SI ASKED questions of his father about the folks at home and the farm until the old gentleman's head ached, and he finally fell asleep through sheer exhaustion1.
The next day the Deacon took a comprehensive survey of the house, and was loud in his praises of Si and Shorty's architecture.
"Beats the cabin I had to take your mother to, Si, when I married her," he said with a retrospective look in his eye, "though I'd got up a sight better one than many o' the boys on the Wabash. Lays a way over the one that Abe Lincoln's father put up on Pigeon Crick, over in Spencer County, and where he brung the Widder Johnston when he married her. I remember it well. About the measliest shack3 there wuz in the country. Tom Lincoln, Abe's father, wuz about as lazy as you make 'em. They say nothin' will cure laziness in a man, but a second wife 'll shake it up awfully4. The Widder Johnston had lots o' git up in her, but she found Tom Lincoln a dead load. Abe wuz made o' different stuff."
"Yes," continued the father, growing reminiscential. "There wuz no tin roof, sawed boards, glass winder nor plank6 floor in that little shack on the203 Wabash, but some o' the happiest days in my life wuz spent in it. Me and your mother wuz both young, both very much in love, both chock full o' hope and hard day's work. By the time you wuz born, Si, we'd got the farm and the house in much better shape, but they wuz fur from being what they are to-day."
"If we only had a deed for a quarter section o' land around our house we'd be purty well started in life for young men," ventured Si.
"I'd want it a heap sight better land than this is 'round here," said the Deacon, studying the land scape judicially7. "Most of it that I've seen so far is like self-righteousness the more a man has the worse he's off. Mebbe it'll raise white beans, but I don't know o' nothin' else, except niggers and poverty. The man that'd stay 'round here, scratchin' these clay knobs, when there's no law agin him goin' to Injianny or Illinoy, hain't gumption8 enough to be anything but a rebel. That's my private opinion publicly expressed."
"Pap," said Si, after his father had been a day in camp, "I think we've done fairly well in providin' you with a house and a bed, but I'm afeared that our cookin's not quite up to your taste. You see, you've bin2 badly pampered10 by mother. I might say that she's forever spiled you for plain grub and common cookin'."
"Your mother's the best cook that ever lived or breathed," said the Deacon earnestly. "She kin9 make plain cornbread taste better than anybody else's pound cake. But you do well, Si, considerin' that your mother could never git you to do so much204 as help peel a mess o' 'taters. Your coffee'd tan a side o' sole leather, and there's enough grease about your meat to float a skiff; but I didn't expect to live at a hotel when I come down here."
The Deacon strolled down near Regimental Headquarters. An Aid came up and, saluting12 the Colonel, said:
"Colonel, the General presents his compliments, and instructs me to say that he has received orders from Division Headquarters to send details of a Corporal and five men from each regiment11 there to morrow morning at 7 o'clock for fatigue13 duty. You will furnish yours."
"Very good," answered the Colonel, returning the salute14. "Adjutant, order the detail."
"Sergeant-Major," said the Adjutant, after a momentary15 glance at his roster16, "send an order to Capt, McGillicuddy, of Co. Q, for a Corporal and five men for fatigue duty, to report at Division Headquarters at 7 to-morrow morning."
The Deacon walked toward Co. Q's quarters, and presently saw the Orderly hand the Captain the order from the Colonel.
"Orderly-Sergeant," said the Captain, "detail a Corporal and five men to report for fatigue duty at Division Headquarters to-morrow at 7 o'clock."
The Orderly-Sergeant looked over his roster, and then walked down to Si's residence.
"Klegg," said he, "you will report for fatigue duty at Division Headquarters to-morrow at 7 o'clock with five men. You will take Shorty, Simmons, Sullivan, Tomkins and Wheeler with you."
"Very good, sir," said Si, saluting.205
"Si," said his father, with a quizzical smile, "I've bin wonderin', ever since I heard that you wuz an officer, how much o' the army you commanded. Now I see that if it wuz turned upside down you'd be on the very top."
"He leads the army when it goes backward," interjected Shorty.
"Gracious, Pap," said Si, good-humoredly, "I haven't rank enough to get me behind a saplin' on the battlefield. The Colonel has the pick o' the biggest tree, the Lieutenant-Colonel and Major take the next; the Captains and Lieutenants17 take the second growth, and the Sergeants18 have the saplins. I'm lucky if I git so much as a bush."
