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"Sure, your honour, a military life disagreed intirely wid me health, and I thought it best to take Frinch leave, to save me comrades the trouble of burying, me," answered Barney. "Sure, I niver dreamed of deserting." "And you, Mr. Klitz, what have you to say?" asked the lieutenant.
But we had to call a halt at noon, by the side of a stream, in order to water our animals and let them feed; while we ourselves took some of the provender which we had brought in our wallets. Klitz and Barney sat down opposite to us, by the orders of the lieutenant, and ate their meal in silence. They bore their disappointment very well.
I did what every one should do when there exists any doubt about a matter, I hastened forward to solve the mystery. No sooner did they see me than Klitz dropped his muskets, and Barney, letting go the handles of his wheel-barrow, stood gazing at me with open eyes and outstretched hands.
Remember that I will stand no nonsense; and the first of you who plays any trick, I will shoot him through the head." "Arrah! sure, we will be afther obeying your honour, thin," cried Barney, as he and Klitz galloped on ahead the lieutenant giving them the order to turn to the right or to the left as was necessary. We kept on at a good pace.
The tallest was not only tall, but thin in the extreme, his ankles protruding below his trousers, and his wrists beyond the sleeves of his jacket; he had lost his military hat, and had substituted for it a high beaver, which he had obtained from some Irish emigrant on the road. He was a German; and his name, he told me, was Karl Klitz.
As we travelled along they showed no inclination to decamp, but chatted and laughed, each in his own style Barney being undoubtedly the leading wit of the party. They were heartily welcome at Roaring Water, and both Klitz and Barney showed that they were willing and able to work. The only thing which seemed to put the German out was when any allusion was made to a wheel-barrow.
Although he summoned them by name, shouting out "Karl Klitz," "Barney Gillooly," "Pat Sperry," no one answered; so, shoving open the door, we entered. At first the hut appeared to be empty, but as we looked into one of the bunks we beheld the last-named individual, so sound asleep that, though his officer shouted to him to know what had become of his comrades, he only replied by grunts.
Still no one dreamed of giving in. Klitz and Gillooly behaved admirably, and did much to retrieve their character. They always kept together Klitz kneeling down to fire, while Gillooly sprang now on one side, then on the other, of his loophole, as he fired his rifle through it.
"Arrah! now, this illigint piece of meat will be enough to last us until we stop again for the night!" exclaimed Gillooly. "I'll race you now, and see who can get his whack down the fastest. If I win, you must hand over to me what remains of yours; and if you win, you shall have the remainder of my whack." "Dat would not be fair," answered Klitz.
He soon caught some fish, and I got hold of a sheep which came up to the door; and if there had only been a dhrop of the cratur', we should have lived like princes. One thing there was which the Indians had not carried off, and that was a wheel-barrow. When Klitz saw it, 'We will go to California! says he.
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