The Wichita daily eagle., 1893-07-09
"Well.- said Dick witt, a laugh. IN,

! officers sickened me, SO | resigned.
| ''Resigned?" queried-
Gaze them a French resignation
| you know. | struck New Orleans in d
| Cuban banana boat, dead broke, and
| joined a company of 'doughboys al
Baton Rogue. I hat place was worse
| than Florida. The first pay day set.
tied me. and took trip up the river.
! They charged me with two rifles. q
| dozen brooms and wheelbarrow on
my muster roll. when skipped. Handy
| thing for dcserter. Il wheelbarrow.
often wondered that they did not charge
me with Tom Germans wife, who lit
out with coon about the time | re-
tired
where did you 90. Dick-St. Louise
''Yes, Thought I'd take a flyer in the
cavalry. Got sick OF old Bully Welch
there, and was glad enough to go with
detachment to the Third in Arizona
Wen. that's lovely country to get
away from. If there's hell on earth.
Arizona is the place. | was stationed
at Verde. and the malaria. bad grub
and Apache chasing changed ny views
of the cavalry. Three Of US skipped
the first time the paymaSter got round.
and we worked down through Apache
pass into New Mexico with cur hair all
right. We struck the settlements, sold
our horses. and separated. l worked
down to FL Paso and went broke on a
monte game. Invent over to Fort Bliss
and took another blanket. | liked
soldering there FIRST rate and got the
cheyrons: but the captain broke me
for raising a row down town and
humping a greaser. That made me
mad and I went on the retired list once
more. That quartermaster sergeant
was daisy, and, as was chum OF his,
be socked it to ne-charged me with a
six-nule harness. a grindstone, two
spades, q long Tom and hundred
rounds of ammunition. Just think OF
me a hooing it across desert between
Quitman and Davis with grindstone
under my arm, Must have thought I
wanted 1t to sharpen my appetite.
got job as teamster at Fort Clark. but
l ran across a fellow knew at Baton
Rogue, and he was always hard up and
had an idea that | was g bank, and |
concluded to go east"
And them" ! insinuated.
Then resumed Dick, Il guessed
had all the west l wanted for awhile, SO
I honored the artillery. l made mis-
take. Twas in fort where you could
see nothing but sea and sand, and
where it was cold enough to freeze a
brass monkey Lord. but the artillery
is tough and dull, all guard duty and
polishing; 10 mountains. no plains; all
buttons and drill That heavy artil-
iery made flying artillery man Of me.
I waited for pay day and left without
leaving my address. Well, my muster
roll caught it. They landed NE on the
pay roll for caisson and fifty rounds
Of fixed and strapped ammunition and
other trifes.
Draw it mild, Dick" I suggested
Well, if they didn't" said Dick,
earnestly, may be 'bobtailed.' put
out for the west and listed in Coving-
ton in the 'doughboys' again, like
fool I was just in time to be rounded
I'D for a batch of .Johnnies' going to
Montana, the worst lot of fresh fish
ever got into Tough? Well. say, We
hoofed it all day and stood guard every
other night We had a chap Just ap-
pointed from civil life in command,
and he was scared to death And the
grub. We'll, let that go. We got TO
for the cavalry. Fatigue duty every
day and dress parade every night made
lie hardly worth living. Then I was
detailed TO guard a railroad survey
That was exciting, Tor the Sioux had
spite against US. but ! concluded thir-
teen dollars month was too small q
bet to stake nay life against. Four of
Us said goed-by and waltzed for the
railroad. sleeping in ravines by day
and tramping by night. Once more |
figured big thief on the muster relIs. /
The post quartermaster sergeant sold !.
SIX mules to a freighter and the team I
turned up on my pay roll. with plunder
enough 10 start suffers store"
well, 20 on. Dick / said.
''Oh. to make a long story short, / /
kept getting in and out all the time. /
Had to keep going and changing nv
name, for / was always running into (
some fellow that knew me. Not many
fellows viii blow On vou-but you
can't help thinking they will. Then d
fellow that knows you have skip
against you finds you very convenient
to borrow tobacco from and money. and !
a chap winds up by getting out Now.
there's Maekey who just joined. He
was with ne in tie Nineteenth | was
nervous about him. though he never
pretended to know NE; but be owned
up 10 foar himself. I'm going 10 stick
.his time and get cut fair and square
with clean discharge, for I'm sick and
tired OF running away ike q rabbit
Dick made : good soldier and got i
chevrons: but ne never
served his enlistment out He was
smoking e cigar n q saloon IN Les
7ruceS two years later. when two fell
ows had q row and pulled pistols OF
,ach ether Both fired One was
Killed and his bullet missed his man
md went through Dicks head, killing
1iD instantly.
We buried him in the little grave
ard there. and every man Clipped in
lis dollar to put a stone over the head
Z poor Dick Brandon, the '-profes-
ional skipper r"-,IoSeph Smith, IN
Illustrated American.
Quite Likely have q posi-
ion II a powder mill now" We'll
tick 70 1t, cid fellow You may have
chance 10 rise so2e day. Truth.