"'Well, sir, it ain't anything else. A man that's got sense enuff to
foller his own cow-bell with us ain't in no danger of starvin'. I'm
gwine down to Orleans to see if I can't git a contract out of Uncle Sam
to feed the boys what's been lickin' them infernal Mexicans so bad. I
s'pose you've seed them cussed lies what's been in the papers about the
Indiany boys at Bony Visty.'
"'I've read some accounts of the battle,' says the old gentleman, 'that
didn't give a very flattering account of the conduct of some of our
troops.'
"With that, the Indiany man went into a full explanation of the affair,
and, gettin' warmed up as he went along, begun to cuss and swear like
he'd been through a dozen campaigns himself. The old preacher listened
to him with evident signs of displeasure, twistin' and groanin' till he
couldn't stand it no longer.
"'My friend,' says he, 'you must excuse me, but your conversation would
be a great deal more interesting to me--and I'm sure would please the
company much better--if you wouldn't swear so terribly. It's very wrong
to swear, and I hope you'll have respect for our feelin's, if you hain't
no respect for your Maker.
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