shinning it round de rocks all morning. When I'm on
de one side de jump-high is on de oder; and if I go back widout one
he'll cuss me for a d----d stumbling woolly-head. Dat's his name for me
any way.'

"I struck a bargain with the boy; he loaned me his jack-knife, and held
the legs, and I had the skin off as soon as a two-inch blade (hacked at
that) would allow, and I gave him the jump-high, and told him if he'd
watch the beef till I carried this quarter home, I'd give him a fore
quarter. I knew his Master was as bad off as myself, and would ask no
questions, and then I sneaked up in rear of the General's quarters."

"That's what I'd call Profane History," said the Lieutenant, as the
Captain resumed his load.

"Well, boys! Go into the Third Cavalry four months, as I did; and if any
of you swear less than I do, I'll treat."

"One fault with the story, Captain," said another Lieutenant, detaining
him; "you make no application."

"I didn't intend it as a sermon; what application would you make?"

"A very practical one, Captain. I would apply half a quarter to one man,
half a quarter to another. Make a distribution among your friends."

The Captain, somewhat sold, told them to send down a detail, and he
would distribute.

The detail returned, well loaded, having performed their duty
faithfully, with the exception of trimming Sambo's fore-quarter "mighty
close," as he phrased it.

That bullock turned out to be merely the first course of a grand flesh
carnival, which lasted the remaining two days of the stay on Snicker's
summit. The wood and fields almost swarmed with rabbits and quails; but
although furnishing amusement to all, they were but titbits for the
delicate. By some remissness of vigilance under the stringent orders,
cattle, sheep, and hogs were slaughtered on all sides. There was an
abundance of them; the farmers in the valley having driven them up, as
was their custom, for the pasture and mast to be found in the fields and
woods. Half wild, the flavor of their flesh was a close approach to that
of game. As may be supposed, where licence was untrammelled, there was
much needless slaughter. Fine carcasses were left as they fell, with the
loss only of a few choice cuts. As the beasts, especially the pigs,
which looked like our ordinary porkers well stretched, could run with
great speed, the chase was amusing as well as exciting. Red breeches and
blue fraternized and vied with each other in the sport, to qu