hang th' hammicks, an' have lunch,' says he. 'Forward, brave men,' says
he, 'where ye see me di'mon's sparkle,' says he. 'Forward, an' plant th'
crokay ar-rches iv our beloved counthry,' he says. An' in they wint,
like inthrepid warryors that they ar-re. On th' beach they was met be a
diligation fr'm th' town of Punch, con-sistin' iv th' mayor, th' common
council, th' polis an' fire departments, th' Gr-rand Ar-rmy iv th'
Raypublic, an' prominent citizens in carredges. Gin'ral Miles, makin' a
hasty tielet, advanced onflinchingly to meet thim. 'Gintlemen,' says he,
'what can I do f'r ye?' he says. 'We come,' says th' chairman iv th'
comity, 'f'r to offer ye,' he says, 'th' r-run iv th' town,' he says.
'We have held out,' he says, 'as long as we cud,' he says. 'But,' he
says, 'they'se a limit to human endurance,' he says. 'We can withstand
ye no longer,' he says. 'We surrinder. Take us prisoners, an' rayceive
us into ye'er gloryous an' well-fed raypublic,' he says. 'Br-rave men,'
says Gin'ral Miles, 'I congratulate ye,' he says, 'on th' heeroism iv
yer definse,' he says. 'Ye stuck manfully to yer colors, whativer they
ar-re,' he says. 'I on'y wondher that ye waited f'r me to come befure
surrindhrin,' he says. 'I welcome ye into th' Union,' he says. 'I don't
know how th' Union'll feel about it, but that's no business iv mine,' he
says. 'Ye will get ye'er wur-rkin-cards fr'm th' walkin' diligate,' he
says; 'an' ye'll be entitled,' he says, 'to pay ye'er share iv th' taxes
an' to live awhile an' die whin ye get r-ready,' he says, 'jus' th' same
as if ye was bor-rn at home,' he says. 'I don't know th' names iv ye;
but I'll call ye all Casey, f'r short,' he says. 'Put ye'er bokays in
th' hammick,' he says, 'an' return to Punch,' he says; 'an' freeze
somethin' f'r me,' he says, 'f'r me thrawt is parched with th' labors iv
th' day,' he says. Th' r-rest iv th' avenin' was spint in dancin,'
music, an' boat-r-ridin'; an' an inj'yable time was had.

"Th' nex' day th' army moved on Punch; an' Gin'ral Miles marched into
th' ill-fated city, preceded be flower-girls sthrewin' r-roses an'
geranyums befure him. In th' afthernoon they was a lawn tinnis party,
an' at night the gin'ral attinded a banket at th' Gran' Palace Hotel.
At midnight he was serenaded be th' Raymimber th' Maine Banjo an'
Mandolin Club. Th' entire popylace attinded, with pork chops in their
buttonholes to show their pathreetism. Th' nex' day, afther breakfastin'
with Ma