Evening journal., 1899-04-26
Shadow and Cherub
BY W. L. Comfort
THE first time saw Shadow was tn.

RICO. Shadow was dusky kid OF quail
iiy. and he now wears a cavalryman's
blouse and a shirt Of army blue. How
this came about involves the pre- judices
Of nation.
Shadow was not old enough to be sub
servient. The knowledge that he was
black had never hurt him yet. But his
father was a son Of slavery and his fa-
theirs father, soin Shadows naturethere
was mildness and long-suffering and in
his back bow to people with white
faces. II was q bow, not a cringe--a
pleasant sensation Of obeying, notfawn-
ing humility.
But cavnlrymen from the land where
cotton blooms and persimmou trees
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-
sissippi and not so far south as the
Rio Grande; and others still who lived
once where negroes are seldom seen,
and are liked for their iollity aud devil
acknowledgements dispositions
And these took notice Of Shadow in
spite of black looks and murmurings.
There was q funny twinkle IN his
dark eyes and wondering pucker in
his full red lips. Old Chicken. the far
rier, first took him under his wing. 1t
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. It
was grand demonstration of mettle
that the cavalrymen gave thatday. Each
man assisting in pushing frightened and
fractions horses up a steep gangway,
and in loading mountains of heavy lug
gage on the transports for many hours
aud all under the strain Of cavalry
mans thirst with a months pay in his
pocket.
Everything was ready when night
came. except the blessed tide Itwould
be four hours at least, the sailors said
before the troop-ship dare cross IN,
terious and accommodating lementth,
Fifth cavalry would have lugged thei
whole months pay about sheerlessly
throughout a long voyage. Thil
would have been unprecedented. /
would have been positively uncanny.
ITS dangerous to let them go" on,
lieutenant said; "some will never CONF
3 back"
5 Let them 60" said an old captain
who had risen from the ranks and wh'
was no stranger to pity.
You ought to know, captain, how
n duty looks and time passes to a soldie
, on payday" the lieutenant replier
weakly. lie was talking TO his superio
officer.
c Let them go" repeated the captain
e. and the boys went TO town with none
! intact and great responsibilities
S tingling in their breasts. All cam
back save one, who was not n drinlin
J. man, and who had lost a sweethear
7 back in San Anton. but not in Port
: Rico.
: II was in those four hours that oil
T. Chicken found Shadow. The first tim
T. saw him was a half hour before til
It time OF embarkation. lie was sittin
5 in the darkness on the lee side of th
great ship. Above him flickered NEAR
ingless lights and a shadowy myster
}. of ropes and rigging. Below him til
chocolate-hued Savannah playful
8 slapped the big piers and the tran!
c ports plated sides. Beyond him la
the sea, trackless, dark and vast.
Two large bottles Of something pr
:; tr7ided from Shadows blouse. Smallt
" bottles Of something protruded frol
. Shadows many pockets. Hampers {
,r other good things surrounded him; an
r very strange TO tell, Wild Bill. the mo-
1t dissolute and prodigal Of troop ton
he cats, purred cozily upon his lap.
D. Bat most inconceiFable Of all was II
u attitude of Cherub, the untamable-
al Cherub. the vicious and massive-jaw,
D. bloodhound-for several years a chatt
y Of troop X. Cherubs hatred for civ
~ ians was depthless and dreadful.
~ Then why should he put his gre
h. ugly head upon Shadows lap and thei
IN rest so quietly and peaceably?
" "Yo' an me is dun 'guine to Por
n. Rie', an pussie-tom and Old Chick
L. dun 'guine. Doan' shake yo' big ha,
n dat-a-way. is aguine cos Old Chic
dun SADIE I could. We alls 'guine
Porto Ric', and de horses"
Shadows head was very close
rx Cherub's jaws while he was murmuriI
TX these words. Then he began 10 Groom
m quaint melody which the old mann
2 DAYS had left behind in his lnlIy hea
as Cherub yawned in lazy contentmeI
~ Wild Bill purred hoarsely, and l watch'
~ wondering.
~ Meanwhile the cavalrymen return
II. with laughter and great hnppine'
n Then the great troopship cast her i
and veered seaward. Good cavalr
men-the ones who win chevrons
their first enlistment-have no sen
y ment. A recruit possessed of sen
on ment will lose it in the first thr
tie months. or else apply for his dischare
he There was much Of this element
lal Shadows nature. The horsemen wi
Dr. their spurs. six-shooters and sabC
IS made a deep impression. A que
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