The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-09-27

I I'll put In few days training to get
back into shape again."
when was in the hospital last
month";" said Billy, II used to lay
awake nights thinking o. real things to
eat-beefsteak and onions, pumpkin pie
and dumplings. Ever that way,
Dunk?"
well, I guess. I've been feeling that
way go long now that I begin to think
that I wasn't cut out for fighting
man."
MY state Of mind, exactly" said
Billy, lighting a cigarette.
However 1t amt done us any harm"
continued the tall soldier, land it will
be something to boast about when we
You can boast about it until you're
red in the fact" said Billy; but I'm
not hankering after that kind of
amusement. Four months ut Chatta-
nooga, in the rainy season, marching
thirty miles every day through the mud
to get into shape, and doing guard duty
half the night; three months at Tampa,
broiling like a terrapin four months
at Havana, half-starved. half-sick,
worked out. What do you get out OF
it? Thirteen per and glory enough to
swell toy balloon"
"Ought to be satisfied you're alive"
commented Ahe tall soldier.
ITS no fault of the government that
l am," Billy retorted. when times
up they pack us like lot of blooming
Holsters in a leaky old scow. They
stow us away in a cow shed at Sa-
vannah till we're mustered out: then
they send us North in rickety old
car jerked by an engine with the asth-
ma. and here we are, boxed up like
tramps, ten days on the road, when
they could have sent us home in three"
What do you want. Billy, the
earth?"
Billy grinned eXpansively.
Nope" he answered, Just Monroe
county. You can have Cuba and all
the rest of It,"
You're an ungrateful cub" growled
Dunk. You ought to be thankful
you're coming home with whole
skin"
That's just the point" said Billy.
with scowl. "Ive had enough of this
tin soldier business; and I'm tired OF
playing marbles. If we had only done
something down there, this years
work would have been worth while. I
can't express just what I mean, but
damn it all, Dunk. I'd rather be rot
ting in the trenches at Santiago than
strcaking back home without having
fired gun and I'll bet there amt Il
fellow in the company that doesn't feel
the same way
The tall soldier did not reply SINH
lar thoughts lurlled in his mind He
Ieered through the waters scanned WIN
dows at the squat stumps in the clear
ing, and as he gazed, these charred
holes became transformed. The gray
and black landscape dissolved into a
mobilize body of men rushing bolt
wise across soggy field. under a low
sinister sky. From the distant fringe
OF trees flashed dashes and dots of fire,
the signal code of death, and above the
branches of the trees trailed long gOs-
samef scarfs of smoke. Then the scene
shifted. The clearing still stretched
before his eyes; but there were no
long lines of men sweeping like blue
waves across the spongy sod, no smoke
eluying above the treetops on the
slope of the hill. But, scattered over
the field. were fantastic shapes, ghast-
ly. motOnless. Arms were bent and
heads were twisted in incredible posi-
tlOns.' Here and there We're heaps of
bodies. Mired in the mud
were dismantled guns and shattered
caissons, over them lay the huddled
carcasses of horses fallen in harness.
Suddenly black shape scared over the
distant treetops. followed by second
shape, then a third; until the sky was
crowded with an ebon army of scaven-
gers, croaking lustfully in anticipa-
ton of the feast. The tall soldier shiv-
cred and shut his eyes from the horror
of it all.
His companion touched his arm.
"Wonder how long we're going to
stay in this God-forsaker place." he
asked.
The tall soldier started at the touch,
and he looked through the. window a
tritle timidly, half expecting to be-
hold the buzzards at their banquet.
But there Was the clearing with the
blackened stumps, and the hill with the
Trees in the distance.
I'm glad" he muttered enigmatic-
ally
Glad of what?" gunted Billy.
The tall soldier faced about in his |
seat.
I'm just glad that I'm alive and in |
his train" he said, simply.
The long crescendo of whistle float
ID down the track, and the signal was
answered by two staccato blasts from
he engine on the siding. There was a
sudden swish, that swellcd into a roar
Ike that of cataract, and the Black
Diamond Express shot by as if hurled
rom gigantic catapult, leaving a
Hanged, and with good deal of snort