Smyrna times., 1902-03-19
HE HAN WHO WAS
MUSTERED OUT. 600.
LEO CRANE
Copyright, 1901. by Leo Crane.


small column of rough looking
nat wound in single file through
angled jungle was all that re-
ed OF the once mighty Twelfth.
dWlndled to this handful in the
OF nine months, and no doubt
the wet season began even the
ton would have room for fresh
its. providing always the rebels,
lay hidden in the wild grasses,
d allow she fever time enough. A
IN the wild grass is as certain as
ever, and much quicker.
Inc months before the Twelfth had
fded from the rusty red TRANSPORT
ithern Queen and had marched with
swinging step over the wet sand.
straggly line of palms skirting the
tcl swallowed them, and from that
)meht the decimation began.
for time they idled in the hot sun
Y Qualmas, where they ate fruit,
4 kened, a few died and the rest re-
overed TO curse the heat and to Won
why they didn't go up country.
tlen they went up country and the
i6els amused them grimly. This for
'une months. The Twelfth was thor
highly tired out.
\ Don't you wish you were goin'
Pome, Connelly?" asked a man trudg-
hg 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
shook his lead Strangely.
Don't git that way often, Parsons;
it affects the head So"
''But had a dream last night and
we were all goin' home.'
Funny dream. that" said Martin.
What you want is a good stiff dose
of Quinine- sOmethin' like twenty-five
grains"
mo doubt the poor lads nerves are
gone" said another, "all tangled and
or of tune"
Wish l could dream, though" !"
.f0wled COnnelly. There's lots of
things I'd dream about-there's''- But
Conrelly broke off with a 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 glaring in the tropical sun.
1 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 at the towns gate.
"Derned if l don't believe it's the
reserve that's come up"
"Too good to be true, and, besides,
Parsons, you're always believin' and
dreamin' things"
''But if it 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 at the questionel
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 a thought
Home? While the rebels were yer
hiding in the bush and the war in prog
ress? Then a fellow who never die
anything of note before began to sins
to q wonderful tune of his own:
"we're goin' home! We're goin' homel
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 burdel
of the chorus:
'Oh, we won't come back more, my boys,
We won't come back no morel"
With a quickened step, born of tn
swinging meter of the song. th
Twelfth marched to the towns littl
gate. The hot sun. the tropical smell
the petty ills and the Quinine were al
forgotten in their curiosity to lear
why a strange sentry paced forwar
and back before the place. Like S
many statues they waited for th
lieutenant to reappear from the con
mander's hut He came out with
smile on his face.
"The Twelfth is mustered out!'
A yell went skyward that made til
vines rustic. and above all the res
big Connolly bawled:
"Hurrah. Hurrah. We're goil
home"
Ia 0f