Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-12-01
The Corp0ralS Story.

In the presence OF one OF the provost
guards, while the latter was patrolling
up and down along the top of the ridge
that commands view of the whole
country from the wood line owe" Anna
gansett way" to the tall white light
house on the Point eight miles away.
The guard, who wore the crossed
sabres and the number of troop that
made itself famous at San Juan,
looked wistfully across the deep valley
toward the little cemetery lying on a
knoll near the furthest edge of the
city of tents. The visitor was a
woman, who had just arrived and
climbed the hill to get the view. She
had seen nothing of the wars after
math, had not even noted the ceme-
terry, which seemed to the guard to
stand up above everything else, even
above the lighthouse, and was gener-
ally the only thing that he did see.
The woman stood waiting for a
reply, but as none seemed Forthcoming
she passed on, humming the air of u
topical song, and seated herself on the
inward slope of the valley In all the
camp there was not spot wherein
one could hide, except these three
slopes, and as the provost himself was
well out of the way the guard dis
mounted, tethered his horse and
stood as if still deliberating what to
do. The woman, who had been joined
in the meantime by three friends, mo-
toned him to join the party, and he
obeyed.
care there any ghosts here, offcer?"
she asked, noting the yellow chevrons,
which denoted the guards rank as
corporal.
'Yes'm," said the soldier, standing
at attention. GIVE seen lots of 'em
here, too. More than you would
think. You haven't seen our grave
yard here yet, have you? There it
is, over there. You can Gee the
crosses if you'll climb up on this
stone"
The four visitors rose and. mount
ing to the top of one of the many
powders, followed the direction of the
soldiers figure and then resumed
their seats to listen.
"Thefss where we bury 'em, miss.
There's nigh on to 200 of 'em there.
OuC VI Gil WAS Il SOluleF luSU
like me, but now there's nothin' more
of 'em but just them pieces of wood. ;"
"Did you know any of them?" asked
the eldest of the newcomers sympa-
thetically.
Her tone appealed to the guards
mood, encouraged him to talk, and he
began his tale:
''Yes'm. I know'd 'em. 1 buried
80 of 'em, an ten was my bunkies
down II Arizony afore I come out east
here. They wasn't all men what you'd
say went to heavin, but there's one
man there all alone in one corner with
just Jones on the cross, an if-well
he's gone for good now.
''Jones went under half dozen
names, new one in every regiment
he joined, from Fort Sill to up here in
Vermont. He enlisted when 1 did
first, and we got out each time when
we had done three years. The first
time he says to me: Dave, what are
you goin' to do?'
Go in again. says I, when I get
back from the ole MANS
so am I, says he. Let's go in
togetherp An we did; an when the
war come on we were bunkies, Just
like we had been for 20 years, and we
went down there to fight together.
Jones always was quiet. You
couldn't get nothin' out of him, never
One time vas drinkin' and Jones he
was sober, tor he never would drink
when l was at it, nor any other time
very much for that matter. He was
trying to tell me that I was fool, an
I got mad.
" You're iailbird, Jones, says I,
'or you wouldn't be always changin'
your name. I've been bunkin' with
]ailbird for 15 years. and now I'm
done. 1 don't know no man with
three names an one who amt got no
folks, an I'm done with you for good
''There was whole troop there
when 1 says it, and Jones turned
white an shut his lips, too, but he
never said word an went back to the
barracks. If he'd smashed me I'd "a
thought more OF him, then, but when
walked up at reveille next mornin' it
was in the guardhouse, an Jones he
was in there, too, for helpin' drunken
soldier. that was me, run the guard
an get in without bein' nipped. I
was The colonel's orderly an got off
light, but Jones he got ten days. 1t
don't take long for things to get
around in barracks with nothin' but
parade an your horse and equipments
TO kill the time between drills, an it
wasn't long afore the fellers began
givin' me wide range. had clean
forgot insultin' Jones when I woke up
in the guardhouse an didn't know it
till one of my old bunkies told me.
Then went to Jones an says, Jones,
I didn't treat ye right when called
ye iailbird, and wants ye to come
ont here afore the fellers an let me
make it square,
No. said he. we're both Of rs