The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1883-06-22
Private Rankanhle.


grateful" said the big-hearted private
one day, his eyes swimming in gratefu
tears. "Look here, alf this just for {
little thump like that" He had just
drawn his pension. Eight dollars 2
month" he said proudly, "for stiff
knee"
His old commander, General De Res
paraid, gets a great deal more than
that and never got a scratch in the
army. But he has something mysteri
Gus, with long Latin name, that has
affected some four-sylldble portion OF
his anatomy. Every time Rankantile
hears of it-which is every time he
meets the general-he shudders, and
says that thing will carry the general
off one of these dayl."
l would not be surprised. 1t is big
enough to carry off rhinoceros.
Private Rankanfle seems lonely.
He is thinking, perhaps. of his com
rades, the other privates in his regi
ment. There were several soldiers in
the army. Rankanfle, whom l knew
was one. The name of the other ont
has escaped Inc. Nor do | know where
he is. He may be dead. Perhaps he is
married. Something has happened him
certainly. | looked for him in the leg
islature, but his captain tells me he is
not there. / seek HIM in congress, but
his colonel tells me he has not seen him
nor heard of him since the last election
| miss him in the cabinet. He doesn't
appear to be consul to any place.
And yet, if he would only come for.
ward and show himself, grateful coun
try has remembered him. He can
can secure farm of 100 acres in the fal
west, after the railroads have secured
all the best sections, twenty miles from
the nearest post-office, twice as far from
water, and as far as railway train can
run in day from coal bank or forest
or precisely the same terms as are ac
corded a man who has been in this LAND
fifteen minutes. 1t is great boon
and the private soldier should appre.
ciatelt. And undoubtedly he does-in d
quiet way. He does not make much
fuss about it. And really there isn't
very much for him to grow enthusias-
tic about
But the private ldiertEough indeed
he is exceedingly rare and velously
scarce at intervals, is not entirely lost
1t will rejoice the hearts Of his anxious
friends to learn that his absence has
been noted. People are enquiring fol
him. Eminent statesmen are looking
him up. Distinguished congressman
who are not morally certain of "going
back" are after him. Great men who
are positively gone out of politics" fol
good, unless the voice Of the people
should imperatively call them back to
public life, are seeking the lost soldier
in his retirement. The time of the
quadrennIal reunion draweth nigh
Also, the year Of the national conven.
ton. In the days gone by, when the
private soldier was more numerous
than to-day, very nearly thousand of
him were required to make one colonel
More than many times so many are
sometimes requisite to the election of a
member of congress and to make a
president.
Therefore he will be found. He will
be dragged from his lurking place. If
he has not been seen at the polls by four
p. M, the generals own carriage will
come for him. 1t will not come after
him again for another four years. But
1t will come Tor him then.
The pages of history teach US, then
dearly beloved, that the private soldier
is extremely necessary during the pro-
gress of war. His is indispensable so
long as actual hostilitles continue; he
is even useful at intervals in time OF
peace, but between the intervals no
body appears to want any Of him-dur
ing the spaces Of period that elapses be.
tween the times when there is some.
body TO be elected to something.
And it is pleasant to see him dragged
out into the light Of day even once il
two or fouryears. 1t is pleasant to bt
thus assured that he is not dead, bu
only speechless; to know that he Is
still good for something; that he counts
one apiece at the polls; that he swell'
the line Of the torch light procession
that, as the days of yore and gore, he il
useful in digging trenches, as 1t were
1t is great joy to know that he is no
all and altogether gone. There use(
to be so many of him that now We geen
to miss him, even when we cateR hin
out alone and count him.
And we rejoice. too, in the though
that his time has come. One day tn,
private soldier will shine resplenden
as blazing planet against the nebulou
background of half-forgotten field o
line officers. 1t has ever been the fat
of the private soldier. Nopoleon j
dead and his marshals are dead. Blu
the private soldier who fought unde
| the Little Corporalp at Waterloo, i