The National tribune., 1901-04-25

I
| Dignitaries.
| What in the world have the Johnnie
been trying to do to you, Shortly" asked
Shad, as the former came up, and they al
stood for moment looking at the grea
heap of glowing timbers. Did they thinl
| OF serving you up on toast?"
-, something of that kind" answered
Shorty. They've been having Yankees il
every other way until they're plum sicl
or them, and so they concluded they'd tr,
how they'd go barbecued. But they botcheC
the job, as they usually do everything"
Il rather leaned toward the Universal
lists before the war began" said Shad saw
ageiy. But if there isn't hell already
there ought to be one incorporated anC
chartered at once for fellows who'd worl
trick like that. And it oughtn't to bt
a one-rInged circus, about the size OF
Rhode Island or Delaware, but about q:
big as Texas, SOS to hold the whole South
ern Confederacy."
~, We don't owe them nothing, except
for their intentions" answered Shorty
with shrug. ''They didn't bother us any
were ahead of them on the game at least
one Colonel and Captain, and they had
same, were anxious to come up with tbs
Jef Davis Dragons again, and have the
play out"
We'll, we've had pretty fair luck so faI
IN Georgy in coming up with gents we
had grudge against" said 81 grimly
and l hope it'll continue"
Boys" commanded Shad to his men,
"a couple of you go back to the wagons
and get pick and shovel, and make q
road to get down here under the cliff The
rest OF you work down there to the creek
DIP your brush in the water, and beat out
the FIRE till we can get into the cave
easily"
Wb;Io .h;r ,,-o,, ..o;,,.- - TT,
who had, since joining the army, managed
to secure himself a complete uniform, ex-
hlbited himself, gun in hand, and cart
rldge-box and belts on, to the assembled
negroes across the creek. Perched on a
rock at the waters edge in easy conversa-
tional distance, he gave thrilling account
Of the sanguinary fight before the retreat
Of rebels slaughtered, and the particularly
painful death of those who fell before his
own murderous aim.
Next to ghosts and other superstitions
there is nothing that a negro likes SO well
to talk about as bloodshed.
Il done tells yO'," he said, "dar wuz jes'
a milyun OBJ dem-ob 10 Wheeler's cav
airy. Dey stretch clean from Atlanty t
Kingdom come, wild more comm from eb-
berry whichway. De whole country looked
rusty wild dem"
Didn't dat skeer you plum t deff?"
inquired Simeon.
Hit sho'ly would've, If 1 hadn't "a bin
wild Sarjint Klegg an Corpril Elliott.
Dey's de mos wonderful men alibe. Dey's
more dan men. Dey's got gif', lack dem
ole 'postles. Dey's not feared OBJ muffin.
Why, dey'd go right inter do lions den,
lack ole Daniel. an biff aside OBJ de head
any lion dat dar git he back up. De same
way wild de harnts an sperits. Dey go
right round whole nest OBJ harnts an
ghosts an pay no more 'tenshun { dem
dan yo' would t settin' hen. De sperits
Is afeared OBJ DEM"
"Dey'd orter be-" said Col. Hanson's
Sim. "Dey'uns come straight from de
Lawd, an Fadder Abraham"
why, back der in dat cave" continued
Uncle Ephraim, warming up with his
story, ''de harnts is plentier'n swallers in
a chimbly. OATS de bigges', awfullest
cave In de world. Why, hits bigger down
dar dan hit is all out-ob-doors, round
hyah. Why, hit must be de place whar
de giants libbed afore de food, an whar
dey went when dey sassed Noah, an done
tole him t go long wild his ole ark, hit
warn't a-gwine t be much of a rain, no.
how. Yo' see de bones dar OBJ men 10 feet
high, wild skulls as big as bee-gums. Dars
ghostses dar tall as hay y-stack, all in deir
white grave-clothes. Sarjint Klegg says
dey're muffin but tall white rocks, but
knows better. Dey's only white rocks
when Sarjint Klegg looks at dem, fer den
dey've got L be. lie makes dem mind.
But when dey cotches me alone, an he ain
lookin', den dey's sho'-nuff ghosts, an ar
ter dis Niger. Yo' hear de flutter OBJ deir
wings back dar in de dark, an yo' see
dem peakin' out OBJ de corners an cram
nies, watchin' yo' wild eyes like sparks oh
fires"
"Yas, yas." shuddered Sim and the rest.
"Weuns've done seed dem, an heared dem
in de caves ober by de swamp, an in de
graveyards, an behine de meetin' houses
OBJ dark nights. when de wind wuz a-bIow-
in, an de rain comm down"
mo, Sim. yo' nebber seed muffin lack
desc said Uncle Ephraim, sharply, jeal-
Gus of the Incompatible superiority of his
cave and its horrors over anything within
tie knowledge of his auditors. "All de
caves dat yo' common niggers hab seed
amt a knot-hole L dis one. an de ghostses
amt chipmunk 'longside OBJ a painter
T'ink OBJ ghostses as big as an ole syca-
more, OBJ men 10 feet high. But Sarjint
Ksegg an Corpril Elliott an de rest keer
no more fer dem dan if dey wuz corn
stalks. Dey say dat all dat futterin' wuz
only bats, when l knows"-
"Tell US bout de fout, Eph," broke In
Simeon.
"My names Mr.. Ephraim Klegg. sah,"
said Uncle Ephraim, with dignity. "Host-
ler to headquarters. 200th Injianny Vol
unteer Infantry. Yo'll please dress me
dat away"
"Whew! What long tail our ole cats
done got" said Simeon. well, Mistah
Ephum Clag, boss hOstler, please tell We
uns bout de fout."
''Well, as | wuz a-done tellin', de John
MES wuZ a-comin"-
"De Johnnies? Who's de Johnnies?"
'De rebel cavalry-Jo Wheeler's men,
you fool. Don't yo' know deir right name7
Well, de Johnnics WIZ out dar by de mil
yum, an more a-comin on ebbery road an
weuns thought we jes' lay low, an -
'We'uns? Who'd 'yo' mean by we
'uns?"
me an Sarjint Klegg, an Corpril FL
lott, an de rest"
"Jes' see dat sassy nigger putin him
self up 'mong white foIkses," CALCULATED
someone, who evidently did not hold Uncle
Ephraim in high esteem.
"Shet dat punkin haid of you'n, afore I
come right ober dar an bust hit wide
open," answered Uncle Ephraim, savage
". Free cullud pussons like Inc kin go
wild white folks, but low-down slave mig
gers lack 20 mus keep deir distance"
''Shet up, Hoss- s-head," said Simeon au-
Go head wild yer story,
Mistah Ephum. Don't mind dat wufiess
Hanson niger. Yo' done frowed him ont
% church once fer raisin' fuss an 'rupt;;
IN de mo'ners, an he's nebber liked yo'
sence. Go head"
las l wuz sayin' when dat yam-spiler
rupted me-" continued Uncle Ephraim,
'we'uns 'cluded we'd lay low an let dey-
uns 90 on wild DER 'possum- hunt. But
jes' den Jim Hobcaw an Wills. Dunnell
sneaked way from ey'uns, de Cap'n sont
old bottle nose Glasscock an free udders
arter dem, an dey wuz runnin' right on
I.