Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-10-04
DAILY SHORT STORY
HIS OWN JUDGE.

lO-iginal1

prone to fear. all throw of fear when
enraged. but in man is something high
er-pride-and if at one time animal
fear gets the better of him at another
he will show a courage that is godlike.
When the Spanish American war
came on l hadn't seen any fighting
since the big scuffie that ended in 1863.
/ raised company TO go TO Cuba. and
fortunately my regiment wasn't left
behind when the fighting force went to
Santiago.
At our first fight in Cuba nearly all
the enlisted men in my company were
raw recruits. There was a good deal
of wavering. and some of the boys
they were mostly nothing more than
boys-got away to the rear in spite OF
my efforts TO hold them. knowing that
l was watching them. they all tried to
stand up to the racket. but it was pref
~ hard for some of them, and they
dropped out one by one. There was one
young fellow. Raymond - he couldn't
have been more than nineteen-a re-
fined. delicately made chap, more like
Il musician, an artist or poet than
soldier-who. 1t was plain, had more
trouble TO keep his legs from carrying
him away than the rest. He stood bis
ground till after the skulkers had been
weeded out, when n volley fired direct
~ in our faces was too much for him,
and he fed insloriorsly.
After awhile most of those who had
dropped out returned to the ranks.
among the first Raymond. But by this
time the fighting was about over and
they had no opportunity to retrieve
themselves. / was easy with them.
knowing that they had been taking
their initiation and would do better
next time. / noticed that Raymond
was very badly cut up at his failure
and, taking occasion to speak to him
about something, spoke with especial
kindness. But as time passed. while
the others did not seem to feel their
disgrace very keenly, Raymond grew
more morbid over his. l was sure at
the, next fight he would redeem him
self and feel better about ii.
We happened to miss the fighting for
some time, being held In reserve. but
the next time we were called on we got
into terrible hole. My company was
sent one night to reconnoiter, and the
selves cut Off | called for volunteers
to go In different directions and find
from which direction the enemy were
coming to take us, at the same time.
looking out for an avenue of escape.
Among the first to step to the front
was Raymond. / sent him out with
five others, all In different directions.
We were lying low I'm some bushes, and
/ whispered their instructions. They
were expected to crawl on their hands
and knees and If they met an enemy
We're to give us warning if possible.
/ waited ten or fifteen minutes-it
seemed two hours and. not hearing
anything from my scouts. started out
myself to investigate. Feeling solicit
tude in the matter of the direction Ray
mond had gone, distrusting his courage
and regarding his route the most prob
able on which to find the enemy, /
went after him. / half expected to find
him hiding within a short distance
from us, but 1 crawled hundred yards
without seeing or hearing anything Of
him or anybody else. There was
dead silence. a silence that made me
creep would much rather have
for l knew they were around us and
that they expected to bag us. Were
they waiting to fill some gap, or did
they not know exactly where we weref
Give me plenty of noise, and l am in
my element. But / never liked silence,
especially in the dark, and silence In
the dark, with an enemy feeling for
you, is hard on most men. But l was
In command of a company of men, and
the responsibility of getting them out
of q trap saved me. / dreaded every
moment to hear a turmoil behind me
and know that my men were being
butchered. Nevertheless l felt more
interest in the boy / was following
than in the company. | was afraid he
would get hurt. Singular, isn't it, that
! should have had my sympathies con
centTated on one instead of nearly 4
hundredf Perhaps if he had been a
brawny fellow / wouldn't have thought
anything about him.
Well, | kept on, pausing now and
again to listen. straining my ears to
catch the slightest sound, but every
thing was still. Once l fancied heard
the click of a rife. but it was only an
insect. / did hear the rumble of a
caisson. but it was in the distance.
Then there was a faint indication as
if some animal was passing through a
bit Of long grass a short distance ahead
OF me. 1 heard a click-it was a sure
enough click this time-followed by a |
scuff1e, at the end Of which came the
words in Spanish, Make the slightest
noise and you are dead man.
A moment-rather an eternity
passed. then / heard Raymond's voice
ring out. They're coming,'
A shot, groan, and the Spaniards
dashed forward. 1 had a matter Of
eighty yards the start of them, and
when / reached my men found them in
ratraat Ono Of tho ~nouta bod oor,a