Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1900-08-04
WHITE FEATHER.
A Coward That Was
u Hero.

There is no need to mention the name
of his regiment here. That is IA secret
that belongs to the army alone.
Suffice it to say that his comrades
are proud Of his name.
He should never have entered the ar
my at all much less Il hard riding cav
airy regiment which had Il reputation
TO sustain by yearly tribute of broken
nccks and collar bones.
His proper vocation was that of
linen Diapers assistant, and he had
filled that occupation very satiSfacto-
rily till one evil day he had fallen in
love with a girl, a silly. shallow girl, at
WhOm no practical man or boy would
have taken Il second look.
He adOred her and she adOrcd sol
diCrs. III their walks abroad she would
direct his steps toward the Horse
guards or Wellington barracks, that
she might gaze in admiration at the
fine, Strapping soldiers who were to be
seen there, and every time she pinchci
his arm and exclaimed, "Oh. Jack look
at that lovely soldicr.' his heart gave
him Il pang at the thought that he was
only 4 drapor'S assistant. with nothing
in common with the military but the
handling of red cloth. He was Il dream
er by nature. and falling in love did
not lessen his weakness in this dircc-
ton. Dreaming is parlonablc in Il
poet but an unpardOnahlc crime in Il
linen drapcr's assistant. and as he
stood at his counter his mind WAS far
away from his work. Instead of lis
tcning to the "ForwarG"' of the shop
walker he could only hear the short
flung word Of command and the blarc
of the buglcs that sounded through his
dreams; wherefore it was not long be-
fore he came into conflict with his prac-
teal chief. \ few sharp words passed.
He threw up in three seconds posi-
tion it had taken six years of hard, un-
remitting labor to attain. Then he en-
listed.
He gained his title on his first dis
play in the riding school. where. after
short ride on the neck of the riding
masters pet buck jumper, he turned
dcathly pale and cried aloud that he
might be allowed to diSmount.
The horse at once gratitied his desire
by throwing him on to the tan, where
he lay trembling in every limb, much
to the diversion of Il couple of rough
riders who were standing by. They
We're quick to inform their respective
SquadrOns, and, his former occupation
being known, he was promptly chris
tened White Feather.
In those dark days it was the joy of
the more hardy recruits to take him
aside sOlcmnly and request the service
of thrccpence 3 farthings' worth of
white feathers. Any morscl of down
or fluff that might float into the bar
racks was promptly captured and pre-
scntcd to him with due ceremonies by
Trumpctcr Pipes, the low comedian of
the regiment.
The older men forbore to join in with
these somewhat firing repetitions of Il
stale joke. They remembered their
own experiences in the riding school
and recognized that White Feather
was Il quiet and inoffcnsive fellow, de-
void of the impudence and bad man
ncrS peculiar to recruits and respectful
and helpful to his seniors.
The sergeant instructor, too, after a
time took fancy to his timid recruit
and took extra trouble to learn him
how to keep his heels out, his hands
down and his head up.
"Ive made smart cavalrymen out O.
bigger buffers than you" he used to re-
mark Cncouragingly rs he flicked White
Feathers horse into cantcr "and I'll
make a rider o you, or I'll break your
neck"' White Feathers neck remain
ed unbrokcn, so it is to be presumed
that the sergeant instructor fulfilled
his word.
Presently he began to lose the hang
dog look of suppressed terror with
which he had been accustomed to enter
the riding school and to acquire the
easy swaggcr of a cavalryman. His
chest contracted by long hours ut the
counter. developed under healthy train
ing. Fresh air and much exercise help
ed White Feathers development, which
had been sadly retarded by the heavy.
gas laden atmosphere in which he had
lived. His nerves acquired tone, and
ilc lCal htu " Alhc a luIlblc lON anu
then as matter of course and to fire
his carbinc without shutting his eyes
and blanching at the explosion of the
cartridge.
BLOW mo, If he isn't going to shape
into man at last" quoth the sergeant
instructor
/ Then great blow fell upon him. lie
/ received one morning n letter from the
| girl to tell him that she had given him
uD i'm favor of a shOnwalker who had