Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-10-30
PRIVATE BILL.

barracks in the place, the colonel being in
stalled in really grand adobe hut, where
he roasted by day and froze under a Navajo
blanket at night. And Just across the river
was Mexico.
What a sleepy little town it wasl
And how white and fierce the light of the
SUM And how black and sharp the shad-
owsl How hot and baked the wide plazai
How grimly holy the little church, with its
gilded slender cross atop, for all the world
like a bantam astray from a religious
chicken coop and boasting fiery combl
And the priest of the placed
And the not too coy San Mariasl
So numerous-and in every case minus a
halo. But as they stood against the gold
back ground of a Mexican sky IL perhaps
accounted for the worship accorded them
by the men who were under the regimental
colors, and who suffered ennui because of
a vain longing to listen to the musical hop
ping Of empty cartridge cases.
But the San Marias were few, and the
longings for escape grew. Even that good
friend, tobacco, failed to comfort and the
splish splash in the river of a night be-
came more and more frequent. And espe-
cially true was this of the company to
which Private Bill belonged.
All, that pale stretch of gray land
across the ribbon Of cleaning silverI
How it was gloated over by longing
eyesl And the mem They had come to
fight. Very well. But they had not en-
listed at Frisco to be grilled alive in
torrid little town. And since it seemed
there was to be no fighting for that par
ticular regiment, many found it convenient
to leave their mates, minus even parting
nj In
more frequent than in the company Of
Private Bill.
1t was a queer company to start with.
Made up in San Francisco, it consisted of
men whose fingers were all more or less OF
the ink inky. From the little drummer
who had been a printers devil, TO the cap
tain, who had been book tailor they were
all in it. And many Of them had sat side
by side in editorial chairs before they be-
came companions of the mess. II they
could have fought they would have done
30, but as for roasting on the spit Of war
well, there was the river and over be
You'd IL Mexico which meant being lost,
like that disobliging but proverbial needle.
So IL happened that often of a night might
be heard splash, a gurgle, in the placid
ripping river, followed by an oath from
the officer Of the guard, and at roll call
somebody was missingl
And when all this came to the ears of
the colonel Of the regiment he Immediately
said that that particular company must be
made an example of. He did not express
in just that way, but he meant that A
man of varied attachments, the colonel was
singularly original in the matter of Ian
guage. He loved his oath. For instance,
on this occasion he expressed himself
somewhat as follows
Great - Soon / shall have not a
- man left shall make an exam
pie Of that - - company And pretty
- quickp'
Eyes, sir. Certainly, sir" stammered
the little orderly respectfully.
you go to --p' added the colonel
briefly.
Yes, SIR"
shut upl And il have to put the
whole - - company in the guard
house I'll break this thing upp'
The little orderly tried not to look skep
teal
That night one of the guards on duty
himself deserted.
give my alterations to the coloneIp' he
bawled across the river as he climbed oui
of the water shook himself and walked
away.
And the officer Of the guard, being fool
ishly conscientious, did so, with the result
that the guards themselves were cast If
Private Kerr.
Call out this - eompanyV or
dered the colonel as his horse was brought
around to the adobe hut. 'I'll see what
can do with 'emni
And then it was that Private Bill re
fused to come out with his company.
He even whistled scornfully az he sat a
the door of his tent and kicked his heels il
a reveille against a big box which com
panion had stolen from the provision tent
"You tell 'em when they let Privat
Kerr out of the guardhouse I'll come,
said he, and went on with his heels an,
their reveille.
That was all. He would not talk abou
il, but just sat there kicking and showing
his wicked white teeth, squirting hi
merry eyes and wrinkling the freckIe
which profusely adorned his nose AM
cheek bones. There was nothing remarka
BILE about him in any way except his OF
stinacy.
As for the colonel, he nearly fell off hi
horse when he heard of il. Then he locke
ugly in a strange, businesslike way
And he never once swore.
That fact alone struck cold chill dow
each spine in the company For the colo
mel cursing in his own unique name
was the colonel they all knew-a huma
tinderbox with an enormous stock G
oaths But now-he only looked yer
quietly at the ground, and those neares
heard him mutter:
"This is mutiny and shall be treated AZ
cordinglyl" And the company was scare
to death.
"'E's a sharp little BRUTE" said one ma
refiectively. IAN e must know the COLI
mel Ill have is way"
What is e up tor" pondered anothe
And eacn stared, lost in thought.
"'E always was that spunky" said
orderly to the captain.
And SO he was.
"He won't do Kerr no good" growled
big fellow who used to set type In the cal
tain's printing house
Which was true also.