Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-05-25

, Ii seemedtto me that I was an object
of interest. Every now and again an
officer would come TO the tent to look
over the game. But. glancing up at
these gentlemen. I invariably noticed
their eyes fixed on me rather than on
the cards. was puzzled. What was
there about a civilian engaged in cot
ton buying to interest officers of the
army? However. the game interested
me. and speculation of this kind did
not take root in my mind. We played
till midnight, when the party broke
up. and l was conducted by my tent
mate to my place of rest. I noticed
that he kept an eye on me while took
off my outer clothing and did not take
1t away till ! stood in my undergar-
ments.
While going to sleep the circum-
stances of my detention. the interest /
had excited. this watchfulness of my
tent mate. altogether found firmer
Judgment in my brain. Yet as ! pom
dered over the matter l could not
think of one act sufficiently noticeable
to signify anything in particular. AS
for my visit to the general the next
day. it might be an advantage. ! had
expected TO arrange for cotton trans
portation with the quartermaster. Pos
sibly l might derive some advantages
by interesting the general in what /
was doing.
The next morning I waited till Il
o'clock for Major Campbell TO take
me to the general. when. becoming i'm
4 n ~ 81 - -
delay. He told me that the general
was basy. I inwardly cursed these
military nabobs who made every one
await their pleasure and were treated
by their suhordinates as princes of the
blood. if not sovereigns. 1t was not
till 3 in the afternoon that the major
told me to mount my horse and go
with him.
We found the general about to ride
out on tour of inspection. and / was
invited to join him. did SO. and for
awhile he kept me beside him, asking
me what seemed to me lot of stupid
questions. / tried to tell him about
my cotton buying. but he wouldn't lis
ten to it He seemed more interested
in learning where / had been during
the day / had come into his lines ana
the day before that and as far back as
l could remember. Then suddenly he
ceased to take any further interest IL
me or nay whereabouts and. calling his
chief of staff, waved me back with the
others.
Major Campbell rode with us-why
I didn't know. for he was not of the
ororo1,c oil T,,Ic
his interest in me. | fancied that he
might have been brought along for the
purpose OF entertaining me. He kept
calling my attention to this feature of
the position and telling me things
about the number and disposition of
the troops They would not have in
terested me In the slightest had not his
statement of the different divisions and
brigades be declared were on the
ground appeared much overdrawn
But why should he bother me at all
with these matters. and why should he
desire to make It appear to me that
the army was stronger than it really
was? / was citizen with no military
knowledge whatever and was content
that these fiery soldiers should slaugh
ter one another ad lib. provided could
make a fortune.
The general called Major Campbell
to him and said something in an IN
dertone. Then the major dropped
back beside me. As he left the gen.
eral the latter said loud enough to be
heard:
That plan would never do in the
world. He who has eyes TO see can
see for himself I'll issue the order as
soon as ] get back TO headquarters.n
had no idea what this meant. nor
did. take any interest In it. was
getting Disguised at being kept idle
all this while by these autocratic mill
tary men. J.. wanted to get ut the.