Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-05-21
OLD SOLDIERS COMPROMISE.
He Wanted to Go and He Managed to
Get Permission.

Get Permission.
A captain and aid-de-camp sat with
me over a bottle of Burgundy and a
dc zen dry rice birds in the club In Ma
ni.la. Our talk had turned to the men
Of the servlce-the bronZed, blue.
sh.rted fellows who bear hardship so
ch eerfully and prosperity so sadly.
You remember the Taraca hike in
Mindanao?" he asked. II ran across
a funny old cock of sergeant the day
VIC started out-in the Twenty-third.
The column was to move at o'clock
in the evening. 1 dropped in at Tom
Blanks for tiffin that day. Tom was
in my class, you know.
He and 1 were swapping lies after
chow, when there came a knock at
the door. The boy announced that
ollier wanted to see the captain, so
out goes Tom.
Il got busy on a pile Of old New
York papers and didn't think any fur
ther of the thing until in few mo-
ments I heard Tom and somebody in
the JOY of a furious discussion-you
know you can hear all through a nipa
shack? Tom was roaring and ramp
ing-and the other chap was roaring
and ramping right back. For a time
Tom seemed winning, through sheer
force, but at last he weakened bit
and then shook and succumbed. The
other voice conquered. There was
period of peace. Then the whole
works began again-rose, swelled and
died-Tom died-as before, and back
he comes, looking very upset and
grouchy.
whats the matter, Tom?' said,
your tailor called?'
"'Oh, hell, no." he growled, it's
that blank fool, Sergeant Flynn
whats the matter with him?' 1
asked
1.-The asst said Tom, he's an old
man-twenty years service-had dys-
entery and fever. He's not fit for the
field. This hikes going to be stink
er. So I gave orders for him to stay
behind in charge Of quarters. And
the blame fool just found out and
came to see me about it,
HIM! What did he want?'
"'Want? He wanted to go. Said
he'd never been left behind from his
company on a hike in his life. Said
he had fought Apaches and Spaniards
and Filipinos for thirty years, and he
wasn't going to be called coldfooted
at this time Of his life. Delicately re-
minded me that he was hiking when
was chewing rubber rings in coach.
And he simply said he was going any
how-that / couldn't disgrace him by
keeping him back
"'What did you say?'
"'Oh, I stuck out at first. told
him he was sick and damaged, and
besides, wanted a good man in quar-
ters-specially since the niggers have
taken to stealing rifles. But it was no
go. So at last I offered to compro-
mise. I said that he could go and try,
and carry his rifle and belt, but that
he must let the pack train tote his
pack with the kitchen stuff.
"Didn't that satisfy him?'
mot a bit. The fool said he had
never let anybody carry any OF his
pack beforehand he wasn't going to
begin now. How would he look being
carted around in baby carriage, he
asked politely, in front Of a lot OF
hump backed rockies? He was going
and he was going to carry his own
stuff
How did you settle it?'
"Settle It? I ordered and threat
ened and promised-and heaven
knows what! But 1t was no go. 1
couldn't Judge him. So we compro-
mised.'
Compromised?
"'Yes, compromised. The dashed
old fools going-and he's going to
cary his own stuff.-Lloyd Buch-
anan in Outing Magazine.