The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1908-12-03

Oh, OH lHcy StlnsS "usocl Hoi
net; the fellers are dyin' too; potted
like woodchucks."
Shut up" says the kid, thinkin'.
The band or them buzzards'll take
care of 'em. You tend to your knitting.
He was a keener for fair, Pluribus,
an Billy grinned at the sass of the
rookie-under fire, too.
Mebbe it's funny, but l don't remem-
Der much about the fightin' after we
got to work. 'Tain't right to keep
men under a nasty fire, an sharp
shooters a-baggin' everything blue in
sight, without shown what the range
practice has done for them. Men
what lose their mess waitin' on their
stummicks are wasted, sort of wasted,
anyhow; they don't get a chanSt to
die with their blood up, when they
don't care if they does die-kind Of
locoed; only they never fergits where
the flag is. Bein' killed while you're
reservin' fire for half a day is bad
for the nerves.
But finally they give us a go. Twas
a tidy sprint while it lasted, Billy
an Pluribus clost together, pumpin'
lead at a sunburnt mud wall. There
want much yellin' till We were at
the top, an the yaller rag was yanked
down an Glory was fioatin' over free
Cuby. We yelled then. Yes, an blame If
the burnin' tears could help comm,
just for joy at seem it there, an be-
in alive to see it. That's what.
There was some as got their ever
lastin' discharge-honorable; some got
a big go at servin' their country in
hospitals gittin' well; some made
| crutcheS out o crooked sticks, an
stayed away from the Sawbones to
fight for grub; an there want no
sorrer when the bloody Hidagoes hung
out a shirt on their back porch, an
quit the game.
Now, in course Of knockin' round
barracks for 20 year, in one regiment
an another, I've seen some curious
things. Chasin' Indian devils over al
kali plains an in the Bad Lands, an
maxim little maps of Alasky, puts a
man on s~entry-go over mOre'n a ten
acre lot, an interjuCes curious folks;
but Pluribus beat the hull outfit to
a s%tandstill.
After Pecos Bill Shafter took a
pasear down to the village, an raised
u flag ver the palace, there want
nothin' to do but swap baccy, an git
the fever, which last me an Billy did;
not bad, but we didn't notice things
for a day or two. Then we saw Pluri.
bus was goin'. The hustle an rush
an excitement had kept him up, an
he sort Of forgot he had a home an a
mother. but it took him sudden, an
that kid was dyin' because he couldn't
git up an dust for his ma. Home
sick Dyin' for his mother jest as GER
tain as if he was mortal wounded.
IF Pluribus would only cry" says
Billy, bein' a great lad for the vim
min, it'd bring him right, wimmin
does; but he sets there with his eyes
big an shiny-like Micky Hogan's
woman when they told her he had
cashed in. Gawd, it's wicked"
Billy" says |, the kidll never see
his home again, if he don't git there
quick"
"Wot yer givin' me-" says he.
"'Struth,' says |.
"Dyin'?" says McNutt, scared an
whisp'rin' like folks do in a room with
a corpse.
Yep; sure thing. He's just a-fad'
in out like snow before a Montana
chinook"
The Q. NJ. department started us
back to the states on a through packet
from hell, an the Old Boy hisself was
at the hellum.
Down in the stifin' hold they put
us; with a few lights, dim an fain'
in the fog of fever breath. Bunks II
tiers. with the GRIMM ghost of wha'
had been a soger in every one. Il
was a whole graveyard, stirrin' at tht
last reveille. On deck 1t was as BAD
or worse. How could fellers sleel
with empty bellies an their blood OF
fire, an ~listenin' to men in the nos
initial shriekin' an ~dyin'-every n II
his own terrible way? No two mel
ever die alike. Some just quit breath
in; some prayed; some cursed; som
inst babbled with their folks, laughin
an talkin'. pattin' hands an sayin ba
by talk. Crazy! We was all kind o
off'n our nuts.
Me an Billy crawled up an sat b!
Pluribus in the hospital, never sayin
a word. The kid never knowed us
an v wanted nothin'. His mine
was a blank to his ~surroundin's, an
he didn't seem to suffer much. Jus
was dopey; smilin' to hisself, an talk
in to his ma in a quiet happy wa!
that made me an Billy creepy, know
in it want real. pitied Billy while
we was waitin'. Poor little Pluribu'
had the easiest detail, after all.
One day the kid went out-suI
rendered unconditional. They stoppe'
the ship, an it was quiet as thu
house of death, with the engines still
Billy had a small silk flag that som
girl had given him at a station-al
WAYS tradin' buttons with the win
min was Billy-an' he sewed it owe
the kids chest. The chaplain said
PRAYER, | guess, but | never heard IL
an there was a splash down below
in the cool blue water. Then the.
started the engines again.
Me an Billy never spoke; we could
mt for a long time. just standin