Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-10-28

LIS HhuuhtICulel, anu IeLutIhSu III an
amazed undertone:
''By Ned!"
In the little town vacant store
| building was thronged with men, many
of whom had just enlisted rs voIun-
teers, and many others had come to
look on, filed with curiosity, but not
overfowing with patriotism. The war
was but few months old, and only
vague rumorg OF it had penetrated to
those remote districts. This was the
first company OF volunteers to go
from this section, and it was made up
| wholly of those more daring spirits
who were willing to risk anything in
the mere love of adventure.
A commotion back by the door told
of new arrival, and the crowd will
ingly made way for him. A little man,
rumpled as t } hair and tGttered as to
garments, struggled into the clear
space in front OF the enrolling officer
and said
''Ef the compny amt made up yet
you kin put me in"
Everybody knew him, and every.
body laughed The laugh was
CHEEKY one, brimming with amuse-
ment, and it filled the room ana ex-
tended out into the street
How'd you manage to git of from
Mineryy, Jim?" asked tall fellow
who was going to stay at home, pre-.
sumably because he couldn't "git of
from" the wife over whom he domi-
neered.
'Does Minervy know you're out?"
shouted another eeringly.
"Jist think of it, boys" drawed n
third. "Think o jim Carroll i'inin'
the Smithyille Tigersl He's whale
of tiger, amt hep
"Never mind" interrupted the en-
rolling officer grimly. "Hen make
as good food for powder as any Of
you"
With which cheerful suggestion jim
Carroll was duly enrolled as private
in the Smithville Tigers, and by dawn
the next morning the company was on
the road, marching gayly off to the
tune of "lhe Girl l Left Behind Me. 5"
About month later one of the
Tigers, Sile Colburn, remarked in n
general way to several of the others :
"WalI, boys, fur's Pm concerned,
you kin leave off laughin' at Jim Car.
roll an pokin' fun at i'm. Jim, he
never growls at the marchin', nor the
weather, nor nothin' else, an he does
more'n his sheer O. the work, you ali
know that blamed well. An he sleeps
on the groun' without any kiver SOS
to give me his extry blankit all o last
week, when / want feelin' SO mighty
vigrls. I'll bet they wouldn't none O
the rest o. you a, done it.
"Jes wait till battle comes mp, ;"
said long Ben Finks scornfully. "You
won't never hear of Jim Carroll again
after the fust gun fires. He'll pitch
out a-runnin', an he'll be a.runnin'
yit when the trumpit sounds for the
merlennium.
Within three days there was a bat
tie; battle for which some OF the
Tigers had longed, and which others
had awaited with dread. The weak
little man who had fed from Minervy
found himself with the other Tigers,
and dim, gray-coated ranks beyond
charging up hill, in the face of n
battery that plowed through their
ranks and laid rows of slaughtered
men along the slope behind them, but
still they rushed on, their faces set
grimly, Jim Carroll was one of the
first to leap upon smoking cannon
and snatch away the fuse, and then on
in the pursuit, as the enemy retreated,
stubbornly fighting their way inch by
inch.
The next day something happened,
Jim Carroll was offered promotion for
bravery on the field of battle.
"Pm much obliged" he said, fumb.
ling with his hat in an embarrassed
manner, "but if it's all the same tc
you, I'd rather not I'd lots ruther
do jest plain fightin'."
So Jim Carroll was left to do plain
fightin', and there is no denying that
he did it we'll. 1t came to be acknowl
edged as a settled fact that the little
man whom Minervy had ruled with {
rod OF iron did not know what fear
was. The first guns OF battle fired
him, as the sound of tho trumpet
reused the biblical warhorse. He