St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-04-15
Shadow and Gerub
BY W. L. Comfort


o>>s->>>>-->>>
ME first time saw Shadow was the
night the Fifth pulled out for Porto
Rico. Shadow was dusky kid of quail.
ity, and he now wears cavalryman's
blouse and a shirt of army blue. How
This came about involves the prejudices
of a nation.
Shadow was not old enough 10 be sub.
servient. The knowledge that he was
black had never hurt him yet. But his
father was son of slavery and his ia
ther.s father. 50 in Shadow nature thers
was mildness and long-suffering and in
his back bow TO people with white
faces. 1t was bow, not cringe-a
pleasant sensation of obeying, not fawn.
ing humility.
But casalrymen from the land where
flourish in every strip of woodland
make no distinction And many are
the cavalrymen in Uncle Sans service
who hail from localities where negroes
are hired now and hated. But there
are others who punched cattle and
straddled cow-ponies west of the Mis-
siseippi and not 50 far south as the
Rio Grande; and Others still who lived
once where negroes are seldom seen,
and are liked for their jollity and devil
take-care-of-to-morr dispositions
And these took notice of Shadow in
spite of black looks and murmurings.
There was funny twinkle in his
dark eyes and wondering pucker in
his full red lips. Old Chicken, the far
was the night before leaving the states.
and the regiment had been paid earlier
in the day.
Now. every officer knows that a COM
mon soldier works with greatest dis
patch and efficiency when broke. 1t
was grand demonstration of mettle
that the cayalrymen gave thatday Each
man assisting in pushing frightenedand
fractious horses up steep gangway.
and in loading mountains of heavy lug
gage on the transports for many hours
and all under the strain of a cavalry
mans thirst with months pay in his
pocket.
Everything was ready when night
came, except the blessed tide. 1t would
be four hours at least, the sailors said.
before the troop-ship dare cross the
bar Had it not been for this mys-
terious and accommodating element the
Fifth cavalry would have lugged their
whole months pay about cheerlessly.
throughout long voyage. This
would have been unprecedented. 1t
would have been positively uncanny.
.It.s dangerous to lei them co. one
lieutenant said: ''some will never come
back"
LET them CO." said an old captain
who had risen from the ranks and who
was no stranger to pity.
..You ought to know. captain. how
duty locks and time passes to a soldier
on payday" the lieutenant replied
weakly. He was talking to his superior
officer.
"Let them CO." repeated the captain,
and the boys went to town with money
intact and great responsibilities
tingling in their breasts. All came
hack save one. who was not a drinking
man. and who had lost sweetheart
back in San Anton. but not in Porto
Rico.
IT. was in those four hours that Old
Chicken found Shadow. The first time
| saw him was half hour before the
time of embarkation. He was sitting
/, L.. 4 ,f - t,so
great ship. Above him flickered mean
ingless lights and a shadowy mystery
Of ropes and rigging. Below him the
chccoiate-hued Savannah playfully
slapped the big piers and the trans
ports plated sides. Beyond him lay
The sea. trackless. dark and vast.
Two large bottles of something pro-
truded from Shadows blouse. Smaller
bottles Of something protruded from
Shadows many pockets. Hampers of
other good things surrounded him; and
very strange to tell. Wild Bill. the most
,lissolute and prodigal of troop tom
cats. purred cozily upon his lap.
But most inccnceivable of all was the
attitude of Cherub, the untamable-
Cherub, the vicious and massive-jawe
blocdhounl-fo several years chattel
of troop X Cherub's hatred for civil
iaps was depthless and dreadful.
Then why should he put his great
ugly head upon Shadows lap and there
rest 50 quietly and psaceably:
..Yo. an me is dun 'guine to Porto
R;c' an pussie-tom aud Old Chick is
dun 'cuine. Doan' shake yo' big hade
slat-a-way. is aguine cos Old Chick
dun SADIE | could. We alls 'guine to
Porto Ric'. and de horses.
Shadows head was very close to
Cherub.s jaws while he was murmuring
,heSe words. Then he began to crcon a
auaint melody which the old nanny
,;ays had left behind in his kinky head.
Chcrub yawned in lazy contentment-
wild Bill purred hoarsely. and watched
wondering
Meanwhile the cavalrymen returned
v;,h laughter and great happiness.
Then the great rroopship cast her log
.ud yeered seaward Good cavalry
nen-she ones who win chevrons in
,beir first enlistment-have no senti-
ment. a recruit possessed of senti-
ment will lose it in the first three
months. or else apply for his discharge.
There was much of this element in
shadows nature. The horsemen with
heir spurs. six-shooters and sabers
made S deep impression. A queer,
dreamy look was in his eyes as he
gaxed out to sea and hummed softly.
while q tiny gale from the tropics zipped
- ,:i ~. The Ntfle .!askv hoy wax