The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-10-27
Love Displayed blythe Soldiers
For Their Horses.
THEY CARESS THEM.
A Field Surgeon Tells Of the Patient
and Afectionate Care Bestowed
by the Riders on Their
Mounts.

The Japanese cavalry was generally
criticised az the outbreak of lie war
because Of the poor quality or the
horses Japan had been able to secure.
Horses were unknown in the old Japan
and are practically unused there now,
But the Japanese eavalfy has done
pretty well. after an The soldiers
take care Of their horses 4 field sur
geon. writing about the Japanese cav
airy in the Independent. says
about week ago | came upon &
company Of men who were engaged ID
transporting supplies for the army.
The march was beastly, the weather
was vile, and the roadless country was
the worst Of AL. The horses were
tired Depend upon IT. tile men were
quite as tired as the horses. AS soon
as they came to halt / saw a number
Of these fellows rush with their own
canteens il the direction Of little
stream Of water.
Why don't you lead your horses to
the streamy / asked one of the horse
men. What he said was simply this.
'Why2 Why. dear sir, these horses
have made many miles over the coun.
try where they are too barbarous to
have roads. They are tired, and we
are running to fetch some water for
them And they did rum these men.
like mad. fetching water. fodder and
what little green vegetation there could
be found
"And these men, after fetching food
and drink for the horses, after COM
forting them with ill kinds Of caresses,
these tired men turned in aud took to
cooking beans in iron pots. Ask them
why it is when they are so thoroughly
tired, while their stomachs are empty
and their legs are aching under them,
they should take the trouble Of cook
ing dry beans which are not meant for
their mouths In explaining this mat
ter to q friend - mine ! heard one Of
these transport men say; You see. sir,
green feed mean too much Of II is
not always good for the horses, Some
times green feed and a strange climate
make a rather rocky combination for
the poor horse, and then. you know.
these Chinese beans are not the softest
things that You could bite. and heaven
knows these horses Of ours have
enough trouble without swallowing
these beans green and uneooked
mo sooner are they done with their
duties toward their horses than you
find these good horsemen Of ours roll
ing themselves MP III blanket and
throwing themselves as II they were
SO many sacks Of potatoes down any
where at the feet OF their horses and
pull for all they are worth for the land
Of sleep. | came upon soldier the
other day. He was trudging along a
dusty highway and crying like child.
| laid my hand upon his shoulder and
asked him. What IS the matteri Are
you woundedT Startled 1t first by the
touch Of my hand upon his shoulder.
but in second recognizing thar | was
nothing more than a surgeon. he shook
his head without saying a word Then
he went on crying as bitterly MS ever
Naturally I questioned him as to tie
reason for his grief All the answer
received was a series Of sobs, which
were more heartrending than the ones
that had shaken his body, and, always
weeping, he struggled on
sat last he tried to say something,
but could hardly say one word His
sobs broke even one word into so many
pieces that / was obliged to sharpen
my wit and senses pretty keeuly IN
order to catch the meaning OF what
he was trying to say / fancled that
he said something about his horse.
What about the horseg | asked.
He was overwhelmed once more with
his grief, with his tears aud with his
heartrending sobs Il was very pitt
ful and the sight Of him touched my
heart 70 such an extent that was
yoiceless for mam a minute. AS soon