"Ah, yes! I know him! Guards you can go to your quarters."
"Hold on, General," said I; "the Captain that had command of those guards took a revolver away from me that belongs to Colonel Force, and took my pocket-book, and every thing else I had in my pockets."
"What kind of d—d thieving and robbing will take place next! Guards, go and tell that Captain to march his men up here!"
In a few minutes, the Captain marched his men into the yard and formed them in a line; when that was done, "Captain," said the General, "give that man the things that you robbed him of!"
The Captain handed out the articles, one after another, and last of all he handed me an old fine-tooth comb! That was too much for the equanimity of the officers and men that were looking on, and they burst into a roar of laughter. The poor Captain looked as if he would sink into the earth. "That will do," said the General, when he had handed me all; "you can dismiss your men."
I told General Hurlbut the result of my trip, and he complimented me very highly upon my success, and then gave me a "little smile" of brandy and loaf sugar, and a pass to Grand Junction.
The pass saved me any further annoyance by the Federal pickets, and Dr. Biggs from the trouble of visiting the guard-house with "commissary supplies."
I reported my trip to General Leggett, and, for some reason, the brigade did not vacate the place for more than two weeks after.