Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-03-15
1.-THE Man WHO WAS
, l MUSTERED OUT Gee. S;
!, BY LEO CRANE
Copyright, 1901, by Leo Crane.
BY LEO CRANE


space or nine months, and no doubt
when the wet season began even the
skeleton would have room for fresh
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 a 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 great tall chap.
"Home! Do you ever expect to get
home? Bosh.'
DO you mean San Pedro or do you
mean the real home:" asked another.
"Why. 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
sllooll his head strangely.
Don't git that way often. Parsons;
it affects the head So"
But ] had n dream last night and
we were all goin' home"
Funny dream. that" said Martin.
What you want is good stiff dose
of qunine- somcthin' like twenty-five
grains"
NO doubt the poor lads nerves are
gone" said another. "all tangled and
out of tune
wish could dream, though"
growled Connolly. There's lots of
things I'd dream about-there's"- But
Connolly broke off with n murmur in
his throat. The things he would dream
about were evidently not for the ears
of the regiment.
You'd dream about whatT' asked q
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 glaring in the tropical sun.
Seems to me there's somethin' ago
in on down there" said Martin.
There just is that" replied Harri-
son. shading his eyes from the sun and
gazing ut 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
drcamin' things"
But ii II is maybe we'll go to some
place farther down the coast. Maybe
we'll see somethin' new. Maybe
well. amt you done with may
bein':"
The tall man looked ut the questioner
and replied slowly:
And maybe we'll go homer
1t seemed to stun the lot of them.
One gasred and turned pale. Home!
They had never given that a thought
Home? While the rebels were yet
hiding in the bush and the war in prog
| ress? Then fellow who never did
anythin. of note before began to sing
to wonderful tune of his own:
''w.'re gon home. We're goin' home!
Our ship is at the shore.
And you pack your hayersack,
Fur We wont 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 u 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. lie came out with a
smile en- his face.
The Twelfth is mustered outr'
\ yell went skyward that made the
vines rustic. and above all the rest
big Connolly bawled:
"IIurrah. Hurrah. We're goin'
home"
Five men surrounded n pair of the
| new guard and begged from them an
Did newspaper.
Look here. Connelly"-
What: Newspapers? Gimme one!
What a find. 4 newspaper
"S'pose you almost forgot there was
such a thing"
Perhaps. Sec if there's anything
from home"
Home: Where d'you live anyway.
Connelly:'
Gloucester"
why. that's in Massachusetts"
''Of course. dummyhou Look fer
the news. VIII you:"
whats the date? Five months old.
this paper. Observation-Disclosures
here It's Gloucester:
MAN killed at the town hall last