l manner of fixings. There were so many wagons waiting at City Point
that the roads round there were blocked for miles. We could not fail
to get our turkeys to-morrow. With this expectation we went, pretty
happy, to bed.

"There'll be a turkey apiece, you'll see, Ned," said Charley, in a
confident, weak voice, as I turned in. "We'll all have a bully
Thanksgiving to-morrow."

The morrow broke as bleak as the preceding day, and without a sign of
turkey for our brigade. But about twelve o'clock a great shouting came
from the parade ground.

"The turkeys have come!" cried Charley, trying to rise. "Never mind
picking out a big one for me; any one will do. I don't believe I can
eat a bite, but I want to see it. My! ain't it kind of the folks at
home!"

I ran out and found his surmise as to the return of the wagons
correct. They were filing into the enclosure around the
quartermaster's tent. Nothing but an order that the men should keep
to company quarters prevented the whole regiment helping to unload the
delicacies of the season.

Soon foraging parties went from each company to the quartermaster's
enclosure. Company I sent six men. They returned, grinning, in about
half an hour, with one box on one man's shoulders.

It was carried to Sergeant Cunningham's cabin, the nearest to the
parade ground, the most distant from that of "the kids," in which
Charley lay waiting. We crowded round the hut with some sinking of
enthusiasm. There was no cover on the box except a bit of cotton in
which some of the consignment had probably been wrapped. Brownie
whisked this off, and those nearest Cunningham's door saw
disclosed--two small turkeys, a chicken, four rather disorganized
pies, two handsome bologna sausages, and six very red apples.

We were nearly seventy men. The comical side of the case struck the
boys instantly. Their disappointment was so extreme as to be absurd.
There might be two ounces of feast to each, if the whole were equally
shared.

All hands laughed; not a man swore. The idea of an equal distribution
seemed to have no place in that company. One proposed that all should
toss up for the lot. Another suggested drawing lots; a third that we
should set the Thanksgiving dinner at one end of the parade ground and
run a race for it, "grab who can."

At this Barney Donahoe spoke up.

"Begorra, yez can race for wan turkey av yez loike. But the other wan
is goin' to Char-les Wilson!"

There was not a dissenting voi