d milk. That
seemed to settle the burdock remedy, and they went to inquiring of Jim
if he knew where my folks lived, so he could notify them, in case I was
not there in the morning. Jim couldn't remember whether it was Atchison,
Kan., or Fort Atkinson, Wis., but he said he would go and ask me, while
I was alive, so there would be no mistake, and the poor fellow, meaning
as well as any man ever did, came in and asked for the address of my
father, saying it was of no account, particularly, only he wanted to
know. I gave him the address, and then he asked me if he shouldn't get
me something to eat. I told him I couldn't eat anything to save me.
He offered to fry me some bacon, and make me a cup of coffee, but the
thought of bacon and coffee made me wild. I told him if he could make
me a nice cup of green tea, and some milk toast, or poach me an egg and
place it on a piece of nice buttered toast, and give me a little currant
jelly, I thought I could swallow a mouthful. Jim's eyes stuck out when
I gave my order, which I had done while thinking of home, and a tear
rolled down his cheek, and he went out of the tent, saying, "All right,
pard." I saw him tap his forehead with his finger, point his thumb
toward the tent, and say to the boys outside:
"He's got 'em! Head all wrong! Wants me to make him milk toast, poached
eggs, green tea, and currant jelly. And I offered him _bacon_. Sow belly
for a sick man! There isn't a loaf of bread in camp. Not an egg within
five miles. And milk! currant jelly! Why, he might as well ask for
Delmonico's bill of fare, but we have got to get 'em. I told him he
should have em, and, by mighty! he shall. Here, Mr. Horse-doctor, you
stay and watch him, and I and Company D here will saddle up and go out
on the road to a plantation, and raid it for delicacies.
"You bet your life," says the Company "D" man, and pretty soon I heard a
couple of saddles thrown on two horses, and then there was a clatter of
horses feet on the frozen ground. I have thought of it since a good many
times, and have concluded that I must have dropped asleep. Any way, it
didn't seem more than five minutes before the tent nap opened and Jim
came in.
"Come, straighten out here, now, you red-headed corpse, and try that
toast," said he, as he came in with a piece of hard-tack box for a tray,
and on it was a nice china plate, and a cup and saucer, an egg on toast,
and a little pitcher of milk, and some jelly.
"Jim," I said, ta
|