The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-12-06
-. THE -.
RED BADGE
OF COURAGE.
IAlEDb0dG GofhGAnGliGal Civil lWa.
by STEPHEN CRANE.
Copyright, 1894, by the Author.1
CHAPTER IX.-CoNTINUED.

Copyright, 1884, by the Author1
CHAPTER IX.-CoNTINUED.
d The tattered man stood musing.
"Well, he was reglar jim-dandy for
nerve, want he," said he finally in n
little awe-struck voice. A eglar Jim.
dandy" He thoughtfully poised ono
Of the docile hands with his foot. 81
wonner where he got is stren'th from?
II never seen man do like that before.
Ut was funny thing. Well, he was
n reg'lar jim-dandy."
The youth desired to screech out his
tgrief. He was stabbed. But his
tongue lay dead in the tomb of his
mouth. lie threw himself again upon
the ground and began TO brood.
The tattered man stood musing.
"Look here, spardner," he said
after time. He regarded the corpse
as he spoke. Hes up an gone, aint
e, an we might as well begin t look
out fer Of number one"
The youth, awakened by the tat
tered soldiers tone, looked quickly up.
He saw that he was swinging uncer-
tainly on his legs and that his face had
turned to shade of blue.
Good Lord, he cried, in fear, "you
amt going to-not you too"
The tattered man waved his hand.
"Nary die," he said. "All l want is
isome pea-soup an a good bed. Some
pea-soup," he repeated dreamfully.
I The youth arose from the ground.
81 wonder where he came from. left
him over there!" He pointed. Sand
now l find i'm here. And he was com
ing from over there, too" He indi-
Gated new direction. They both
turned toward the body as if to in
iterrogate it.
"Well," at length spoke the tattcred
man, "there amt no use in our stayin
here an tryin' t ask him anything"
The youth nodded an assent, wearily.
They both turned to gaze for a moment
at the corpse.
The youth murmured something.
"Well, he was a jim-dandy, want
'e?" said the tattered man as if in re.
sponse.
They turned their backs upon it and
started away. For time, they stole
softly, treading with their toes. 1t re-
mained laughing there in the grass.
"Im commencin' t. feel pretty bad"
said the tattered man suddenly break
ing one of his little silences. "Im
commencin' t. feel pretty damn bad"
The youth groaned. "Oh, Lord"
Was he to be the witness of another
encounter?
But his companion waved his hand
reassuringly. "Oh, I'm not goin' t. die
yit."
As they plodded on the tattered SOL
dier continued to talk. Besides, if l
died, wouldn't die tn way that feller
did. That was tn funniest thing. I'd
jest flop down, would. l never seen
q feller die tn way that feller did,"
Then he made calm announcement:
"There's two of 'em, little ones, but
they're beginnin' to have fun with me
now. don't believe kin walk much
furder."
They went slowly on in silence.
'Yeh look pretty peelsed yerself," said
the tattered man, at last. 81 bet yehve
got Iworser one than yeh think.
Where is it located?" But he continued
to harangue vaguely without waiting
for reply.
The youth had been wriggling since
the other had begun to speak Of
wounds. He now gave cry Of exas-
peration and made a furious motion
with his hand. "Oh, don't bother me, ~
he said. "Now, don't bother me-" he
repeated, with desperate menace.
"Well Lord knows l don't wanta
bother anybody" said the tattered
man. There was little accent of de-
spair in his voice as he replied. "Lord
knows I've gotta 'nough m own t. tend
to-"
The youth, who had been holding a
bitter debate with himself and casting
glances of hate and contempt at the
tattered man, here spoke in hard
voice. "Good-by," he said.
The tattered man looked at him in
gaping amazement "Why-why,
pardner, where yeh goin'?" he asked,
unsteadily. The youth looked at him,
could see that he, too, like the other
one, was beginning to act dumb and
animal-like. His thoughts seemed to
be floundering about in his head.
Observation-Disclosures you-now.
won't have this-this here won't do.
Where--where yeh goin'?"
The youth pointed vaguely. "Over
there" he replied.
"Well, now, look-a-here-now," said
the tattered man, rambling on in idiot
fashion. His head was hanging for