Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1902-06-26

| wondered what the people in the
north would think about such treat
ment of tie colored people, for whose
benefit some of them seemed to think
the war was conducted, but my
thoughts were interrupted by the
sound of Il bugle.
"Take de res along, honey" said the
old woman. "an' here she locked un-
der the floor again-"hyah's some yams
[sweet potatoesI Tuck 'em in yo'
pockets an roas' 'em in de hot ashes
when yo' gifts hungry"
| hurried away with profuse thanks,
a full stomach and an entire willing
ness to face. single handed, the whole
southern army in battle array. Many
months later, when had some soldiers
under my own command, | gave more
attention to the cookhouse than to my
other duties combined. And how CRATE
full were the smiles which Brainard,
Hamilton and Cloyne gave me when
divided my surplus hoecake among
them! Brainard said that bit of hoe
cake saved his life, SO had done the
government as great a service as If |
had brought a new soldier into the
field.
Again we started, and as we rode the
captain and lieutenants looked fire.
quently at the horses heads to see that
curb bits were not chained too tight
or hanging too high or too low and
that the horses were not worried by be-
ing ridden with too tight reins. Most of
the recruits wanted to make their
horses arch their necks like soldiers
horses III statues and military pictures,
and when the captain made them stop
they muttcrcd that war wasn't much
fun. Big Pat Callahan said that q SOL
dier was not only a dog, but he was
expected to let his horse be a PIN,
which proved that the government was
a condemned fool and deserved to be
wiped out by the rebels. He did not
get much sympathy from Mick Nc
Twyny, for Mick was trying to carry
the dignity of his new office, and it was
such heavy contract that he had no
mind for anything else. His recruits,
however, agreed fully with big Pat Cal
lahan and cursed the government flu
emily, and the captain didn't reprove
them, which seemed to me gross neg
lect of duty.
We rode nearly all day, but nobody
could tell us where we were or what
we were expected to do or when we
would do it, all Of which, when pro-
lOnged for hours, began to be enraging
in the extreme When we halted at
noon to feed the horses, | complained
TO Cloyne that if we never were to
know what we were to do we might as
well be so many machines.
THAT'S just what we're expected to
be-" said he, 'and the sooner you real
ize it and live up to it the sooner you'll
be trustworthy soldier"
This was depressing. 1t was simply
awful. Could there be no way Of re-
lease for a mind which could not help
working? l asked Cloyne how high in
rank a soldier must be to do some
thinking for the government, and he re-
piled:
General in chief of the army, as a
rule, though before you've been long In
the cavalry service you'll have an oc-
casiOnal chance to use all the brains
you own and wish for another headfuI
to help you through"
This was encouraging for a little
while, and then it wasn't. During the
day l found something besides the
conduct of the war to think of. The
dust raised by more than thousand
horses in front our company being
next to the last in column, was blind
ing and choking, besides getting inside
my clothing and making me feel un-
speakably dirty. How wished | might
take in rapid succession all the baths
7 had with great effort avoided when |