"Old Rosecrans must have a big saw-log," said his father.
"Not much saw-log for old Rosey," said Si, resenting even a joking disparagement19 upon his beloved General. "During the battle he wuz wherever it wuz hottest, and on horseback, too. Wherever the firm' wuz the loudest he'd gallop20 right into it. His staff was shot down all around him, but he never flinched21. I tell you, he's the greatest General in the world."
The next morning after breakfast, and as Si and Shorty were preparing to go to Division Headquarters, Si said:
"Pap, you just stay at home and keep house to day. Keep your eyes on the boys; I tell it to you in confidence, for I wouldn't for the world have it breathed outside the company, that Co. Q's the most everlastin' set o' thieves that ever wore uniform. Don't you ever say a word about it when you get206 home, for it'd never do to have the boys' folks know anything about it. I'd break their hearts. Me and Shorty, especially Shorty, are the only honest ones in the company. The other fellers'd steal the house from over your head if you didn't watch 'em."
"That's so," asseverated22 Shorty. "Me and Si especially me is the only honest ones in the company. We're the only ones you kin really trust."
"I'd be sorry to think that Si had learned to steal," said the Deacon gravely, at which Shorty could not resist the temptation to give Si a furtive23 kick. "But I'll look out for thieves. We used to have lots o' them in Posey County, but after we hung one or two, and rid some others on rails, the revival24 meetin's seemed to take hold on the rest, and they got converted."
"Something like that ought to be done in the army," murmured Shorty.
"When you want anything to eat you know where to git it," said Si, as they moved off. "We'll probably be back in time to git supper."
The Deacon watched the squad25 march away, and then turned to think how he would employ himself during the day. He busied himself for awhile cleaning up the cabin and setting things to rights, and flattered himself that his housekeeping was superior to his son's. Then he decided26 to cut some wood. He found the ax, "condemned27" it for some time as to its dullness and bad condition, but finally attacked with it a tree which had been hauled up back of the company line for fuel. It was hard work, and presently he sat down to rest. Loud words of command came from just beyond the hill, and he walked207 over there to see what was going on. He saw a regiment drilling, and watched it for some minutes with interest. Then he walked back to his work, but found to his amazement28 that his ax was gone. He could see nobody around on whom his suspicions could rest.
"Mebbe somebody's borrowed it," he said, "and will bring it back when he's through usin' it. If he don't I kin buy a better ax for 10 or 12 bits. Somebody must have axes for sale 'round here somewhere."
He waited awhile for the borrower to return the tool, but as he did not, he gathered up a load of wood and carried it up to the cabin.
"The boys'l be mighty29 hungry when they git back this evenin'," said he to himself. "I'll jest git up a good supper for 'em. I'll show Si that the old man knows some p'ints about cookin', even if he hain't bin in the army, that'll open the youngster's eyes."
He found a tin pan, put in it a generous supply of beans, and began carefully picking them over and blowing the dust out, the same as he had often seen his wife do. Having finished this to his satisfaction, he set down the pan and went back into the cabin to get the kettle to boil them in. When he returned he found that pan and beans had vanished, and again he saw no one upon whom he could fix his suspicions. The good Deacon began to find the "old Adam rising within him," but as a faithful member of the church he repressed his choler.
"I can't hardly believe all that Si and Shorty said about the dishonesty of Co. Q," he communed with208 himself. "Many o' the boys in it I know they're right from our neighborhood. Good boys as ever lived, and honest as the day is long. Some o' them belonged to our Sunday school. I can't believe that they've turned out bad so soon. Yet it looks awful suspicious. The last one I see around here was Jed Baskins. His father's a reggerly ordained30 preacher. Jed never could 've took them beans. But who on airth done it?"
The Deacon carefully fastened the door of the cabin, and proceeded with his camp-kettle to the spring to get some water. He found there quite a crowd, with many in line waiting for their chance at the spring. He stood around awhile awaiting his chance, but it did not seem to get any nearer. He said something about the length of time it took, and a young fellow near remarked:
"Here, Uncle, give me your kittle. I'll git it filled for you."
Without a thought the Deacon surrendered the kettle to him, and he took his place in line. The Deacon watched him edging up toward the spring for a minute or two, and then his attention was called to a brigade manuvering in a field across the river. After awhile he thought again about his kettle, and looked for the kindly31 young man who had volunteered to fill it. There were several in the line who looked like him, but none whom he could positively32 identify as him.
