Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1902-02-20
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STHE MAN WHO WAS !
: i MUSTERED OUT 49,. !
8 BY LEO CRANE 3
BY LEO CRANE
Copyright, 1901. by Leo Crane.

The small column of rough looking
men that wound in single file through
the tangled jungle was all that re-
manned of the once mighty Twelfth.
1t had dwindled to this handful in the
space of nine months, and no doubt
when the wet season began even the
skeleton would have room for fresh
recruits, providing always the rebels,
who lay hidden in the wild grasses,
would allow the fever time enough A
rebel in the wild grass is as certain as
the fever, and much quicker.
Nine months before the Twelfth had
landed from the rusty red transport
Southern Queen and had marched with
swinging step over the wet sand
The straggly line of palms skirting the
beach swallowed them, and from that
moment the defamation began.
For time they idled in the hot sun
at Qualmas, where they ate fruit,
sickened. a few died and the rest re-
covered to curse the heat and to Won
der why they didn't go up country
Then they went up country and the
rebels amused them grimly. This for
nine months. The Twelfth was thor
oughly tired out.
Don't you wish you were goin'
home, Connelly?' asked a man trudg-
ing behind q great tall chap.
Home! Do you ever expect to get
home? Rosh!"
"Do you mean San Pedro or do you
mean the real homer" asked another.
Why, l meant home, across the
water, where the people are of the
white brand, and where there's hot
biscuits, and bed, and clean water
and girls. Oh! | meant homer
Harrison looked at the man and
shook his head strangely.
Don't git that way often. Parsons;
it affects the head So"
'But l had dream last night and
we were all goin' home.''
Funny dream, that" said Martin.
what you want is good stiff dose
of quinine- somethn' like twenty-five
grains"
mo doubt the poor lads nerves are
gone" said another, call tangled and
out of tune.'
''Wish could dream, though"
growled Connolly. "Theres lots of
things I'd dream about-there's"- But
Connelly broke off with murmur in
his throat. The things he would dream
about were evidently not for the ears
of the regiment.
you'd dream about what?" asked a
man.
But his question went unanswered.
The straggly line of men emerged
from the shadow and came to where
they could see the white huts of San
Pedro glazing in the tropical sun.
Seems to me there's somethin' ago
In on down there" said Martin.
There .tuet-is- that, .opfse.a- 1I4A-.,i--
son, shading his eyes from the sun and
gazing at the towns gate
"Derned if ! don't believe it's the
reserve that's come up"
"Too good to be true, and besides,
Parsons, you're always believin' and
dfeamln tnlnSS.
"But il it is maybe We'll go to some
place farther down the coast. Maybe
We'll see somethin' new. Maybe
"Nell, amt you done with may
bein'?"
The tall man looked at the questioner
and replied slowly:
"And maybe We'll go homer
1t seemed to stun the lot of them.
One gasped and turned pale. Home!
They had never given that thought
Home? While the rebels We're yet
hiding in the bush and the war in prog
ress? Then fellow who never did
anything Of note before began to sing
to wonderful tune Of his own:
"We're goin' homel We're goin' home!
Our ship is at the shore,
And you can pack your haversack,
Fur we won't come back no more.
Oh, we won't come back no more, my boys,
We won't come back no morel"
and the whole rank took up the burden
of the chorus:
"Oh, we won't come back no more. my boys.
We won't come back no more''
With quickened step, born of the
swinging meter of the song, the
Twelfth marched to the towns little
gate. The hot sun, the tropical smell,
the petty ills and the quinine were all
forgotten in their curiosity to learn
why strange sentry paced forward
and back before the place. Like so
many statues they waited for the
lieutenant to reappear from the COM
mander's hut. He came out with a
smile on his face.
"The Twelfth is mustered outg'
A yell went skyward that made the
| vines rustic, and above all the rest
big Connolly bawled:
"Hurrah! Hurrah! We're goin'
home"
Five men surrounded pair Of the
new guard and begged from them an
old newspaper.
Look here, Connolly
"What? Newspapers? Gimme one!
What find! A newspaper"
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