Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1903-10-09

Wouldn't have enlisted" Sam blurt-
ed out, no longer able to contain his
trouble.
Wouldn't have enlistedw Tom ejac-
ulated ;.'"why, what in thunder's tn
matter with you? Gettin' cold feet?
Naw,31 won't believe that. Il But what
is it?'
mo, it's not cold feet" Sam said:
"l7well, l oughtn't1,tuh be wearin'
tn uniform-that's ALL" -
why oughtn't you?' Tort returned
In surprise
"Because-can you understand ?-be-
cause my father was killed at Gettys-
burg by man wearin' tn blue, an
an | feel like it's stranglin'-me all tn
time poured brokenly from Sans
lips.
Tom threw back his blanket and sat
up, In amazement. why, old man,
didn't, know anybody could feel that
way about tan Americana mean"
he said, gently; but then, my dad
Wore tn blue in that little scrimmage."
Whats that?" Sam asked, sharply;
amt you Tennesseean? What you
doin' in a Tennessee regiment, thenT
"Oh, I just happened toEbe down
South when th' call came, an 1t didn't
make any difference to me what regi-
ment went in" Tom answered.
"An'. yo father was at Gettysburg
an In tn Yank-th' Nawthun ahmy :"
Sam went on. did he kill anybody
that day, ] wondah?" Y.
+ :lye heard him say t he did," Tom
answered; thoughtlessly.;
lt ~Oficer or 'private?" Sam demanded,
in excited tones .',. XXI, y 49,.
:. 9".B'lieye t was an officer, a captain"
Tom said, with hesitation; "he had to
do it, you know, or TIL other'd ha'
Fskilled' Him. he added, apologetically.
"'As t was; major shot him tn next
minute n an put. him out o. tn army
for good" ..: .,s.,a ,;ea:
Z SAINTS teeth clicked together, and a
chill swept over him. 'TIis father had
iifet death in just such an encounter,
Major Billiard catching him as he fell,
and emptying hfs pistol at the artil-
leryman that fired the shot And Tom
was the sonFof that, mani, Forgetful
of all else, with the blood pouring in
furious torrent to his brain, he
sprang to bis feet, rifle in hand, and
the weapons muzzle swept down in
sliheSwfth Toms head Then he recov-
cred himself. and the rifie went .clat-
|, teringrsto the 5krouHd. - He was trem-
bling! "alri'oHer, 'siaiitf, hts face shone
'aghastly white ttnt the moonlight.
s"Nfy God, I'm glad didn't do it,"
rhe quaveted,, impuIsrvely, folding his
hand toward Tom, but as quickly
withdrawing 1t! 81 wouldn't ha' done
It FOR tn world" he went on, piteous-
ly;"@'but I can't have anything mo,
'tuh do with you: I've got tuh weah
tK"aufifohni, I fetkon, but | can't be
Fffiendse With YOU, can keep my hands
Of, but, THAT'S all". o..r, ~
b. With, quick movements he. stopped
and gathered up his. rife9and blankets,
and went walking somewhat uncer-
tainly away. ~, -
Well, III be shot. Tom calculated,
staring blapkly, at his .retreating, form.
Then he hurried to his feet, and went
running after. him. why, Hold man,
it amt one chance in a thousand It
he did it." he cried, offering Sam his
hand; ...an' even if he did, it was war
AN "a fair fight. Don't letsthat come
between us, Sammy;ywe. cant help
what they did," ~" "a,
But Sam would not shake his hand.
would not even answer him. Quicken
ing his pace. he went striding away,
and was lost to Toms sight in the
darkness. Meeting an officer he was
peremptorily ordered to lie down and
go to sleep. He obeyed the one, but
not the other, Injunction; sleep he
could not. All the rest Of the night
he lay with wide open eyes, listening
to the deep breathing of his comrades
and the sounds coming occasionally
from the Filipino camp, and thinking,
thinking, thinking. From the present,
his thoughts gradually drlfted back to
the past, to the old plantation and his
mother long dead, and to the faces of
his boyhood friends. Then still farther
back he went, back beyond things of
his own recollection, to his father in
the flesh and the fierce battles of the
Civil War. And finally, just as the
first flush Of day was appearing in the
east. he fell asleep to dream a dream
of charging lines Of men in gray, bands
playing "Dixie," and himself firing
shot after shot at the son Of the man
that killed his father.
The bugles of his regiment sounding
reveille walked him, and sob of dis