The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1902-08-28


NJ n try IN the hospital register.
he occupied cot IN Ward 10, together
With thirty other wounded soldiers,
rchresenting nearly every regular regi-
meht In the Fifth Army Corps. Many
pfhfMm were seriously wounded, one
lssstz Mot through the neck, several
thronsls the body, while others Mad
been manEled by the terrible. shrapnst'
But OF all the woundedTf5l1l Parsons
was the only one who cauld not live.
At least, so the surgeons and nurses
said, and as the regulars, through long
experience. had learned to put faith
in what tile surgeons told them, they
not infrequently forgot their wounds
and looked over toward the white
screen which sheltered Bill's cot, and
muttered something which sounded
like "Poor Bill" or remarked that 1t
was n blank shame that such a good
soldier should be obliged to give up his
life to the bullet Of miserable dago.
And BIZ was a good soldler-a good
regular-and when you have said that
. you can say no more. His bronzed
face, with its deeply marked lines, be-
spoke dangers and hardships and his
hair and beard were grizzled. Fight
ing was an old story to Bill Parsons.
He had hunted Captain Jack and his
Modoc Indians; he had fought the Utes,
Geronimo and his Apaches, and he had
been with Miles at Pine Ridge. Thirty
years in the regular army was his rec
ord and private was the only title that
had ever been affixed to his name. II
he lived, however, and decided to stay
in the army, he would stand an excel
lent chance OF being called sergeant,
for his Colonel had seen him when he
seized the colors from the dead SER
geants hand and carried them far out
on the firing line on the hillside of El
Caney.
He had had but few conscious mo-
ments since leaving Siboney. They did
not think he would live to make the
voyage, but as he was breathing when
the Seneca began to load with wound
ed for the first trip north he was put
aboard with the rest. And In. due time
he was In the cool, clean ward at Belle
vue. 1t was hard fight for life, but
Bill was a good fighter, and he won.
Weeks passed. The wound in the
head had healed, but the terrible Gu,
ban fever and the shock of his wound
weakened his body and Slapped the lit
tie that remained Of his great strength.
His bunkies had already begun to leave
thc,r cots and to gather on the sunny
balcony where they smoked their corn
cob pipes and snapped bandiage and
stories, but Bill still tossed and
moaned on his cot. Sometimes he
would open his eyes and look about
him in amazement. He wondered
where he was, and thought 1t might be
the Fort Custer barracks until he
looked through an open window and
caught a glimpse Of the slate colored
waters of the East River and the green
stretch of the hospital grounds sloping
down to meet them. Maybe II was
fairyland or heaven. He wondered
wiz tMFtt-ldNtu NpAhah EN1hhAAE
by the next cot could be, and be mar
veled that she should spend so much
time In feeding its occupants with fruit
and ices. If some one would only feed
him. He seemed to have a vague Inn
preston that something had softly
stroked his forehead while he slept.
He thought that possibly 1t might have
been some Of the angels whom he used
to believe guarded over those who
sleep, and then he smiled foolishly and
told himself that he had probably
dreamed it. And then the windows
darkened, the sky grew black, the
ward and Its occupants faded away,
and he sunk into the first sweet sleep
since he was wounded.
Meanwhile the regulars and nurses
had come toNock for the arrival of a
stout, sweet-fased woman with specta-
cles and gray hNr.
Eyes, ma'am,p &ey would say, she's
a little better toby" And then she
would smile and go\pver to Bills cor
ner, and IL he was Aeleep she would
sit down on the edge\of his cot and
smooth out the rumpledN alr and battle
his temples with ice wateS II his eyes
were open she, would paAs by. But
whether he was asleep or Awake she
would always leave jar on jelly or|
some fruit on the little table\by the
head Of his cot. She left jelly with the
other soldiers, too, but she neveA sat
beside them or bathed their temples-
perhaps 1t was because Bin looked 10
sick and so old.
Biz never slept SO soundIy as now,
md he often dreamed that some beau.
tiful being guarded over bis sIumbers.
And once his dream seemed SO real
fhnt he invoke hut he. did MT nnnn Lis