The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-10-08
SOLDIERS VIEW OF WAR.
Travel Far TO Meet 1t and IL Waits
with Its Carnage and
PathOs.

What rummy sort O. thing war is!
Travel thousands o miles 10 find you've
got quarrel with somebody that's just
such another as yourself, writes Richard
Whiteing In The Yellow Van" in Cen
fury. Great stretches o. salt sea, an
dark nights, an winds howlin' all
around; an there you are push, push,
pushin' on to get at the man you was
fated to kill from your cradle. Good
ness! it seems like haviz' a row with the
next world. But there you find the quar-
rel waitin' for you, manner o. speakin'
when you land. The flags an the notices
an the music is all the news you get of
IL at first, an it takes many a mile of foot
IN heel an toe, before you see an enemy s
face. An not that all at once, mind you.
AT FIRST all you have to put up with, for
a long time. is little specks, nigh mile
of; but you know they want to kill you,
an you got to kill them. Popi pop! an
p'raps no one much the worse for it, but
It's rummy all the same. You feel you
could go over an ask 'em what's the
trouble an settle it there an then.
Close quarters is the FUNNIEST Of all
Now you see the eyes O. your man an
the color in his cheeks, an you got to do
him, or he'll do you. OF course, if he's
comm straight for you, you put off
thinkin' about it till you've laid him out
But If you're dodgin' about, dismounted,
p'r'aps. an sparrin' for an openin'. for
the life o you, you can hardly help sing
in out, Hold on
That sort O thing came to me one
day. | was scoutin', advance line, over
rough country, great big stones copies,
they call EN- there, when from behind
one of EN- up jumps Teller not ten yards
on. 1t was such surprise for both of us
that we clean forgot to shoot We Just
stared each other straight in the face
almost rude, as they used to call it when
l was kid. By -, sir! we knew what
was in each others mind, without word
Wed got to kill at short notice, an we
couldn't begin for shame.
Il dropped mine; his never stirred
from the stone where it was restin' It's
a fine day, says he, in English, fur the
time O year
After that, believe me, couldn't have
let fly at him if he'd asked me to. All
could manage was: Same to you, rebel;
same to you. How are you gettin' on?'
" Pretty fair he said, but | could do
with bit O fresh meat. An you don't
happen to have such a thing as pipe
light?'
Happy to oblige,' an tossed him
box o blazers. Take half an kindly re-
turn balance, if you please
" How d. you pick up a Twin, said the
rebel, when you amt at this work.
Horses
g Just my line. 'Scuse me, but you're
trife too far ahead of your lot we're
workin' round your flank
Just then the bugle sounded for us to
fall back
Don't hurry he said; only keep on
your hands an knees. Creep round this
way. an I'll stand a drink
Awful stuff it was; yet, takin one
thing with another, toothsome, too.
I'm Burgersdrop man. says my
mate-for that's what it had come to by
this time. If you happen to be round
that way when this is over. look me up,
an it'll be your turn to stand treat If
l amt in, don't bother. See you p'r'aps
in the next world. Anyway, pass a drop
o. water to one of our wounded. an I'll
cry quits wherever l may be
"'Give us your fist An we gripped
behind the stone. Take my oath, it was
just like sayin' prayers, kneelin an all.
Then the bugle sang out again. an
we crept back; an that was the last of
him.
'Rummylike, if you come to think of
it. But that's life, if it amt exactly war.
An it was war again moment after,
for passed one or two stiff uns on the
way to camp"