While “cudgelling his brains” for a solution of Clem’s conundrum, the mules had strayed from the cart road, and were stuck hard and fast in the mud. “Git up dar yer Balum’s cusses!” piling on the whip and using some “swear words” not to be repeated. “Dar, take dat, and dat, yer!”
Just then Chaplain C. rode up, and hearing the contraband swearing, said,—
“Do you know what the great I Am said?”
“Look’er yer, masser,” interrupted the negro; “done yer ax me none of yer cundrums till I git out ob dis d—— hole; and I answer Clem’s fust—‘Why am Moses like er gin-cotton?’”
Wouldn’t marry a Regiment.
When General Kelley was after Mosby’s guerrillas, he captured a girl named Sally Dusky, whose two brothers were officers in the guerrilla band. The general tried in vain to induce the girl—who was not bad looking, by the way—to reveal the rebs’ hiding-places. Having failed in all other ways, the general said,—
“If you will make a clean breast of it, and tell us truly, I will give you the chances for a husband of all the men and officers of my command.”
With this bait he turned her over to Captain Baggs. After some deliberation she asked that officer if the general meant what he said.
“O, most assuredly; the general was sincere,” was his reply.
The girl assumed a thoughtful mood for some moments, and then said,—