The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1905-06-22
TO SETTLE A GRUDGE.


tie affairs became lot unpopular In
the Central and South American
countries n number of years ago. al
though there was n time when the
Latin American armies went In strong
for sham battles" said an American
consul stationed at "A South American
metropolis. who Is In the states for hts
vacation. II wac ut the Manassas
manueuvers the other day. when the
rattle of the blank cartridges was at
It's height.
The Central and South American
soldiers and officers learned to hate the
sham battie-and to fear IL. too. You
see, IL was so easy for Jose. who had
grudgr against Ramon. TO make q
rristake' and slip n ball cartridge In
stead OF n blank into HIS gun! They
still nave the sham battle In few.
very few. OF the southern republics
but the soldiers will do a whole lot OF
things 10 get on the hospital report
Just before a sham battle. especially
those who have good reason To suppose
that 10 they go into the sham battle
they haven't got much chance to get
out alive. The mere announcement OF
a sham battle starts an epidemic OF
scientific malingering In some OF those
ga-risons. In some OF the outfits. where
they can't make the sick report. the
platoons. battalions.
"Oh. yes. after me blanks are served
out before n sham battle. the cartridge
boxes OF the soldiers are carefully In
spected. The officers used To do this
In pretty perfunctory manner. but
they don't any more. When the dis
liked officers began tn be the victims
OF the mistakes OF the men with the
guns. they became exceedingly careful
In their inspection OF the mems am
munition. They not only peeked into
the cartridge boxes and belts OF the
men. but they felt around In the
clothing OF each man To spring any
thoughtlessly hidden ball cartridges.
When the officers first began To do
this they made "A lot OF hauls. and the
fellows with the secreted bullets were
incontinently stood up before the walls
with the handngcs over their eyes and
made into human sleeves. Then the for
setful men In the ranks learned wis
dom.
They no longer tried TO hide the ball
cartridges I'm their clothing. but sailed
them away and covered them up with
the dirt OF the field on which the sham
encounter @as booked to take place
They made veritable lead mines of
fields. and each man remembered just
where he had planted his little lead
cache.
Then. In the middle OF the action.
all they had TO do was to give the
ground A little kick where they had
made their plants. stoop and pick up
the ball cartridges. and then calmly
push their bosom friends or the hated
officers over the rim OF the next world
The officers learned about this, too.
and they met the plan by changing the
location OF the sham battle at the last
moment have seen them do this fire.
quently In South America.
1t IL really pathetic To observe the
expressions OF acute Chagrin on the
countenances OF the little barefooted
soldier men when. after they have
cached their bullets all so handily In
the field announced as the scene OF the
sham battle. the word runs around
that another spot for the mock en-
counter has been chosen. Under such
circumstances they look ns II a mean
and underhand trick had been played
upon them.
"But. In spite OF all precautions.
there are nearly always n few hope
lessiy punctured ones left on the field
81 sham battle down yonder In the
warm Americas.
1t Is very unwise. fo- example. for
soldier In one of those armies To
win his comrades money too frequent
~. II makes his comrades so angry.
so very angry.
when l was stationed, n few years
ago. at the capital OF one OF the Cen
trail American republics. where they
had revolutions every little while.
whether they needed them or not. one
OF these Incidents happened. 4 recruit
serving In one OF the government regi.
ments skinned his whole OUTFIT at
monte ore day. There was no appar
ent suspicion that he hadn't been ON
the square with hts game. but he waI
regarded as "A whole lot too monte wise
for a rookie.
And. being n recruit. he didn't know
enough tn understand that after hav-
ing gotten away with the big clean.
up OF his comrndes' silver ~ was time
for him to duck. So. being foolish, h,
stayed along with his outn;.
There was lull In the hnstIlities
while the insurgents were getting to-
gether In another province. and so. to
amuse the ladies OF the capital. the
government troops had n sham battle
on the plateau upon which they were
stationed.
The recruit with his monte wisdom
went down with the first rattle OF the
guns. and when they went To pick the
body up IL took six men to lift him
from the ground. the poor cuss was We
heavy with the lead that had been In
serted into his system"