Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1898-02-13
s55:9s93sss:sasssis:5;Ss9's:9 is'sss9.sS THE SOLDIER ...
 ... WHO LAUGHED
BY CHARLES B. LEWIS.
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One day there came 10 us of the 1 Third regiment, down at the front" a recruit who entered camp with grin on his face and chuckle in his throat, and five minutes after he had been turned over to Us by the guard he put his hands to his side and began laugh ing. He laughed like a man who was tickled half to death. His face got red as paint, tears ran from his eyes, | and he seemed about to choke when a sergeant gave him a kick to straighten him up and then indignantly demand ed:
 What sort of blamed fool are you, and what are you laughing at2s
 Its so funny-its so funny!' gasped the man.
 What's so funny?"
 ''Why, my being down here. A week ago was heeing corn on the farm-ha! hal hal"
 The sergeant said he'd be hanged if he could see where tine laugh came in, nor could any of the rest of us. but it was half an hour before James Thurs ton could sober up his face. That was his debut. Within three days he had every man in the company, officers in- cluded, down on him for being laugh ing man. His face was in repose only when he slept. The rest of the time it wore broad grin and the most trifling thing brought a laugh. He was too good-natured. He had such guffaw of laugh that he disturbed everybody in the company when he started. We called him names, and he laughed. We threatened him. and he laughed the harder. He was kicked and cuffed and he roared: 'IIa! ha! ha!H till men came running from the other com panies. We demanded that the captain suppress him, and that officer called l him in and began:
 Look here, Thmrston, what is all this nonsense about2"
 What nonsense?" asked the recruit, with a grin.
 'Why, your laughing so much. What do you see to laugh al so much ?"
 ''Why, lots of things s-ha! hal ha" shouted Thurston, as he got hold of his ribs. '.It seems so queer mot to be milking the cows and feeding the hogs -and-ha! hal hal"
 And you laugh about that, do you?"
 4es-I can't help it-hal hal hal"
 Do you know that you come mighty near being a fool!" exclaimed the pro yohed captain, as the guffaW died away into gurgle.
 q don't see why" answered Thurs ton. trying his best to look serious for a minute. .When I think of hoeing corn, painting the barn. washing sheep and whitewashing the cellar, and then look around me here and see d lot of soldiers and tents and mules. why. I-I-ha! ha! hal"
 After a few days, in which James Thurston did not cease 10 laugh, the division commander asked for scouts, and the new recruit was detafled to report as one of them, The sole and simple idea was 10 either get rid of him or sober him up. He had broad grin on his face when he entered the generals tent and the general hadn't | spoken ten words to him when he had one of his fits"
 What do you mean by such con- duct?' demanded the high and mighty officer, in his sternest tones.
 Ifs all so funny!" gasped Thurston. "0nly few days ago Twas helping dad 10 put new shingles on the corncrib, and to-day I'm away down here talking with you-ha! ha! hal"
 The general happened 10 have a finer appreciation of humor than our cap tain, or else he reasoned that laugh iu3 scout could get the information he wanted better than a sober-minded one. At any rate it was reported that he finally grinned in unison with Thurston, and sent him off through the lines to discover what the enemy were doing and report. As a scout Thurston wore the blue, and was armed with only revolver. The idea of his accomplishing amy ything was considered preposterous, but he not only made his mark, but did it with that laugh of b1s While he was scouting close to the enemys lines he encountered con federate colonel and his orderly. who were bound for a certain farmhouse. In fact, Thurston stepped out of the roadside bushes almost in front of the horse.
 His uniform gave him away, and he was at once held up by the colonel. 1t struck Thurston as very funny that he should be greasing the farm wagon in Connecticut in May, and scouting down in Virginia in ,Jnne, and he began to laugh. He laughed until he cried -rntil the colonel said 10 his orderly:
 This poor fellow has been wounded in the head and is crazy. You had best take him into camp and be gentle with him
 But as the colonel put np his re- yolYer and the orderly got down from his saddle, Thurston sobered up long enough to cover them with his own weapon and demanded their surrender The orderly fired at him without effect, dropped his revolver and got away ca foot, but the laughing scout disarmed the colonel and brought him into our | lines, together with the two horses. When he reported to the general with l his prisoner he laughed until he was