The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-11-20

resolution found him a tongue, how
ever, so that he addressed complete
#, strangers braVely and got their assist
ance. Often he was hungry, and twice
was nearly sent home again by beneV-
olent people who thought he was run
away and drew the attention of the
police to him. But he was bright, he
was frank, and he had an eye which
was clear and honest and made him
friends of drummers and trainmen, to
| whom he told his story, or some Of 1t,
and who were so amused by his search
for a soldier with red neckerchief
that they helped him along. He got
nearer and nearer every day to the seat
| of war, but he had lost a good deal OF
| his interest in the war as a. war; he
was not seeking adventure and fame.
He was hunting hungrily for an old
faded red neckerchief.
At Tampa he slipped out of an old
carload of lumber at night and made
a few inquiries. He was tired, hot and
sick, for he had been told the Little
town company was in camp. -Four
miles back from the big hotel, he found,
early in the morning, the camp almost
| deserted. He asked q. soldier where the
men were, and was told they were en-
barking that day for Cuba in many
transports. Hungry still, and tired to
death, Jim grimly hurried back to the
shore and found there a great scene OF
bustIe-men, guns, horses, forage, cases
of food, cases of medicine, crowding the
wharves in an apparently hopelessly
tangled muddle. The first man he ran
across was Tom Marshall. Tom opened
his mouth in amazement.
Jim Marcy" he shouted. What on
earth are you doing here?'
where's that red old neckerchief my
gran gave your cried Jimmie.
"Twasn't hers to givei Give it back
A little crowd of soldiers gathered
round, laughing at the boys excite
ment
"old redo, that thing! What you
want with it, JIM" said Tom.
Never mind-give me it! o, Tom,
please let me have it back! I've come
all the way for itr'
Tom looked puzzled and foolish, and,
as his comrades began to joke him, he
grew red.
BLOW the old rag" said he. ST
haven't got it,
90, give the boy his necktieI" cried
the soldiers, for Jim had turned white.
II haven't got it. [ gave it to a
regular cavalry man for some tobacco.
He wanted it because it was a busters
cavalry mark.
Jim grew dizzy from disappointment
and hunger and WEAKNESS. The sea,
the ships and the wharves swan in his
eyes, and he tainted. When he recov-
cred, Toms company had been march
ed aboard and beyond his reach. A Red
Cross nurse was giving him water.
You'll be all right now" said she.
"but get home out of the sum-" and
she left him, thinking he belonged to
some house thereabout. Jimmie
thanked her and wandered off to col
lect his thoughts. He walked about
for awhile and got some fruit to eat
and a piece of bread from a soldier.
He couldn't find Tom again to get
further particulars, but he wouldn't
give up. Whenever tempted to despair
picture rose before his mind of a
slowly dying veteran and a poor help
less old woman waiting for him day
after day to come Blackjack with the
old red neckerchief which meant so
much to them ALL And he saw, too. a
grim, gray bearded man sitting in his
office waiting too for Thanksgiving day
to come, that he might possess himself
of the thing he coveted and be re-
venged Jimmie clinched his fist and
made up his mind. The soldier had
gone to Cuba, whoever he was; the
neckerchief had gone to Cuba. Jim
must so to Cuba. One transport lay at
the wharf still loading. In the rush
and hustle Jimmie slipped on board
unseen and slowed himself away in a
corner.
He was sick again when the ship put
to sea, but recovered, and grew so
hungry that one evening after dark he
slipped out from the cases and barrels
he hid behind and found some soldiers
smoking and singing on deck. Jim s
mind was full of one thing.
please, sir" he said to the nearest
man, "have you seen anything Of a
soldier with a red neckerchief?"
The men jumped UP as if they had