The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-08-12
What the Devil Ais You?" Crowded
the Veteran.

In his momentary anger the recruit
had determined to submit to any test
required of him, but as he wormed
himself through the bushes at the
heels of the veteran fear crept back
into his heart and he was almost on
the point of rising and running away.
When they had gone about 800 feet,
making their way as carefully as In
dams on a hot trail. the veteran paused
and whispered:
You wait here and let me go on
alone and locate 'eul. Just keep CALM
me liar to yourself and get as mad
as you can You haven't got any more
sand than a girl when YOU amt mad
He was gone ten minutes. During
on the bushes to prevent himself from
running away. When the veteran re-
turned there was smile on his face,
and he reached out and patted the re-
cruit on the back and said:
Luck is with you, my boy. The two
Johnnies are sitting down and smoking
ans playing cards, and we can creep
up within so feet of them. You can't
miss hitting man in the back at that
distance"
II shoot man in the back?'' gasped
the boy.
For sure. What in the devils name
are you kicking about? Why, 1 ought
to charge you at least SO for hunting
up your game. Come along, and don't
be a blamed FOOL
The recruit followed him through the
limbs until a halt was made beside
dead tree. At a distance of not over
ten rods the confederate pickets were
seated on the ground, with pipes in
There had been No firing at the front
for three or four days, and they had
been lulled into a feeling of security.
Rest your gun across the log there
and take dead aim at the big feller'S
back whispered the vet, as he pull
ed fresh fish" forward.
mo, I can't can'ti"
What, do you mean that you won't
PUNK a Johnny Reb after all the trou-
BILE I've taken to set up target for
you?"
4 tell you it would be murder. and L
can't do til" s
'Murder-bosh!e,2 urn you for a BOBBY
and a cowardl You hain't got sand
enough to fight a fly. Say, young fell
Ter, let me tell you something. When
I go back to the company and report
what white-livered chicken-hearted
rag baby you are, what are the boys
going to say about it?''
IL think I'll shoot hint" whisper
ed the recruit, after struggle with
himself. That is. I'll shoot him if it
won't be murder"
Murder your grandmother! Can't
you understand that your Uncle Sam
is paying you SIS per month to kill
Johnnies, and that he don't give cuss
whether you do it with club or a
musket? Lord, but what fair mark
you've got to shoot at! could plump
a bullet into him with my eyes shut.
Sit down here and kill your first man."
The recruit slowly knelt down and
stretched out at full length and thrust
the barrel of his musket over a log
He breathed hard, his eyes were shut,
and the musket pointed into the tree
tops.
Hang youl" growled the veteran
as he gave the boy a kick, but have
you turned into a baby or an old
woman. Just draw a bead for the
middle of that Johnny's back and
don't keep us waiting here all the
II tell you I can't can't do it
half sobbed the recruit, as
he sat up and faced the veteran with
all the color gone from his face and
his chin quivering. ''I enlisted for a
soldier, but 1 can't and I won't shoot
a man in cold blood. When it comes
to a battle I'll shoot, but not here and
now
Uncle Sam got a peach when you
signed the rolls, he did, sneered the
vet" as he looked down upon the
other in supreme contempt How we
would thin out the JohnnieS if we
had a thousand fishworms like you in
the Fourth brigadei Going to shoot
or not %
The recruit raised his hands to his
face and began to weave his body to
of pity crossed the veterans face as
he regarded him for a moment, and
then he knelt down to take the shot
himself. The rebel picket had disap-
peared, and he rose to his feet with a
curse of disappointment, and said:
TITS because you are blamed fish,
worm and have no business down here