The National tribune., 1902-03-20
The Boys Occupy the Rebel Camp on Sandy
Hill, and Find Good Dinner and Some
Other Things

llllIe cue HluSl DC NdSIti u Shil anu
bone
With that load OF shot in him. too, and
Alf with ms wounded arm sad 81, self
reproachfully. I'VE should've bin look
ing after them better"
That's so," answered Shorty. I'VE
ought to look out for them at once, before
we do anything else, and get EN- to the
Surgeons. | wonder where they are |
lost sight of Pete after | took him back
under the bank. | had good deal else
to think about just then"
Il saw them both after that, shooting
away as lively as anybody. ALI had a
white cloth about his arm. He mustye
got his wound tied up
Lets look around for EN-. Mebbe
they've gone back to the Surgeon of the
1st Oshkosh. on the hill there. Thatd
be the sensible thing for 'em to do"
! That's the very reason why we
shouldn't expect it of en- answered 81.
Say. has any of yOu boys seen anything
of Pete and Alf lately?"
'Say, Sergeant, and boys. come right
up here shouted Pete, running down to-
ward them, and brandishing a luscious
spare-rib from which he was gnawing.
Here's bully dinner, all ready. Enough
for all of us. The rebels had to go off
and leave it when we jumped EN-. Hur-
ry up, before them greedy Oshkoshers
find it."
They needed no further urging for a
rush in the direction Pete indicated.
There they found layout that filed
their hungry souls with joy. The rebel
Commissary agents had not failed to lib
orally provide for themselves and they
were looking forward to sumptuous
meal, when their imperious commander
called them away to help in repelling the
Yankees.
They had had a wagon with them, we'll
. lnnIpI with bnIIIinU opnl-inC IrtnuGilS md
provisions. They had made a very com
Portable camp in the midst of a cedar
grove, with some shelters, constructed of
boughs and blankets and bits of tents,
| and had fine large campfire, by which
| their dinner was cooked as well as it
could have been done at home. In ket-
| ties hanging from poles We're savory
messes Of turnips, sweet potatoes, col
lards and vans, boiling with beef, bacon
/ and chickens.
''Yuni-yum-yumr' remarked Shorty.
lifting one Of thc lids, and regaling eyes
and nose with the contents, "and some
folks pretend TO say that the Lord isn't
ON the side of the Yankees That's rank
! blasnhemy, / say"
! But before he would eat he would look
after Pete r-#
'Pete, come hrre,'' he called "Let me
see how bad you're hurt
Wasn't hurt at all" responded Pete.
munching away on his spare-ribs and
| corn-pone He was as contemDtuous as
| boy always is of bodily injuries. "Only
| had the wind knocked out of me. All the
| shot stopped right at my hide. But if
| that feller'd "a liunchcd his gun forward
n foot they'd a went right through me-
| always hunch my gun when fire shot
gun
Shorty stripned the boy and examined
him. though Pete did not suffer the pro-
cess to stop his eating.
The thick. wet clothing had been a very
fair protection against the shot, most of
which had only broken the skin. Two or
three had barely gone in far enough to
bury themselves, and We're easily picked
out
"If that feller'd only hunched his gun"
repeated Pete looking down cOmpOsedly
at the pittcd front, "it'd "a bin all day
with me-"
81 examined the wound made by the
sduirrel-rifie through Alf Russell'S arm.
The blood was quickly stanched, and it
was apparently causing Alf no more in
convenience than briar scratch would
have. ST wanted him to 90 back to the
Surgeon, but Alf would not hear of it.
They pulled off their wet clothes, and
hung them up around the fire TO dry, took
off their shoes and stockings, got rid of
as much of the mud as possible and
placed them where the heat would
reach them, and wrapping themselves in
their overcoats, sat down with their bare
feet to the fire TO enjoy their meal.
One of the joys of army life is that
every little while you are getting what |
YOU think is the best dinner cooked for |
mortal man. Though the boys thought |
they had reached the acme of luxurious |
living a week or two before, in Savannah |
the memory of that paled before the en-
iOyment of this unexpected feast after Il |
d1u pF aNyfuI u-nrl, and fiubfinO Tbay |
had had a surfeit of good things at Sa- |
vannah; now they had been exceedingly |
hungry, and had suddenly come upon a |
supply of substantial food, cooked i'll the |
most inviting way for healthy young ap- |
Dctites.
\ Kings feast, prepared by skilled |
chefs, for plumed and belted mobiles, could |
never have given the keen pleasure felt |
by those 10 boys, after all their dangers |
and hardships, as they sat around the |
comfortable fire, toasting their bare feet,
and filling themselves to the limit of their
stomachs with the homely viands Of the
Southern Confederacy.
Somehow, my appetite's failing"
Shorty remarked, as, after eating as much
as two farm-hands ought to consume, he
picked over some bones leisurely. Half
an-hour ago l really felt very hungry"
81 take back all I've said about rebel
cooking" remarked 81, languidly sOpping
UP iItSH pun Siahs, WIN a piSIe
of hot corn pone. 'The women'd usually
spile the best grub that ever growed, but
the man that cooked this meal is q robin
redbreast, tell you. There's not many
places outside of Posey County, Injianny,
i'll which he could be beat"
'I'm very glad you like it. gentlemen.
I did not cook it for you, but you are none
the less welcome to it" said n white man
of about 22 or 23, appearing from the ce-
dars in rear of the fire. He was neatly
dressed in hOmespun butternut, unarmed,
and spoke quietly and gentlcmany.
"Are there any more of you out there2"
asked 81, looking around for his gun
mo" answered the newcomer tranquil
ly. I'm alone. AS the prophet would
say, I'm the sole pelican in this wilder
ness-that is, the only pelican of my
kind. I'm the only man wearing these
vestments of perdition this side of Moe
casin Greek. I'm here with you, because
want to be- I've been trying to get TO
the Yankees ever since Louisiana seced-
ed but the Lord seemed to think that my
spirit needed further Christening in the
house of bondage. and this is the first
real good opportunity that He has showed
me"
The man was so gentle so self-com-
posed, and apparently so intelligent, that
they all looked at him with curiosity.
"Where's your gun?' Si asked, as
matter of soldierly routine, of prisoner.