The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1904-11-23
A Living Target

There's a rebel picket about oppo-
site us and not over musket shot awtsy.
They are two men, the same as i,,s.
and it's our business to kill them and
theirs to kill u.s. Just so long as we
stay hidden here they can't see us. but
It's our duty to crawl down toward
them and get Il shot You see the
idea of war is to kill. One man don't
count for much, but if we keep on
killing, by and by We'll have hun
dred. Now. what's the matter with
your"
The recruit had sunk down at the
foot of the tree and was looking
around him in apprehension.
do you mean that we're going to
skulk and creep and shoot men down
in cold blood?" he asked as his lip
trembled and he put his musket away
from him.
What the devil ails your" growled
the veteran. "Who talks about cold
blood down here at the front? We are
amt going to let no Teller kill me if
can PUNK him first l had kind of
sized you up as having some grit, but l
guess l was wrong. l guess you'd
with doll baby"
And so had you." exclaimed the re-
cruit. made angry by the sneering
words.
"Oh, l see. Got your mad up, have
you? Well, keep it a-biling and come
along with me. Well work down on
the left flank and see if we can catch
them Johnnes mapping"
When they had gone about 300 feet,
making their way as carefully as In
dams on hot trail the veteran paus-
ed and whispered:
''you wait here and let me go on
alone and locate EN-. Just keep calling
me liar to yourself and get as mad
as you can. You haven't got any more
sand than Il girl when you amt mad
He was gone ten minutes During
that interval the recruit had to hang
on the bushes to prevent himself from
running away When the veteran re
turned there was u smile on his face,
and he reached out and patted the
recruit on the back and said
Luck is With you. my boy. The
two .johnnieS are sitting down and
smoking and playing cards, and we
can creep up within fifty feet of them.
You can't miss hitting a man in the
back at that distance"
II shoot man in the bac!z?" gasped
the boy.
The recruit followed him through the
bushes and over the dead logs and
limbs until halt was made beside Il
dead tree. At Il distance OF not over
ten rods the Confederate pickets We're
seated on the ground, with pipes in
their mouths and cards in their hands.
REST youl gun across the log there
and take dead aim at tine big feller's
back" whispered the vet as he pulled
fresh fish" forward.
mo, / can't can't. | tell you it
would be murder. and l can't do it,.
by and Il coward. You haint got sand
enough to fight Il lily. say, young fei-
Ter, let me tell you something. When
l go back to the company and report
what a White iyered, chicken hearted
rag baby you are, what are the boys
going to say about it?'
IL think I'll shoot him. whisper
ed the recruit after Il 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 SIG per month to kill
Johnnies and that he don't give cuss
whether you do it with club or a
musket? Lord, but what a fair mark
you've got to shoot att l 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 thrus,
the barrel OF his musket over a log
He breathed hard, his eyes We're shut
and the musket pointed into the tree
tops.
Hang your growled the veteran as
he gave the boy kick. But have yor
turned into baby or an old woman
Just draw bead for the middle Of
that Johnny's back and don't keep u:
waiting here all the afternoon"
~ tell you | can't. ! can't do 1T no
how" half sobbed the recruit as HI
sat up and faced the veteran, with al
the color gone from his face and hi
chin quivering. II enlisted for sol
der, but | can't and l won't shoot ;
man in cold blood. When 1t comes to /
battle I'll shoot, but not here ant
now"
Uncle Sam got peach when 70,
signed the rolls, he did, sneered TIN
"vet'' as he looked down upon the othe
in supreme contempt How we woult
thin out the JohnnieS if we had a thou
sand tishworms like you in the Fourtl
Brigade! Going to shoot or not?"
The recruit raised his hands to hi
face and began 10 weave his body t
and fro and sob and moan. A look o