The National tribune., 1901-06-06
4 81 !Kleqq
kA,And -
Shorty
On the March 10 the Sea
Copyrighted, 1899. by the publishers OF THE NATIONAL
A Hunt After Poultry for the Sick-Foster
Walsh Metes Out Vengeance.
Copyrighted 1892 by the publishers OF THE NATIONAL



shorty" said 81 Klegg. as they were
making their way back to the stockade,
| you'd better take half of the boys and
| strike off there to the right, and see II
| you can hnd house where you can pick
| up something for those poor fellers back
there to eat. I'll turn off here to the left.
The country is getting pretty poor, but
mebhe we can find something delicate to
| build EN- up with"
| If there's any chickens and turkeys
| in these sand-hills they'll have to have
| eagles wings if we don't get en- an
swered Shorty. Come on, Pete, Sandy,
Harry and Monty
I'm moved to go this way said Fos-
| ter Walsh, turning his horses head di-
rectly into the open pine woods, and leav-
| ing 81 with the remainder to follow the
| left-hand road.
Look out, Foster, that the ushwhack-
ers don't get you," Shorty shouted after
| him.
The rebel had better look out that he
don't get him. muttered ST. looking after
| him as if doubtful about letting him go
| off by himself. I'm the temper he's in
he's likely to kill on sight everything that
| wears rebel clothes, and burn up property
! without reason. And he'll do it all in the
name of the Lord. He's II mighty dan
gerous man to be running around loose in
| the Southern Confederacy; but, then,
|
and prosperity o. lie Southern Confed-
| eracy, nor of this particular part of
| Georgy."
The road which 81 had taken did not
| look very promising. 1t was n mere trace
| through the waste of column-ike pines,
and appeared badly weather-beaten since
| last used, but presently Uncle Ephraim'S s
| sharp eyes were encouraged by seeing a
| toicrably fresh wound on the bark of d
| young sweet gum.
| "A wagons done went dat way" he
said, pointing ahead, IAN dar's suttinly
a big house in dar somewhar, or dey
wouldn't hab so good a wagon, an sich
| strong hosses. You done see dat dey tore
de bark often dar thickern yo thumb.
| Takes good hosses t do dat. an de bark
and woods bit off sharp, us if dey wuz
gwine right along. An hit was in de new
moon. Io' see dat by de way de sap's
| a-runnin'."
Half-an-hour later 81 said:
| Uncle Ephraim, I'm afraid you're mis-
| taken. That trail seems to've run up a
| tree. We've lost it altogether. And we're
| yeering away from camp all the time. I'm
| afraid we've got to tack to the right. and
strike in the direction oil the stockade."
| No, no; come on leetle fGrder,'
pleaded Uncle Ephraim. 'ShO's Judgment
| Day dar's big house right nigh hyah."
| why, there's no fences and fields any
where in sight to show it, Uncle Ephraim," !"
said 81, peering through the many-col-
ahmed solitude.
We'll come to fences an fields bimeby
| soon," answered Uncle Ephraim, with un-
diminished confidence. rs seed lots oh
grains oh corn all along. Dey's done bin
| haulin' heaps OBJ corn outen hyah for de
prison stockade. Whar dat comes from
dar's heaps more, an sumfn else besides" !"
| Go ahead, then, for mile or two fur
| ther," said ii, with look at the position
of the sun. But if you miss your guess
| therel be a slim chance of our getting
| anything for the boys today, and Shorty'll
have the big laugh on u.s. He's sure to
| find something
"Whatd | done tell you?" exclaimed
| Uncle Ephraim, triumphantly, half-mile
| farther, as he pointed to a piece of a mule
| shoe. "Dey has mewels. Only planta>
tions has meweIs. Whar dey has mewels,
| dey has hosses, an lots OBJ t'ings. Dat
plantations right behine dat crick whar
| you see de brush growing"
| Sure enough. as they neared the dense
| thicket which indicated the course of the
| creek, the trail began to be more distinct
| and finally led to an opening in the brush
and ford. Crossing this. they came out.
| as Uncle Ephraim had predicted. upon a
plantation, with a double-pen house of
hewed logs, and mud daubing between
| the logs whitewashed, a roof of cypress
| clapboards, large chimneys of sticks and
| clay at either end of the house, and n
| wide porch in front, on which were sad
dies, brides. rakes, hoes, etc.
Don't see any signs of chickens any
| here. though, said 81, studying the
| plantation, which was much inferior TO
| an ordinary Indiana farm.
20, dey has some chickens" answered
| Uncle Ephraim, confidently. ''Dey has
| dem somewhar round. Dey's got t hab
some t purtend [ be quality, for deir Sun
day dinner an fer company, an when de
| preacher comes round Dey mus had a
| turkey or two for Chrissmus. Dey eats
bacon an collards mos OBJ de time, jes'
like de po' whites but dey has t hab some
| poultry [ be gentry. Whar dey got dem,
dy0' 'spose? Hid away from de soljers
| at de stockade, OBJ course; but whar? Not
under de bed, dis time. Deyye got tur-
| keys, an yo' can't hide turkeys under de
bed: Whar he!'
| Turkeys: What makes you so sure
they have turkeysT
"Dey's 'bleeged t hab turkeys to be
spectacle. Ebbery one-nigger planters
bleeged t hab a turkey dinner at Chriss-
| mus an quarterly meetin's, to be in So
| ciety Besides. / done seed some turkey
fedders as we come along"
Where in the world can they be?'
| echoed ST, scanning the bare fields. the
| trees about the house, the stable-yards,
and the outbuidings.
Oars an ole man gwine out froo de
field. wild a basket on his arm." solilo-
quized Uncle Ephraim, fixing his eyes on
| a moving figure i'll the distance Hes n
white man. kase he's got n gun; he's de
owner oh de place, kaze all de dogs round
dc house hab gone wild him. He amt
takin' out dat basket to gcdder hickory
| nuts. kaze he's too ole t care for dem
yanities; he's got sumfin in dat basket.
from de way hit pulls down his arm. an
| b. Iba frnp do I'D I.,.
'Taint meat dat he's totin' ober L his
ncighbOr in dat basket, kaze de dogs haint
jnmpin' an smellin' round hit Hits
sumfin' most as heavy as meat, though
I'll jes' bet side oh bacon dat he's got
corn in dat basket, an S takin' hit out t
feed de turkeys and chickens he's got hid
out in de bresh, way from de soljers. Ser
geant, jes 90 on t de house. an AK for
turkeys. Me and Gid and Alf'll git down
often our hosses. an trail dat ole man
out into de woods. II we don't bring
back some drumsticks an white meat for
de boys I'll be disappointed"
ST entered the house, and found an ell
derby lady sitting in 4 rocking chair NJ
the left of the fireplace, knitting on a long
stocking of blue yarn, probably for her
self. She mistook them for foragers from
the prison guards, and received them with
acerbity. garE
.'Hyah yo' done come agin," she re-
marked GROSSLY, "trackin' mud over my
clean floors Dinah, git the hickory broom
an sweep that mud off clean. What do
yo'uns want now? We haint got nothing