Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-08-20
DAILY SHORT STORY
The Butt of the Company.
lOriginal.1


we all know what effeminacy is as dis
tinguished from what is feminine. we
cannot describe it. 1t is often a Ques-
ton whether we are right in attribut-
ing it In any given case.
In 1870 l was serving with the til
United States cavalry. One June day
it was announced that newly made
second lieutenant from West Point had
been assigned to our company and
would soon report for duty with
squad of recruits. He came along in
time, but instead of bringing recruits
brought one gentle looking young Eel
low, who appeared to be far better fit
ted for q poet than soldier. Meri-
wether was his name, and he hadn't
been at the fort n day before the men
began to call him Mary. Then fol
lowed series of practical jokes of
which he was the butt. In some I'M
explainable way he got salt in his cof-
fee instead of sugar. Then there was
cactus In his bunk. Coming off guard
and turning in for a good snooze, he
was sure to be Weakened by mistake
for the midnight relief. He was the
most unsuspecting little chap l ever
saw, and as the boys always expressed
wonder how such mistakes could hap
pen, besides great sympathy for him,
it never entered his head that they
were at the bottom of his discomforts.
Indeed one day he came to me as first
sergeant of the company and asked me
if he couldn't take extra tours of guard
duty for some of the ringleaders, they
having expressed an extraordinary
Of haf no ho1
bled over pile of condemned muskets
on dark night. Since they had pur
poseIy put them in his way this was
trifie too much for even my thick skin.
told him not to bother me with ridic-
ulous questions and warned the ring
leaders that L would see the first man
punished who should again impose
upon him. The first man was Tom
Conover, who had been the instigator
of the most contemplate FRANKS
against the recruit, and he was given n
walking tour with billet of wood on
his shoulder for n whole afternoon for
his pains. This stopped the imposi-
ton. and Meriwether fell into the con-
tempt of not being noticed. This last
ed till we were fighting the ModOcs in
the lava beds in 1871.
ing at all, that was plain, for the
color would rush from his cheeks
whenever n bullet whistled too close
to his delicate ear. But L noticed that
he would grit his teeth and seemed
to be resolutely fighting himself to
keep his slender body up to its work.
One afternoon we We're having an
especially hot fight, keeping up
steady fire OH the Modocs and receiv-
ing as good as we sent from behind
natural breastwork of lava, WHEN
Meriwether came crawling toward me
on all tours with an expression of
hopeless despair in his face.
What is it?' L asked anxiously,
fearing something had gone wrong.
"Conover-he's hit"
"Weu?" 1 could see nothing re-
markable in Conover being hit when
one-third the men were I'm the same fix.
"He wants water"
"Get him some from a canteen."
There's not drop to be found any
where"
"Well, then, he must go dry, for the
only water near is down there in that
crevice, and no one can go there with
out getting shot"
Hes suffering dreadfully."
go back to your place, you little
fool" L said sharply, remembering
what he had suffered at Conover's
hands.
He crawled back, and l dismissed
the matter from my mind.
Presently / saw sight that filed me
with establishment. Meriwether was
running, canteen in hand, for the GREY
ice containing water. Bullets sang
about him like buzzing flies. Whether
or not he was hit, he kept on and in
few seconds sank out of sight in the
crevice.
had no right to do so, for there
were two commissioned officers with
the company; but, singing out to those
beside me to follow, 1 jumped up and
made a dash for a rise in the lava just
beyond the crevice. 1t was no use.
The fire was too hot, and the men
would not leave their position. was
shot In the leg and sank into hollow
place, where 1 was comparatively safe.
1 was thinking of little Meriwether
and wondering how he would get back
with the water for the man who had
injured him when heard q shout and.
looking toward our fellows, saw him
plunge headforemost In among them.
Night was well on before / dared
leave my position and go back to the
command. The first thing | saw was
Meriwether lying on his back, white as
sheet and motionlesS. One of his
former tormentors was bending over
him, and several others were leaning
on the muzzles OF their muskets, look
ing down on him anxiously. Meri-
wether turned his eyes to me. and 1
presumed he was about to ask me that
dreaded question "Shall I live?" when
he said:
"That was a very kind thing of you
to come after me. How about Con-