"Which o' you boys got my kittle?" he inquired, walking along the line.
"Got your kittle, you blamed teamster," they an swered crossly. "Go away from here. We won't209 allow teamsters at this spring. It's only for soldiers. Go to your own spring."
His kettle was gone, too. That was clear. As the Deacon walked back to the cabin he was very hot in the region of his collar. He felt quite shame faced, too, as to the way the boys would look on his management, in the face of the injunctions they had given him at parting. His temper was not improved by discovering that while he was gone someone had carried off the bigger part of the wood he had laboriously33 chopped and piled up in front of the cabin. He sat down in the doorway34 and meditated35 angrily:
"I'll be dumbed (there, I'm glad that Mariar didn't hear me say that. I'm afeared I'm gittin' to swear just like these other fellers). I'll be dumbed if I ever imagined there wuz sich a passel o' condemned thieves on the face o' the airth. And they all seem sich nice, gentlemanly fellers, too. What'll we do with them when they git back home?"
Presently he roused himself up to carry out his idea of getting a good meal ready for the boys by the time they returned, tired and hungry. He rummaged36 through the cabin, and came across an old tin bucket partially37 filled with scraps38 of paper. There did not seem to be anything of value in it, and he tossed the contents on the smoldering39 fire. Instantly there was an explosion which took the barrel off the top of the chimney, sent the stones rattling40 down, filled the room full of smoke, singed41 the Deacon's hair and whiskers, and sped him out of the cabin in great alarm. A crowd quickly gathered to see what was the matter. Just then Si appeared at the head of his squad. He and Shorty hurried to the scene of the disturbance42.210
210 (71K)
"What is the matter, Pap?" Si asked anxiously. "Why," explained his father, "I was lookin' round for something to git water in, and I found an old tin bucket with scraps o' paper in. I throwed them in the fire, and I'm feared I busted43 your fireplace all to pieces, But I'll help you to fix it up agin," he added deprecatingly.
"But you ain't hurt any, are you, Pap?" asked Si,211 anxiously examining his father, and ignoring all thought as to the damage to the dwelling44.
"No," said his father cheerfully. "I guess I lost a little hair, but I could spare that. It was about time to git it cut, anyway. I think we kin fix up the fireplace, Si."
"Cuss the fireplace, so long's you're all right," answered Si. "A little mud 'll straighten that out. You got hold o' the bucket where me and Shorty 've bin savin' up our broken cartridges45 for a little private Fourth o' July some night."
"But, Si," said the Deacon sorrowfully, determined46 to have it out at once. "They're bigger thieves than you said there wuz. They stole your ax but I'll buy you a better one for 10 or 12 bits; they took your pan and beans, an' took your camp-kittle, and finally all the wood that I'd cut."
He looked so doleful that the boys could not help laughing.
"Don't worry about them, Pap," said Si cheer fully5. "We'll fix them all right. Let's go inside and straighten things up, and then we'll have some thing to eat."
"But you can't git nothin' to eat," persisted the Deacon, "because there's nothin' to cook in."
"We'll have something, all the same," said Shorty, with a wink47 of enjoyable anticipation48 at Si.
The two boys carefully stowed away their overcoats, which were rolled up in bundles in a way that would be suspicious to a soldier. They got the interior of the cabin in more presentable shape, and then Shorty went out and produced a camp-kettle from somewhere, in which they made their coffee.212
When this was ready, they shut the door and care fully unrolled their overcoats. A small sugar-cured ham, a box of sardines49, a can of peaches, and a couple of loaves of fresh, soft bread developed.
"Yum-yum!" murmured Shorty, gloating over the viands50.
"Where in the world did you git them, boys?" asked the Deacon in wonderment.213
"Eat what is set before you, and ask no questions, for conscience's sake, Pap," said Si, slicing off a piece of the ham and starting to broil51 it for his father. "That's what you used to tell me."
"Si," said the father sternly, as an awful suspicion moved in his mind, "I hope you didn't steal 'em."
"Of course, not, Pap. How kin you think so?"
"Josiah Klegg," thundered the father, "tell me how you came by them things."
