ll right in its place but its
place aint under a General. The horse was so big that the General like
to have bust gettin up. As soon as he got set the horse took a couple
of steps. Then he sat down in the mud like a dog an let out a groan.

Of course it was all off then. By the time hed coaxed that horse up to
the battery he was so sore hed have found rust on the perly gates an
put Saint Peter under arrest for not bein shaved.

When he got around to my seckshun I thought he was about due to be out
of breath. I had a little rip in my pants that I hadnt had time to sew
up. Nothing anybodied notice. Just my knee stickin thru. That fello
could see a hole in your undershirt tho. When he came up to me he
looked me over like I was a windo dummy that he didnt care much about.
Then he says to the Captin "What do you mean by lettin a man stand
inspeckshun like that?"

The Captin looked at me surprised like hed never seen me before. Then
he turns to the sargent an says "Sargent, I want a report on why was
that man permitted to stand inspeckshun in that condishun." They all
talk as if they were doin me a favor by lettin me stand inspeckshun.
Ill tell the world I didnt go around an ask nobodies permishun.

The sargent looked at my pants kind of hurt like I hadnt ast for a
new pair thirty seven times. After the General had put the whole
battery under arrest an rode away to get some raw meat he sighed like
a fello that everybodies agenst. Then he turns to the corperal an says
"What the this an that do you mean by gettin me in Dutch, you big
space filler?"

So the corperal stuck me on detail manacurin the streets for a couple
of days. About all there is left for me is to go around an kick a few
horses in the stummick after dark.

The funny part about it is that everybody knew there hadnt been no
pants ishued since we got here. Half the fellos in the battery is
comin thru in places the General couldnt see because he was mounted.
That dont make no difference. A fellos knees aint got no rights in
this mans army. I wish I was a Lady from Hell an I wouldnt have to
bother about pants. Thats tecknickle, Mable. I dont guess youll get
it.

They call this passin the buck. In the army they got it fixed up so
that nothin aint ever nobodies fault. Its always on the next fello
down. That works out pretty good unless you happen to be on the bottom
step like me. I dont know why they call it passin the buck. I never
saw it pass him yet.

You