The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1900-10-06

ililred surgeon general could under
stand. He alone, of all in the camr
knew the Asiatic scourge from ex
perience. ....
There were more than 20 men i,
the newspaper tent. AS the days drag
g'd slowly on and nothing happened
nervous quiet fell over them. Mcl
sat down to their meals and rose II,
AGAIN without exchanging speech
They missed the hustle of the CITY an,
the sharp activity of daily work.
Injured to excitement and dist.ar
ton. they were left to the sandand tn.
sea. their flying thoughts. and til,
thousand unkempt, strange tougucU
immigrants
At their first meal In camp. one of
the boys from the south. a tall, slcn.
der. large-eyed, Georgian, had made
Il little speech.
Boys" he said, sin our homes we
are all gentlemen; let us act as such
here. We don't know how long we
shall stay or what may happen. 1t
may be that some Of us may not go
back. Ii it should be that quick
lined pit in the sand out there is
waiting for any of us, those who 20
pack would never cease to regret any
untoward occurrence which might
nave been avoided. Most of us are
strangers. and it may be hard for us
all to get along together easily with
| men to whose ways we are not accus-
toned. If we are kept here long the
strain will make disagreementS easy.
but let's all try 10 be gOod-natured
ana fOrbearng. for our own sakcs
and for our homes and our mothers"
AS the time in camp grew into tn,
second week this gentle hearted q, Or
sian sat more and more alone ard
silent. The boys tried to hearten him
up, but he went about his work dog
gedly by himself, and they came to
feel that he was better undislulb d.
The president Of the camp spoke to
the surgeon general about him; so the
DluH old surgeon took a meal with the
newspaper men, and watched the
white-faced Georgian narrowly After
that he made a pretext for talk, and
tried in his whole hearted way to ease
the strain on the newspaper man.
Hes under great nervous strain,"
said the surgeon to the president that
evening; but he's as game as peb-
BILE. and think he'll wear it Off"
That was on the night of the thir-
fpAnfh in ~ ~ On
the morning Of the next day man
collapsed and fell in the middle Of the
one street. Two newspaper men saw
it. The surgeon who picked up the
terrified immigrant put his finger cn
his lips and went about his work.
The newspaper men understood and
kept silent. If what they had ared
had come at last. there could be no
gain in making outcry. When the
surgeons We're ready to report. there
would be time enough for all the
newspaper men to do their work.
But in the afternoon one of the
others heard from frightened immi-
grant that something had happened,
and at the supper table he told the
news. Then, lest any should be un-
duly alarmed. cne of those who had
seen the mornings incident told wat
lie knew. LII the evening. he said, |
there would be n report from the sur
geon and then they would know def
initely what it was.
The tall southerner heard it all with
l,,,t
at the end of the table young Phila-
lelphia boy, scarcely out of his tears.
who had been one Of the lightest-
hearted in camp. covered his viii c
face with his hands and exclaimed.
ITS come! It's Gomez
At the upper end of the table man
rom Chicago started song with Il
merry chorus. and in n mo-
nent the whole crowd We're singing,
md the pinch was over. They sang
he song through, and then went back
o the big tent to pick banjo and
ing some more while they waite for
he surgeons report.
The gathering darkness had brought
storm. Black, heavy clouds swept
Iown from the west, and the driving
ain blotted out the solemn-eyed large
ights. A strong wind came up AMI
Rove the thick, fine rain in level
heets across the narrow sand-bar. 1t
ashed the water of the Horseshoe in
0 foam-crested combers, and once in
while, when the song fell. the men
! the camp could hear the long smash
f the breakers above the threshing
t the rain on their canvas roof.
1t was almost midnight when the
rderly summoned them to hear tie
urgeon's report. 1t was to be made
v the chief himself, said the orderly.
nd the chief preferred to let a few OF
lem take it for all. Three men went
the man from Chicago who lai
Iarted the song, one from Boston ahd
lie from New York. AS they fit h, 4,
mt they saw the little Philadelpl:ian
tting in a corner, white-faced end :
The tall Georgian stood ~ {
tent-pole anxiously watci.i:g tn,
Cv.