Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-07-09

wished. Tie only living beings who
did not seem in the least disturbed
were the prisoners.
AS for myself think lost my
senses several times during that dread
full night. Only rs hours before the
job of loading the revolvcrs had rob
bed me of an entire night of rest Now
l was doomed to another. l had to
tramp the muddy road to keep myself
awake. but my head dropped asleep
once IN awhile on Its own account, and
with wide open eyes belield many
strange visions in the darkness and i'm
agined many things ridiculous and i'm
possible. 1t seemed that the night new
er would end. and my gratitude was
unspeakablc when at early dawn we
were ordered to feed. mount and re.
sumo our march. tried to feel happy
when the prisoners were placed In
charge of Il new guard and my sense
Of responsibility ended. but soon /
found that sleepiness on horseback was
more dreadful than on foot. No sooner
would drop into doze than would
rouse with n start from an awful sen
sntion Of falling from my horse. Every
body was cross, particularly the smoh-
ers. for all the fires were out, and few
men carried matches
Then 1t was that our captain leaped
suddenly and securely into the affec-
lions OF his men. Passing the word
for smokers to I'LL their pipes. he tors
q long, narrow strip from his handker.
chief, moistened it the least bit, lit one
end with match lighted his own pipe
and then gave the smoldering rag to
the first sergeant, from whom it passed
down the entire troop. After the pipes
were fairly started there was no more
grumbling, except from nonsmol,ers.
How wished myself smoker!
Often when in earlier days had asked
schoolmates why they took to smoking
was told. among other excuses, that a
few whiffs of smoke would stop the
craving of hunger when a fellow
Glanced 10 he playing truunt for day
or or hunting or fishing and having too
good luck to get home at mealtime.
Well. had learned smoking. the third
day of our scout would have been a
good time to test Its remedial virtues,
for my hunger was so intense that 1t
drove everything else from my mind,
and the memory Of the bacon and hoe.
cake of the night before almost made
me scream with rage. 1t seemed to
me the government was mean, des-
OF Ia, ts,
to give me us three days ration some
food which had eaten during the first
"a hours. IL only | had brought that
lump of tut pork which had seemed so
loathsome when it was dealt me!
actually longed for that bit of adipose
tissue, longed until saw 1t on the
ground just where had tossed 1t, saw
1t us distinctly as II 1t were really be-
fore my eyes.
Really, when we halted about noon
my hunger had made me mean spirited
enough to go deliberately in search of
my friendly enemy who owned the ba.
con and frying pan. Fortunately for the
poor fellow. he was eating his last bit of
food apparently. for his haversack was
inside out and lying by the fire to dry.
He recognized me. and as the guard al
lowed me to speak to him he said:
ut seems too bad to waste the little
fat that's left in the skillet, don't it?
Wonder eff thar amt an ear of corn in
that field that we could roast?"
'It's all too hard" said |, shaking my
head sadly as remembered my search
Of the day before.
'aThe harder the better" said he.
l never was more willing TO be con.
WINGED. In single minute was back
from the field with several ears. The
| Johnny selected the hardest, shelled it
In his pan. shook 1t n little while before
he put it over the fire. then parched II
until 1t was deep brown and poured
t upon the top of his hat to cool. Not
1 bit Of the bacon fat remained In the
pan, but each grain of corn was us
glossy us II vanished.
THAR" said he, after u moment or
two, as he poured full half of the
corn into u big husk and passed it to
me. "Just hist yerself outside that
| 1A oSS "a yoo WASH nlOAS lnluhilI
the corn. too hard.'
Bless that rebel! do believe that
parched corn saved my life. resolved
never to go on scout again without a
little frying pan in one of my saddle
bags and u lot of shelled corn In the
other. But what was half an ear of
corn to a raging hunger like mine? 1t
was too late to parch more, for the call
to mount had sounded. AS hurried
down the road to rejoin my company
l met veteran of the older troop on
which l had been billeted when first
reached the regimental camp, and he
hailed me kindly with:
well. young Teller, how does scout
ing agree with you?"
"Well enough" replied. "if wasn't
| almost starving"
ut always strikes greenhorns that
way" he replied. Nov. amt bit
sharp set. Say. mebbe piece of pork
would help you out. Here"
He handed me what looked like u
dirty wad of wet newspaper, in which
found about half pound of pork. 1t
was solid fat, dingy looking, and on
one side, where the paper Ind lain
closely against it, several advertise
ments had transferred themselves in
reverse, with the general head Help
Wanted" ut the top of them. The
words We're eminently appropriate, so
didn't scrape them off. but ate pork,
advertisements and all.
About the middle of the afternoon a
general buzz of satisfaction ran along
the column. We We're passing one Of
our picket stations, which meant that
we were within an hour or two of our
camp. When finally the march was
ended, my horse was SO glad to get
into his stall and be relieved of bride
saddle and blanket that he gleefully