Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-12-07
! THE GALL 0F THE FLAG.
!; ~~8>~4~&
BY LIEUT.. c. F. MARTIN. U. s. A.

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XIF it please the court, l shall now
L read the charges against the &C
cused."
The prisoner, a young soldier with
haggard face and tired eyes, rose
mechanically, and stood gazing at the
judge-advocate, Who read in clear,
emotionless tones the charges setting
forth that Private John Walters,
Company NJ, til United States In
fantry, had been guilty of conduct
prejudicial to good order and military
discipline, in that he had been drunk
and disorderly in his company quar-
tiers, and had disobeyed a lawful Or
der given him by his superior officer.
"Ycu have heard the charges and
specifications preferred against. you,"
continued the officer representing the
government as prosecuting attorney.
..''FIow Go you plead?"
The prisoner looked helplessly at
his counsel, tall bronzed man in the
Uniform Of a frst-lieutenant, who re-
tponded: Guilty, to the specifications
md to the CHARGE"
THE prosecution here rests" an
bounced the judge-advocate.
HAS the accused any evidence to
offer in his own behalf?" questioned
the president of the court.
The accused had none His counsel,
In few words, begged the court to
consider that the prisoner had been.
at the time of his offense, under the
Influence of the poisonous Filipino
bino, which had deprived him of his
responsibility he called attention to
the excellent service the accused had,
at various times, rendered under fire,
as set forth in his record, and request
ed that such clemency as was possible
be shown him.
AS Walters. followed by his counsel,
left the room, he let his eyes pass for
the first time over the group of grave,
khakl-clad officers forming the court
martial.
will the lieutenant tell me what he
thinks will get?" he asked, when the
door had closed behind them for the
verdict.
"Weil, this is your sixth conviction
within the year, Walters; I'm afraid
you can't hope for less than dis
charge anu J. months"
That night as Walters lay on his
hard bunk by the barred window of
the rude stone building used as
guard-house, he tried to analyze his pc.
sition. ''!)ishonorable discharge and
u months"-the thought kept ring
ing in his head. A year in Bilibid-
no bino and no fighting. Then he
would he sent back to the States-he
never wanted to see the States again;
the battle of life there had been too
strong for him; defeat had seemed
to pursue him in every renewed ef-
fort, and his repeated failures to con-
quer his insatiate thirst for liquor had
only brought disgrace upon his family.
In his army service his reckless cour-
age under fire mad atoned for much
of his recklessness in drink. For
long, drink and battle had been the
only sedatives to quiet the fire in his
brain; Only when drugged with one
or wild with the passion of the other,
had he been allie tn forget the pangs
of acknowledged failure. But five
years in the tropics had begun to take
away the sting. There was forgetful-
ness in this land; il emanated from the
inGolent rustling of the palm trees
from tic golden, dreamy glow of
the twilights- the dangerous
perfume of the Wang Wang He was
slowly and surely imbibing the lotus
flowers potion Ct content. The east
was dropping its srel] over his soul,
and he was grateful for it's mercy.
A faint rustlinG without the win
dew attracted LIS attention.; he peered
through the lars, and saw in the
din light a form crouch;ng close to
the prison wall.
isabella" lie whispered.
; A SHALL brown hand came through
the iron uprights ard dressed his fin
gers rs they rested en- the sill. 1t
was Filipino girl when, Walters had
once protected from the insults of a
drunken h:utc, and who had thereaf-
ter secretly lavished upon this reck-
less. gloomy young American all the
affection Of which she was capable.
Unconscious Of tile deeper feelings
which animated her, Walters had not
been unsensiblc to tie ,unfailing friend.
chip she had shown him, and between
Tue two sort of Comradeship had
hriseu. she came 10 him for advice
and sympathy in the small affairs of
her life, and Walters had found her
hospitable home an agreeable asylum
when he wanted to escape from the
rougher companionship of his associ-
ntes. Her appear: rec below his win.
doH, however, filled him with sur
prise.
-; "Nhat are you doing here, Isabel
la?" he demanded.
mo .habla," she -murmured in her
: quaint mixture Of Spanish and Eng
Qfsh. mo habla, get. you OUT =: Z: Y
+; Walters's- heart ieaped at the hope.
The sirl began working with some in
sttument at. the SOFT rocks forming
the window sill into which the bars
were 1uortised. # shc could remove
ole he could escape. Freedom seemed
TO HIN then the most glorious thing on: