The National tribune., 1903-07-30

"Well. Steward, why are you here YETI"
asked the Captain. l explained, and stated
my intention of not crossing.
I'm very sorry, but my orders are to
make everybody cross. You will have to
go in said the Captain.
Was | excited? Afraid? Not bit. !
was just as cool as | am while writing
this. / headed my mule for the water;
that was all the creature wanted, for were
not his fellow mules over there already
So in he went with Il joyful nonchalant,
business air, that inspired his master with
hope. In he went, deeper and deeper, and
presently he was swimming. | had never
swan a horse or mule before. but.
though / stayed in the saddle. | had sense
| enough TO let him be the sole master of
the ship, and before / could have counted
40 he was on his feet again; and if ever
mule said with his eyes that's no trick, .
he said it. Was / grateful? Well, | was,
for the moment. | think the philosopher
was little over cynical when he defined
gratitude TO be "a lively sense of benefits
to come;" yet, it is indisi:u:able that the
benefactor's ability to confer still more
benefits adds TO ones sense of gratitude.
And there were still more rivers to cross.
That night as the patient animal car
rIed me up mountain and down mountain
(as he did the following seven days and
-
but found myself persona non grata with
| the muse; for what can be expected from
Il brain without sleep, a body without rest,
and n stomach without food? So / was
fain to compromise by taking just one lit
| tie liberty with the poet, with this result:
"The mule S a creature of such horrid
mien,
That to be hated needs but to be seen;
But often seen, familiar with his face.
We first endure, then pity, then embrace" "
WITHIN THE UNION LINES.
We had left New Creek, on the B. &
o. X. r., on Dec. s, and reentered God $
country at Beverly at 4 p. m. on Christ
mas Day. During these 20 days we had
marched. ridden, and swan 100 miles; had
destroyed the most important railroad OF
the Confederacy for a length Of 13 miles
and inflicted heavy losses by the burning
of bridges and supplies; had been eight
days and nights constantly in the saddle,
the last five days and nights without Il
| morsel of food had swan the Jackson
River, with its drift ice, seven times in a
hours; most of the officers and men had
their feet more or less frozen, yet all had
to foot it during 4S hours because a rain,
followed by cold, had made the roads too
slippery to ride, and during that time de-
tails of soldiers, many of them with
frosted feet, had to drag along the six
guns and caissons. The General himself
had to march, with feet swathed in
| buffalo robe. We lost but few men, but
| of the $500 horses, only about 100 came
back from their brief visit Ia Dixie Land
A starved and wornout, but proud lot
we were when we entered Beverly, w.
Va, at p. m. Oh Christmas Day-just
| in time to clean up everything left from
| Christmas dinner. The stanch Union
| people of the little mountain town. among
| whom we had been quartered but a short
time before, had turned out en- masse to
greet us as heroes. The General, behind
whom | sat, halted in the middle of the
place, and, with kindling eye l was search
ing for q 17-year-old school marin, with
slight form, blue eyes, and yellow hair
who had been interchangeable in her visits
to the wounded, always loaded down with
home delicacies for their benefit, for the
| Union with heart, soul and body-and she
had just begun to blush whenever we met
at the end of our brief acquaintance. Oh
bitter, bitter memory, before ! caught
sight of her my mule, who smelled home
fodder, and rest. broke into that paeon OF
| JOY peculiar to his race, and | felt like a
hero no longer. Tell it not in Gath, pub,
lish it not in Bethsheba; / let my clinched
fist descend upon the faithful creatures
sensitive ear. That was my leave tax.
| ing