The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-11-12
PRIVATE BILL.

company,
For five weeks the regiment bad been in
barracks in the place. the colonel being in
stalled in n really grand adobe hut, where
he roasted by day and froze under Navajo
blanket at night. And just across the river
was Mexico.
What 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 plaza,
How grimly holy the little church, 'withits
gilded slender cross atop, for all the world
like bantam astray from a religious
chicken coop and boastine fiery combl
And the priest Of the placei
And thcnot too coy San Mariasi
So numerous-and in every case minus
halo But as they stood against the gold
background of Mexican sky it perhaps
accounted for the worship accorded them
by the men who were under the regimental
colors, and who suffered ennui because of
vain longing to listen to the musical hop
ping Of empty cartridge cases.
But the San Marias were few, and the
lopginss 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 sllverl
How it was gloated over by longing
eyesl And the mena They had come TO
fight, Very we'll 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
Tn lpnVa their mntnG uhini1a a rtit
call. And in no company were desertions
more frequent than in the company Of
Private Bill.
1t was queer company to start with.
Made up in San Francisco, 1t consisted of
men whose fingers were all more or less of
the ink inky. From the little drummer,
who had been Il 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. If they
could have fought they would have done
SO, but rs for roasting on the spit of war
well, there was the river and over be-
yond it Mexico, which meant being lost,
like that disobliging but proverbial needle.
So 1t happened that often Of night might
be heard splash, gurgle, in the placid
rippling river, followed by an oath from
somebody was mssingl
And when all this came to the cars of
the colonel OF the regiment he Immediately
said that tha' particular company must he
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
-- mau left / shall make an exam
pie OF that = = company! And pretty
-- quickr'
"Yes, sir Certainly, sir" stammered
the little orderly respectfully.
you go to -p added the colonel
briefly.
eyes, sir"
shut upl And if l have to put the
whole - company in the guard
house I'll break this thing upl'
The little orderly tried not to look skep-
tical
That night one of the guards on duty
himself deserted
"Give my alterations to the colonelp he
bawled across the river as he climbed out
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 in
the guardhouse. And among them was
| Private Kerr.
Call out this - - companyr' or
dered the colonel as his horse was brought
around to the adobe hut. I'm see what
can do with 'eml''
And then it was that Private Bill re-
fused to come out with his company.
He even whistled scornfully as he sat at
the door of his tent and kicked his heels in
reVeille against big box which COM
panion had stolen from the provision tent
lyon tell 'em when they let Private
Kerr out OF the guardhouse I'll come"
said he, and went on with his heels and
| their reYeille.
That was all. He wonld not talk about
1t, but just sat there kicking and showing
his wicked white teeth squirting his
merry eyes and wriulNling the frccIles
which prof,sely adorned his nose and
cheek bones. There was nothing remarila-
bic about him in any way except his OBJ
stinacy.
As for the colonel, he nearly fell off his
horse when lie heard Of it. Then lie looked
| ugly in II strange, businesslike way.
And he never once swore.
That fact alone struck cold chill down
each spine in the company For the colo
mel eursing in his own unique manner
was the colonel they all knew-a human
tinderbOX with an enormous stock of
oaths. But now-he only looked very
quietly at the ground and those nearest
heard him mutter:
This is mutiny and shall be treated ac
cordinglyp And the company was scared
to death
"E's sharp little BRUTE" said one man
reflectively. AN . must know the colo
mel ill have lis way"
"Nhut is e up top pondered another.
And cauh stared, lost in thought.
"'E always was that spnnkyn said an
orderly to the captain.
And SO he was.
'.He won't do Kerr no good" growled a
big fellow who used to set type in the cup
tain's printing house.
Which was true also.
What kind of looking fellow is her
don't seem to recall him. said the colonel
gravely, his eyes still on the ground.
''lIe amt much to look at. answered the
| captain. Ties made up of sharp black
eye-and freckles. And he's got grit
TOO much," pursued the colonel. still
without an oath. But send again. You
said, think. before that he is young. Give
him another chance"
''You tell him I'll come out with the
company when he let's Kerr outlp
This was again the remarkable answer
given by Private Bill. just a tattoo with
his heels, a grin on not too clean face
and a shrewd pair of eyes looking out un-
der an army cap. For the rest, blue clad
figure remaining placidly seated on the
| provision box.
young feller you're too rapid. The
colonefs business. He says it's mutiny,
and It's. DO you know what that meansE"
81 know what that means,h rejoined
Private Bill from the box caolly.
.lf you'll come along of from that box
and be sensible and save that nerve Of
yours for your first battle, you'll come out
of it a general" !" and the orderly hesitated
/ priXnIn Iiill launhn1-