Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-06-18

purchased others as much like them
as possible of the regimental sutler or
storekeeper. and they wore them con-
tinually. One evening after our tentful
had enjoyed private supper Of fricas-
seed goose. purchased from colored
woman, we all lay down peaceably to
sleep. Whether the geese-there were
two Of them-were underdone or too
rich for men whose ordinary supper
was dry bread and sauce Of dried ap-
pies don't know. but some of us were
affected In our dreams very much like
small children after Christmas dinner
and unlimited candy. How the trouble
began ! do not know. but awoke
from a dream OF being heavily shackled
! In a rebel dungeon to find terrible
uprOar and struggle going on in the
tent. which was as black as Egypt dur.
ing the plague Of darkness. TO make
matters worse. the most serious part
Of my dream seemed still In operation,
for could not liberate my feet when
| tried to crawl away from the center.
What blanked cuss has been tying
our feet together?" roared one man.
LET 60 of my blanket" shouted an
other. "or I'll break your head"
You're q nice one to talk" said q
third, when it's you that's making all
the trouble"
Meanwhile l, who had just awoke
and didn't know anything about the
difficulty. was being dragged one way
and another by my feet. so l raised my
own voice and complained Of unfair
treatment.
The din awoke the first sergeant, one
Of the only two noncommissioned off,
GERS yet appointed for our company,
and he opened the tent flap and roared:
Keep quiet here or III send you all
to the guardhouse!"
I'D be greatly obliged. sergeant"
said Brainard plaintively. "if you'd
send me there right away. If only to
get out Of this frightful snarl."
"Strike light" said the sergeant.
Hamilton. who always carried match
es. scratched one and lighted the can.
die. which was In q socket on the tent
pole; then, as struggled to a sitting
posture, beheld an odd spectacle.
Nearly all the men in the tent seemed
bound together by the feet by blankets
or held down by blankets stretched
tightly across their legs. After each
man had investigated for himself lit.
tie while it appeared that the men
with Mexican spurs. like all the others.
had been tossing uneasily in their sleep,
all on account Of the goose supper. and
had worked the point Of their spurs
through the blankets over their feet.
AS the blankets greatly overlapped one
another ut the center, spur as often
as not had contracted an entangllng al
lance with some other fellows blan.
ket. and the harder the wearer tried In
his sleep to free himself. tossing and
straining. the worse became the mis-
cry.
"Unloose yourselves" said the SER
geant.
"Unloose thunderw shouted big ex'
drayman from New York. "You can't
unlooSp tie till you find the end, and
the ends Of these blankets Is all inside
somewhere"
"Re iabers." grunted an lrishman.
II behave some spalpren has stole the
indS and TUX 'em away"
We picked and pulled and tugged and
lost our temprrs. and the few men who
weren't in the tangle drew out Of the
crowd and laughed and jcered. Final
Iy one desperate man drew his pocket
knife and began to cut himself loose.
The others followed his example. and
after five minutes of hard work we
were free. with an immense heap OF
.woolen rags in the center Of the tent
and a hard tuft on each spur to tell
how the wretchcdncss began.
NO spurs in bed hereafter" said the
captain. who had come over to see the
fun and was nearly choking in an ef'
fort TO keep down his laughter and his
dignity. 1t took an hour Of time next
day TO get the fragments Of blanket
from my spur wheels. and ! wasn't
helped by the fellows who sat around
and said was to blame for the whole
row. for no one would have bought
those Internal spurs II hadn't set the
example.