Ellsworth American., 1904-02-24
THE REAL THING
toriginal.l

We were all waving palm leaf fans
Young Lacy had reported for duty on
the staff and was crazy to see lighting
We who had been in Cuba for months
and had all we could do to survive
under the heat didn't care especially
for anything hotter than broillng san.
Consequently we were irritated at this
baby faced boy who had just come
down from the cool north and had not
yet got heated up. There seems to be a
natural law that veterans shall make
the service of those newly joined as
bitter as possible We let Lacy off by
merely giving him the worst side of
the story in words.
''Spoiling for fight. are you?" said
Captain Knowles, the brigade ad-
jutant. You'll get it, and soon enough,
don't you worry. Perhaps you'd like
to know some of the blessings of this
happy land. The first Is the fevers.
There are all kinds of fevers laid down
In the medical books under the COM
mand of General Yellow Jack. When
Yellow Jack takes hold he begins with
a gentle chill. Then he hits you in the
small Of the back with a club and
makes you feel that you must be
rubbed with brick. Then the vomit-
ing begins, II 1t hasn't begun already,
followed in bad cases by throwing up
blood. Then tn fatal cases.
shut up, Knowles" said Lieutenant
Anderson. an aid. I'm turning yellow
at listening to you"
Il don't like getting sick myself" re-
marked the rev man. Il think I'd
rather be killed in battle. Anyway.
It's more glorious"
"Oh, you'd like that sort of death,
would youT' saarled Knowles. Per
haps 1t won't feel as well as 1t reads in
the papers. at II go in. Lieutenant
lungs while gallantly fighting his way
up to the eneray's works That's the
romance of ii. Do you want to hear
the real thi g?'
mo" said all the party of fan
wavers.
This young man needs it and I'm
going to give It to him. This Is about
the size of II: When the fight opens
you try to pull yourself forward when
it seems as II twenty strong men had
a rope around your body trying to pull;
you back. Then the bullets begin to
sing by your ears and you duck those
that come toe near. You see men hit
beside you ard lying down in pools OF
their own blpod "A pool of blood
sounds very we'll in a description of
the death of II hero, but it's disgust
ing, disagreeable sight. Well. now we
come to Mr.. Lacy. A Mauser bullet
goes through his lung and he knows
he's either got to bleed to death or
choke
.'Oh, give rs a rest, Knowles. The
things ba6 enough when it comes
without dwelling on it beforehand"
1--WE must ill die some time, | sup
pose said Lacy, but with none Of the
fire that had been in him when the
catalogue of horrors commenced.
Yes; but you go out and stand In
front of a Gatling gun and that some
time"'ll be pretty quick"
Lacy got up and went away. "Reck
on he don't want to see a fight" said
Knowles ''as much as he did,
The next morning we pushed for,
ward to take up position nearer to
Santiago. TIE general had us all out
at o'clock. sending us off on missions
to different commanders whose corps
were supporting or touching elbows
with us. WIS sent back to see to the
bringing forward of some ammunition
When l rejoiaed the STAFF fighting was
going on all n,ong the line. AS rode
up to the general saw that most of
the staff except Lacy were with him.
His eye YVES fixed on gap that was
every minr-e widening between our
extreme lef cnd the extreme right Of
the adjoining corps.
Some one 30 over there and see to
1t that that gsp is closed" he said.
He had way of saying "some one"
instead of ordering II special officer to
perform a work. and usually his order
was obeyed, aut on this occasion the
way was not only difficult, but danger
Gus. Not member of the staff stirred.
The general Hooked at them surprised
and with a sc,wl
What is it. seneral?" said Lacy. who
rode up at the moment
IL want souse one to ride over there
and see thar tnat gan Is closed"
"All right" said the new man. and
digging his spurs into his horses TANKS
he dashed awpy.