按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
wretch； crouching in a hole in the ground； waiting for my keepers to
fling me a chunk of corn bread。
Naturally the boysand especially the country boys and new prisoners
talked much of victualswhat they had had； and what they would have
again； when they got out。 Take this as a sample of the conversation
which might be heard in any group of boys； sitting together on the sand；
killin lice and talking of exchange：
Tom〃Well； Bill； when we get back to God's country； you and Jim and John
must all come to my house and take dinner with me。 I want to give you a
square meal。 I want to show you just what good livin' is。 You know my
mother is just the best cook in all that section。 When she lays herself
out to get up a meal all the other women in the neighborhood just stand
back and admire 〃
Bill〃O； that's all right； but I'll bet she can't hold a candle to my
mother； when it comes to good cooking。〃
Jim 〃No； nor to mine。〃
John（with patronizing contempt。） 〃O； shucks！ None of you fellers were
ever at our house； even when we had one of our common weekday dinners。〃
Tom（unheedful of the counter claims。） I hev teen studyin' up the dinner
I'd like； and the bill…of…fare I'd set out for you fellers when you come
over to see me。 First； of course； we'll lay the foundation like with a
nice； juicy loin roast； and some mashed potatos。
Bill（interrupting。） 〃Now； do you like mashed potatos with beef？ The
way may mother does is to pare the potatos； and lay them in the pan along
with the beef。 Then； you know； they come out just as nice and crisp； and
brown；； they have soaked up all the beef gravy； and they crinkle between
your teeth〃
Jim〃Now； I tell you； mashed Neshannocks with butter on 'em is plenty
good enough for me。〃
John〃If you'd et some of the new kind of peachblows that we raised in
the old pasture lot the year before I enlisted； you'd never say another
word about your Neshannocks。〃
Tom（taking breath and starting in fresh。） 〃Then we'll hev some fried
Spring chickens； of our dominick breed。 Them dominicks of ours have the
nicest； tenderest meat； better'n quail； a darned sight； and the way my
mother can fry Spring chickens〃
Bill（aside to Jim。） 〃Every durned woman in the country thinks she can
'spry ching frickens；' but my mother…〃
John〃You fellers all know that there's nobody knows half as much about
chicken doin's as these 'tinerant Methodis' preachers。 They give 'em
chicken wherever they go； and folks do say that out in the new
settlements they can't get no preachin'； no gospel； nor nothin'； until
the chickens become so plenty that a preacher is reasonably sure of
havin' one for his dinner wherever he may go。 Now； there's old Peter
Cartwright； who has traveled over Illinoy and Indianny since the Year
One； and preached more good sermons than any other man who ever set on
saddle…bags； and has et more chickens than there are birds in a big
pigeon roost。 Well； he took dinner at our house when he came up to
dedicate the big； white church at Simpkin's Corners； and when he passed
up his plate the third time for more chicken； he sez； sez he：I've et
at a great many hundred tables in the fifty years I have labored in the
vineyard of the Redeemer； but I must say； Mrs。 Kiggins； that your way of
frying chickens is a leetle the nicest that I ever knew。 I only wish
that the sisters generally would get your reseet。' Yes； that's what he
said；'a leetle the nicest。'〃
Tom〃An' then； we'll hev biscuits an' butter。 I'll just bet five
hundred dollars to a cent； and give back the cent if I win； that we have
the best butter at our house that there is in Central Illinoy。 You can't
never hev good butter onless you have a spring house； there's no use of
talkin'all the patent churns that lazy men ever inventedall the fancy
milk pans an' coolers； can't make up for a spring house。 Locations for a
spring house are scarcer than hen's teeth in Illinoy； but we hev one； and
there ain't a better one in Orange County； New York。 Then you'll see
dome of the biscuits my mother makes。〃
Bill〃Well； now； my mother's a boss biscuit…maker； too。〃
Jim〃You kin just gamble that mine is。〃
John〃O； that's the way you fellers ought to think an' talk； but my
mother〃
Tom（coming in again with fresh vigor） 〃They're jest as light an' fluffy
as a dandelion puff； and they melt in your month like a ripe Bartlett
pear。 You just pull 'em open＇Now you know that I think there's nothin'
that shows a person's raisin' so well as to see him eat biscuits an'
butter。 If he's been raised mostly on corn bread； an' common doins；'
