The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-09-08
His View of 1t,

What a rummy sort o. thing war
Yellow Van," in the September Cen
tuIy. Travel thousands O. miles to
find you've got a quarrel with some
body that's just such mother as your
self. 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
TessI 1t seems like havin' a row with
the next world. But there you fiji
the quarrel Waitin' for you. manner
o speaking when you land. The flags
an the notices an the music is all
the news you get of it at first. an it
takes man. a mile of footin' heel an
toe. before you see an cnemy'S face.
All Tot that all at once. mind You.
| At first all o have to put up with.
for a long time. is little specks. nigh
4 mile off: but you n they want
30 XII you an you got t, kill them.
Pop pop. an p'r'apS no one much
the worse for it. but it's ru1nrny all
the same. You feel you co1id go over
al t.Sk EN- what Ine lrOUDie an SET
tie it there an then.
Close quarters is the run::niest Of
all. Now you see the eyes o you man.
an the color in his cheeks; an yju SoE
to do him, or he'll do you. OF curse,
if res comm straight TO- you. yGu
| put of thinkin' about it till v1u've
laid hin out. But if yoV re dodg;u'
! about. dismounted. p'r'aps, an sparrin'
for an openin'. for the life o ynU, o
Il oon no 11u holm sin Ojn' ont Hold on -
That sort O thing came to ne one
day. l was scoutin'. van line. over
rough country. great big stones tcopies.
they call 'em there). when from be
i him one of 'em up jumps a felier not
ten yards off. 1t was such a surprise
for both of US hat We clean forgot tC
shoot. We just stared each other
| they used to call it when l was a kid.
| By -, siri we knew what was in
| each others mind. without a word.
| Wed got to kill at short notice, an
| We couldn't begin for shame.
4 dropped mine: his stirred
from the stone where it was restin'.
It's a fine day." says he. in English
| fur the time o a
After that. believe me L couldn't
have let fly at him if he'd asked me to
| All 1 could manage was: Same to -"r1.
rebel: same to you. How are you
gettin' on?'
pretty fair he said. but 1 could
do with a bit O. fresh meat. An you
don't happen to have such p thing as a
| pipe-light?'
Happy to oblige:' an 1 tossed him
a box O. blazers. Take half an kind
| ly return balance. if you please
How d you pick up a livin' said
the rebel. when YOU amt at this
work?'
"'Horses.'
Just my line. 'Scuse me. but you're
a trile too far ahead of your lot; were
workin' round your flank
Just then the bugle sounded for us
to fall back.
Don hurry he said: only keep
On your hands an knees. Creen round
this way an I'll stand a drink
Awful stuff it was; yet, takin' one
thing with another. toothsome, too.
" I'm a BurgersdOrn man says nv
mate-for that's what it had come to
; by his time. If you happen to be
| round tina way when his is over. look
me up. an it'll ne vour urn to stand
treat. If 1 amt in. don't bother. See
you p'r'ans in the next world. Any
way. Ass a drop O. water to one of ouT
wounded, an I'll cry quits wherever
1 may be-
"'Give US you fist An We e~in-
ped behind the stone. Take my oath,
it was just like savin' prayers. kneelin'
an all.
Then the bugle sung out again, an
we crept back; m that was the last
of him.
'Rummv-like. if you come to think
of it. But that's life if it amt ex-
actly war. An it vas war again a
moment after, for I passed one or two
stiff uns m the way to camp"