New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-10-21

a
Of white bell tents arranged in symmetrical
Enes around the four sides Of a long parauelo-
gram. with large square mess tents at each end
and cooking ovens dug out Of the sand hills
beyond the lines The work was executed in
businesSllke fashion by s0ldierIy men of graver
aspect and sober Tnien than the light
hearted irresponsibles Of the Rat Trap" and
the Home for Lost Dogs" beyond. some OF
whom strOlled down &c offer suggestions. which
were received with a chilling lack of attention
Presently, with shrin squeak of many flies
end much rattle OF kettledrums, there marched
IN from the station regiment Of boy soldiers
the eldest 1 should say not more than fifteen,
but every man OF them bearing himself with all
ffty
Thenceforth the Rat Trap" and the Mon
grels Parlor'' and the home Of the Laughing
JackasseS'' knew Us no more All orr attrTtion
new camp. and We soon came TO know them in
the lump as well as We had known their elders
further along the shore
But even warriors in the lump are not as in
tereSting as individuals. and as we became IA
n21lAr with the machinery Of the camp our
ehlet enjoyment began TO revolve around Cna
particular little unit thereof
We hal each u Us separately been struck nv
him as they marched in that first day and This
alone sl1ilctC 10 give him place apart from his
- .s- in ali minds He was he brightest
"a q younEster IN the regiment brown hair
perl nose, quick blue eyes. which roved around
IN vast enjoyment % the sensation he was help
ing 10 create. perfect health and rofckiug
Aurnor IN every curve Of his impudeat little face
he was one OF the kettle1rums. and the way
his sticks flashed and tWIrled was sight ana
= source Of amazement 10 al beholders IIis
very soul seemed To run down into the points
OF those twinklins sticks and his boyish delight
~ tne noise he could extract from MS drum
barely yelled beneath tho gravity he considered
oe7lH1IH2 10 q man OF his posiri7l-
We were cOnstan tly meeting him strullinc ont
With tie other men Of his corps and he always
FOR the lot chance conversation which We
overheard as we came along the soft sand to tho
camp one afternoon enlightened Us as 20
name and some Of his characteristics.
Four Of them we're lying in q sunny nook. and
they were quite too much interested in them
serves 10 pay any attention TO US We Wcrr in
teTested. too. and NC trod soft and went siow
Tor the purpose Of hearing the end Of their dis
cussion- but they took no notice If
When my Uncle Dan was at Waterloo
were the first words that reached Us from
little kettledrum-
'Ga-n Danny Rendle, Give yer Uncle Dan
rest J don't bIieve y amt got no Uncle Dan
gTosied dark haired boy.
You don't-b'lieve-I-a -sot-no-Cncie-
Dan-Ji1l Foley exclaimed cur youugster. in
tone Z the most concentrated amazemeut
Mar" said the other. If yer have. why
don't he never come I see Yer? Why don't he
never send yer nUTD? ! never seen him. nor
ever heard tell of anybody that has, an yer
never gets any letters from m, not 50 much as
happy post card
He can't write COS he lost his arm at War
tHrICo-"
Yah. He Cd write wiz his other arm OF rgfg
bis toes. same as yon man at the show vas
a. OF he Cd set suTnmun else L write, OF nc
CO come an see yer"
Lest both MS legs al Waterloo"
Huh, an his head, an his tail Not much
left Of him 10 brag about. But I don't b'lieve
there amt no such person"
~AH right jim Foley, You see that there
szDdhii2''
7 Sc il wot's that got t. DO wiv yer Uncle
DAM Is the scraps Of him buried there"
You git out tonight. Jim Foley. and CONF
down there, an I'll interdOocc Yer to my Uncle
Dan
@WIn2 Right! I'm on. I'd like TO meet all
that,s left q The Old gen lernan.''
And then We had TO pass Out Of hearing, hav-
tng learned that our youngsters name was Dan
RendIe, and that he had said he had, q vet
eTzn uncle upon whose existence his companions
cast doubts
without saying anything 10 my young people.
Introduction Of Jim Foley 10 little Dams aged
relative
And ] was there, ambushed fat in the wire
Grass # a ueighhoTing hillOck for hour be
fore The meeting. and counted the time well
spent
Dan was first on the field with two supporters
Presently Jim Foley strollcd up with three more
All. you there, Danny Eendle? Now, where's
yer Uncle Dan Wot lost his arms and his legs at
Waterloo. an his head an his tail, an every
bliru bit Of him? don't b'Iieve-you-got-
no-Urclc Dan"
Come on said Dan and peeled of his tunic
and rolled up the sleeves Of mis- little colored
shirt and tied his red cotton handkerchief tight
around his waist an III interdooce yer to
hin"
/ am not going to describe the fight. I am old
fashioned-or ma ybe il IS new fashiOned-enough
TO believe that fight is less denoraliziug to the
prfnciyials except indeed in such trifing mat
+erS as blood and cuticie. than 70 the onloOzers-
4 good ten minutes Jim was half a head tbs
F,rfyv 50 close knit active