by John McElroy
CHAPTER XII. ADDING TO THEIR COMFORT
MAKING ADDITIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS TO THEIR "HOME."
SI AND Shorty kept Sunday as planned. They really did not know how tiredthey were until they formed the resolution to give the day to absoluterestfulness. Then every joint and muscle ached from the arduous toil ofthe past week, added to the strains and hardships of a week of battle.
"Used to seem to me," said Shorty, "that when Sunday come after thefirst week's plowin' in Spring that I had a bile in every limb. Now Iappear to have one in every j'int, and in my brains as well. I didn'tever suppose that I could be so tired, and yit be able to set up andtake nourishment."
"Same here," said Si. "Feel as if I ought to be wrapped in cottonbattin' an' sweet oil, an' laid away for awhile."
The only thing about them which did not show deadly lassitude wastheir appetites. Fortunately, the Commissary took a liberal view of theRegulations as to rations, issuing enough to make up for those they hadnot drawn during the times when his department was not in working order.They ate all these and wanted more.
"AM I A SOLDIER OF THE CROSS?" 139]
The Quartermaster had also succeeded in re-establishing relations. Theydrew from him new{139} under-clothing to replace that which they hadlost, took a thorough wash the first good one they had had sinceChristmas morning, beat and brushed much of the accumulated mudrepresenting every variety of{140} soil between Murfreesboro' andNashville out of their clothes, cleaned and greased their heavy brogans,and went with their comrades to divine service, feeling that they hadmade every provision required for a proper observance of the holy day.
Si had a really fine baritone voice, and led the meeting in singing
"Am I a soldier of the cross?"
After church Shorty said:
"Si, when you were singing so loud about being a soldier of the crossand a follower of the Lamb I wanted to git right up and tell you thatyou'd have to git a transfer from the 200th Ind. We've lots of crosssoldiers, especially on mud marches, but we don't want any soldiers inthis regiment except for the Constitution of the United States andthe laws made in pursuance thereof, against all enemies and opposerswhatsoever, either foreign or domestic. An' as for follerin' the lamb,you know as well as I do the orders agin foragin'."
"O, dry up, Shorty. I don't believe going to church done you a mite o'good. I tell you it done me lots."
"There you're mistaken," answered Shorty. "It just done me lots o' good.Kind o' restored communications with home and respectable folks oncemore, an' made me think I still belonged to what the jographies callcivilized and partially-civilized people, something that we seem ingreat danger o' forgettin', the way we've bin goin' on."
The good Chaplain's fervent appeals to devote the{141} day to earnestconsideration of their soul's welfare could not keep them from spendingthe hours in planning and discussing further improvements on the house.
"We must have a real door," said Shorty, looking critically at thestrip of canvas that did duty for that important adjunct. "Muslin looksshiftless, an', besides, I think it's unhealthy. Lets in drafts, an'will give us colds."
"Too bad about our ketchin' cold," said Si sardonically. "Most o' thetime lately we've bin sleepin' out with nothin' around us but the Stateline of Tennessee."
"Don't be too flip, young man," said Shorty severely. "You have not hada home with its blessin's long enough to appreciate it. I say we musthave a real door an' a winder that'll let in light, an' a bedstead, an'a floor o' planks."
"We ought to have 'em, certainly," agreed Si. "But must have 'em isquite another thing. How are we goin' to git 'em? There's 40,000 menaround here, snatchin' at every piece o' plank as big as your hand."
"Well," retorted Shorty, "we're goin' to have a real door, a winder,and a plank floor, all the same. They're to be had somewhere in thiscountry, an' they'll have to run mighty hard to git away from us."
The next morning the Orderly-Sergeant said:
"Corp'l Klegg, you'll take five men, go down to the railroad, and reportto the Commissary to load the wagon with rations."
Si took Shorty and four others and started off on{142} this errand. Hewas soon so busy rolling heavy pork barrels from the car into the wagonthat he failed to notice that Shorty was not with him. Finally they gotthe wagon loaded and started, with them walking alongside, puffing andsweating from their vigorous labor.
They were not 100 yards away from the train, when the Conductor camestorming up:
"See here, Lieutenant," he said to the Commissary, "some o' them men o'yours sneaked around and stole the hind door off my caboose while youwas loading up."
