The National tribune., 1901-01-17
Another Day With the Fresh Beef Detach
meut.

shorty poured on the St1mpeuiHB cattle
could have been transmitted into any form
of physical blastment every hoof and horn
would have persisted then and there.
He snatched up n musket and tried to
shoot the too yOciferous mule, as relief
to his feelings. But the musket did not
happen to be loaded, and before he could
get cartridge Pete and Sandy, who had
appropriated the mule. interpOsed to save
| their steed They had not been assigned
horses in the distribution, and felt slight
ed. The mule was a Providential inter
position to right an injustice. Besides,
they were genuine boys, and so had n
warm welcome for any vagrant animal.
| They had been in the army long enough
not to get excited over anything that did
| while the turmoil was going on i'll front,
they led him away to a quiet spot, fed him
bareback and punches of grass, admired
his shape, pitied his loneliness, and con-
graduated themselves upon their prize.
''Aint he nice, Sandy?" asked Pete,
stroking his long hair, where it had not
been frayed off by the brush. Hes so
| | don't believe in swearing at EN-, as most
people do. A mule has feelings same's
we have. Wen call him Abedncgo, be
cause he's one o the Lost Children Of
| Israel"
'Abednego wasn't one of the Lost Chill
! dren,' Sandy corrected him. HE was
one O. them that went through the fiery
furnace"
What was the name o the Lost Chill
dren, them
Didn't have none, that l ever heard
of. Lost their names when they lost
themselves, 1 suppose.
We'll, Abednego's a good name, any
way. 1t shall be his. Old Teller, you're
to answer to AbedDego after this. and
| -nt,'n
and not be too spry with your heels?'
Great heavens, ST. groaned Shad,
watching the mighty rush of the cattle,
| what will become of them? At the rate
| they're running they'll fall into the At
lantic Ocean by morning
! NO., answered 81, who was beginning
| TO pull himself together. STEERS aint
| for much over two-mie an-hour, as a reg
ular thing. They can light out like
scared dog for a mile or two, but then
| their bellows need mendng, and they
come down, to a regular log-chain gait"
But even mile-an -hour'll scatter
| them all over Georgia by morning." pro-
! tested Shad. Eight or 10 hours, even at
two miles an hour, with each scared brute
| striking out in a different direction, will
scatter them like a tick of feathers in
! hurricane, and you'll have about as much
chance of gathering them up again. I'm
| simply ruined for life. How much do Won
! suppose those cattle are worth apiece
Let me see? Pap got $50 for yoke
o steers he sold last Spring.
Great heavens. 5$$ times SO is S37.-
JOO, and the Government won't let me off
single steer. I'll simply have to stay
in the service for the rest of my life for
my board and clothes. Fine outlook for
young man who wants to go back home
at the close of the war, if he lives through,
marry his best girl, and grow up with the
country"
80, it amt near so bad as that" said 81,
consolingly. Il don't think they'll scatter
so badly as they seem. They're in val
ley, and cattle hate to run uphill as bad
as men do. You mount and ride after
them. DO not press EN-: just keep with
IN sight or hearing. I'll be along with
you at once. Shorty, you and Monty and
Harry mount and follow me. Keep a
sharp lookout for by-roads, and when we
strike one, one of you follow it, and look
out for cattle. Jake, get the rnen together
and march after us. We mustn't crowd
the stock; just follow them until they run
themselves out"
In spite OF his cheering words to Sbad.
81 was much distressed He knew too
much about the vagaries of frightened
steers to be very confident of his own as
sertions, and felt that his chances of GET
OF the original 500 were not at all bright.
That dumbed Joe Wheeler" he NUT
tered to himself. ''haint much more meat
on HIM than deer, and can run like one.
l believe he's got deer blood in him.
Looks and runs like it. If l ever get hold
of him again I'll cut him up and send him
round to headquarters for yenison, Won
der why they ever bought such a beast
for the army. He's already run hun
dred times as much meat off the rest than
ne mas on his own plaguey bones. Wonder
If I'll ever get him again? He NAV be
20 miles from here by daylight"
81 logged down the road keeping
proper distance behind the rearmost of
the herd, and listening aHXousy for every
Significant sound that came from the clat-
ter of horns and hoofs. At each by-road
that he could make out in the darkness
he sent some one to explore it. eypoctinp
that punches of cattle hard pressed nv
those in their rear, would break out to the
side along such paths
AS near as 81 could make ont in the
star-it darkness, the valley in which they
were running rose and narrowed toward
a nigh range that formed the eastern sky
line. Between him and that limit the
country was surging and roaring with the
rushing animals. He looked apprehensiye
~ at the woods and brush on either side
but comforted himself with thinking:
Inc! re all steep, and cattle won't run
far uphill. Besides, cattle are afraid a.
strange woods, especially at night. If
there's only nice valley on the other side
o the ridge, the left o. them NAV round
up there again. In the morning I'll depIoy
the men back here. and skirmsh through
the woods, and bring in the stragslers."
lie was right in his reasoning. The
cattle We're already tired with their DAVIS
Journey, and the ascent of the ridge took
out Of them most of their remaining
strength. Si watched them against the
sky, slowly iaboring over the crest, felt
confident that several hundred must have
remained together, followed at a little dis
tance the rear of the column looked down
from the ridge to see the valley below fill
ing up with the stagnating mass, put his
boys into bivouac as they came up, and
sat down against tree to wait for day
light. M
Not having any particular duty assigned
them, Sandy and Pete busted themselves
with their mule. In his gladness at get
ting bS<k again with human beings he
was remarkably docile, and responded
kindly to their petting. They slung their
blankets and haversacks on him. CON
trived a bride out of their gun-sIinrs.
with n piece of telegraph wire, which San
dy had carried away for memento. as n
bit, and drew cuts which should have the
first ride. Pete won, mounted AbedDego
with Sandy's assistance, and logged along
in tho roar of the infantrymou foIlo,-;,,s.