Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-09-21
SOLDIERS VIEW OF WAR.
Travel Far to Meet It and It Waits with Its Carnage and
 Paxhos.

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 What rummy sort O. thing war isl Travel thousands O miles to find you've got a quarrel with somebody that's just such another as yourself, writes Richard Whiteing in 'Trhe Yellow Van" in Gen. tury. 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 havin' & row with the next world. But there you find the quar- rel waitin'' for you, manner O speakin', when you land. The f1agsan' the notices an the music is all the news you get of it at first, an it takes many mile of foot bn' heel an toe, before you ses an enemys face An not that all at once, Nhind you. At first all you have to put up with, for along time, is little specks, nigh a mile off; but you know they want to kill you, an you got to kill them. Pop! pop! an p'r'aps 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 rrmnaiest of all Now you see the eyes O your man an the colorin his cheeks, an you got to do him, or he'll do you. Of course, if he's comin straight for you. you put off thinkin' about 1t 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. I was scoutin', advance line, over rough country. great big stones (copies, they call 'em there), when from behind one of 'em up jumps feller not ten yards of. It was such 8 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 1t when was a.kid- By , sir! we knew what was in each others mind, without a word. We'd got to kill at short notice, an we couldn't begin for shame.
 II dropped mine: his never stirred from the stone where it was restfn'. Its aff1ne day says he, in English, fur the time O year
 After that, believe me, I couldn't have let fly at him if he'd asked me to. All could manage was: Same to you, rebel;
 
 Pretty fair he said. but could do with a bit o' fresh meat. An, you don't happen to have such thing as pipe light?'
 Happy to obIige,' an tossed him a box O blazers Take half, an kindly re- turn balance, if you please. {" 'Howd' you pick up Twin ; said the rebel, when you ain't at this work?'
 < Horses
 Just my linel 'Scuse me. but you're a trifle 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 drink Awful stuff it was; ret, takin' one thing with another; toot. nme, too. "T'm Burgersdrop man. says my mate-for that's what 1t 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 afr't in, don't bother. See you p'r'aps in the next world. Anyway, pass drop O water to one of our wounded, an I'll cry quits wherever may be-
 "tGive us your fist An we gripped behind the stone. Take my oath. it was l just like sayin' prayers, kneeIin' an all. Then the bugle sang out again, an | we crept back; an that was the last of l him.
 'sRummy- like: If you come to think of it.. But that's life, if it ain't exactly war. An 1t was war again a moment after, for passed one or two stiR uns on the way to camp