Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-04-09

NSd WI "a @ sioe Tue nien. eA-
tINS- full stop. There was
GjI RdcA \ a prolonged sound of
"(1, Ir% escaping steam, then
SEH SB\NAHI silence. Even the
WI M rain that had been
M RE dashing against the
R "}' panes for the last
hundred miles or so had ceased. In
the day-coach one or two passengers
who were awake looked out and found
deep black woods that looked straight
up to where few stars were showing.
The drowning rain that had continued
here for week or more was at an
end. Presently the moon appeared.
The fresh air in the coach awak
ened others. A few began to talk in
low voices, as if fearing to disturb
the sleepers who breathed heavily
about them. Some one began peel
ing an orange, and the pungent,
sweet odor filled the coach. A baby
woke up and cried grievingly.
Half way down the coach man in
seat by himself leaned forward
against the next seat, his head in his
arms. A few seats ahead of him sat
two men in soldier dress. These had
awakened and were talking. One,
who was slim and rather dark, said,
sleepily:
"What d'y' s'pose they're stoppin'
for, Bill, anyway"
The other, stouter, light-haired
man, yawned.
Dunno; washout, likely"
The conductor entering just then
with a lantern confirmed this opinion.
A small bridge had been weakened
it would require an hour TO repair it,
He fingered a moment to talk with
the soldiers. 81 suppose you fellows
are anxious to get home now," he
said.
The slim, dark man nodded. The
stout soldier laughed.
- "Of coursew he said. "But we
can take our time. When a fellows
been up San Juan Hill and come out
alive he can afford to wait little fer
other things"
Behind them the man leaning for
ward in his arms started. Perhaps
he was just waking. Other passen-
gers awoke, too, and sat up to listen.
The conductor was interested. $50
you were at San Juan?" he said.
"Pretty hot there, wasn't it?"
''Hot enough fer me-" This from
the slim man.
''How did it feel, anyway, to have
the bullets coming right at You?
Didn't you feel like You wanted to
get out O. thero?"
The man behind moved uneasily in
his arms. No doubt he wanted to
sleep, and was not interested. The
stout soldier laughed again as he an
swered;
You're mighty right If I'd ever
got turned around I'd been runnin'
yeti"
Several people in the coach laughed
softly. The man with his head in his
arms uttered something like smoth-
cred groan. Why didn't they let him
sleep?
"Did anybody run?' asked the CON
ductor.
The slim soldier opened his lips to
reply, but laughed instead. His com
rade laughed, too.
Did anybody run?" he echoed at
last "Well, we didn't see but one,
but he run fast enough fer the whole
regiment. Then they laughed again,
and others who were awake joined
them; all but the man leaning for
ward with his head in his arms. He
only writhed uneasily, and groaned as
one tortured. But no one noticed
him.
"You ought to seen him." put in
the slim soldier. ga iack-rabbit
would be fool compared to that fell
low. He made a regular crack in the
atmosphere, didn't he, Bill?"
"You bet! He only hit the high
places"
"And d'y' remember how scared lie
looked?"
Scared! He looked like he'd been
dead fer a week."
Most of the passengers were awake
by this time, and laughing. The man
with the bowed head only shrank
down into his shoulders, and clinched
his hands.
"What did they do to him?" The
conductor took up his lamp to go, and
the soldiers arose to follow. They
also would look after the progress of
the work. Tie slim soldier an
swered. "Oh, nothin'," he said;
"ies' let him go. Ireckon he's still
goin somewhere"
They left the coach. The passengers
behind talked of the war in subdued
tones. Many opened windows to look
out. The man with bowed head
shivered.. Perhaps he was cold. By