"We want to get a nearer view of the enemy," said the boy.
"I'll go with you," said the sergeant. "I'm on what may be called
scouting duty. Besides, I've a couple of friends down there by the river,
but on the other side."
"Friends on the other side of the Antietam. What do you mean, sergeant?"
"I was scouting along there and I came across 'em. Only one in fact is
an old acquaintance, an' he's just introduced me to the other."
"That's cryptic."
"I don't rightly know what 'cryptic' means, but I guess I don't make
myself understood well. In my campaign on the plains against the Indians
I had a comrade named Bill Brayton. A Tennesseean, Bill was an' a fine
feller, too. Him an' me have bunked together many a time an' we've dug
out of the snow together, too, after the blizzards was over. But when
we saw the war comin' up, Bill had fool notions. Said he didn't know
anything 'bout the right an' wrong of it, guessed there was some of each
on each side, but whichever way his state would flop, he'd flop. Well,
we waited. Tennessee flopped right out of the Union an' Bill flopped
with it.
Pages:
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262