Christmas Eve on Lonesome and Other Stories

h morning came over the hills, the mist parted over the Stars and Bars floating from the top of a tall poplar up through the G

en and dejected, on the stoop of his store; and over Tallow Dick stealing corn bread from the kitchen to make ready f

veille! And out poured the Army of the Callahan from shack, rock-cave, and coverts of sticks and leaves, with squirrel rifles, Revolutionary muskets, sho

ears and startled him into action. It brought Tallow

Bill's call was

s,

o send him nary another pound o' bacon an' nary

before the ragged tent of the com

't gwine to sen' you n

ha

his message and the c

hoss!" he

down the valley, and from Turkey Cove. Recruits came so fast, and to such proportions grew the Army of the Callahan, that Flitter Bill shrewdly suggested at once that Captain Wells divide it into three companies and put one up Pigeon's Creek under Lieutenant Jim Sk

t Skaggs on Pigeon and gobble him up. Then they'll swoop down on me and gobble me up. No, they won't gobble me up, but they'll come damn nigh it. An' what kind of a report will I make to Jeff Davis, Gineral Richmond? Captured In detail, suh?

mighty captain casually inquired if that uniform of his had

ond to send up more rations, and Bill groaned afresh when a man from Callahan told how the captain's family was sprucing up on meal and flour and bacon from the captain's camp. Humiliation followed. It had never occurred to Captain Wells that being a captain made it incongruous for him to have a "general" under him, until Lieutenant Skaggs, who had picked

h a message that he wanted to see the great man. As before, when Captain Wells rode down to the store, Bill handed out a piece of paper, and, as before, the captain had left his "specs" at home. The paper was an order that, whereas the distinguished services of Captain Wells to the Confederacy were appreciated by Jefferson Davis, the said Captain Wells was, and is, hereby empowered to duly, and in accordance with the tactics of war, impress what live-sto

at heifer accordin' to the rules an' regulations? Git roun' that heifer." The men surrounded her. "Take her by the horns. Now! In the name of Jefferson Davis and the Confederate S

old farmer took a pot-shot at Captain Wells with a squirrel rifle, clipping the visor of his forage cap; and from that day the captain began to call with immutable regularity again on Flitter Bill for bacon and meal. That morning the last straw fell in a demand for a wagon-load of rations to be delivered before noon, and, worn to the edge of his patience, Bill had sent a reckless refusal. And now he was waiti

word that he's a-comin' over hyeh this week-ha

the Army of the Callahan. Have you heerd

tars and Bars"-Captain Mayhall Wells chuckled-"an' he says he's a-

address now, and threw one leg

chalance, "I axe you-do you prefer that I should

N

tter Bill Richmond, I had no idee o' disbandin' the Army of the Cal

ang you to that air poplar, I'll hang you thar myself, suh; yes, by ----! I will. Dick!" he called sharply to the slave. "Hitch up that

to his master, and Flitter B

I wish yo

er (was this the man who had come cringing to hi

nce, how could the prophet ever h

in great agitation, and in the midst of them stood the lank messenger who had brought the first message from Black Tom, delivering another from the same source. Black Tom was coming, coming surer and unless that flag,

d on his hip and smiled with silent sarcasm, and then swore again-while the respec

Tom say that?" he

goin' to start over hyeh early t

dn't you git over

across the riv

s a-comin

bout two hours-mebbe he ain't fer a

, sharply, "git yo' men out th

ent had relaxed into language that was distinctly agricultural, and, catching the look o

k, suh, step by step, until you air re-enforced by Lieutenant Skaggs. If you two air not able to hold the enemy in check, you may count on me an' the Army of the Callahan to grind him-" (How the captain, now thoroughly aroused to all the fine terms of war, did ro

in' to git ten men to

erely, fearing that some of the soldiers had heard the question. "If you air afeer'd, suh"-

ant Boggs?" Lieutenant Boggs loo

f disobedience of ordahs, and I will not have you court-martialled for the same. In other words, if, after a survey of the situat