The National tribune., 1901-01-10
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Copyrighted, 1899, By the publishers OF THE NATIONAL
TRIBUNE.
A Few Days Experience with Gentle, Low.
ing Kline"


would have absolutely none of it.
Shorty, as usual, after his first burst of
| temper, and cursing By name everybody in
the army, from Gen. Sherman down, had
accepted the situation, and energeticaily
| set about making the best of it.
But Shad was grieved to the heart by
the downfall of his expectations of some
special service of thrilling Importance, and
| sulkily refused to take the least interest
in the herd, or in getting it on to its desti-
nation. Possibly his association with the
| Engineers had something to do with his
| aversion.
Il know somebody's got to do the Com
missary act, and it's very necessary he
said in reply to Sis remonstrances, but
| let it be those fellows whose minds run
| to meats and groceries. 1t amt in my
| line. III dig bitches and make roads and
build bridges, and do all that sort of druid
gerry just as hard as anybody, but | SIM
| ply won't associate with cattle and hogs
on any terms. 1t used to break my heart
to have to~bring up the COW to milk, and
| I've been whipped oftener about it than
| anything else. III go along with you, be-
cause that's now the best way to get to
the army, but Ill only be passenger. You
| take charge of the whole outfit. You I'M
| derstaBd cattle and know how to manage
| them. You take command. Ill be reSpon-
sible for all you do, so you see I'm not
Sinking my share"
AS was habitual with ST, when he saw
| he had to do thing, he went at 1t with all
! his might and cheerfully.
Its all right, boys he called out
| blithely. Its only a two or three days
| march to our regiments at Atlanta, n sort
of pleasant promenade, and we'll have
the cattle for company. L always liked to
drive cattle when | was at home. They're
| so quiet and steady going that they're no
bother at all, like hogs and sheep, who're
| always cutting up didoes. Jake, dcploy
| out few of your men OH both sides of the
| road there, and keep the cattle together
| as they come across the crick, and me and
| Shorty will count EN-. Monty, you and
Harry take distance down the road there,
one on each side, and count, too, so that
| there won't be no mistake. Alf, Gid,
| Sandy and Pete, you go down across the
crick and skirmish round and help hustle
the beasts over. The rest of you boys go
over and hide behind those cedars there,
SOS as not to, scare the cattle by showing
| too big crowd. Keep hid till they've
passed. It's easy enough driving stock if
you only go about it right. It's all in the
knack"
They could hear the locomotive whistle
sounding impatiently for the men to come
aboard.
Hurry up, Lieutenant" said Lieut.. Err
mentrout They're calling loud for me-"
Hurry up, yourself said 81. Were
ready to take yonr cattle as soon rs you
pass them over the crick to us. Start EN-
over"
Here, rush those beasts along What's
the matter with you?" yelled the Lieuten-
ant back to his men.
I'VE can't They won't bulge. They're
skeered o something over there" yelled
back the men.
Put the gads to EN- Make em come"
yelled the Lieutenant
1--WE have, and it don't do no good"
shouted the men back. We've nearly lick
ed the hides often some and it only seems
to make 'em worse. They seem to smell
something. Must be something dead over
there"
Nothing dead around here but my am
bition," remarked Shad, saturninely.
That oughtnt to scare them"
mo, there's nothing dead around here"
answered the Lieutenant Its probably
the only place in Northern Georgia where
there amt Lick old 10 Wheeler there,
across the ford, and the rest'll follow"
I'VE call that lead steer, with the bell
on, 10 Wheeler" explained Lieut.. Ermen-
trout because he's such a runner, and he
always runs faster when he comes near
infantry"
We've tried it, and it don't do no
good" they yelled back. HE just runs
round and round, and hides in the brush.
He must smell something"
''Singularly delicate nose, that, for any
one around this army" commented Shad.
Cant have been long in the service"
'Mebbe he smells that meat | mashed
up at the station" remarked Shorty, with
returning good hnmor. Possibly it was
the remains OF loved relative"
Its likely the smell and sight o. so
many strangers, suggested the more prac-
tical 81. Here, you fellers, up there;
move down below the road and get to lee
ward. You're not bunch o roses, nohow,
after being cooped up on that steamboat
and the cars"
Still the cattle grew momentarly more
fractions and unruly. The drivers would
lash them down to the edge of the creek,
when they would snort, throw up their
tails and dash back through the brush.
The whistles from the engine became
more imperative. Say, send some of
your men across the creek there to help
mine get the drove across" begged the
Lieutenant. I'm afraid thy won't wait
for me on that train, and it's the last
chance I'll have. L must get back"
Scarcely" said Shad, who saw an op-
portunity Of eyading the duty. your bust
ness is to deliver the cattle to us this side
the creek. We've no orders to go over
there after them. We were simply to
march up the bank of the creek and wait
there. If you want us to drive your cattle
y
going after them. They'll be trouble
enough after we get them. We amt going
around hunting for trouble"
The Lieutenant sat on his horse and
watched the growing commotion in his
herd with deep distress depicted on his
face. Il must get back on that train," he
said TO ri and Shorty. I've been in the
field now since the very first and never
asked for fprlough till now. My mother
is not in good health, and there's no tell
ing how long she'll live. I'd like to see her
once MORE
TOO bad, but most OF us have mothers
that we'd like to see,' remarked 81. but
with a touch of sympathy in his voice.
But they'll have to wait until the cam
paign is over"
"Besides,' continued the Lieutenant.
his face growing SO red that it showed
through the tan, I'm engaged to be mar
ried to a girl who's waited for me ever
since | first enlisted, in 1861. | hate to
ask her to wait any longer. Besides. II
amt safe. There's a widower with big
farm after her, and her father and mother
favor him." al
You go right over there and take that
train," said 81 decidedly. Wen look |
after your cattle"
THAT we WILL echoed Shorty. with |
even more decision. Get back home as |
quick as you can, if there's a rich widower
after your girl Don't lose a minute |
Wouldn't trust a widOwer Jars Won couId |
sling an OK by the tail"
You give me your word of honor that |
there's 500 cattle over there!' asked 81 as
final precaution.
Il give you my solemn word of honor