New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-10-21
q amt got no Uncle Dan"

/ amt got no Uncle Dan"
1t was so exactly what I expected that after
all that had passed, I could not refrain from a
Shout or laughter. at which he knitted his br0ws
and blinked quickly, and ! saw that / had hurt
him. l stretched out my hand
You must excuse me. old man" [ said. but
that was sxactly what I imagined" at which a
look of relief came over his face. And yet you
fought Jim Foley because ne cast doubts on
Uncle Dan, and you went in after jim because
your Uncle Dan sent yOu?"
Gosh" said Danny, and looked upon me as a
wizard
Tel me all about it. Danny Perhaps can
help"
Well sir, it was like this he said stoutIy
All the other chaps had sisters and cousins and
aunts and things, and never had nobody. and
felt kind Of cut, and just made up Uncle Dan
to be upsides with en- An l made him Just as
I'd ha liked to ha' had him if I'd had him really
an all the rest Of it An'-an'-" and there was
the suspicion of a shamefaced break in the clear
little voice-'an tried 20 do things as I thought
ne d ma liked me to do EN-. An it done
good. sir, so what's the odds?"
Danny" 7 said, you're a little trump. Now
tel me one other thing. What you saving
the rest Of that money for2''
I were Eoin to write myself some letters
from Uncle DAN he said. with 4 twinkle in his
Well, now. Danny, I'm going to make a pro-
posal TO you You've got no Uncle Dan. and
you want one badly, to be Upsides with the
other fellows Will YOU let me be YOUR Uncle
Dan. and look after YOU a bit?"
The blue eyes sparkIrd like diamonds and
hlled suddenly, and his head went down into his
arms on the table, and he sobbCd silently for the
space OF two miRutes-an emotion that I should
iraagine was very foreign to hiu-and my heart
rrioiccd exceed ngly that this happy thought had
been given TO it.
I have never had one moments cause to re-
gret my seIf-eIection to the post Of Dams Uncle
Dan, nor think. has Danny.
We corresponded with him regularly. and
visited him frequently IN barracks when the
regiment went home and found more to like in
him every time saw him
Al that happened some years ago Before
m my TNcI- I t-~f+a lac Iot4o dot
from Omdurman. September 5, 1898:
Dear Uncle Dan (siucc he came to years
OF understanding Dan has never omitted the
quotation rnarks(-''We had tough time,
as you VIII have from the papers; but I
, came through all right. They've made me full
sergeant Che was lust turned tEenty-twO).
and I'm down for the V. c. But it was nothing
Ny Sergeant CBraden. I've told you about hirn)
was alongside me in the charge. We came
nasty bit Of ground. where We had to jump
horses in and out, and not too much room, and
the fuZzies siaShing and shooting and bowling
IKE Ghere IS word carefully linked over here
and mad written in above it) ''Rraden's horse
went down in a heap and him with it l
Eext him. and l saw it only the horse
hurt The black and white" (anotheF word care
[ fully linked and 'dervishes'' written in
above it,, came down like hair (this
word had also undergone revisioul, ''and began
chop-chOpping away-and I can tell you their
swords do cut My horse was brick. and danced
about round Braden till he got On to his feet
again Then We made a dash at the blacks
and hurt several Of them. 1 believe; and then
/ the lieutenant came back for US with a score OF
/ the boys. and we came out right except for q
/ few cuts more less. Every body says it was
a fine bit Of work for they were 5000. and We
/ not over 400 Everybody is talking of Colonel
/ Macdonald He did the hardest fighting OF
+ the day He rose from the ranks, and Pm going
/ to do the same.
! Love to all Yours very gratefully.
| DAN REEDLE (Sergtv Y. CO."
/ I proud TO remember that I am Dan
/ Rendle's Uncle Dan by adoption, and think
| it likely 1 shall be proudeF yet
| He sprang from nowhere in particular but I
| think he viii go far