The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-05-26

war again, and for three years without
Brainard being where / could see him
every day was too dreadful to be thought
OF My feelings must have got into my
face, for Brainard put on a ghost OF
smile and said:
Don't be dismal Jack. for now youll
have the chance TO do all the lighting
for both OF u.s."
triotic soul, but IL didn't i was so dis
loyal 10 my new vows as 20 declare that
II Brainard was not allowed TO enter the
Thirty eighth | wouldn't go either. /
would do all In my power 20 raise men
TO defend the Union, but afterward 1
would run away and Brainard and l
would go 10 some other state and enlist
together. where Charley's smallness OF
stature might not be against him.
But this resolution did not cheer
Brainard any. and he felt worse an hour
later when the three OF Us who had
passed the mastering officer were looking
at one another I'm new cavalry uniforms,
while he was i'm civilians dress. He felt
still worse when we all went back To
Summerton and took supper together at
our house. for my cousin May noticed
him scarcely at all, but was very agree
able TO Hamilton.
The next day by special permission Of
the major. Hamilton, Cloyne and l opened
a recruiting office at Summerton. Brain
ard attached himself TO us as sort OF
civilian aid. He said II he wasn't TO be n
soldier and fight there was the more rea-
son why he should try TO persuade other
men TO enlist 1 Immediately notified my
% men that the roll was already for
them To sign. Hamilton and Cloyne had
previously looked at my list and assured
me that they would not accept any OF
these men without crediting them To me.
But somehow none OF them made haste
TO sign. Some had heard that larger
bounties were being offered I'm other
towns or states. so they were going TO
look about carefully and do the best
they could for themselves: others had
themselves seen the cavalry major and
obtained promises of commissions II they
would raise men; still others had heard
that so many men We're enlisting from
day TO day that wages for work at home
were going to be much better. Several
had spent their final pay from the Nine
ty-ninth for drink and been picked up.
enlisted and mustered for other regi-
ments before they became sober.
Well. 10 make a long story short, not
one OF the q did / ever secure for the
cavalry Hamilton tried TO comfort me
by crediting me with Cruise and Whyde.
two of our militia comrades who de-
elared they would not have re-enlisted
had II not been for me; but as Cruse's
parents refused TO sign the certificate
necessary in the case OF minors who en-
listed, Cruise was released from his prom
ise. Whyde went swimming one day I'm
water too deep for him and was buried
three days later with such military hon
ors as Summerford could extemporize.
For the week after my re-enlistment
my heart was as heavy as IL IL had
been filled with bullets. No recruits;
no chance OF a commission: worse than
all, no prospect of having Brainard with
me during the three years 10 come. /
was too downhearted to notice that Ham
ilton and Cloyne were not In their usual
spirits but one day as the three of us
sat in the vacant store in which we had
our recruiting office and stared gloomily
at the roll which was still blank except
for our own names. Brainard came in,
looked at US and said abruptly:
IF you fellows don't get your spirits
up in some way. you'll never find the
government any soldiers. and you won't
be ut to be soldiers yourselves"
The looks that were fixed upon him
quickly by three pairs of angry eyes
ought to have scorched him and made
him shrivel But they didn't, for he
went on:
You haven't got anybody by sitting
here or strutting, around the village.
Why don't you go about everywhere
and talk your best? Why, there's Mick
McTwyny, a village rowdy who's work
ing for a sergeant's position in the same
Of the fire engine company alone!'
MIX McTwynyl" exclaimed Cloyne,
springlng to his feet.
THAT ignorant ruffian?' shouted Ham
ilton. also rising hastily. Has he the
impudence to want TO be a sergeant I'm
our regiment-perhaps our very com
pany?"
Yes" said Brainard. "and he'll be
one. too. If he keeps on as he's begun"
didn't say.much; ] couldn't. A whole
dictionary could scarcely have supplied
words to express what | felt. For awhile
as l imagined Mick I'm camp I'm SER
geants uniform and myself private in
the same company and subject TO his
orders, 1 wished IL had been / instead
of poor Whyde who had been drowned.
Hamilton and Cloyne began TO pace the
floor like tigers In a cage Suddenly
Hamilton stopped and exclaimed:
There's but one way out OF It, We
must get more men at any cost. I'll
have handbill printed at once and cir
culated throughout the county saying
that larger bountios will be paid at this
office than any other in the United States.
Twill cost all the money and property
L have. | suppose, but I'd rather lose
my last dollar than go out again I'm the
ranks with a beast like Mick McTwyny
I'm authority over me-"
'Ill distribute your handbills," said
Brainard
That boys faculty for seeing what
ought TO be done always persisted In
cropping out just when | wasn't I'm con-
dition To see anything whatever. Pretty
soon, however. the old worry about sol
diering under Mick Mcrwyny and Of
hciug three years without Brainard's
society came back Co me, fully prepared
TO stay and make Itself disagreeable.
/ don't know how I should have lived
through those days II it hadn't been for
my sabers and spurs and the chance TO
display them on horseback. Arms were
not given out at recruiting stations. We
were told, when we received our uniforms
We would have 10 wait until we reached
the regiment for sabers revolvcrs. car
bines and ammunition. but 1 learned that
there was no law against "A soldier nur-
chasing for himself such arms as his
branch Of the service used, so ! bought a
saber and belt and took great comfort
from the clank OF the sabCr as | dragged
II after me I'm dismounted cavalry fashion.
Then | bought pair OF spurs. and as
my father lent me a horse with which
10 ride about TO look for recruits. | had
the pleasure Of feeling that | was the
first cavalry soldier that had been seen