The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-11
away up to his hips and managed very


him to fetch water and get it to the men
at the front Tom went to work Men,
| wounded, were coming in He was very
anxious about the captain. for he had
been told that his own company were at
| the front and he said to himself he
| would get there, too.
AT first it seemed as If every one of
the Spanish were aiming at him, and he
| lodged the little singing, flying bullets
| lie felt pin in his arm and smart
and then the warm blood running down
| his sleeve. His arm did not seem hurt
| much, but he fell stunned for moment
| The boy began to feel the fury of figl t
| ing. He could not see which were his
men, for everyone looked alike His blood
began to boil. and he forgot how his
knees had shaken as he got into the thick
He picked up a gun and a cartridge belt
which some soldier would not want any
more and began firing, watching all the
| time to find his own men. He saw man
fall and stopped to fix his cap so the
| sun would not be in the Door fellows
eyes till the stretchers came. Then he sa W
| what made his heart stand still. 1t was
his own captain. He was lying in clump
| of bushes, and he was awfully still
| Tom got over to him and felt for his
| heart. He was not dead yet. Tom had
some water in his canteen and he poured
| some into the captains face, but it had
no effect, so he lifted him up and poured
it down his back.
| He opened his eyes tom, what's up?
Am I wounded?"
Yep" Tom always forgot when he was
moved
The awful pain in his leg told him where
the Captain had been hit, even If he had
not seen the dark stain in the sand
Tommie cut away the top of the boot,
and then proudly produced some bandages,
and well for the Captain it was that Tom
mics grimy little finger had been in every
| f1ia orfat into hOvO
to stop the blood which was red and was
coming very slowly, but all the time. He
did not stop to study his Captains face,
but he felt that his commanding officer
was satisfied with him.
Rather more trousers than man, amt
you, Tom?'
Nurse hid my own"
81 see, you were invaded by the pie.
How many did you eat?'
give. 1t want pies; twas swimmer.
Five pies amt much, but the china te 8
bed for swimmer"
The Captain nearly tainted again when
he tried to get up; he had lost a great
deal of blood Tom could not see any
Red Cross men,
'Jest lean on me as hard as you like.
I'm DOT stronger than look"
You are a COMPOUNDED little Irishman."
Tom was afraid the Captain must be
! going off his head; he knew it must hurt
pretty badly. but he would not hint at
suoh possibility as his Captain feeling
thing like that He only held himself
as firmly and as tall as he could and
tried not to feel how very heavily the
Captain leaned as they slowly moved
along.
His own wound ached, too, but he did
not speak of it,
At last a man with a stretcher saw
them and assured the officer that he need
ed help more than anyone else, and so he
did, for as soon as he tried to lie down on
the strecher he tumbled over and lay in
a dead faint. They got his mouth open
and poured down some brandy, and even
then he did not open his eyes, so they
picked up the stretcher with the fanting
man and started on a run for the hospital.
He was attended to Immediately, and
soon was tucked into bed with Tom to
watch him, whose own wound had been
dressed. 1t was very slight.
One day the captain was ordered home
on sick leave. Tommie was inconsolable
till he was told TO CO. too. There was
just time to get letter off to his father
that he was coming, and then they started
There were about 200 sick men, but
every one began to get well just as soon
as they were really on the way home.
The Captain said 1t was half home-sick-
ness which kept the men from getting
strong but Tommie was sure he was not
homescks The men of his company had
been very sorry TO lose him, and ne was
coming home with $96 he had made off his
newspapers in eight months, besides
spending a good deal and sending home
Christmas presents for all his family.
On the dock were a lot of people. Tom
did not suppose anyone would be there TO
meet him; he was used to going and COM
ing and asking no favors of anyone. Tom
had nine older brothers and sisters and
two youngers. On top of pile he saw
a familiar red head, and it gave him
choky feeling in his throat to see it was
1- No. had ole Ixyh aoY,
through a days quarantine al Angel
Island, and, as Tom said, been washed
and cooked; so as soon as the plank was
down Tom could get ashore, and he did
not lose many minutes.
All the boys in the street were there
to meet him, all in marching order, but
they did not keep in line. They crowded
around Tommie and his mother kissed
him before every one He was not more
than half ashamed, he was so glad to see
her, but when his sister tried it he dodg-'
ed.
The. fellows had come to escort him
home so they formed. and Tommie went
ahead, and was terribly proud, and said
when they asked him about his wound ID
was "nothen," but when they got to their
own block he took off his coat and rolled
up his blue flannel shirt sleeve and show
ed his, scar. The boys felt of ii with
their fingers and asked him IL he were
quite sure the bullet had not stayed in
They offered him the command of their
company that very day. and he told more
yarns than any war correspondent ever
thought of.
That first night when Tom and Tads
| and Hal were going to bed in the same
old bed, 1t seemed TO Tom he had only
been dreaming He took a blanket and
pillow and prepared to camp down on the
floor.
What you doin't il for?" Tads asked
"Ain't used to them soft beds. Feel
more at home here" and so when Toms
mother came to take a last good look az
her soldier boy that night there was Tom
mic and Tads and Hal all curled up on
the floor and none OF them ever knew
how they got back into bed.
Helen Grey.
| To-day Pluto the god Of the nathan 80