"I don't believe a word of it," said the Commissary, firing up at once."Mine ain't that kind of men. I'd have you know they don't steal. Whatreason have you for saying so?"
"The door was on the car when I came out to meet you, and now it's gone,and there's been no body near the caboose but your men."
"I know my men were working hard all the time right under my eyes," saidthe Lieutenant, growing angrier every minute. "They're not the men tosteal anything, and if they were they didn't have any chance. They weretoo busy. You can satisfy yourself that they didn't. You see none ofthem have the door with them, and you can search the wagon. Get right inthere and look for it."
The Conductor climbed into the wagon and looked carefully through.
"No, it's not there," he said ruefully.
Then the Commissary's wrath flamed out. "There, confound you, you areat it again, you infernal civilian, slandering and abusing men who arefighting{143} for their country. Charging them with stealing your oldcaboose door. Think of your disgraceful impudence, villifying menwho are shedding their blood for their country by such shamelesscharges.{144}
SHORTY CONFISCATES THE CABOOSE DOOR. 143]
"What'd they want with your old car door? Get away from here, before Ilose my temper and do you damage."
The Conductor walked away muttering:
"Blasted thieving whelps o' soldiers, what'll they steal next? Lost allmy train tools at Lavergne, swiped the bedding at Smyrna, got away withour clothes and dishes at Antioch, stole stove and lanterns at Overall'sCrick, and now they've begun on the cars. I'll be lucky to have enoughwheels left on the engine to run her back to Nashville."
The Commissary continued to fume about the disgraceful charges broughtagainst his men until they reached camp. The wagon was unloaded and thesquad dismissed.
As Si came up to the "house" he saw Shorty busily engaged in hanging thecaboose door by means of hinges which he had improvised from some boottops.
"Why, Shorty," gasped Si, "how did you git away with it?"
"Easy enough," answered his partner. "I saw you fellers gittin' verybusy over them pork barrels, an' all the train hands helpin' you. Imeandered back to the caboose, gently lifted the back door offen itshinges, slipped down into the weeds in the ditch, an' kept under covero' them till I was out o' sight. Say, isn't it just a bully door?"
That afternoon Si and Shorty walked over to where a detail of men wereat work building a bridge across Stone River, under the direction of aLieutenant of Pioneers. They had an idea that an opportunity might occurthere to pick up something that would add to their home comforts. TheLieutenant was bustling about, hurrying the completion of the workbefore night. As the detail was made up of squads from variousregiments, he was not acquainted with the men, and had much difficultyassigning them to the work that would suit them best. He came up to Si,who still wore the artillery Sergeant's overcoat he had picked up duringthe battle, and said sharply:
"Here, Sergeant, don't stand around doing nothing. Set the men a goodexample by pitching in lively. There's plenty to do for everybody. Ifyou can't find anything else, help dig down that bank, and roll thosebig stones into the fill. Hold on; I've thought of something else. Iwant a reliable man to send over for some lumber. Put one of your menon that wagon there, and go with him, and take this letter to Capt.Billings, over at the saw-mill. It's a requisition for a lo
ad of lumber.Avoid the camps as much as possible on your way back, or they'll stealevery inch of it away from you."
"Very good, sir," said Si, saluting. "Shorty, jump on the wagon there,and gather up the lines."
Shorty very obediently took his place on the seat of the two-horse wagonemployed by the Pioneers for their jobs.
"Hurry up," enjoined the Lieutenant; "we need those boards at once."
"Very good, sir," said Si, saluting.
"This is what I call a puddin'," said Shorty, oracularly, as they droveaway. "The Lord always kin be trusted to help the deservin', if thedeservin' only keep their eyes peeled for His p'inters. This{146} comesfrom not workin' yesterday and goin' to church."
They drove down to the sawmill, delivered their requisition, and hadtheir wagon loaded with newly-sawn plank. The Captain had the plankscarefully counted, the number and feet entered upon the record, andset forth upon the return which he gave to Si to be delivered to theLieutenant of Pioneers.
