Si Klegg, Book 5: The Deacon's Adventures at Chattanooga in Caring for the BoysMcElroy, John
History
Si Klegg, Book 5: The Deacon's Adventures at Chattanooga in Caring for the Boys
McElroy, John
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Fiction
"There goes that unhung rascal, Eph Glick," he said to himself, "that
orter be wearin' a striped suit, and breakin' stone in the penitentiary.
He's runnin' a reg'lar dead-fall down the street, there, and he's got a
couple o' green recruits in tow, steerin' them to where he kin rob 'em
of their pay and bounty. They won't have a cent left in two hours. I've
bin achin' to bust him up for a long time, but I've never bin able to
git the p'ints on him that'd satisfy the General or the Provo. I'll jest
go down and clean out his shebang and run him out o' town, and finish
the job up while the General and the Provo's over in Louisville. It'll
all be cleaned up before they git back, and they needn't know a word of
it. Eph's got no friends around here to complain. He's a yaller hound,
that nobody cares what's done to him. It'll be good riddance o' bad
rubbish."
He stalked out of the Headquarters, and beckoned imperiously to a squad
that he saw coming down the street under the command of a Sergeant.
Seeing him come out of Headquarters there was no question of his right
to order, and the Sergeant and squad followed.
They arrived in front of Eph's place about the same time he did.
"Take that man," said Shorty, pointing to Eph, "and put him aboard the
next train that goes out. Think yourself lucky, sir, that you git off so
easily. If you ever show your face back here agin you'll be put at hard
labor on the fortifications for the rest o' your natural life. Hustle
him off to the depot, a couple of you, and see that he goes off when the
train does. The rest o' you bring out all the liquor in that place, and
pour it into the gutter. Sergeant, see that nobody's allowed to drink or
carry any away."
Nothing more was needed for the crowd that had followed up the squad,
anticipating a raid. Bottles, demijohns and kegs were smashed, the
cigars and tobacco snatched up, and the place thoroughly wrecked in a
few minutes.
Shorty contemplated the ruin from across the street, and strolled back
to Headquarters, serenely conscious of having put in a part of the day
to good advantage.
That evening the Provost-Marshal came into Headquarters, and said:
"I'm sorry, General, that you felt that Click place so bad that you
were compelled to take personal action. I have known for some time that
something ought to be done, but I've been trying to collect evidence
that would hold Glick on a criminal charge, so that I could turn him
over to the civil authorities."
"I do not understand what you mean, Colonel," answered the General.
"I mean that Glick place that was raided by your orders today."
"I gave no orders to raid any place. I have left all those matters in
your hands, Colonel, with entire confidence that you would do the right
thing."
"Why, one of my Sergeants reported that a Corporal came from your
Headquarters, and directed the raid to be made."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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