第28章

"This certainly seems an ideal pastoral land--a place where one would naturally locate a charming idyl or bucolic love-story!"he said one evening, to Surgeon Paul Denslow, after descanting at length upon the beauties of the country which they were "redeeming"from the hands of the Rebels.

"Yes, answered Dr.Denslow, "and it's as dull and sleepy and non-progressive as all those places are where they locate what you call your idyls and pastorals! These people haven't got an idea belonging to this century, nor do they want one.They know how to raise handsome girls, distil good whisky, and breed fast horses.

This they esteem the end of all human knowledge and understanding.

Anything moer is to them vanity and useless vexation of spirit."At last the regiment halted under the grand old beeches and hickories of teh famous Camp Dick Robinson, in the heart of the Blue Grass Region.In this most picturesque part of the lovely Kentucky River Valley they spent the bright days of October very delightfully.

Nature is as kindly and gracious in Central Kentucky as in any part of the globe upon which her sun shines, and she seemed to be on her best behavior, that she might duly impress the Northern visitors.

The orchards were loaded with fruit, and the forest trees showered nuts upon the ground.In every field were groups of persimmon trees, their branches bendingunder a burden of luscious fruit, which the frost had coated with sheeny purple outside, and made sweeter than fine wine within.Over all bent softly brilliant skies, and the bland, bracing air was charged with the electricity of life and happiness.

It was the very poetry of soldiering, and Harry began to forget the miseries of life in a Camp of Instruction, and to believe that there was much to be enjoyed, even in the life of an enlisted man.

"This here air or the apple-jack seems to have a wonderfully improving effect on Jake Alspaugh's chronic rheumatics," sneered Abe Bolton.

It was a sunny afternoon.Bolton and Kent Edwards were just ouside of the camp lines, in the shade of a grand old black walnut, and had re-seated themselves to finsih devouring a bucketful of lush persimmons, after having reluctantly risen from that delightful occupation to salute Lieutenant Alspaugh, as he passed outward in imposing blue and gold stalwarthood.

"I've been remarking that myself," said Kent, taking out a handful of the shining fruit, and deliberately picking the stems and dead leaves from the sticky sides, preparatory to swallowing it."He hasn't had an attack since we thought those negroes and teams on the hills beyond Cynthiana was John Morgan's Rebel cavalry.""Yes," continued Abe, helping himself also the mellow date-plums, "his legs are so sound now that he is able to go to every frolic in the country for miles around, and dance all night.He's going to the Quartermaster's now, to get a horse to ride to a dance and candy-pulling at that double log-house four miles down the Harrodsburg Pike.I heard him talking to some other fellows about it when Iwent up with the squad to bring the rations down to the company.""Seems to em, come to think of it, that I HAVE heard of some rheumatic symptoms recently.Remember that a couple of weeks ago Pete Sanford got a bullet through his blouse, that scraped his ribs, don't you?""Yes," said Abe, spitting the seeds out from a mouthful of honeyed pulp.

"Well, the boys say that Jake went to a candy-pulling frolic down in the Cranston settlement, and got into a killing flirtation with the prettiest girl there.She was taken with his brass buttons, and his circus-horse style generally, but she had another fellow that it didn't suit so well.He showed his disapproval in a way that seems to be the fashion down here; that is, he 'laid for'

Jake behind a big rock with a six-foot deer rifle, but mistook Pete Sanford for him.""The dunderhead's as poor a judge of men as he's marksman.He's a disgrace to Kentucky.""At all events it served as a hint, which Alspaugh did not fail to take.Since that time there has been two or three dances at Cranston's, but every time Jake has had such twinges of his rheumatism that he did not think it best to 'expose himself to the night air,' and go with the boys.""O!---ouw!---wh-i-s-s-s-sh!" sputtered Abe, spitting the contents of his mouth out explosively, while his face was contorted as if every nerve and muscle was being twisted violently.

"Why, what is the matter, Abe?" asked Kent, in real alarm."Have you swallowed a centipede or has the cramp-colic griped you?""No! I hain't swallowed no centerboard, nor have I the belly-ache--blast your chucklehead," roared Abe, as he sprang to his feet, rushed to the brook, scooped up some water in his hands, and rinsed his mouth out energetically.

"Well, what can it be, then? You surely ain't doing all that for fun.""No, I ain't doing it for fun," shouted Abe, angrier still; "and nobody but a double-and twisted idiot would ask such a fool question.

I was paying so much attention to your dumbed story that I chewed up a green persimmon--one that hadn't been touched by the frost.

It's puckered my mouth so that I will never get it straight again.

It's worse than a pound of alum and a gallon of tanbark juice mixed together.O, laugh, if you want to--that's just what I'd expect from you.That's about all the sense you've got."---

There was enough excitement in camp to prevent any danger of ennui.

The probability of battle gave the daily drills an interest that they never could gain in Ohio.The native Rebels were numerous and defiant, and kept up such demonstrations as led to continual apprehensions of an attack.New regiments came in constantly, and were received with enthusiasm.Kentucky and East Tennessee Loyalists, tall, gaunt, long-haired and quaint-spoken, but burning with enthusiasm for the Government of their fathers, flocked to the camp, doffed their butternut garb, assumed the glue, and enrolled themselves to defend the Union.