The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-07-10


| calmly sleeping, the breath coming with
| regular puisations from my thin. pa;riciar
nostrils, while I clasped in my arms the
souvenirs had collected In order TO hand
down 10 posterity some idea that valo-
| was not dead nor courage Cancelled = IN
the Kirk family. II was a grand sigh.
Around me lay great army splashing tie
white moon-li, sand as with great blot
cnes OF ink. The moon. fun and argen;
RODE on in majestic glory. Down the
| beach the breaking waves Missed and
/ Kissed again, while far out at sea rode che
grea; steel navy. glinting and glancins
Win muiti-colored lights like big freight
yard on a dark night. Above me the
cocoanut tree waved its long arms as -
in oeLediction OF the scene-a1d that old
mule kept on rubbing ais worthless and
diseased old skin
/ awoke and lay there in sweet serenity
gazing upward. I did not see the mule.
was not thinking of mules I was think
ing Of war and It's glories. l was thinking
how. on such night as this, Alexander.
in mis- bare legs. had lain on the fields Of
Macedonia; how Caesar. win drug sto. e
cord wrapped around mis- calves. had SLEPT
under the same moon in Gaul; how Ma
poleon and Ed. Little had camped. like
me. on the shores OF the Egyptian sea and
listened through the long night 20 the low
swish OF the restless waves and the loud
crash Of profanity from a captain from
Fl. Sill who had just been bitten by a
flea.
II was war that made the world, I ar
gued. II is the Alexanders. the Caesars,
the Napoleons and the Kinks which has
made this world what ii is. And again.
grasping my souvenirs TO my bosom and
wondering if Alexander ever collected
any on his expeditions. l was about 10
turn over when that mule gave bunch
and a cOcOanut came down.
l was on my feet with a wild cry Of
alarm. / didn't know about the mule. and
! didn't know it was cocoanut. l knew
something had struck me on the head.
l felt my head. Ii was bleeding Grasp
ing my souvenirs. l fell back against the
tree with my life ebbing away. I leaned
against the tree and thought of all my
old friends, all the bad things had done
in my short life. including fifty cents
borrowed from Dave Leahy last Christ
mas. Dazed as | was l could see men
crowding about me and flashing lantern
in my face and asking what the matter
was.
Come" I heard the captain say. what
is this row a.bout?"
I've been struck by a bomb gasped
"A Spanish bomb.
Bomb, nothing" said the captain.
What you got all over your face?"
7
the ground and I yelled:
Run. There it is. II just hit me, It
hasn't exploded yeti"
The captain took one look at it and step
ing majesticaHy back few feet. said:
For heavens sake. Somebody throw
water on it quick"
Well, just then it all dawned on me
and [ knew il was milk on my head and
not blood. and the bomb was a cocoanut.
so walked up to the bomb and picked it
up and then I saw the mule and realized
the whole scratching operation and I let
that old nut fly with a gun cotton push
at that mule. He let out a wild bray and
the whole Second Massachusetts rushed
to arms and stampeded over us. In trying
to keep my feet grabbed off the sword
OF Massachusetts captain. and the next
morning after the riot had quieted down,
added that Massachusetts sword to nv
other souvenirs just as d reminder OF the
night
The next day I was called up before
the general OF our division. L.awton. and
ne said 10 me in a cruelty sarcastic wav
that when the proper time came he would
recommend me to Mckinley to be sent
TO Madrid to get UP panics in order 10
weaken the Spanish government.
Three days after that at O'Clock in the
morning we were ordered out and Erew
IL meant night. had a row with my cap
tain.
It wasn't my fault went to him as
a gentleman and asked:
Eve are going into action?"
Get back in line" he roared.
VIII we camp here AGAIN."
Take everything you've got. Get back
in line"
Can I take these souvenirs?"
NO. Throw that rubbish away. Get
back in line"
then stepped out in front. half facing
the boys and half facing the captain and
raising my fore finger on high 7 said:
Gentlemen and American citizens. We
are here this bright. tropical day 70 fght
Tor freedom. We have come down he-e IA [
make Cuba libre. The libreer she is the /
more Curly Kirk is satisfied But. mark
10 me. citizens and soldiers. shall W. re-
sign, shall We reiegate. shall We ambus /
cate all our rights? What is there In thI,
var for me? What. I say Nothing but /
souvenirs and an honored name 20 hand I
Town 70 posterity. a posterity that mas
never done anything for me that know .
r. The time mas come Shen we mus.
strike FOR liberty and our hearths II never 4
had hearth IN my house. but that vas (
lratary). Friends. brothers. arise and /
stand by the God-given American rich, 1
. protect. a al hazards. souvenirs 6e- /
nand. yes. I absolutely demand that
Sc granted the privilege OF taking t5sss
3uveHtrs with me"
The captain Eisred a. me- one biz red
;.are and turned on MS heel and I stepped /
Jack into line.
Pretty soon Ne zere in IL. We were al
-anclnE. Somebody to.5 Us ne we're going
o Fl Ca1ey. ] never heard az IRE place
.Gt I wanted - see L. II ne .rees 9,
vas All right. TIE trees Helped Us stop
he bullets. But orcssionaIIy there was
.i1d % cox sss.ure between TIE elcn7s
Z trees and ,haa 81 was-UeH several &C.
-rses worse than Texas. 7 never wanted
cyclone cave 30 much in NJ Efs
You'd have even traded those scurenIrs
or ore
I had ny souvenirs WRAPPED together
nd tied wira Use sE7r8 OF -op snd tse
foole sea SMELL ard Alamo brick dangling
eioE ard making the captain. even when
be oul,sts we're terrsrrinE svour5 MS
cad. io5k back a. ne and glare Finally
e 20 LIZ - nsnlrE Z s--rs- 49,. -