The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1898-06-16
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BY CHARLES B. LEWIS.


before it left camp to take its place on
the picket line in front of the Third
division.
Good thing for you boys" said a
good-natured sergeant, as he saw to
their equipments. 1--WE are out where
you'll see plenty of Johnn;es before
sundown, and you'll get used to the
ping of hot lead. Our last batch of
fresh fish lay around camp three
months before they heard a shot
fired"
The recruits smiled, and were pleased
as they fell in and marched away with
the veterans. 1t would do them credit
TO write home that they had been under
fire on the. first day of their arrival.
lerhaps they would have a chance at
'game' before the day was over.
Company I'D" halted and erected its
tents at the reserve picket, half mile
in rear of 'the fron,," and presently
the details were made up to relieve the
old pickets. There were two men to
each post, and the new men were dis
tributed with the old as far as their
number went. Jason White, 24 years
old-just two weeks away from the
plow on his fathers farm-found him
self on post with a sun-tanned veteran
who was serving out the last Of his Sec
ond year.
MY names Jim Taylor" said the
veteran, as he leaned on his musket
and gave his companion looking over.
"1ou size up pretty well, but one can't
ni!us tell. Last man l broke in turned
out to be hell OF a fighter, and if he
hadn't tried to stop solid shot he'd
hey bin sergeant by this time. What
made you enlist"
II thought it was my duty" replied
White.
"Oh! l see! You jest waited two
years and then felt it your duty to
come down here and lick the stuf1in
out of Lees army? 1t was awful good
of you to think that way! If you'll
only pitch in and finish things up this
Meek we'll all feel much obieesed to
you."
Jason White looked at the o,d vet
eran in a puzzled way, and was in
clined to resent his sarcasm; but
While he was thinking it over the other
cbniinued:
Its my opinion that you made a
cnssed fool O. yerself by enlistin', and
that you don't know duty from cab
bagehcad. However, as you are here
Sf'c fur IN Shnxy- ho Il
ye ever sass any body?'
"I-expect l have,' stammered the
recruit.
We'll, that's good as fur as it goes.
If you've talked right up to folks a:
home en- let 'em understand that you
was abe to take keer of yerself. that S
q sign of grit. Ever hev a fight?"
"Yes. two or three of EN-
Lick the other fe.ler?"
"les. sir"
That's better-that kind O satisfies
me that you've got grit. When We en-
listed it never occurred TO We that We
might git one O these things bored
through Yer body, did it?'
And the veteran took a musket ball
from his cartridge box. and reached
over and tapped the recruit on the
breast with it. The fresh fish" moved
back and turned pale, and with grim
smile the other ccntinued:
Makes a hole in a mans body al
most as big rs yer fist, and he don't
git up and play leap-frog afterwards,
either. Did ye ever shoot dog at
home?"
NO. sir.'
well, I shot Cog once, and I've
thought of it a good many times since
bein' down here. He was lookin' at me,
pitiful like, when pulled the trigger
and it's bin jest that way in the case
OF two or three men. I've pulled trig-
ger on EN- when could look right into
their eyes, and they was seem;n' to ask
me to spare 'em. thought if you had
killed dog it might come easier to
kill man, but mebbe you'll be all
right any way"
What do you mean by KILN a
man?' slowly asked the recruit, as he
leaned hearty af ,inst the beech tree
at his back.
Say, but that's funny" laughed the
veteran. ''Killin' a man? Why, what
the devil did you come down here fur?
D'd ye expect to swing a hammock
under tree and smoke all day?'
II came down to fight
"Oh. ye did! Well, that means kill
IN somebody, guess. Leastwise,
you'll find the Jehnnies are KILN lots
oi US, and you've got to kill in return.
II we wasn't out on the picket line
you'd hev waited and killed yer first
man In a battle, but as it is yen git in
yer work weeks ahead. We shall be
out here fur week, and during that
eme ye orter pop over about four. It'll
81. 81 depend on yer nerve, though.
"nat's happened to make ye look so
sesillsh white around the gills?''
Nuthin," was the brief reply, as