The Natchitoches enterprise., 1899-04-13

- narrow ROAD ran along the top or
the parade ground and on it the regi-
ment formed in line Of companies.
/ There were the usual reports and the
publishing of the orders by the adiu-
tant; then a flourish of trumpets and
the regiment. headed by the band.
swung into columns Of fours and pas.,,
into review.
1t was strange place for Il reTi-v
of American troops. The town Cf Mar
zanillo lay in front with It's red tic,
and thatched roofs, and in tie distance.
was the bay, with wrecks strewn along
the shore. Back of the troops We're the
low barracks and the distant block
houses.
The band struck up Dixie" and the
regiment wheeled past the men as
erect and soldierly ard every movement
executed with as much precision as if
it was marching down Pennsylvania
avenue in Washington insteod Of bal
ancing ON the side.of a Hill in faroH
place that great many people in the
United States didn't 6Tel know Nss.s on
the map.
"Oh / wish / was in the land OF cot
toni" played the band as the regiment
came marching by.
A cOnvalescent soldier leaning on hi"
cane near our party drew III his breath
with Il sharp, whistling sound.
~ wish to God l was!" lie murlnur
ed.
Then he stiffened up and took off his
hat, fer the coIors were passing.
The regiment countermarch2d 1T the
end of the parade and marched back on
the road to the barracks and disappear
ed through the gate
wish ! was in the land Of cotton;
Olden times are not forgotten
Look away, lCok away, look away to Dixie
land!
The music of the band died away
The sun slowly sank and darkness gath
cred The Americans walked silently
down the hill The convalescent soldier
joined them.
"What did you think of it?' he ask
ed. Fine, said we 1T was the best
appearing regiment have seen in Gu
ba, said the army captain.
Say" said the soldier suddenly
you are not going back to the States
and say that. are your
"Certainiy, replied the captain
"It's true. isn't it? He turned TO me
"Why. yes. | replied ~ wouldn t
hesitate to say that dress parade was "A
magnificent thing and that regiment as
soldierly lot of men as ever saw
Look hereI You are not going to uHt
that in the paper. are you? asked the
soldier.
why. yes Why notY'
"Why not Why, because the people
at Washington will read it, and they
will make us stay in this God forsaken
land another thousand years Look
here, he went ON appeahngly. II want
to go home. We all want to go home
| except the officers Don't say we are
good Don't say that the regiment is
the best you ever saw. Say it's bad
Won't you. please? Say it s the worst
looking gang you ever came up with III
your life 1t won't hunt yon. Nobody
will know the difference. Why | guess
most people have forgot there ever was
such thing as the Fourth Immune
regiment. Say we are on the verge Of
mutiny and ought to be sent home in
disgrace Won't you? That will help
us out.
He seemed 10 like the idea. for he
went ON rapidly That's the stuff
Tell 'em we're SO rotten that the lnsur
gent soldiers don't have any respect for
Us and that if we are not taken bone
the insurgents are liable to attack Us
and drive MS off the island Say we
dent look able to fight a detachment
of the Salvation Army Give us holy
roast. and it'll make the department
mad. and they'll say What's ali this
aboutH The Fourth immunes What
are the Fourth immunes2 Oh yes
that's a regiment. ain t it? Well. where
are they? Let's bring EN- back home
and send decent regiment there that
reflects some credit on the United
States. That's what they II say Do
that for Us. won't your
He stopped at the beginning of the
town.
Il can't go any farther But do that
for us, won't you? You don't Know
how tired we are of being Robinson
Crusoes. Say I've got mother at home
and | want to go back.
We walked away and left him But
that night as the passengers sat on the
deck of the Antinojenes Hernandez and
watched the water widening between
the steamer and the pier there was a
shout from the shore In the moonlight:
we could see the figure of the soldier
we had met at parade He formed his
hands into a speaking trumpet and
shouted after us
''Do that, won't you? Say We are
going to mutiny and join the insur-
gents Say anything. We want to so
homel We want to so homel' The
steamer came about and stoCd straight
out to sea- But US far as we could dis
Germ objects on the lonely coast Of Man
zanillo we saw dimly forlorn figure
leaning on a cane. and once or twice
the night wind carried his voice to US
again. 81 want to 90 home. go homsl'
R. II. Little in Chicago Tribune