Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-01-30


TO be taking seeA risks" The eoloncl
smiled good hnmorcdiy Is be saia tAis.
and this sEns was answered ~ one
just as good hnmored on the face Of
the other. Il have an object he
said "Do You see that pile of eosls l
am lurking about 10 get JOB TO carry
IL IN. The lady of the house Is not 1T
home. but ~hes she comes | know
viii get the Job. She knows me She
knows | am all right She knows ] sfn
. good deal better follow than leoA
70 be-"
Does che know hsw yeu lost your
foot9''
The whole attitude and appearances
OF the man changed In an instant and
he said stifsiy and somewhat resent-
fully; mo. DO your"
Again that amused and interested
look came over the coleael's face. and
he said. srnilingly: mo. don, know.
How did you lose your foot?"
In an accident" said the man "ln
an accident in which got only what
deserved ] was foolhardy and fool
ish and-well. lost my foot. aal that
Is all there Is TO IL
Didn't lose !. IN football game.
did yon?" The man chuciSled and shooS
his head "fou weren't ran over by
stree. care" Another snake OF the
head "Diln't have il tern of by
machinery" mot exactly" said the
man. Were You in the army A
grave affirm alive inclination o. the
head ibid you lose your foot while
you were in the army?" Another ned
did you have il shot or Not.
not-well, no. No. can't say that
did. IL was = narrow escape. though ="
"Well. don't suppose there was any
thing 10 be ashamed OF. was thereg'
The coloael asked this with some i'm
patience. but promptly came the reply:
''Oh. yes. there was ! was ashamed Of
it, | am ashamed of IL ] am SO
ashamed Of it that / never tell the
story. That IS where you missed IT.
There never vas a fellow more
ashamed of anything than am Of the
way lost that foot
IL on See Il was this way. Did you
ever see a cannon ball olisng along
the ground whirling and bouncing and
looking as harmless Is toy balloon?
II you did. did you ever want To kick
it," A queer light came into the
coloners eyes and lie nodded and
smiled. well, III bet you sixteen
cents you didn't I'll 60 you half a dol
lar you didn't But that's what's the
matter with me. was good soldier
was proud of being good soldier.
had done good service. I was never in
the rear time OF battle | was not
great man and knew was not, but
did my duty and took great satisfac-
ton in doing it / had great luck. too,
because I was not sick: had not been
in the hospital; was never in the
guardhouse and the boys counted me
one of the Jolly men OF the company,
but In one great battlc-it was big
eight tell you-thero was a terrific
cannopading and our division was
standing in line OF battle waiting fer
the whirlwind to strike ua There was
a tremendous racket and confusion Oh
our right, but we had little to DO ex-
cept to stand and watch tho scared
rabbits and other animals as they
rushed blindiy pc llmcil across our
front. bnt every few minutes shells
would burs. near US or largo cannon
balls would como rolling ohlique-
IL from tho left trout One 81
these rolled almost along >our
line. We could see it coming; saw !;
bound up ten or twelve feet when ii
struck a rock or log. then come whirl
ing along toward us II was almost Is
large as a football, and in motion
seemed ns smooth and polished as fin.
ished steel. II had q queer effect OF
all the men ! saw a dozen get ready
TO stop II with their feet heard the
captain shout for them to let the thing
alone, butit fascinated me. The idcs
came into my mind that ! could stop
it easily, and that l must So In
spite of all shouts and commands ! put
my foot out to give it a little kick and
| II had foot. or rather had one foo
| less
II had good deal OF time to think
II over. and came TO the conclusion
was the blamedest fool in the corps
They wanted me 10 60 home. They
7 wanted me to take a discharge.
wouldn't do it couldn't afford to
you see. so as began to get abou
again the colonel took pity on me an
put in me in the quartermaster's dc
| partmcnt, and then when ] was spr'
enough to look after things better h
| had me detailed to look after his hors,
and keep things in order in his tent
| and in the course of the next year o
two got to see good deal of fighting
even II | was minus foot
~ didn't make n pretty picture rid
ing a horse. but 7 rode horse a goo
deal The boys iaughcd at me when
ever they saw roe. They couldn't &c
used 10 the foot, that wasn't there. yo'
know. They couldn't get used 10 tia
| stump They said fellew that ha
| only one foot ought not 90 ride horse
But there was q time when the boy
chcered noe, and ron NAV know whe
they cheered wooien-legFed man q
| horseback that there was something {
cheer for. II was this way: The reg
meat was having hot tITac snd abou
half the boys we're down and In
colonel bad lost his horse an
was on foot and swearing ma
about IL, when ! concluded I'd tax
him another horse. | jumped on with
out thinking much about STYLE, 70
know. and ! started into that hornet
nest and the devil was TO pay genera
ly. ! had to hght for Tire horse; I Ia
TO fght 70 get to the colonel. bat &C
there jumped OF aad be got on an
the boys rallied round bin like . Soc
Of partridges and ve al got ont Nc