The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-23
THEIR TASTE OF REAL War.
TWO YALE JUNIORS WHO STARTED
FOR CHINA TO ENLIST.
Ardor Qucnched by Tales OF Danger on tho
way Plans for Reaching Pekfn In .
Cvi Capacity Their Experiences
-Exceedingiy Glad to Get Home.

acute they decided to go out ana take a
hand.
Guidon fancied the cavalry. as became
q spirited young fellow who had horses
| of his own and from earliest infancy
had yearned after the glory Of the City
| Troop. Chevron favored the infantry.
He was sturdy and athletic. fond OF walk
ing and used to roughing IL.
Chevron senior and Guidon psre did not
understand 1t that way. They got the
notion that the boys were going out to
take a look about japan during the sum-
mer vacation. So when the steamer pulled
out from Vancouver the youngsters had
large rolls of green bills and letters Of credit
for comfortable sums besides.
Neither had ever soldiered, or even played
at il in the National Guard. but they had
heard hat the way of Uncle Sans fight
ing nephew il sometimes smoothed by
judicious application of the proper sort Of
oil. They meant TO enlist In the regulars
and see some real war from the real war
rior's point Of view.
Clinch of London Red and Green and
Finch OF New York. the special COM
missioner in the field, of the Yelict1 Diurnoi
were hurrying out to the front by the same
steamer; that is. Clinch was hurrying and
Finch was worrying. Clinch Ind a master
way Of getting the best there was 10 be had
on the firing line.
Finch was a fine Italian at staying be-
hind, letting his ~younglings go forward
while he gathered UP the drippings that
leaked of the telegraph wires. Both had
seen real war and both knew something
OF the soldiers life from actual association
with Il.
II all came out In the talk in the smoking
room. Chevron and Guidon were so full
Of their project that they must talk to some
body about il. Clinch and Finch were
the natural victims.
In Vancouver Cinch had picked up a
young fellow to fetch and carry for him
while he was busy with the real things
Of the expedition. Weldon nae had some
little local newspaper experience and he
was anxious to get fame and money as a
sure-enouRh war correspondent. Clinch
was willing he should think that was his
destiny.
1t didn't matter to Clinch h Weldon
called himself 30 long as he was a good
master OF transportation and the supplies
kept up with the troops. Finch had no
wa gon man to help him and he wanted one.
1t did not beft his station as special
commissioner in the field for the Yeiiop
Diurnoi TO let any Of his competitors have
more assistants than he had. He laid
the plot which wrought the undoing OF
Clinch.
In the smoking room that evening when
the talk swung round 10 the inevitable
topic, Finch told the story Of a hard nights
march in the Philippines. when the men had
hiked all night, fording half a dozen streams
one after another. so that they were always
cold and wet. and then had To fight all the
next morning, with no rest until long after
shutdown,
That was the sort Of thing he said 70
which our soldiers were subject continually.
The trouble in China would soon be over
and then all the troops sent there would
be ordered TO the Philippines.
Clinch came into the conversation with
a tale of South Africa, a forced march of
forty-two miles in twenty-five hours through
covered with rocks. Finch was not to be
outdone. He remembered-though he was
not with terrible 10th OF June
march over the Cavite desert, when 40
by heat and one regiment was practically
wiped out
room that night they were not so enthus-
iastic about joining the army.
Finch and Clinch kept il up, Clinch for
fun and Finch for what might come OF II.
Clinch told a Embarrassing story of "A fight on
the veldt, where the men lay all day eN-
posed to the raking deadly craftsmanship
Of the Beers INC could neither advance
nor retreat until sunset.
Finch related the experience of a little
party OF thirty-two sent out on a scout
with i've days rations. They were penned
up in a church by an overwhelming force
and held there more than two weeks, until,
after nineteen of them had been killed
and the church was fired over their heads,
the other thirteen made a desperate escape
in the night. leaving the dead TO be mutt
lated by their savage
So il went from night 10 night In the
smoking room. In a few days the original
course of the talk had shifted; the glamour
of army life had all disappeared, the tales
were all Of hardship and suffering, battles,
strife and sudden death, and the intention
of Chevron and Guidon 10 enlist was all
faded out.
They Let il work for a week and then
Finch brought out his new idea, the great
| scheme by which the boys were to see il
all without the hardship of soldering.
They should go with him a. assistant special
commissioning in the field
This suggestion met with the instant
favor Of both Chevron and Guidon. After
all their only desire was to see what was
going on in China and If they could be
in at the relief of Pckin they would be
more than satisfied. Cheyron at once
volunteered in the service Of Finch.
ray was no Dblf'l W hiu' WIN Ilr
pockets fun of money he did not even care
much about the matter of expenses.
Guidon promptly volunteered also. But
Finch thought one was enough and Guidon
was left out. His melancholy at this 80
moved C1inch that he offered TO take the
youngster in place of Welldon and so il
wa settled.
When the steamer touched at Nagasaki,
TientSin had been taken and II was ex-
pccted that the expedition would start
for pekin az almost any time. Cliuch was
desperate at the pose ibiii'y OF missing the
column. lie left the ship there with Cuidon
10 20 across to Taku 10y the fr-t transport.
Finch was more loiSlrely. He went on
| down 10 Shanghai and up the coast again
in the regular way. Weldon went on TO
Shanghai with him to watch things there
! and wait for orders from Clinch.
Clinch wa delayed al NagaSaki and
| reached flemish only to find tha, the eN-
pcdi; ion had started the day before. With
the skill of long e~Xp"rience-the skill so
| many men call iuck-hc got two ponies
and n lot of supplies tire day he arrived in
1ientSin and started IN hot haste to over
take the column.
Guidon was left with the suppiiest 70 come
up cit her by BOAT or with the frs detach-