The General of the Mackerel Brigade at first intended to accompany me to Accomac; and says he to Samyule Sa-mith, the orderly, says he: "Samyule! just step down to the anatomical museum of the Western chaps, and buy me the best horse you can find in the collection. Here's a dollar and half—fifty cents for the horse and a dollar for your trouble."
Samyule came back in about forty minutes, and says he:
"Colonel Wobert Wobinson, of the Western Cavalry, says I must come again this afternoon, as he don't know whether there'll be any horses left or not."
"Thunder!" says the General. "How left?"
"Vy," says Samyule, "he can't tell whether any horses will be left until the boys have had their dinner, can he!"
"Ah!" says the General, contemplatively, "I forgot the beef-soup recommended by the doctors. It will be a pleasant change for the boys," says he, "from the mutton that was so plenty just after them mules died."
Speaking of dinner, my boy; let me tell you about a curious occurrence in our camp lately. Just after a load of rations had come in, a New York chap says to me, says he:
"I'm glad they're going to put down the Russ pavement here pretty soon; for it's getting damp as thunder."
"Id-jut!" said I, sarcastically, "where have you seen any Russ pavement?"
He just took me softly by the arm, my boy, and led me a little way, and pointed, and says he: