The National tribune., 1901-01-31

( that pulled me out of the creek at Shiloh.
Just like Dingbat. West Point never
turned out a bigger fool, which is saying
great deal. He is dead-letter perfect on
regulations and red-tape, has a medal for
knowledge of his own Importance, but as
to ignorance of everything else he would
win two heats out of three in race with
the Aztec children. Why, he'd starve a
regiment to death rather than issue rations
on q requisition that didn't have every Il
dotted and - crossed. He spends most
of his time writing letters to the General.
protesting against the irregular way in
which everybody, Generals and all, insist
on doing business with him. Captain Ito
the Provost officer, you can leave these
men and cattle with me. I'll be respon-
/ sible for Them"
Say, boys" continued Dayton, famil-
iarly, Tets tell short stories, for I've a
heap to do today. Tomorrow the great
movement begins, and we'll cut loose from
here for God knows where-may-be Rich
mond, maybe Augusta and Charleston,
maybe Pensacola, maybe some other
spot in this God-forsaken Southern Con-
federacy. All that know is that wen
make Secessia yowl wherever we go. I've
got an idea. I'm going to send you over
with a note to Col. Amos Beckvith, the
Commissary- General, who'll he tickled to
death to see you. He's been having a pile
of trouble getting his cattle through, and
/ he IL Use up anu Cdll you DltSSeu, lOE nav
! ing more than your quota. l don't
know any worse dig that can give Ding
bat than to have you tell your story to
/ Beckwith. Beckwith is Dingbat's direct
/ superior. He's West Pointer and regu-
| lar, but he's been in the army since the
! year /, and the Indians and the rebels
have pounded whole heap of hard sense
into his Vermont Yankee head. I'd like
to be there when he calls up Dingbat."
| Col Beckwith, a strOng-faced. capable
looking man of about 40, remarked pleas
antly, after reading Col Dayton's note
and listening to Shad's story:
I'm as glad to see you as the flowers
in the Spring. You've done a good piece
of work, and I shall make it the subject
of a special report to Gen Sherman. I've
got a friend, nervous, conscientious Of
ficer, who's worrying himself sick over a
shortage in his drove. He's afraid he'll
lose his home, and have his wife and chill
dren turned cut without a shelter, because
of his deficiency. Your bunch will fit in
| snugly, and make him whole"
Take them and welcome" said Shad
with great earnestnesS. Take them, right
away. l don't want to see another steer
as long as l live"
You can't take 'em too quick for me-
echoed 81.
Where's your man?' inquired Shorty,
enthusiastically. LET me see the man
|
of cattle. | don't want to lose minute
in making his acquaintance, and I'll beg
him for his ambrotype, to keep as friend
in my hour of need. Where is he? Let
me look at once on his blessed counte-
nance"
The Colonel smiled, and said:
''I'll send at once for him. Your men
must be hungry, Liuetenant. Take them
right over by that old house and go into
camp for tonight. You'll find plenty of
wood and water there, and I'll have all
the rations issued that you can eat and
carry away. For once, you needn't stint
yourselves. I've lot I've got to get rid
Of BY the way, Lieutenant, 1 need very
much a few good men such as you've
shown yourselves to be to be permanently
attached to my headquarters during this
movement. / must have them. I'm going
to apply to have you detailed"
Not on your life" yelled Shorty. mo
more details for us. We're for peace and
quietness. We're going as straight as we
can go back to the 200th Injianny Volun-
teer Infantry, and stay there"
THANK you very much for the honor
Colonel" said Shad But l think that
we've been away from our regiments for
n long time, and prefer to so back to them
at once"
Preference doesn't play much part in
the army" said the Colonel, quietly. 1T
is not what man would rather do, but
what he ought to do, and where he will be
of best service, and that must be usually
determined by somebody else than himself
But take your men over there and put
them into camp. Think it over during the
night, and I'll talk with you about it again
in the morning"
Not since the boys had left Deacon
Klegg's well-provided house had they had
such feast as that night. Not only Com
missary supplies, but sutler goods, had to
be sacrificed to the memorable question
Of transportation, and there was not only
an abundance of the finest sugar-cured
hams to go with their fresh beef, but
there was all they could eat of canned
peaches and tomatoes, desiccated vegeta-
bles, condensed milk, cove oysters, sar-
dimes, and similar expensive camp dain- |
ties.
AS soon as they had had leisure to think
81 and Shorty had begun to worry about |
Pete and Sandy. They could not recall |
having seen the boys since they broke |
camp on the morning of that eventful day. |
The boys, not seeing any probable need |
of their services, had quietly slipped away |
after breakfast, while the cattle were be- |