Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-06-30
CHAPTER .vII-Continued.)


10 chance to even things with hin
;oes long neglected.
Then besides it needed all the com
lined resources of our ingenuity tt
ontrive a feed that would be likely
beguile one into a suspicion that i
vas stagger at Christmas dinner
must be a departure from the mo
,otony of regulation rations, of which
We had grown CHASTITY tired-hardtaci
nd bacon and meager issues of beef
To be sure the hills were full OF
leer and wild turkey, but we were
lot allowed to 60 out after them, fol
hat the Navajo hunters were con
family providing about was proved by
he fact that it was the exception fol
me Of our wood parties to return with
ut casualties.
And besides, a fortnight earlier two
Troop men, John Hinkley and JUS.
ice Wagner, had been killed at Gui
ma Springs, while. carrying des
catches to Santa Fe, and the quarter
masters mule herd had disappeared
or good behind a yelling line of blan
;et-swinging Navajos.
Thus the company heart was over
Mouth with jest when the company
vag and wiseacre divulged plan to
.arnish our Christmas dinner with a
efficacy to be foraged from the suffers
preserves.
For long time he had been fatten.
ng 4 lot of pigs, on corn we well knew
be flched from the quartermaster's
torres, with what connivance does not
natter, but at all events, to the rob-
very of full rations for our mounts.
So it seemed to the moralists of the
company that we would be doing Uncle
sam a service If we should contrive
o turn to the benefit of his soldiers
vhat had been intended for but robbed
rom his troop horses.
Just how it happened l cannot say,
or company ways are always dark and
,ome times mysterious, but the facts
ire that six fine shoats were roasting
n our Dutch ovens on Christmas Day
before the sutler discovered his loss
md traced it to the camp-fires of A
roop.
Jolting himself every jump with a
lew explosion of lurid expletives, the
;utler flew to the quarters of the COM
handing officer. But when presently
he major approached, accompanied
W our company officers ard the dane
ng sutler, the pig meat had been
transferred to mess pans and showed
INTO the homo. a big permanent bread
wen we had copied from the Mexicans,
where 1t continued steadily cooking,
while the Dutch ovens on our camp
lres had been reflled with beef.
Whats the Christmas dinner cook
ng, sergeant asked the major.
Beef, sir" replied our orderly SER
,eant.
But, sergeant" the major said,
the sutler has come to me with a
Charge of theft against A troop says,
you've been stealing his pigs
Cant be, sir" our good old ser
seant !blutfed. Shall have the quar-.
ters searched, sir?"
''But the sutler says the pigs are
aow roasting on your fires; lift the lids
81 those pots, sergeant" sternly or
lered the major.
The lids were duly lifted, one after
mother, and while he tried to look
severe, the major was choking with
aughter as he queried:
"Sutler, does that thin.clad bunch
II beef bones look to you like fat pig?
That new lot of whisky your wagon
rain brought In this morning-well, is
{ going to be safe stuff for my boys to
rink, il it's knocked you cross-eyed
ike this already?"
Then our captain Clipped in about
he outrage it was to lay charge of
'obbery against as fine lot Of men as
lis, and dropped hint he was likely
% take 1t up as personal to himself.
rhe result was very satisfactory all
'ound, except to the sutler. At their
Christmas dinner that day both officers
Ind men placidly and contentedly
'oasted on roast pig.
CHAPTER VIII.
The Border Ruffians.
I doubt if there is still living sur
7ivor Of our old California Gold Bri-
yade who does not feel indebted to
he Fort Stanton sutler whose pigs
wandered into our Christmas bake
,vens.
II he does not feel so, he certainly
,ught to, and Is an migrate If he don't
for come New Years it got to be
more than pork we owed him for. And
f in the way Of pay he ever received
lnything more tangible to stack up
md count than experience, I never
leard of it.
In fact, I'm willing to bet that our
1854 New Years day is the longest
Sew Years day on record. 1t lasted
week without let-up, and if anybody
an substantiate the beating Of it, he
AN break me.
Of course week is going some in
holidays, admit, and yet 1t came
bout simply and naturally enough;
|on't quite see how, under the circum-
tances, anything could have stopped
t. Anyhow, our officers couldn't
Probably our major was more direct
Y responsible for it than any one else,
Though if he had himself realized it
,alieve he would have ordered himself
nto arrest for the remainder of his
latural life.
Got US pretty thirsty, did the major,
When, on Christmas day, he told the
utter it must be an overdose of his
lew consignment of whisky that had
made him mistake beef for pork; a
int that it must be full strength and
reminder that he had what looked
tho n ovo ri q sting lot of il