The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1899-11-03

mess plate to pile up the sand IN from
of me. Mine was thrown away. And
when it was night I smoked half OF
Fogarty's last pipeful, and after that !
rolled over on to half of Fogarty's blan-
ket. Mine was thrown away.
THANK God, we didn't get punctured
| this day." muttered. 1t was night and
silent about. The Red Cross men were
busy. !.
sI'm too tired to give care, Kid
said Fogarty.
A couple of dayslater awoke in the
morning feeling stiff and tired. We
were encamped about the city. AtnooI'
nv face burned and did not answer
mess call. / wanted to sleep. At four
o'clock Fogarty felt my cheeks.
sI'll tell the tap-sergeant to let you
Mound the bunk awhile longer" he
said.
The next day / was in the hospital
feeling hot and thirsty and hungry all
at once. The air in the hospital tent
was full of groans and the odor oil
drugs. 1t was also sitting. The boys
about me had felt the weight OF loco
motive concentrated into Mauser ball
To me Fogarty said:
"Kid, you've got the fever
After that | did not see him for SIX
weeks. because ! was sent back to he
States on hospital transport. had
reached the furlough stage, which
means that delirium was over, and that
nv fever had fickered out. leaving only
half of me and disreputable appetite
when Fogarty came. ! had no clothes
| to 20 on furlough withholding but
tattered shirt and debilitated pair OF
cavalry trousers; and the worst OF II
was could not get any.
It is not hard for me. to recall the
events of that night when Fogarty
came. / was watching the Red Cross
men unload hospital train. 4 process
sion of stretchers was passing from the
cars to the fever tents. Some OF the
sick men had been forced to walk. Had
/ not seen others staggering through
the twilight, l would have said thai
Fogarty was drunk again. He dragged
| a huge blanket roll.
"Well, Kid, where's your other part p
he questioned, weakly.
1 really embraced him that night
Fogarty, the profane, the red-faced
And when he told me that he had
brought along bundle OF nay clothes
from camp, I could not speak for my
voice cords were numb. only whinl.
pered. Fever leaves one childish-weak
you know.
Fogarty had lugged along my things
with his own-and he sick man. He
| had remembered me after six weeks
remembered me who was only recruit
I tell you, gentlemen, there are meR in
Uncle Sans cavalry. "a
That night Fogarty stretched his
great body out on mattress-a real
one-for the first time in two months
His feet protruded through the iron
| rods at the lower end of the bedstead,
''Are those women going to be herc?''
He, pointed to. a, couple of nurses.
nodded.
"Why, it's a cinch to have the fevers
here, amt it, KIDD"
His tongue was dry like it was on the
Cuban hills that day. A beam of the
low white moon looked in through the
flap of the tent and rested on Fogarty' S
hands. 1t made them seem pallid. but
his face was very hot and red.
An ugly fever is typhoid. 1t chars
ones brain and body with slow flame.
It stretches the eyelids vide apart. In
the middle of the day ii glows to a
white heat. It turns one into helpless
animal that feels only an incurable
thirst and craving stomach-an ami
NAL that means for ice water when the
nurse is busy wrapping mp dead man
| in the next cot-a staring-eyed animal
that knows there are such things as
home and friends and death, but cares
not. Listlessly he watches companion
fall into that chilled sleep.
Typhoid plays with four men and
gets earnest with the ffth-fatally
earnest. The moon was high when ]
left Fogarty that night.
A couple of weeks later he looked at
me hard enc morning. 1t was going
badly with him.
"Why don't you go home?' he asked,
tenderly. 1t wasn't like the old Fog
arty's voice.
Haven't got furlough yet" said,
lying. The papers were eight days old
already. Haven't got hat, either" l
continued. / had been wearing Fogar-
tvs. Mine was lost.
Take care of this dough for me, will
you, Kid! didn', have time 10 blow a
= red. 1t gets my nerve with this
thirst"
He gave me his last months pay.
Fogarty was getting hot. and the nurse
pushed me away.
Keep the hat you got on. Kid"
I could barely hear his voice. His
face was not very red now. How /
wished he could see the pain inside of
me for him. Keep the hat you got on,
Kid. I'll get another if l don't croak. .
The doctor hung around Fogarty's
cot the next night. The nurse had
drawn chair close to him. | held a
lantern near. The rain clouds were
venting themselves outside.
Watch out for Mint Julep, Kid"
mumbled poor Fogarty. He was not
looking atsme. His eyes stared at the
sleeping flies on top of the tent. His
eyelids were far apart.
They'll be good friends -Jnlep and
the Kid-both good fellows. y
Nope-not drinking thing sworn off
ask the Kid. Oh, forgot, the Kids
gone home to his mother got sick. you