New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-07-19
THOMPSON OF OURS.
THE CONFIDENTIAL REPORT.

The Colonel blew on his fingers howled tor lresh
wood to be piled upon the hre ana zen Sras -
temptation of his thumb, which was IrOs', Wu t
Before him upon the table Jay tle lo1'i1 Se
sheets Of foolscap known as the Annu" Iond,-
dental Reports Some OF 5 lnes was headed 6y
the name Of officer, and fringed oy te ~
nent personal riddles set yearly Tor CONFERENCE.-The
10 answer. - t-o,o tho noin+ of
view of dsapproval upon any one OF hls PSSS
this honorable. kindly EngIsh eenOeln"u NJ G ule
system of confidential diSparagement IN horror;
Inn rcallv this morning. what Win the coIu anu
the maggots in the rice when nag pun mn on ni1
breakfast and the extraordinary 10y AZ 'io - 90
letters be felt Inclined TO damn every vi
thcm himself included With roaring onzzaru
searching your bones. and Suspicion OF lever IN
vour blood and nothing decent 70 eau, you uOh0
3asi HE fue that every soul under your COM
mand is remarkable for all quFhuc tha' 20 10 make
saints upon eartn' -. -. fool 1i,-a - ro
began tHrng over the sheets with that slckly Ian
euid feeling of revolt with when monotOhy IN us
unpleasant forms Is apt 70 lhspie one ai1eI IOhs
years of patient grind He hated THESE grim Skele-
ron sketches in black and white. III was always
rho same thng-the same weary struggle TO com
bine strict truth with fair words 70 put Yes
ought TO be Yes For were they lndeed-all
these youths-zealous in welldolng, all talented all
factful all Of eouabe temper HAD they every
one of them been endowed from their cradles with
unnatural sagacity and aptitude for command
Were they, in short, re'dy-made generals from Ihe
moment they entered the service Alas, no! Inc
Colonel's eye wandered 10 his crippled thumb again
and then back TO the sheets under his other hand
and presently fell upon certain name heading one
his heart for q pack of fools and sighed II was
Thompson-Lieutenant William ThompsOn-known
By the name of Billy
The Colonel took il in his hand and sighed again.
There was not one, or hardly one, Of those cut
and-dried questions that could be answered grace
fully yet conscentiOusly, as regarded this young
man . could describe him in three words ="
Croaned the Colonel " harum-scarum young devil
Then, for he liked the lad, he began to wonder
Tln1F lorf 10
was keen soldier himself. and, if truth be told,
had partiality for the type so pithily described
in those three words. He would rather have such
with him in the field than some Others for whom
perchance more could be said on paper OF such he
knew was the kingdom of heroes.
The ghosts Of many haunting tragedies came
crowdng into the old soldiers mind as he sat I'm
gering that internal paper. Did any OF these harsh
moral photographs of them, with "Nesesn and
Noes" in the most unbecOming places, he rotting
still perhaps in the AdiutantIGenerals offices?
He get up shiverin- and kicked the logs into
blaze, then returned with stern determination 70
the study Of the veXpg Questions in hand. What
could he saw for Billy Thompson? The lad had
the temper of n game hull-ter'ier. the tact and
judgment Of a Newfoundland puppy. and about as
much ability and acqulrement as the agerage ing
lish schoolboy The thought Of Billy Thompson as
ornamented with the complete list OF CONFIDENTIAL
Report virtues nothing less than grotesque.