an' don't know much about good things to eat； he'll most likely cut his
biscuit open with a case knife； an' make it fall as flat as one o'
yesterday's pancakes。 But if he is used to biscuits； has had 'em often
at his house； he'lljust pull 'em open； slow an' easy like； then he'll
lay a little slice of butter inside； and drop a few drops of clear honey
on this； an' stick the two halves back； together again； an〃
〃Oh； for God Almighty's sake； stop talking that infernal nonsense；〃 roar
out a half dozen of the surrounding crowd； whose mouths have been
watering over this unctuous recital of the good things of the table。
〃You blamed fools； do you want to drive yourselves and everybody else
crazy with such stuff as that。 Dry up and try to think of something
else。〃
CHAPTER XLVI。
SURLY BRITONTHE STOLID COURAGE THAT MAKES THE ENGLISH FLAG A BANNER OF
TRIUMPHOUR COMPANY BUGLER； HIS CHARACTERISTICS AND HIS DEATHURGENT
DEMAND FOR MECHANICSNONE WANT TO GOTREATMENT OF A REBEL SHOEMAKER
ENLARGEMENT OF THE STOCKADEIT IS BROKEN BY A STORM
THE WONDERFUL SPRING。
Early in August； F。 Marriott； our Company Bugler； died。 Previous to
coming to America he had been for many years an English soldier； and I
accepted him as a type of that stolid； doggedly brave class； which forms
the bulk of the English armies； and has for centuries carried the British
flag with dauntless courage into every land under the sun。 Rough； surly
and unsocial； he did his duty with the unemotional steadiness of a
machine。 He knew nothing but to obey orders； and obeyed them under all
circumstances promptly； but with stony impassiveness。 With the command
to move forward into action； he moved forward without a word； and with
face as blank as a side of sole leather。 He went as far as ordered；
halted at the word； and retired at command as phlegmatically as he
advanced。 If he cared a straw whether he advanced or retreated； if it
mattered to the extent of a pinch of salt whether we whipped the Rebels
or they defeated us； he kept that feeling so deeply hidden in the
recesses of his sturdy bosom that no one ever suspected it。 In the
excitement of action the rest of the boys shouted； and swore； and
expressed their tense feelings in various ways； but Marriott might as
well have been a graven image； for all the expression that he suffered to
escape。 Doubtless； if the Captain had ordered him to shoot one of the
company through the heart； he would have executed the command according
to the manual of arms； brought his carbine to a 〃recover；〃 and at the
word marched back to his quarters without an inquiry as to the cause of
the proceedings。 He made no friends； and though his surliness repelled
us； he made few enemies。 Indeed； he was rather a favorite； since he was
a genuine character； his gruffness had no taint of selfish greed in it；
he minded his own business strictly； and wanted others to do the same。
When he first came into the company； it is true； he gained the enmity of
nearly everybody in it； but an incident occurred which turned the tide in
his favor。 Some annoying little depredations had been practiced on the
boys； and it needed but a word of suspicion to inflame all their minds
against the surly Englishman as the unknown perpetrator。 The feeling
intensified； until about half of the company were in a mood to kill the
Bugler outright。 As we were returning from stable duty one evening；
some little occurrence fanned the smoldering anger into a fierce blaze；
a couple of the smaller boys began an attack upon him； others hastened to
their assistance； and soon half the company were engaged in the assault。
He succeeded in disengaging himself from his assailants； and； squaring
himself off； said； defiantly：
〃Dom yer cowardly heyes； jest come hat me one hat a time； hand hI'll
wollop the 'ole gang uv ye's。〃
One of our Sergeants styled himself proudly 〃a Chicago rough；〃 and was as
vain of his pugilistic abilities as a small boy is of a father who plays
in the band。 We all hated him cordiallyeven more than we did Marriott。
He thought this was a good time to show off； and forcing his way through
the crowd； he said； vauntingly：
〃Just fall back and form a ring； boys； and see me polish off the…fool。〃
The ring was formed； with the Bugler and the Sergeant in the center。
Though the latter was the younger and stronger the first round showed him
that it would have profited him much more to have let Marriott's
challenge pass unheeded。 As a rule； it is as well to ignore all
invitations of this kind from Englishmen； and especially from those who；
like Marriott； have