The San Francisco call., 1910-07-03
ny ELIZABETH EWING


lame leg that had so little strenoth O.,
1t bent painfully beneath him.
His eyes were fixed on a motley nro-
cession of boys which, marching IN
single nle and with fife and drum and
guaranty waving flag was already half
way up the broad sunny street.
The fourth Of July was approaching
and they were playing soldiers. There
were only half a dozen Of them and tbev
were little fellows, but they made un
tor their lack Of size and numbers nv
hlartiaI spirit and noisy enthusiasm
that brought the entire block to the
front windows as they passed.
Rob could hear the rub rub dub n
DUB or the drum and the shriu ar
compartment of the fife. He could
even hear the tramp of their sturdy
young feet on the stone sidewalk as
they marched upward
Fired by their enthusiasm he tried
Few steps farther, but his progress was
uiscouragingly slow and hating His
lame leg hurt him so, and it would
bend so perversely under him
Only couple of blocks back he too
had been a soldier in that procession.
and he had carried that drum. his
childish heart swelling with pride and
exuitation as he beat with might and
main on it's hollow sides.
Never In his short life had Rob feIt
SO proud, so important. Never had his
pale cheeks flushed with such delicious
happiness as when his sturdy drum
beats brought his patient little mother
who did plain sewing for his living and
hers. to the window, and when she
waved her hand he gave the drum such
mighty thump as nearly made him
lose his balance.
1t had been level ground then. over
near his house. and he had hardly felt
the pain In his leg or the WEAKNESS
that was creeping over his frail little
body. Was he not soldier-he. lame
Robbie-marching In the procession
just like the rest of the boys, and
making more noise than any of them?
But as they climbed the first hin.
try as he might. and he bent eyerv
muscle Of his small frame to the task.
he could not help tagging little
Something. too. seemed to be the mat
ter with the drum-it wobbled and did
not seem to beat SO loudly as before.
Finally Roy Turner the captain. had
taken 1t away from him and relegated
him to the rear. behind Eddie Jones.
his chum.
Whether it was through discourage
ment or sheer inability to proceed. Rob
did not stop to analyze, but somehow
he found the space ever widening be-
tween himself and Eddie. In vain he
strained upward. manfulIy leaning as
much of the weight of his body as he
could on his one strong leg. Little by
little he fell hopelessly behind.
Now. as he viewed them from the
foot OF the hill. there was a lump in
his throat and an anxious look in the
big brown eyes so intently fixed on
their receding numbers.
If he could only have kept up with
the "fellers" he wouldn't have minded
so much Roy Turner taking the drum
away from hint was heavy for such
little fellow. He could have carried
rife. and rifle was most as good as
drum anyway. he reflected, discon-
solately. If the captain would only call
a halt. he was sure he could catch up
with them.
Hey, fellers!" he called out desper-
ately. But the boys did not hear and
proceeded on their way every foot
fall increasing the distance between
them.
Eddie Jones. his chum. respiendent
in the attire of khaki clad Indian.
brought up the rear. He was march
ing enthusiastically, his gay, feathered
headdress waving deiantly i'm the
1irll- L..