The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1899-03-10
Shadow and Cherub
By W. L. Comfort

THE first time l saw Shadow was the
night the Fifth pulled out for Porto
Rico. Shadow was dusky kid of quail
ity, and he now wears a cavalryman's
blouse and shirt of army blue. How
this came about involves the prejudices
of a nation.
Shadow was not old enough to be SUBJ
servient. The knowledge that he was
black had never hurt him yet. But his
father was son of slavery and his fa~
theirs father, so in Shadows nature there
was mildness and long suffering and in
his back a bow to people with white
faces. 1t was a bow. not cringe-a
pleasant sensation of obeying, notfawn-
ing humility.
But cavalrymen from the land where
cotton blooms and persimmon 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-
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-mor 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
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 COM
mon soldier works with greatest dis
patch and efficiency when broke. 1t
was grand demonstration of mettle
that the cavalrymen gave that day 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
and all under the strain of 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 tiss mys-
terious and accommodating element the
Fifth cavalry would have lugged their
whole months pay about cheerlessly,
throughout a long voyage. This
would have been unprecedented. 1t
would have been positively uncanny
Its dangerous to let them Co." one
lieutenant said; "some will never come
back"
who had risen from the ranks and who
was no stranger to pity.
You ought to know, captain, how
duty looks 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
back save one, who was not a drinking
| man, and who had lost sweetheart
back in San Anton, but not in Porto
Rico.
1t 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
in the darkness on the lee side of the
great ship. Above him flickered mean
ingless lights and shadowy mystery
of ropes and rigging. Below him the
chocolate-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
dissolute and prodigal of troop TOM
cats. purred cozily upon his lap.
But most inconceivable of all was the
attitude of Cherub, the untamable-
Cherub, the vicious and massive jawed
bloodhound-for several years a chattel
of troop X. Cherub's hatred for civil
ians was depthless and dreadful.
Then why should he put his great
ugly head upon Shadows lap and there
rest SO quietly and peaceably?