Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-09-14
DAILY SHORT. STORY
WHY DAN CAME BACK.
[C:opyrit hit. 1905. bye. S. Mcclure

Jhinkingsha was going to have an easy
time of, 1t. He found but little time
that a lvolI,nteer soldier could call his
own. There We're drill, guard duty,
pohceiduty. washing, mending, digging
andAdelving, to say nothing of fighting
and marching. The day came when
he refused fatigue duty and was sent
TO the .guardhouse. From that day for
ment most of the time. He came to
be an object of anxiety to the officers
and an object OF contempt to his COM
rades. and then he gwas ready to bring
on a climax One tday he lay on the
broad of his backl in the sun and
thought it all out. He charged the
people of the United SStates with bring
ing on the war for mo other purpose
than to get 'him downgto the front and
have him Killed. HeSdenied the right
of the government to put him to man
ual labor and abrid ge his hours of
sleep. He was an ill fed, overworked
and much aBased young man. He had
been, singled out for the officers spite,
and the lette.S he had, written to Presi-
dent Lincoln about it had remained
unanswered.
When Dan hadS spent an hour in
Think ing. he made up his mind that
there was. only one recourse left him
desertion. He would make his way
back to- the old farm in the north and
to pa and ma and tell them all about
il and tie looked upon as a martyr. 1t
never occurred to him that he would
be pursu ed and was sure to be caught
Two nights later Dan Skinner lodged
tue camp sentinelS and became a de-
serter. he had selected a route, but
owing tOVhe darkness and a scare or
two he be,ame confused and finally
held a pretty straight course for the
position of the enemy. Just at that
point and at that time the two ,armies
were fifteen miles apart, with parties
from each side raiCing over the neutral
ground. When Dan had gone ten miles
he realized that he was lost and lay
down in the bushes to wait for day
light. When he awoke he found him
self close tD log farmhouse, and hun
ger and u desire to be set right as to
his road caused him to boldly approach
it. He found i woman and two chill
dren, and II moment later discovered
that he was among southernerS. His
blue uniform excited surprise and
alarm until he let it be known that, he
was alone. When he sat down TOT the
humble food placed before him the
woman asked:
Don't you know that the Confeder-
ate lines are only five miles away, and
that some of Our soldiers are riding
past here almost every day."
That's all the better" was his re
ply. Il was going home, but I'd just
as lief be capturel.' ,
DO you mean that you are a de-
serter?''
That's what l am. ! stood it and
stood it till ! could stand it no longer
Then L walked out of camp. If 1
hadn't got lost in the night 1 should
be on my way home now"
What was it you had to stand?"
oh, everything mean. They was al
ways wanting me to work like a Mfg
ger, and when / wouldn't they had me
in the guardhouse. L didn't enlist to
be a slave. Some one was bossing me
from morning till night. 1t was Dan,
do this, and Dan, do that, and 1 got
worn out at last"
Have you ever been In q battles"
asked the woman as she looked at him
in u puzzled way.
NO, ma'am.''
Then you've never been wounded?"
No
You have been clothed and fed and
paid and had no fighting to do as yet,
and yet you complain"
"WhoCwOnldn't complain If he had to
carry wood and water and; load and
unload wagons Sai1d' stand guard and
all of tllatf, tell you never got time
10 read a book nor write any poetry.
If I'm deserter it's because they've
driv Inc to it. Flesh and blood can't
stand only about SO much. I'm like a
worm, am. You can pick on me about
so long, and then l turn"
The woman smiled in contempt and
pity and was silent for a moment be-
fore saying:
I've got husband and a brother in
the Confederate army. They are obey
ing orders, no matter what those or
ders are. Both have been In battle,
and both have been wounded. They
march: they fight; they do camp duty.
There are many days when they don't
have sufficient to eat. They have had
no pay for four months. Their uni
forms are ragged and tattered. All
this, and yet they haven't deserted or
thought of it. Do you know what
would happen If my husband should
come home a deserter? / have an old
musket here. l would drive him back
TO the army or shoot him In his tracks,
''Shoo"' exclaimed Dan as he looked
up at her and grew very serious.
Yes. sir, 1 would do 1t, but thank
God he is no such man. Look at your
case. You have a father, mother
other relatives. You are young and
strong. You have been called upon TO
do nothing that others are not doing.
You are lazy; you are a fault finder:
you want to make out that you are a