Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-01-04
Capturing a Guarded Calf.

Capturing a Guarded Calf.
While lying at Rome, Ca, in 1864,
our rations needed little replenishing,
and one of our mess discovered a calf,
too big for one to handle, which calf
was honored by guard Of two soldiers!
1t was a rule of our mess that any one
discovering such a find must report
it at mess, and this was accordingly
reported, and our mess determined, in
spite of the guard, to raise that calf.
Old Pink led the party. 1t was in
the eastern part of the village, and the
Enclosure in which the calf was con-
fined was surrounded by picket fence.
A few pickets were taken off quietly,
and then the fun began. Such a love
of home as that calf manifested would
have done honor to Barzillea of old. He
would not see, nor find, nor pass out
through that hole in the fence, not
withstanding we drove him back and
forth like a weaver's shuttle time and
time again. At last Old Kit Ca brother
of our leader) out of all patience, de-
termined to try force; and, grabbing
at the calf's neck, and missing by a
couple of feet, grasped him around the
body, whereupon the creature began to
run with all his might, Old Kit cling
ing the tighter. The calf was about
eight months old, in good condition,
and the way he drew that seven-footer
through the dog-fennel and cherry
sprouts was too funny for Sunday
school class. Had the brute kept his
mouth shut we should have been all
right, but, unable to shake off Old Kit,
he began to below around and around
the Enclosure, which aroused the
guards, and bang! bang! went their
muskets; whereupon all but Old Pink
and myself lit out and the guard,
thinking all had gone, became quiet
again, we lying close to the cherry
sprouts meanwhile. After while we
tried the calf again, and had little
difficulty in conducting him out through
the fence and in the direction of the
camp. At about half way our calf be-
gan to recover his attachment for home
and show a decided inclination to con-
tribute nothing more toward the trans
portation Of his own corpus away
from his native field Of dog fennel and
cherry sprouts. If he wouldn't he
wouldn't, and, as we were determined
to own that calf, we had to accept the
situation and abide by 1t. Catching
the calf by the hind foot Old Kit
handed me the Ratchet with the curt
command kill him. The first blow
only started that siren below again,
but a second blow laid him insensible
at our feet. Old Kit now showed him
self a good deal Of butcher, for In
a few moments that calf's head was
severed from his body and we were
dragging the latter up the sidewalk
to the hilltop, when Old Kit, out of
mere bravado, returned to where we
killed the calf, and, taking the head,
pitched it through the window to the
second pair of guards. We suppose
they breakfasted upon it.
Iu due time we arrived in camp, and
while dressing our beef in clump of
elder bushes at about the hour of mid
night, the owner Of the calf and the
guards came prowling about hunting
the calf, just then covered deep in
elder bushes. Never was a quieter
place than that camp at that hour
1t was POLITICALLY quiet. Every soldier
was asleep, save the two they were
hunting for. and didn't find. They
finally departed, and we were glad to
see them go, and then we finished our
b1tchering and stored our beef.
The camp guard each got good
slice. and we-why we had meat to
sell at twelve and one-half cents per
pound.