The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-01-02

- m hts 8 fSsslsIs $50 a r
still q NY shouldse. his hsind 9 "a
about my arm, = u 10 feared tAat S6me
way In his sleep hs might Is taken
away.
AZ I passed ont I asked Q SURGEON If
It would not be we'll TO send Tor his
mother. He said IL would be useless.
~ tho boy could not possibly live the
week out. That night obtained leave
TO remain at the hospital ! day or two.
When I went down next morning my.
little friend was expecting me, and
when ke saw me coming bis face lighted
! Good morning. said {; dow aid
You rest last night 2" 90
Tim glad you've come early. lfeuten.
ant. iNe had the stfangest dream, and
u was splendid, too. want 10 tell you
His eyes were hnnaturally bright,
his cheeks flushed, and his whole face
aglow with pleasure at my coming and
e1itement about his dream. I 6athed
his face and hands, brushed the cluster
ing hair, and told him meanwhile that I
was going to take care of him for q day
or two. and was amply paid for it by
his delight and grateful happiness.
And now" said ], .s'let's hear that won
derful dream"
"You see" he began, "after you left
mo last night I went right to sleep, and
Thought I was somewhere else, only
didn't know where il was, but aouid
look mp and see the stars in the skv.
1t seemed to me there were never 10
many before. And they kept twinkline
80 :hae I thought that something must
DO the matter, and I found out some
way that they we're all very angry be.
cause the moon had been corning ,ip 30
early the last few nights.
"TheM NIL of a sudden, while I was
thinking about the stars, there was nv
old drum lying by my side. Where L
came from I didn't know, and I didn't
care, either. Oh, but was glad to see
it once more!
Il picked il up, SLING the strap over
my neck, and began to play to see il it
was all right. It sounded Just as il
used to, and there wasn't o single thing
broken or wrong about it. You cant
guess how good it seemed to be at Il
again!
"Then I thought I'd lee ii / could re.
member all the different calls. I be.
gan with the Assembly, and I could
play it just as we'll as ever I could. and
l beat and beat and forgot everything
else, till locked up minute, and
then, what d. you think?
1.-THE sky was just as full as could be
OF shooting stars. I couldn't imagine
what it all meant; but I watched the
stars. and i saw, pretty quick, that
they had heard the drum-call and were
hurrying up from every direction, and
falling into line just like soldiers.
The biggest stars were the generals.
the qext biggest were the colonies, and
then came the lieutenant.eolunels and
the majors, the captains and lieutenants
and the sergeants and the corporals;
and the littlest stars ofall were the priv:
ates.
"Well, when saw what they were
doing, kept right on at the Assembly,
until there was great army of stars
drawn up right across the sky. I didn't
know what they were going to do, but
guessed they were getting ready to at
tack the moen, and drive It back out of
the eky.
And SO, when every star was in it's
place and the ranks all dressed, I sound.
ed the Advance and the army moved of
Just like veterans. There wasn't single
break IN the line. When they had
marched up pretty, near to where the
moon was intrenched, beat the Charge,
and the brave little stars rushed right
up into the face of the enemy.
"Then I thought there was d terrible
battle. But before long I began to see
first one poor, pale little star. and then
another, and another, fall back and
drop down, down, down through the
sky, until they we're lost out Of sight,
and I thought, Oh, the poor fellows,
they must be the killed and the wound.
ed and the missing.
And all the while the moon didn't
give way at oil. Pretty soon nv poer
stars began to fall faster and faster.
until thousands and thousands went
dropping, falling down out of the sky.
And just couldn't stand It any
longer, for you see, i was on the stars
side, so I beat the Retreat DIS hard as / |
could, and then the army hogan to fall
back. But there we're great gaps in
the line and hundreds of stragglers.
Every little while some poor star, that
had been wounded and couldn't keep up
any longer, would 90 sinking slowly |
down out ofsight.
20 lieutenant! How sorry felt for |
them. And noticed that the night |
had grown darker, and I thought, that |
is because so many bright stars were
killed in the fight, and because the
eyes OF the rest are all full of tears for |
their lost comrades and their defeat
"Then they all looked SO tired and |
sleepy that I sounded Taps at once; and |
the whole army put out their lights and |
turned in and went to sleep right away.
pretty soon thought it was sunrise,
and jumped up and beat the Reveille,
and while / was rafting away thought |
part of Gen. Sherman's army came
marching by. There were the cavalry,
with Thur jangling sabres, and the ar
tillery. with their brass guns as bright
as gold, and then thousands and thous-
ands of infantry, with their muskets all
at right-shoulder- shift. And Thought
there was one splendid drum corps.
The flies sounded out loud and shrill,
Just as they used to. and the drums,-
there must have been twenty-five Of
them,-and the rat-tat tat of the snares,
and the boom, boom Of the big bass fell
lows fairly set me crazy.
"Oh. was wild to be marching along
with the rest! They were Dlaving
When Johnny Comes Marching Home.'
and I struck right in with the old drum
and played my very best. I don't know
what it was happened then, but think
the drum must have got wings some
way, tor it rose right up in the air, and
with it, and we went up over the roofs
and oI,iuonoyo o,,1