The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-04-26
HOW BEG AME A WAR COR
 RESPONDENT.

Archibald Forbes. ia English Mag1 ne
 Before passing to the subject of ,his paper ] must premise tha, II has been written under the force maleure of in editorial Injunction. would not have ii thought that am other than proud oi the profession in which have spen, the best years of my life; but. on the other hand. am anxious 10 guard agains. the importation of seeking to th!us, under pubic notice personal details in relation to my own career.
 l became a war-corrcsDondcntb bee cause ! had previously been cavalry soldier. and II was awar-correspondent who made me become a cavalry soldier. My earli- es; bias towards the profession of arms came 10 me from listening to lecture on the crimean war. which William Howard Russell delivered Tn the Music Hall O; Edinburg in the winter of 5 1 had read his war-le:ters plceemeal, but his lecture forced me ,o buy his book and the description of the cavalry work at Balaclava l read in IFS pages klndied ln me great ardour for the mounted arm. This repained bat theory un,ll follies and extravaganza abruptly lermi- mated my university career. when It had practical outcome in my accepting the queens shilling" from a me old re,yuit- ing-sergeant belonging to the royal dIa- goons It was not long before iealized that cavalry regiments do not hurl them selves Tn wild career against hostile ranks with 50 great frequency as 10 impart to the pasiine any character of monotony was dislilusioned. yet the glamour did not wholly fade-no, nor Is Il dead vel. although have no hope ever again 10 hear the irumpets sound the charge and see the war-horse paving m the val ley. suppose had a natural atiini,, for soldering anyhow took 10 ,s dradg- cry with as much zeal as If had never learned to conjuga,e Greek irregular verbs or make bad Latin verses Five and-t@en;y years ago there were a few gen iemen Tn the ranks even in our cav airy regiments. and of the few who were fewer still had their heart Tn their work. When the little remittance came to me from home, most of |, went in standing beer to old troopers, who. as they drank, could talk with spr, and force of the old active service" days ho. Joe, forke" sill bade his men close in knee 10 knee and ride strai .ht, after the bullet had smashed his knee: hoS .Dlck Mi. son, the sergeant-maior, had ridden down the Russian co'onel, ard given hin
 pcsns cae" before he had time ;o go 10 ground how young Jack Noakes, whom l met the other day, a retired major in New Zealand, having had his horse shot under him. sereney killed Russian cavalry man. and so iemoun.ed himself. The olds,ers drank my beer. and suppose laughed al me as they 'siped their mous;aches on their shiIl sleeves hat, although l had no ,hough, save for the present pleasure oi listening to the,f tales, told as they were ln the quaint forc.ble idiom of the barraek room. 1t was 1 who vas the alRer. was sa,urating myself with practca. sol' dierhood while the grizzled veterans were svilIiHg my beer. Then when the troop horses were bedded down for he night. and my comrades saliied ou; into the town" ,o keep trysi with maid-ser- wants. or to swell he chorus m some beer house tap-roors, there were for me, till the watch-se;,iag ugmpe. sounded three happy hours in the Eeslmeniai library over the pages oi Napief- or IT. tougher wFes:le ~lta ;he war-pIob.eHls Of Ionini
 Then there dawned n ne he dcsre 10 write something descriptive oi inc man uer of life VIC soldiers were hg1ns. remember as if II were 5.t yesiera ;. under eha, conditions lswrp.e m sIs: article. l, was a, tAs.e ia the parraes k room, amids, din and turmoil Fe.loss were singing as theY piPe-c aye- te.is ar burn.shed sword sc4bbercs- Wa interrupted by the necessity to e!ea' the table away to make s9ol :o. ashi- The hrs, page of my unanuscrpt "as sTnearei with chrome yellow .ha, drop ped from the strives of a pair os overa.is hanging overhead. When reiitea f Englan asrer he Russo Turkish gar. some par,.al friends who were so good as 10 admire some exertiobs of mine IT tha, campaign, did me the honor D en- ,ertain me al banquet in Wiiiis rooms It was a coincidence passing strange that as rose with a heart overfull for elo- auence. even were ,ha. gif al my com mand, to strive to stammer ie~ word! in acknowledgement of the msgnihcen eulogiurn which George Sala had allowet himself to pronounce, my eye shoule