Si Klegg, Book 3: Si and Shorty Meet Mr. Rosenbaum, the Spy, Who Relates His AdventuresMcElroy, John
History
Si Klegg, Book 3: Si and Shorty Meet Mr. Rosenbaum, the Spy, Who Relates His Adventures
McElroy, John
Indiana -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Fiction; Spy stories; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Fiction
"'Queer where you found them all,' said he. 'Must've brung them from
Memphis with you. I can't find one in the whole camp. Our men use
nails unt thorns instead of pins. I've been wanting a lot of pins for my
papers. Let me have all you got. I wish you had a paper of them.'
"I did have two or three papers in my pockets, unt first had a fool idea
of offering them to him. Then I remembered that disappointed man with
the rope by the tree, unt pulled the pins out of my lapels one by one
unt give them to him, trying to keep count in my head as I did so.
"'What are you doing here, anyway?' he asked as he gathered up the pins
unt put them in a pasteboard box.
"'I come here at General Pillow's orders, to pick up some Mexican silfer
dollars, to buy ammunition in Mexico.
"'Another of old blowhard Pillow's fool schemes,'{35} said he. 'I know
old Pillow. I served with him in Mexico, when he dug his ditch on the
wrong side of his fortification. He's probably going to do some-thing
else with the dollars than buy ammunition. Old Gid Pillow's a mighty
slick one, I tell you, when it comes to filling his own pockets. He's no
fool there, whatever he may be in other ways. He's working some scheme
to skin our men, unt making you his partner, then he'll turn around unt
skin you. I'll stop it going any further by turning you out of camp, unt
I ought to take away from you all the money you've gathered up, but I
won't do it on one condition.'
"'What is your condition?' said I, trying not to speak too quick.
"'You say you are in the clothing pizniss. I want awfully a nice
uniform, just like the Major's there. What's such a uniform worth?'
"'About $75,' said I.
"'I paid $65 for this in St. Louis,' said Jim Jones.
"'Well, $10 is not much of a skin for a Memphis Jew,' laughed the
Adjutant-General. 'I tell you what I'll do, if you'll swear by the book
of Deuteronomy, unt Moses, Abraham unt Isaac, to have me inside of two
weeks just such a uniform as the Major's there, I'll let you off with
all the money you have made already, unt when you come back with it I'll
give you written permission to trade for every silver dollar in camp.'
"'It is a bargain,' said I.
"'Unt it'll be a perfect fit," said he.
"'Just like the paper on the wall,' said I. 'Let me{36} take your
measure.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account