The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1912-01-10

has apologized. It was only a few
weeks later when I met the brieadier.
The wah was over, and he had gone to
keeping a grocery store. l walked in
on him one day, but before l could
make a remark he came busting for
ward to say:
Colonel Bunker, I am glad to see
you, suh-mighty glad. When you
wanted to die for your country at Sec-
Ond Manassas and made q dash of
three miles in hopes to find some one
to kill you l did not exactly appreciate
the sentiment nor the situation. l have
given them much thought since, and l
have come to the conclusion that you
were right-mo' than right. Accept my
hand, sub, and let Is bury the hatchet.'
"Those were his words, sub, while
his delneanor was in with
them. And what could l do but shake
his hand and order twenty pounds Of
sugar sent to my house as a clincher?
Another of my critics was Majah
Hoke. The majah insisted that my
wish to die for my country had nothing
to do with it; that l had been ordered
to hold a certain position and hat it
was my duty to do it; that it looked
more like leading a regiment out to
play a game of baseball than to fight
and other remarks that cut deep. I
could not challenge him. he being my
inferior, but l tweaked his nose for
him and stated that II he would chal-
lenge me l would waive the difference
in rank.
Mule Prevented the Duel.
"The majah was all ginger, sub. He
had the challenge ready in ten min
utes, and all was arranged to meet next
mawning. Each was fully determined
to kill the other, but we were not to
meet. That night while he was going
the rounds Of the pickets he was so
badly kicked by an army mule that he
was sent to the hospital. A few days
later he was gobbled up by the enemy
and held prisoner to the end Of the
wah. l met him on the streets Of this
town a year later. I was about to glare
at him and pass him by when he held
up his hand for me to halt and said:
"'Colonel Bunker, l have come to
the conclusion that my words of years
ago were uncalled for. You We're put
in a certain place to exercise your best
Judgment and whatever you did was
right. l wish to recall those words,
sub, and l wish you to accompany me
around the corner and take "a nip in
honah of the renewal OF our friend
Ship
1T was a time when all men were
burying their animosities, and the
majah and l 500 buried ours. I then
had only one more man to deal with.
He had been lieutenant colonel in my
brigade, and it had SO happened that
we had played poker together on many
occasions. 1t had also happened, as
it will sometimes, that I had most al
ways been the wilmer. The colonel
was a gentleman, sub. as we'll as a
soldier, but his losses ranked a bit.
BumbIebees Won the Fight.
when my troubles came he remark
ed that 1 was probably leading my
regiment in search of a four ace hand.
and when 1 called on him and de-
manded an apology he refused to make
one. I waived the difference in rank
and challenged him. He promptly &C.
cepted. AS both of us wished to have
the affair over with at the earliest pos
sible moment we went out within the
hour. AS both Of us were dead shots
1t was predicted that there would be
a double tragedy, but there was a
roaring farce instead.
1--WE entered a meadow we'll beyond
the lines and were about to take posi-
ton when we discovered that we had
stirred up a nest Of bumblebees. The
insects attacked us with fury, and both
Of us were stung repeatedly befo' we
could make escape. The humor of
the thing appealed to each man, and a
few judicious words from the seconds
brought about a reconciliation.
II had determined to play no mo-
poker with the colonel, but at his ear
nest and repeated solicitations I did
relieve him Of small sums at regular
intervals for the next year or two. A
good soldier and a game man. sub,
but not up to the points of the great
American game. That's all, sub;
that's ALL"
And when the cocktail was brought
he drank 1t at a gulp and was soon
nodding in sleep.
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