Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-03-07


Dirty n.~.,er>." General Grub mum
blcd. mopp.ng The prr>pmation from
his snub nSSCd coUnt,uance. for. al
though the tent dap was raised to let
In whatcv,~ air WAS stirring. il was
very hot All the general like the rest
of TX. preferred. no m.itrr how un-
Justly. TO won't lis wrath on some one
he dislikcd. Outside the tent The light
night W..J ruStlcd through the tropical
undcrSrowth ABOUT the camp and
from Tie black cooks quarters the tin
ny tinAlc e 4 lanjo danced into tho
darkness i1 curious contrast To the
regular beat OF ,ntripS' feet
Lie .i~na.t !.@le broke the silence
toy rlSi'.; 4 lm his stool al the farther
end ui H.. room ana walking with
s.ort. precise steps to where the gcner-
nj sat. thar hr Elight hand him the dis
patch"S Av :.cd hcsn copying. lie was
81 C,;.ma,le youa. man-thin bald
about thc temples IN uldiSh young
face. Wiz @vcAyd eyebrows and sun
burned Roman nose. giving him the air
OF haga srvd mosquito. His dispatches
were written WIKI the sclupulous care
OF mind given To detail. the one era
sure. crossed Ey neat line Of KS.
adding to lie precision Of the whole.
When the n.l-,i,'-cImp rose. CaSSandra,
General Grub's parrot ana insrparable
companion who for the last half hOur
had hccn hanging head downward
from The ridgcpOle. strai-lt, ned her
self. c0Ci.tl vicious eye at him and
silently slid 10 the ground. She hated
him and waldicd 10 the attack as
scou as h.S back was turned. every tail
feather depressing her joyous wicked
ness.
\ moment later Lieutenant Lane
jumped. Guch.' lie said Deliberately.
Fortunes Of war;" squa wked the
bird. "rortuncs Of war. Gur-rrr-rrr-
rrr-rrr-rrr."
"It-it's that green parrot" Lane
explained. as General Grub looked up
quickly.
"Fouad the calves Of your legs, eh?"
he asked. laughing.
The thin aid-de-caiGp visibly stilfen-
ed and slowly turned beetlke red;
he was moi Il man of impulse even
when he bluShed Keep 'um out OF
the way. keep 'un out of the way"
the general continued. half inratiently.
IL always irritated him to hurt any
ones feelings.
AS II any one could keep his legs
out of thar green parrots way Lane
grumbicd 10 himself on his way back
10 the desk ai the farther end of the
room where every pen. pencil. rubber
anu scrap of paper lay in its accus-
toned place. the bits Of string he had
cOnScicntiouSly saved with great waste
of time and patience piled neatly to-
gether in Il Japanese basket. Lane
wGs preclsionist: order and routine
were the breath OF life 10 him. and he
was happIcst when he couid do the
same thing ut the same hour of the
same day the year round.
For another 20 minutes silence reign
ed. Then General Grub raised his voice.
and the aid-de-camp. who could never
Temember that dog does not bite
every time be barks. Jumped nerv-
ously.
Orderly"
In answer TO General Grub's call
soldier stood ut attention. his well knit.
faut figure blotting out the square ~
dafkacss J, { by the raised tent fiaT
Tell Liz ucaani Fielding 10 report
Tor orders Il once" The man saluted
and disapp lrcd
y momcr later Fielding entered lie
was tai slimly built fellow. with
deep set "y and rcSnlutc chin. You
'elt "n loU lng NJ him that he wa 4
maD who's steady hand on the hri e.
would Civ" 81 ArrvouS horse confidence