The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1896-05-15

60 60 eagerness at the
noise of rumors.
1t cast its eyes upon the roads
which were growing from long
troughs of liquid mud to proper
thoroughfares. A river, amber
tinted in the shadow of its banks,
puzzled at the army's feet, and at night,
when the stream had become of q
sorrowful blackness, one could see
across it the red, eye-lil1e CLEANS of
hostile campfres set in the low brows
of distant hills.
Once q certain tall soldier developed
virtues and went resolutely to wash a
shirt. He came flying back from the
brook waving his garment, banner-like.
He had heard tale.
Were going to move tomorrow
sure" he said, promptly, to a group in
the company street. Were going
way up the river, cut across aud come
around in behind them"
To his attentive audience he drew a
loud and elaborate plan of a very
brilliant campaign. When he had
finished the blue-clothed men scat
tered into small, arguing groups be-
tween the rows of squat brown huts.
A negro teamster, who had been dane
ing upon a cracker box with the hi
larious encouragement of two-score
soldiers, was deserted. He sat mourn
fully down. Smoke drifted lazily from
a multitude of quaint chimneys.
Its a laundering 'lieI" said loud
young private. 81 don't believe the
derned old army's ever going to move.
We're sot. I've got ready to move eight
times in the last two weeks, and we
, amt moved yet"
The tall soldier felt called upon to
defend the truth of rumor he himself
had introduced. He and the loud one
came near to fighting over it.
Many of the men engaged in the
spirited debate. One outlined in a
peculiarly lucid manner all the plans
of the commanding general He was
opposed by men who contended that
there were other plans of campaign.
They clamored at each other, numbers
making futile bids for the popular at
tention.
There was a youthful private who
listened with eager ears to the words
of the excited soldier and to the varied
comments of his comrades. After re-
ceiving fill of discussions concerning
marches and attacks, he went to his
hut and crawled through an intricate
hole that served it as a door. He
wished to be alone with some new
thoughts that had lately come to him.
He lay down on wide bunk that
stretched across the side of the room.
In the other end cracker boxes were
made to serve as furniture. They were
grouped about the fireplace. Equip
ments hung on handy projections. The
smoke of the fire at times neglected
the clay chimney and wreathed into
the room. And, too, this flimsy Chin
ney of clay and sticks made endless
threats to set aire the whole establish
ment.
The youth was in little trance of
establishment. So they were at last
going to fight On the morrow, per-
hapS, there was going to be battle
and he would be in it. For a time he
was obliged to labor to make himself
believe. He could not accept with as
surance an omen that he was about to
mingle in one of those great affairs of
the earth.
He had, Of course, dreamed of bat
ties all of his life-of vague, bloody
conflicts. In visions he had seen him
self in many struggles that had thrilled
him with their sweep and fire. But
monotonous weeks of camp life had
made him finally regard himself as
merely part of a vast blue demonstra-
ton. He had come prepared to devas-
tate the enemy; instead, he was made
to sit still in one place and try to keep
warm during the winter. He decided
then that war was a legend.
However, he was now told that he
was going to fight. He was mutely as
tonished, and lay in his bunk trying to
prove automatically that he would
not run. Here was a great problem.
Previously he had never felt obliged to
grapple too seriously with this ques-
ton. In his life he had taken certain
things for granted, never challenging
his belief in ultimate success and both
ering little about means and roads.
But here he was suddenly confronted
with a thing of moment. 1t had sud
denly appeared to him that in battle
he might run. He was forced 20 admit
that as far as war was concerned he
knew nothing of himself.
A little panic fear grew in his mind.
As his imagination went forward to
this fight, he saw hideous possibilities.
He contemplated the lurking menaces
of the close future and his mind failed
in an effort to see himself standing
stoutly in the midst of them.
He sprang from his bunk and began
to pace nervously to and fro. ''Good
Lord. what's the matter with me-" he
said in dismay.
After time the tall private slid dex-
4rously through the hole. The loud