Some of his people
came down here in pursuit of it, and I was detailed with a squad to help
them in their search.
"Well, the naval officers gave us every facility in their power; the
river was dragged twice over, and the woods along-shore ransacked,
hoping it might have been washed in and, maybe, buried; but there wasn't
sight or trace of it. While we were hunting round we stumbled on a
couple of darkies, who told us, after a bit of questioning, that darky
number three, somewhere about, had found the body of a Federal officer
on the river bank, and buried it. On that hint we acted, posted over to
the fellow's shanty, and found, not him, but his wife, who was ready
enough to tell us all she knew. She showed us some traps of the buried
officer, among them a pair of spurs, which his brother recognized
directly. When she was quite sure that we were all correct, and that the
thing had fallen into the right hands, she fished out of some safe
corner his wallet, with fifty-seven dollars in it. I confess I stared,
for they were slaves, both of them, and evidently poor as Job's turkey,
and it has always been one of my theories that a nigger invariably
steals when he gets a chance. However, I wasn't going to give in at
that."
"Of course you weren't," said the Colonel. "Did you ever read about the
man who was told that the facts did not sustain his theory, and of his
sublime answer? 'Very well,' said he, 'so much the worse for the
facts!'"
"Come, Colonel, you talk too much.
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