaula River, at Resaca, and Gen.
Sherman decided to consolidate the two
trains into one, to be pulled by the engine
that was drawing the pontoons, which was
II better runner and puller than his own.
The other locomotive would be sent back
with the cars which had accumulated at
Resaca. Some cars had to be cut off to re-
duce the length of the train, and the Gen
eral directed that Il couple, containing
shoes and clothing, be left behind, to be
brought up by Il train that should fellow
after.
\ good deal of switching was necessary
to rearrange the train and cut these out
and Shorty, who could not resist the
temptation to boss the job, became con-
WINGED that they had made a mistake and
cut out the wrong cars. Under such Cir.
cumstances the more circumSpect 81 would
have satisfied himself of his facts before
doing anything, but Shorty was not built
| that way. lie was very liable to become
dead sure of anything on quite insufficient
evidence, and then balky mule was not
more obstinate. Just as the making-up OF
| tho rai nhnnt rnmI,intpI hn In cd
back and called to the trainmen:
Say, you've made Il big mistake. You've
cut out the wrong cars. Those cars there
are the ones that you must take along
You're to leave those cars there that
| you've put in
The conductor-only recently detailed
| for the duty-was alarmed.
Are you sure!' he asked neryously.
Sure! Dead sure. L noticed that the
| cars the General pointed out for you tC
| leave had Il. 4 n. X. r. on their doors
| while those you were to take along had
N. IL c. X. r. You see them that you've
| left have n. * c. Il. r. on their doors
while those you've kept have l.. IL n.
X. r.
That's so,'' said the conductor, stop
ping the engineer and hurrying to make
| the exchange before the General should
| notice his bunder.
As the train started on its way for Cal
| houn it passed on the other side of the
cars, and Shorty was Mortified to see that
| the doors or that side bore the letters Il
| & \. X. r."
Great jumping Jehosephat,' he nut.
tered, I'm in for it again. They have
| been mixing the doors on them cars. Con
denim Il country, anyway, where nothing's
| ever certain but short rations and bad
roads. / expect Old Billy'll just take my
sorrell tOpknot clear off when he finds il
1 Ig,,t Oh 10
| got away. He won't be thinking about the
cars until we get to camp. I'll jump the
| train just as soon as we strike the edge OF
| camp, and before he gets a chance to look
over the ears I'll be safe in the 200th In
| jianny. I'd like to be around and hear him
skin that Eastwood conductor, though"
| Alas for his calculations. The train
stopped at Adairsyille, and Gen. Sherman
wanted to send an Aid over to Poplar
| Springs, where there was brigade en-
camped. A horse was quickly secured,
| but the Aid wanted his own saddle, which
was in the ear containing the headquarters
| baggage. But the car was missing.
| Gen. Sherman stOrmed at the conductor,
in his Enthusiastically impetuous way.
| Il had the right cars on, just exactly as
you pointed out" the trembling man man
aged to say between Outbursts, land then
changed them, because Corporal from
your headquarters came and told me
| had made mistake"
"A Corporal from my headquarters p
said the General; Il have no Corporal with
me-"
Eyes, there he is now" said the I'M
happy conductor, pointing to Shorty, who
had overheard the breaking of the storm
and was trying to slip over to the cover Of
some trees and wait for the next train.
Come here, you rascal" commanded
the General.
Shorty, SEEING that he was cornered,
turned around, marched up to the Gen