paper men were invited to partake of a collation in the
apartments of the college officials, and the professors were introduced
to the newspaper men. When my turn came to be introduced, and the old
colonel stood before me, I said:

"General, you were in the army, were you not?"

"Yezzer!" said the old man. "I am broud to say dot I fought for my
adopted country. But vy do you ask?"

"We have met before. I, too, was a soldier. I was at your headquarters
once, on a very important mission. I was entertained, sir, in your tent,
permitted, to partake of the good, things you had, and sent away happy.

"Vell, you dond't say so," said the old man, as he pressed my hand
warmly. "Vere vas dis dat you were my guest, and vot vas de important
message?" and he smiled all over his face at the prospect of hearing
something about old times.

"It was in Mississippi, between Montgomery, Ala., and Vicksburg. Do you
remember the hottest and dustiest day that ever was, when we camped on a
little stream?" said I.

"O, yah!" said the colonel; "very well. It vas an awful time."

"I went to your headquarters with information of vital importance. One
of your soldiers _had stolen my boots_."

"Gott in himmel!" said the old colonel, now a college professor, as he
looked at me to see if there was any resemblance between the New York
reporter and the dusty, bare-footed soldier of ten years before. "Vill
I never hear de last of dem dam boots? And you are de same veller, eh. I
have often thought, since dat day, vot an awful gall you had. But it
is all ofer now. You vatch your poots vile you are in New Chersey, for
plenty of dose cavalry-men are all around here. But do me a favor now,
and don't ever again say poots to me, dot's a good fellow," and then we
all sat down to lunch, and the old colonel told the newspaper boys from
New York about how I called at his tent on the march, looking for a pair
of boots that had eloped with one of his New Chersey dutchmen.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of How Private George W. Peck Put Down
The Rebellion, by George W. Peck

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PRIVATE GEORGE W. PECK ***

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