Part 34 (1/2)

It was in the fast deepening twilight of a beautiful evening, and but a few days after he had left the Union lines, that a party of rebel soldiers, weary and hungry with the toilsome march of the day, were resting around a camp-fire, engaged in the preparations of their evening meal.

While thus employed, they were approached by a strange-looking individual, who walked right into their midst, and without ceremony, flung down his pack and seated himself among them.

”B-b-boys,” said he, ”I'm most d-d-darned hungry, w-w-w-what do you s-s-say to givin' me a b-b-b-bite to eat; d-d-dang my b.u.t.tons, I'm willin' to p-p-pay for it in t-t-trade or cash.”

”How did you manage to get inside the camp?” inquired one, who seemed to be the leader of the mess.

”F-f-f-followed my legs, and they b-b-b-brought me right in,” replied Stuttering Dave, as he coolly produced a short-stemmed, dirty-looking pipe, which he deliberately filled, and then lighted with a coal from the glowing embers at his feet.

”What have you got to sell?” asked a soldier at his side.

”O, n-n-needles, p-p-pins, thread, b-b-b.u.t.tons and n-n-notions.”

”Did you come from the Yanks?” now asked the man who had first addressed him.

”D-d-d-am the Yanks!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Dave, ”I d-d-don't know anything about 'em. Ain't them your s-s-sentiments?” he added, nudging the fellow who sat nearest to him.

His companion evidently did not relish this sly poke, for he growled:

”I, for one, am gettin' most thunderin' tired of runnin' around the country, and nothin' would suit me better than for us to stop long enough to giv' 'em a good lickin'.”

”You l-licked 'em like the d-d-devil at Williamsburgh, d-d-d-didn't you?” said Dave.

The fellow looked at him in surprise, but failed to detect any evidence of an intended sarcasm in the immovable gravity of his face, so mentally concluding that the peddler was a fool and one of nature's own at that, he dropped the conversation.

By this time the meal was ready, and Dave, being invited to join them, gladly a.s.sented, and fell to with an appet.i.te that showed how thoroughly he enjoyed the repast. Supper over, the party spent the evening in chatting and telling yarns. The detective opened his pack, and displaying his goods, soon disposed of quite a large quant.i.ty, in return for which he demanded, and would take, nothing but silver or gold. When ”taps” were called, he turned in with the party, and placing his pack under his head for a pillow, he soon slept soundly, until reveille in the early morning aroused him from his slumbers.

Having eaten his breakfast, he sauntered through the camp, taking keen notice of the number of troops, and finding out all he could concerning their intended plans and movements. During the day, he did a thriving business with his small stock of notions, and was everywhere followed by a crowd, who were attracted by his droll humor and witty sayings.

On one of these occasions, and while he was driving some lively bargains with the soldiers that were gathered around him, he was approached by an officer, who slapped him familiarly on the shoulder and exclaimed:

”Here, my good fellow, we can use men like you; hadn't you better enlist with us? You can do your country a great deal more good than you are doing, tramping around the country selling needles and pins.”

The detective turned around, and seeing who it was addressing him, replied:

”C-Captain, I d-d-don't think you would want me; I t-t-tried t-to enlist s-s-s-sometime ago, b-b-b-but the d-d-doctor said, m-my f-f-fits and stuttering b-b-being so b-b-bad, he c-c-couldn't p-p-pa.s.s me.”

”Are you subject to fits?” the officer now asked, as a sympathetic look came over his face.

”Had 'em ever s-s-since I was t-t-ten years old,” replied Dave, ”have 'em every f-f-full of the m-m-moon.”

”Where do you live?” interrupted the officer.

”On t-t-the other s-s-side of the river,” he answered.

”What is your name?”

”They c-c-call me St-st-stuttering Dave,” replied the detective, with an idiotic grin.