army, it wasn' so much fun, 'cause tendin' hosses
and ridin' wasn' all I does. No, sar, I has to do shootin' and git
shooted at! One time we stops de train, takes Yankee money and lots of
other things off dat train. Dat was way up de other side of Tennessee.

"You's heard of de battle of Independence? Dat's whar we fights for
three days and nights. I's not tendin' hosses dat time. Dey gives me a
rifle and sends me up front fightin', when we wasn' running'. We does a
heap of runnin' and dat suits dis nigger. I could do dat better'n
advance. When de order comes to 'treat, I's all ready.

"I gits shot in de shoulder in dat fight and lots of our soldiers gits
killed and we loses our supply, jus' leaves it and runs. 'Nother time we
fights two days and nights and de Yankees was bad dat time, too, and we
had to run through de river. I sho' thought I's gwine git drowned den.
Dat's de time we tries to git in St. Louis, but de Yankee mans stop us.

"I's free after de war and goes back to Texas, to Gonzales County, and
gits a job doin' cowboy work for Marster Ross herdin' cattle. And right
dere's whar I's lucky for not gittin' in jail or hanged. It was dis
way: I's in town and dat man, Ross, says to me, 'I unnerstan' you's a
good cowhand,' and he hires me and takes me way out. No house for miles
'fore we comes to de ranch with cattle and I goes to work. After I's
workin' a while, I wonders how come dey brings in sich fine steers so
often and I says to myself, 'Marster Ross mus' have heaps of money for
to buy all dem steers.' Dey pays no 'tention to de raisin' of cattle,
jus' brings 'em in and drives dem 'way.

"One time Marster Ross and six mens was gone a week and when dey comes
back, one of 'em was missin'. Dey had no steers dat time and dey talks
'bout gittin' frusterated and how one man gits shot. I says to myself,
'What for was dey chased and shot at?' Den I 'members Marster Bob
Houston done tol' me 'bout rustlers and how dey's hanged when dey's
caught, and I knows den dat's how come all dem fine steers is driv in
and out all de time. But how to git 'way, dere's de puzzlement. I not
know which way to go and dere's no houses anywhere near. I keeps gittin'
scarter, and ever' time somebody comes, I thinks its de law. But Marster
Ross drives de cattle north and I says to him, 'I's good hand at de
drive. Kin I go with you nex' time you goes north?' And not long after
dat we starts and we gits to Kansas City. After Marster Ross