The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-19
ONLY IN THE LAND OF DREANS-By Lola Scott

the tray before him. Fright that" he said laconicaly.
 Private Bill closed his eyes ecstatieal- ly. He seized the pie boldly, cuddled 1t in both hands and buried his face in it's depths. Outside. the Captain, watching with open-mouthed envy, murmured, mortified to the Aid de Camp: "He don't know no more how to eat in cafe than a hawgi"
 How'd you get this far-are you railroad bum or did you ride shank ponies?" queried the man.
 Nav, we didn't ride no pony. She's horse"
 The man laughed; then, "A horse!-and 'we'-who's 'we?"
 Men the Aid de Ramp"
 "The which,"
 "The Aid de Ramp"
 What's it?"
 "One O the other fellows" "Other fellows? Did some one come with you? Where are they?" "Out there in the alley" ingenuously; then, ingratiatingly, Say, if l call 'em, will you give them somethin' to eat, too?"
 The man was staring again. Are you telling the truth of stringin' me?' he asked sternly He moved to the door. Outside, the captain catching snatches of the con- versation, dvined his intention. Four legs shot down the passageway before he could accustom his eyes to the darkness. He came back. He regarded Private Bill sus- piciously. "I gues you're a case for the cop," he said "John," he instructed someone in back room. keep an eye on this young sprout here. I'll be back in I minute" Picking up his hat he stepped out.
 Private Bnrs blood congealed. If only l,a Ia tt,a fal1 axr would lick him, but that was ecstasy compared to the cooler" It was not far to the door John had not yet come in! He arose stealthily. casting look of infinite pathos at what remained of the beans-then, with a sudden idea, snatched up the two pickled eggs. Slipping to his knees he scuttled out on all fours. Once out he flew down the passageway Kids, he panted, kids, run!'' But he soon perceived with terrified dismay that no kids were there He sped wildly on. As he emerged from between the buildings an inquiring frecked nose thrust cautiously out from the interior of a barrel It was the captain.
 Come on. come on.' Private Bill i'm plored. They're a-comin'-the cop. Hes goin to throw me inl He'll pull all of usl Come on, come on"'
 They halted not until they reached the creek half mile from town, on the other side from where Belle and William so- journed
 When it seemed that they were safe. they sank down under a cottonwood, and Private Bill, ere hearts were slowed down and breaths could be regained to form revilements, automatically presented his fellows with the two piclxled eggs crushed, smeary, but ambrosially tempt ing to two famished youngsters
 'I wsht I could a-saved you some of the pie he regretted touchingly; but he was lookin' n had to eat it. Instead of acknowledging appreciation of this, they only sniffed. However, they accepted the eggs with sullen, though alacritous, condescension-and chastised him not.
 They hudded fearfully together in the silence and the dark. They were afraid to talk. With superstitious dread they stared dumbly out into the awful black loneliness.
 But nature asserted itself, and before long a head began nid-nodding against the captains shoulder, Private Bill was scientifically sleeping the sleep of the full stomached. Strangely enough, the cap- tain laid him very gently down on the grass. Then, Lets lay down, too" he whispered to the Aid de Camp There aint nowhere to go"
 It was a restless night. The wind had risen and the sky clouded. Two pairs of wide-open eyes watched the clouds drift. Two pairs of wide-open ears strained to the uncanny night sounds. Two small hearts quivered with strange new emo- tions and two busy little minds struggled with the old engmas of life and death and destiny.
 The captains thoughts kept returning to his mother. There was a terrible fear at his heart that she might be dead. He remembered that when Tom Saunders ran off, she said that it would kill her if 1t were boy of hers. He had known she would be scared, but he had never thought about it in the dark before. And after all, fathers did lots of nice things for boys-there was that real watch he had gotten last Christmas, and he went to all the shows.
 Midnight passed Bill slept. The Aid de Camp-intimately known in private life as "Shanghai''-lay silent and unstirring. A panic of terror seized the Captain at the loneliness.
 "Shang.' he breather sepulchrally.
 "Wha-at?" came sepulchrally back.
 You asleep?"
 NO; are you?"
 NO; say. don't the wind make funny noises in the jack oaks? The cottonwood above them stirred it's stiff. yellowing leaves weirdly. shndder- ingly-lke the rattle of dead men's, bones!