at all likely to be imposed
upon."

Loud calls were now made upon the Sutler for an explanation, and with
look and tones that indicated that with him at least it was no laughing
matter, he commenced--

"On the forenoon of the day that we crossed into Fredericksburg----"

"We crossed!" roared the Captain. "Well, that's cool for a man who
suddenly recollected when that Quarter-Master was killed by a shell near
the Lacy House, just before our brigade crossed, that he had business in
Washington."

"Well, then, that _you_ crossed," continued the Sutler, correcting
himself hastily, to allow the crowd to make as little capital as
possible out of his blunder, "the General sent for me, and said that he
had been informed that I thought of going to Washington, and wanted to
know whether I would take a horse with me;--pointing to one that was
blanketed, and that one of his orderlies was leading. I looked upon it
as an order to take the horse, and thought that I might as well put a
good face on the matter. So I told him that I would take it with
pleasure. Well, I mounted the horse, thinking that I might as well ride,
and took the road for Aquia. But I found out after half an hour's
travel, that the horse was very weak,--in fact hardly able to bear me,
and so I took the halter strap in hand and trudged along by his side.
Presently I noticed a very bad smell. Carrion is so common here along
the road that I didn't pay much attention to it at first, but the smell
continued, and got worse, and I thought it strange that the carrion
should keep with me. By and by I noticed his nostrils, and then found
out to my rage that I, a Regimental Sutler, accustomed to drive good
nags, was leading a glandered horse in a country where horse flesh was
cheap as dirt. Well, at Aquia we had a great time getting the horse on
the boat,--indeed, he fell off the gangway, and we had to fish him out
of the water. The passengers crowded me, with the horse, into a little
corner in the stern of the boat, and looked at me as if I deserved
lynching for bringing him on board. But that was nothing to the trouble
I had with him in Washington. After the boat landed, I led that horse
around from one stable to another in Washington for four mortal hours,
but couldn't get him in anywhere; and besides they threatened to
prosecute me if I did not have him shot. Finding that I could do nothing
else, I gave a man three dollars to have him taken away and shot. The
thing bo