The National tribune., 1904-09-01

found him-with his fingers in the straps
of the boot which he had drawn halfway
on one foot, with leg bent, arms reaching
and fingers still tightly clasping the boot
straps. He had tumbled backward with
the half-booted foot sticking up in the
air, and as he lay thus with staring eyes
and open mouth, some grim joker had
given the CHASTITY tableau a ludicrous as
pect by sticking the corner of a bareback
in the dead rebels open mouth.
Truly the poor fellow had needed a
new set of foot gear, for alongside of
him lay badly WORKOUT pair of old shoes
that he had just cast off in order to fit
himself out with new pair of boots; but
just as he had got one about half way on,
one of our Indians, Jim Rattlingourd (who
was sitting there on the box of bareback,
unconcernedly crunching a cracker as he
told me about it). suddenly came around
the hind end of the wagon, and without
even saying, Drop that boot" up with
his rife and let the rebel have it.
AS the tongue had been broken out
OF this wagon, the teamster had ridden
away on his saddle-mule to get help, af-
ter tying the other mules to the wagon
wheels, and had left Jim Rattlingourd in
charge of the outfit till he could bring back
the necessary assistance to repair the
wagon and bring it in to Gibson.
When Jim finished telling me about kill
ing the rebel, he looked at his late enemy
and remarked indifferently,
Amt he got tarrapin grip on that
boot, though? Reckon he thought he'd
take it TO the devil with him. But l
'spect he'll find it warm 'nough to 90 bare
footed down thar"
1t is singular fact, that / noticed other
instances of during the war, that men
who are killed instantly will often retain,
after death, the exact position in which
the grim messenger found them.
By-and-by the skinner got back accom-
panied by his boss, with another team
bringing an extra wagon tongue, with
which we soon replaced the broken one,
and the team was again strung out as good
as ever.
AS we reloaded the broken boxes and
old tongue into the wagon, / asked jim
Rattlingourd if he wanted to take his
rebel friend along?
Nav he answered with disgusted
look at the corpse. THain't got no fur
place for - rebel. Kiotes'll take him
in purity soon. But he can't have that
boot" So saying he wrenched it away
from the dead man and tossed it into the
wagon.
We soon had all the disabled wagons
rghted and repaired, and moved on into
Fort Gibson, reaching there about noon.
UNDERSIGNED sLURs AT TRANSFERS.
Writers Of war articles sometimes throw
undersigned slurs at Transfers for show
ing a tendency to get to the rear when
their outfits were attacked or threatened
When the different status Of the SOL
dier and teamster is compared it will be
readily seen how unjust these reflections
on the skinner are.
A soldier, on going into action, is pre-
pared to either fight or run: a teamster,
encountered by a wagon and six mules,
can not well do either. If he had all the
arms and cartridges he could carry, he
could not we'll make use Of them at such
time, for the team demands his whole
attention. Moreover, fighting is the sol
dler's business. but not the transfers.
He generally does what he is there for
| takes care of his team. and takes it to
place of safety, or tries to, when danger
threa tens.
My experience in these matters con-
vinces me that the mule skinner will aver
| age as well in pluck as the soldier. Hav-
ing myself served five years as soldier
and several years as teamster and wagon
master, l think l ought TO be a fairly
competent judge of the relative merits
and faults of each class. The two men
are generally made of about the same ma
| terial, but the difference in their duties
and responsibilities renders necessary a
different course of action in the face of
danger. | have known a number of them
| to meet death or captivity by clinging to
their teams and trying TO steer them out
Of danger rather than abandon their out
hts and seek their own personal safety in
fight. when they could have probably
saved themselves by doing so. They
seldom hesitate to go where ordered, al
| though danger may be apparent and they
may realize their helplessness or inability
to make safe retreat i'm case Of a reverse.
AS | said before, the soldier goes into
| action with little or no encumbrance, and
can either fight or run, according to cir
cumstanees: and in case he is defeated,
having nothing but himself to take away,
he has reasonable prospect Of escape.