"Well, Pap," said Si, considerably52 abashed53, "it was something like this: Our squad was set to work to unload a car o' Christian54 Commission things. Me and Shorty pulled off our overcoats and laid them in a corner. When we got through our work and picked up our coats we found these things in them. Some bad men had hid them there, thinkin' they wuz their overcoats. We thought the best way wuz to punish the thieves by takin' the things away with us. Now, here's a piece o' ham briled almost as nice as mother could do. Take it, and cut you off a slice of that soft bread."
"Si, the receiver's as bad as the thief. I won't touch it."
"Pap, the harm's been done. No matter who done it, the owner'll never see his victuals55 agin. Jest as like he cribbed 'em from somebody else. These Christian Commission things wuz sent down for us soljers, anyhow. We'd better have 'em than the bummers around the rear. They'll spile and be wasted if you don't eat 'em, and that'd be a sin."
Trying to Conquer the Deacon's Scruples56. 212
The savory57 ham was very appetizing, the Deacon was very hungry, and the argument was sophistical.
"I'll take it, Si," said he with a sigh. "I don't214 wonder that the people down here are rebels and all that sort o' thing. It's in the air. I've felt my principles steadily58 weakenin' from the time I crossed the Ohio River."
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1
exhaustion
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| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
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bin
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| n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
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3
shack
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| adj.简陋的小屋，窝棚 | |
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4
awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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5
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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6
plank
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| n.板条，木板，政策要点，政纲条目 | |
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7
judicially
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| 依法判决地，公平地 | |
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8
gumption
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| n.才干 | |
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kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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10
pampered
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| adj.饮食过量的，饮食奢侈的v.纵容，宠，娇养( pamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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11
regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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12
saluting
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的现在分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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13
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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14
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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15
momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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16
roster
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| n.值勤表，花名册 | |
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17
lieutenants
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| n.陆军中尉( lieutenant的名词复数 )；副职官员；空军；仅低于…官阶的官员 | |
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18
sergeants
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| 警官( sergeant的名词复数 )； （美国警察）警佐； （英国警察）巡佐； 陆军（或空军）中士 | |
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19
disparagement
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| n.轻视，轻蔑 | |
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20
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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21
flinched
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| v.（因危险和痛苦）退缩，畏惧( flinch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22
asseverated
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| v.郑重声明，断言( asseverate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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23
furtive
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| adj.鬼鬼崇崇的，偷偷摸摸的 | |
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24
revival
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| n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振 | |
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25
squad
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| n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组 | |
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26
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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27
condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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28
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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29
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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30
ordained
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| v.任命（某人）为牧师( ordain的过去式和过去分词 )；授予（某人）圣职；（上帝、法律等）命令；判定 | |
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31
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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32
positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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laboriously
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| adv.艰苦地；费力地；辛勤地；（文体等）佶屈聱牙地 | |
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34
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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35
meditated
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| 深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑 | |
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36
rummaged
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| 翻找，搜寻( rummage的过去式和过去分词 )； 已经海关检查 | |
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37
partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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38
scraps
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| 油渣 | |
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39
smoldering
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| v.用文火焖烧，熏烧，慢燃( smolder的现在分词 ) | |
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40
rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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41
singed
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| v.浅表烧焦( singe的过去式和过去分词 )；（毛发）燎，烧焦尖端[边儿] | |
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42
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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43
busted
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| adj. 破产了的，失败了的，被降级的，被逮捕的，被抓到的 动词bust的过去式和过去分词 | |
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44
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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45
cartridges
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| 子弹( cartridge的名词复数 )； （打印机的）墨盒； 录音带盒； （唱机的）唱头 | |
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46
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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47
wink
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| n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁 | |
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48
anticipation
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| n.预期，预料，期望 | |
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49
sardines
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| n. 沙丁鱼 | |
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50
viands
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| n.食品，食物 | |
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51
broil
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| v.烤，烧，争吵，怒骂；n.烤，烧，争吵，怒骂 | |
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52
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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53
abashed
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| adj.窘迫的，尴尬的v.使羞愧，使局促，使窘迫( abash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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54
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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55
victuals
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| n.食物；食品 | |
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56
scruples
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| n.良心上的不安( scruple的名词复数 )；顾虑，顾忌v.感到于心不安，有顾忌( scruple的第三人称单数 ) | |
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57
savory
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| adj.风味极佳的，可口的，味香的 | |
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58
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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