tie glanced down the list. Why, that very morn
youngster for shortcomings in almost every item
Late again for parade. Violent with a >epoy
1a0n the manifest nOllOD OF his uIlil. anu SO ou
What earth l 10 say for you, sir?' he
had asked. angrlly, tapping the bundle OF uncoul-
promising papers, al which Billy glanced with rue
ful Despair in his honest eyes. You are distinctly
careless, wanting ii tact, useless at Office work
what's the use Of complaining of your writers, sir
-inattentive and argumentatiye. Ride ? " course
and that's about all you're fit for. That and
tennis but unluckily these won't advance YOU in
your profession gain you respect, nor lit you for
a command
Then the Colonel had stolen look at the frank
bright face and thought for the milhonth time how
ridiculous il all was. The lad was honorable and
brave. Why not trust TO time and training TO do
the rest? He wanted a tight hand over him of
course but why be forced TO send up nasty, dis
paraging report of him TO headquarters
Somehow the Colonel could not find IL in his
heart TO do IL, and was still worrying over IT, when
a telegram was brought in addressed 10 the OIL
Ger Commanding This was lowed shortly by a
knock at the rough door opening outward on TO the
cold, wind-swept Enclosure, a struggle 70 shut the
same, and tai, smart-loOking officer entered
helmet in hand.
= Oh. that's you. Hamerton! was Just going to
send for you. There's row up hhunaZ way.
James Of the police wounded Ghazis again killed
lot Of people. I'm ordered 10 send intelligent
officer TO investigate the thing and report. You'll
have ticklish job but can rely upon you. I've
been thinking whom you had BETTE take. You see.
! can only spare of two, either Bates or ThOmp-
son. Bates has the longest head. and yet Thomp-
son-wel, if il came TO blows, somehow l should
prefer Thompson. But do as you like"
As he said this the Colonel instinctiveN glanced
al the pile of papers beside him. Bates's name hap
pened 10 lie uppermost, with its every question
frslled of gavlv in the draught of the open door.
and was but Just saved from being chewcd under
the table by HamertOn's puppy, who had followed
II shall be little Billy" said Major Hamerton
10 himself and proceeded 10 the discussion Of
further details concerning escort and cOnlmlssarat
arrangements for the small expedition
4 little before nlghtfall they started, party Of
fifteen in all the TWO English Oifcers-Bllly IN a
state OF the widest JOY, and bursting with lmpor-
tance-a dufedar and Twelve Scwars of the Knuuaz
Hor A had son
after the first saving that the GhaZls, who were few
in number, had taken themselves of that native
hospital assistant was IN charge Of James the
wounded police officer; and that be was 10 he
brought back here. because there was no other
European doctor nearer than Quetta 49,,
Hope come across the beggars, Billy said,
geeful1y.
But the Colonel who had ridden out little way
with the party, and had wished them good luck, .
found himself saying something like prayer III his
heart for the safe return of the TWO men, who were
In his opinion, the very pick Of the regiment.
In times Of peace these inglorious little brushes
with sneaking GhaZs are not among the peaSanteSt
features Of service in Afghanistan. To old sol
der they SAVIOR too much of that pOttlng from be-
hind hedges with which the irish peasantry have
iamiliarized US. and 10 which no military glory
Is attached He does not care about sending
out good men 10 furnish targets for skull:ing
devils, who have no ground Of quarrel, but
are merely possessed Of n fanatlcal desire
10 spill Ferringhee blood Wherefore the
Commanding Officer was i'll at ease, and for
Tie next two days there fell dulneSs and malaise
NNtIf DONJ III camp l@iht TIC ~
attacked them all, from the Colonel downward
only as kipling says, that is another story
IL was In the spring of 1890 that the influenza
came sweeping over Afghanistan, death-laden from
European cities II was when April had cast its
Dref ethereal spell upon this barren spot, and had
woven fairy carpet Of flowers all over the plain,
tachlng the grim landscape the meaning OF smile.
OH Tor few beautiful days in all the year IS the
ground moist and fragrant, and covered with deli
cae short-lived blossoms, Like lovely ghosts they
come and eo--the white wild hyacinth bells the
small rel tulip, the exquisite purple iris II was
Will these sweet visitors that the influenza came,
ueallng suffering and death among the lonely scat
,ete Oup0sts, where comforts are few and luXurles
loL the sick unprOcurable
but IN this January. the plain was barren Of any
Ferdure or vegetation, for eahess scrub that
grows low upon the earth and gives out q fragrance
resembling that OF wild thyme. Aud you could
se night away To the horizon in one direction, and
as lar as chain of low rocky hills in the other.
on IL i.IrIl IT. IL.