t ain't hard enough; I rides along by him for a bit an' for the
second time su'gests that he surrender. The Yank ignores me; he keeps
on runnin'.

"'Which sech conduct baffles me! It's absolootely ag'in military law.
By every roole of the game that Yank's my captive; but defyin'
restraint he goes caperin' on like he's free.

"'As I gallops along about four foot to his r'ar I confess I begins to
feel a heap he'pless about him. I'm too tender to shoot, an' he won't
stop, an' thar we be.

"'While I'm keepin' him company on this retreat, I reflects that even
if I downs him, the war would go on jest the same; it wouldn't stop the
rebellion none, nor gain the South her independence. The more I
considers, too, the war looks bigger an' the life of this flyin' Yank
looks smaller. Likewise, it occurs to me that he's headed no'th. If
he keeps up his gait an' don't turn or twist he'll have quitted
Southern territory by the end of the week.

"'After makin' a complete round-up of the sityooation I begins to lose
interest in this Yank; an' at last I leaves him, racin' along alone.
By way of stim'lant, as I pauses I cracks off a couple of loads outen
my six-shooter into the air. They has a excellent effect; from the
jump the Yank makes at the sound I can see the shots puts ten miles
more run into him shore. He keeps up his gallop ontil he's out of
sight, an' I never after feasts my eyes on him.

"'Which I regyards your conduct, Major, as mighty hoomane,' says Dan
Boggs, raisin' his glass p'litely. 'I approves of it, partic'lar.'

"The Major meets Dan's attentions in the sperit they're proposed.
After a moment Enright speaks of them cannons.

"But you-all got a battery final, Major?' says Enright.

"'Six brass guns,' says the Major, an' his gray eyes beams an' he
speaks of 'em like they was six beautiful women. 'Six brass guns, they
be,' he says. We captured 'em from the enemy an' I'm put in command.
Gents, I've witnessed some successes personal, but I never sees the day
when I'm as satisfied an' as contentedly proud as when I finds myse'f
in command of them six brass guns. I was like a lover to every one of
'em.

"'I'm that headlong to get action--we're in middle Loosiana at the
time--that I hauls a couple of 'em over by the Mississippi an' goes
prowlin' 'round ontil I pulls on trouble with a little Yankee gun boat.
It lasts two hours, an' I shore sinks that naval outfit an' piles the
old Mississippi on top of 'e