The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1905-10-12

! get 10 the stairway - II was NAAARFNN
OF a bootleg. and | was cut in the chin
by a front hoof, going ten feet or so
t.. Abe upper deck. To the man who
was never hit in the chin by a horses
| hoof let me say there is no such
remedy for a proud spirit. Bullets are
much easier to put up with and keep
a civil tongue in ones head. That
lower deck was kind OF horses hell
We had to let them alone. They got
astraddle of one another's necks, and
were cut from ear to fetlock-those
that lived, for some of them, | could
see, were being trampled to death.
| How many I never knew, for suddenly
we hit a reef there in the storm and the
black night. knew we had drifted to
the north shore, and as the sea began
to wash over us 1t was every man for
himself. The brig went up and down
like a sledge-hammer, and at every
blow her sides were cracking and cav
ing. She keeled over suddenly, and
| was emptied of horse and man. A big
wave flung me far among the founder
ing horses. My fingers caught in a wet
name; chung desperately between
oIowding 1anks. Then big wave went
over us. | hung on, coming up astride
my capture He swan vigorously, his
nose high, blowing like a trumpet /
thought We were in for time OF IL,
and had very little hope for any land
ing. save In kingdom come Every min
ute was head under in the wash, and
the roaring filled me with that mighty
terror Of the windfall. But, on my
word, there is no captain like a good
horse in bad water. Suddenly l felt
Linn hit the bottom and go forward on
his knees. Then he reared up, and be
gan to jump in the sand. A big wave
washed him down again. He fell on
his side in a shallow, but rose and ran
YEARLY over a soft beach In the black
ness around me could see nothing. A
branch whipped me in the face, and
ducked | was not quick enough; IL
was like fencing in the dark. big
bough hit me, raking the withers Of my
horse, and rolled of headlong in a
lot of bushes. The horse went on, out
Of hearing, but l was glad enough to
lie still, for I had begun TO know Of my
bruises. In a few minutes | took on
my boots and emptied them and wrung
my blouse, and lay back, cursing my
i'll luck.
But that year of 1913 had the kick
Of i'll fortune in it for every mothers
son of us there in the north country.
have ever noticed that war goes in
waves Of success or failure. If we had
had Brown OF Scott to lead us that
year, instead of Wilkinson, l believe
It had had a better history. Here was
/ in the enemy's country. God knew
where, or how, or when l should come
out of II. | thought Of D'ri and how It
had gone with him in that hell OF wa
tiers. knew it would be hard TO drown
him. We were so near shore, If he
had missed the rocks | felt sure he
would come out safely. | thought Of
Louison and Louise, and wondered II
ever | should see them again. Their
faces shone upon me there in the windy
darkness, and one as brightly as the
other. Afterwhiles | drew my wet
blouse over me and went 10 sleep, shiv-
ering.
A familiar sound woke me-that Of
the reveille. The sun was shining, the
sky clear, the wind had gone down.
A crew sat calling in the tree above my
head. 7 lay In a strip of timber, thin
and narrow, on the lake shore Through
the bushes l could see the masts of the
brig slanting out OF water some rods
away. Beyond the timber was a field
of corn, climbing a side-hill that slOped
on to a level, grassy plain. Beyond the
| hilltop, reveille was still sounding. A
military camp was near me, and al
though I made no move. my mind was
up and busy as a cat at a mouse-hole,
looking down at my uniform, not, in
deed, the most healthful sort Of dress
for that country. All at once l caught
sight Of a searecrow in the corn.
laughed at the odd grotesquery Of the
thing-an old frock coat and trousers
of olive-green, faded and torn and fat
with straw. A stake driven through its
collar into the earth, and crowned with
an ancient, tall hat of beaver, gave II a
backbone. An idea came TO me.
would rob the scarecrow and hide my
| uhlAOiu- ran Out anu uduitu ~ oFSi
and pulled the stuffirg out of II. The
coat and trousers we're made for a
stouter man. I drew on the latter, fat
tening my figure with straw to ut
them. That done, quickly donned
the coat. Each sleeve-end fell to my
fnger-tips. and its girth would have
circled a flour barrel and buttoned with
room to spare But with my stufing of
straw it came around me as snug at
the belt as the coat Of bear. l took
alarm as closed the buttons. For half
minute had heard drum-tap COM
| ing nearer. II was the measured tap.
| tapi tap-tap-tap! 40 familiar to me.
Now could hear the tread Of feet COM
ing with It back of the hill. How soon
they would heave in sight was unable
to reckon, but l dared not run for
cover. So thrust my scabbard deep
in the soft earth, pulled down the big
beaver hat over my face, mufled my