Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1911-01-20

R'E|'I
b VERNON ARNOLD ~ VI
opyrtght. 1911, BY American Press
4 III Association 81 & s8 7aS M
81 'VlERE|h ARNOLD

U1s lave anu q coward was born q cow
ard; another that true bravery was re-
s1sting fear natural to ali normal per
sons. One officer declared that Draw
cry depended on the action. OF the
neart. citing the case Of Napoleon T.,
whose heartbeat even on the eve OF
battle q! was not over forty to the min
ute. A young lieutenant with mild
blue eye and soft voice remarked that
Frederick the Great had said, The
man who has never felt fear has never
snuffed candle with his fingers
"A The colonel looked at this speaker
.coNntemptuously and gave a grunt.
Surgeon Bates observed the colonel's
action, but went on smoking without
expressing any opinion on the subject
under discussion. 4 S.. ss + ' 3;;., i :
What do you think about it, doc
tori? asked the colonel. stl.5 :. +.
II think you are coward, colonel"
II bomb had come out Of the doc
tors mouth instead of words and ex-
ploded then and there it could not have
produced more of shock.
WITHDRAW your charge, sir, at once
or go to your quarters under arrest
Il will only withdraw it after fall
ure to prove its truth ~
Il have proved it's falsity on many. a
battlefield ~'e' -ss ~.
II will not deny that under excite
ment you have temporarily thrown off
fear, but deny that you can maintain
your bravery while perfectly cool. If
you will submit to test I will prove
what l say-that you are coward"
Proceed with your test. / have sat
on my horse motionless while shell
after she'll burst overxmy head There
was no excitement: in that. Members
OF my staff were SO FESTIVE that they
moved at every shot. Does not that
prove I am no coward?' ~ =
"You may have stood that test 50
tar as appearances were concerned
that is, you were. able to control your
fear. The test refer to will elimi-
nate everything except fear and show
you what you area coward" r.
Bring on your test, sir" cried the
colonel angrily, land If you fail to
prove your charge be prepared to an
swer yourself the charge of conduct
prejudicial to military discipline in
this, that you have called your COM
manding officer coward in presence
Of his subordinate officers =.
Surgeon Bates while in the wild west
had gathered a number of live speci-
mems of animals of different varieties,
one of them rattlesnake that he kept
in a five gallon demijohn Invested of
the wickerwork on the outside The
glass was transparent, so that the
snake could see and be seen, air pass
ed through wire gauze, used in place
Of stopper. The doctor arose and,
going into his Office, returned with the
captive, placing the demijohn on a
table,
Colonel" he said, II have called
you coward. But, mind you, I have
only applied the word to you in &C.
cordance with your own idea Of what
constitutes a coward. If you stand the
test I am about to apply 1 will will
ingly submit to be tried by court
martial for throwing discredit on my
commanding officer. Step up to the
table, colonel, and place your hand on
the demijohn.' ....
The colonel walked to the table and
placed the palm of his hand on the
glass. Quick as lightning the snake,
vicious beyond measure, struck. at the
hand, and equally quick the colonel
jerked his hand away. Mortified be-
yond measure. he put it; back on the
denlijohn. and when the snake struck
again he drew it away again.
'"That will do, colonel said the
doctor. :''You are welcome to prefer
charges against me, but to substanti-
ate your case you must be prepared
to keep your hand on that glass while
the snake strikes at YOU But you
are not the only man here who, ac-
cording to your idea, is not brave Not
one Of you can stand the test. Cen
tlemen, step up and try it. The snake
can't hurt you; the glass Is a perfect
protection
. One after another Of those present
placed hand on the demijohn, and
at the snakes strike each and every
man recoiled Then DR.. Bates said:
!. mo man can keep his hand on that
glass where the snake strikes at it for
the simple reason that the nerves that
direct motion act Independently Of the
will. In this case before the will can
be brought to bear the muscles have
done the work a ..sa Iris II Il. #@., Il
= Then what is bravery?' asked the
colonel III. .:s.3. ss 4s d
"a brave man is one whose bodily
machine is SO constructed and adjust
ed in its different parts as to enable
him to be brave Ss n s@
But the will = asked the major
what part does It play p ..5.s
In IN 4 reply to this question I give You
only my own idea on the Wills part
in bravery. + it is strong enough and