"Too dod-gasted much bookkeepin' in this army," remarked Si, ratherdisconsolately, and he put the paper in his blouse pocket, and theydrove away. "Wastes entirely too much valuable time. What'd he countthem boards for? Looked like he suspicioned us. How are we going to gitaway with any o' them?"
"I wouldn't have that man's suspicious mind for anything," answeredShorty. "He don't trust no body. All the same, we're goin' to haveenough boards for our floor."
"How are we goin' to manage it?" asked Si.
"Lots o' ways. There's no need o' your carryin' that paper back to theLootenant. I might pick up several hundred feet and sneak away withoutyour knowin' it. Say," as a bright idea struck him, "what's the use o'goin' back to the Lootenant at all? Neither of us belongs to his detail.He don't know us from a side o' sole-leather. What's the matter withdrivin' the wagon right up to camp, and swipin' the whole business,horses, wagon and all?"
"I hain't been in the army as long as you have, Shorty," said Sidoubtfully. "I've made some progress in petty larceny, as you know, butI ain't yit quite up to stealin' a span o' horses and a wagon.{147}Mebbe I'll come to it in time, but I ain't quite ready for it now."
"That comes from goin' to church yesterday, and hearin' the Chaplainread the Ten Commandments," said Shorty wrathfully. "I don't believethey ought to allow the Chaplains to read them things. They ain'tsuited to army life, and there ought to be a general order that they'reprejudicial to good order and military discipline. Where'd the armybe if they obeyed that one about not covetin' a horse or other movableproperty? I tell you what we'll do, since you're so milky on the thing:We'll drive up in front of our house, unload enough boards for ourfloor, you git out your gun and bayonet and stand guard over 'em, andI'll drive the wagon down near the bridge, and jump off and leave it."
"All right," said Si; "that'll do splendidly, if you think you kin dodgethe Lootenant."
"O, he be darned," said Shorty scornfully. "I could git away from him ifI wasn't 10 years old."
They carried out the plan. They drove up in front of their residence,and threw off a liberal quantity of the boards. The other boys raiseda yell, and made a break for them. But Si ran inside, got his gun, andestablished himself on guard.
"Don't you budge an inch from there till I git back," shouted Shorty, ashe drove away. "Don't let one of Co. Q lay a finger on them. They'rethe durndest thieves outside the Jeffersonville Penitentiary. You can'ttrust one o' them farther than you could sling a bull by the tail. I'llbe back soon."
Shorty drove gaily down until he got close to the bridge. The Lieutenanthad been impatiently{148} expecting him, and as soon as the wagon cameup it was surrounded by a crowd of men to unload it. The Lieutenantlooked over the load.
SI DEFENDED THE PLUNDER. 148]
"I wonder if he sent enough. Let me see your return," he said, lookingup at the seat, where he expected to find the Sergeant he had putin charge. But the seat was empty. Shorty had jumped down, prudentlymingled with the crowd, avoided the Lieutenant's eye with much morethan his usual diffidence, and was modestly making his way back tocamp behind a thicket of hazel bushes. When he got to the house he wasdelighted to find Si still master of the situation, with all theboards present and accounted for. They quickly transferred them to theinterior, and found that they had enough for a nice floor, besides acouple of extra ones, to cut up into a table and stools.
"You done good work in keepin' the other boys offen 'em, Si," said he."I was afraid you wouldn't. The only thing I've got agin Co. Q is thatthe boys will steal. Otherwise they're the nicest kind o' boys."
A couple of days later they got a pass to go down to Murfreesboro' andlook the sleepy old town over. They were particularly interested in thequaint old courthouse, which had once been the capitol of Tennessee.They happened into one of the offices, which was entirely deserted. Onthe wall hung a steel engraving of Jeff Davis in a large oak frame.
"That blamed old rebel picture oughtn't to be hangin' there, Si,"observed Shorty.
"Indeed it oughtn't. Jeff ought to be hung to a sour-apple tree, andthat glass'd make a nice winder for our house."
"Indeed it would," Shorty started to answer, but time was too preciousto waste in speech. In an instant he had shoved an old desk up to thewall, mounted it, and handed the picture down to Si. They wrapped it upin their overcoats, and started back for camp. They had seen enough ofMurfreesboro' for that day.
