The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-10-24
The Man
Who Thought
By DONAL HAMll. TON HAINES
corymeHr. 1910. ny rns saAssor pvarnnro co.

Private Burke OF the seth Michigan
stood beneath a dripping bush watch
ing the truitless efforts OF his COM
panions 10 light a FIRE OF wet wood.
Burke's SLOW haHf.contemptnous, half
tolerant smile Was bent upon tall
soldier who continually burnt his fin
gers in his tenacious attempts to
transfer the tiny fame from the flick
ering match 10 the soggy branches.
When the visible supply of matches
was exhausted Burke grunted and
etrode out from beneath the bush,
"Herei" he exclaimed roughly. you
fellows stand back and I'll build your
fire You'd starYe in the brush, my
friend" he added to the toll man as
the circle wdened to let him work
Silently they watched him. Under
the shelter OF his army coat he broke
the branches into smaller bits. making
sure that the enGs were frayed and
ragged. lie scattered the mound OF
wood the other man had built and
Whitfield tiny slNers from the dry
cores Of the branches with his knife.
hayonet One OF the ahiyering group
stopped his efforts to keep the rain
out OF his neck long enough TO ex-
claim
My hayonet won't cut woodi'
Il aharpened mine" explained
Burke without looking up.
He gathered the pile Of shavings to-
| gether and put them under his hat.
| Next he drew from his pocket a couple
| of old envelopes. then pulled q car
| fridge from his belt and commenced
worrying at the bullet with the point
| Of his hayonet It took time. but after
ff.4.1 ~
| sprinkled the tgownsh grains OF pow
der over the envelopes. letting the rain
moisten II slightly
You may need that cartridge to-
| morrow" protested the tall man,
tions.
"ill need a full belly and dry feet
| more" Burke answered shortly.
When he had arranged the wood ex-
| aetly as he wanted 1t. Burke lighted
| the paper with single. carefully
| shielded match The damp powder
sputtered and tiny sparks glowed
among the shavngs A feeble flame
/ appeared and Burke called for more
| wood. He bent over the flame like a
mother over her child, and when q
| couple of the mon stumbled back
through the darkness with armfuls OF
wood the fire had ceased to be a hops
and had become fact
"Therel" said Burke triumphantly.
The men huddled close, their wet
coats steaming In the heat.
Better take off your coats and dry
underneath" advised Burke, hewing'
at a sapllng with the ever-present bay,
onet. Next to the skins what
counts,"
Under his direction they cut poles
ana hung up tAeir oyercoats. Burke,
looted at the Gre s'nod up straight
and listened.
There's brook q hundred YARDS
back Of u.s. he said Somebody bet-l
ter fiji the pot
Without waiting to see whether hei
was obeyed or not. he pulled the clean1
ing rod from beneath the barrel or his
rife and thrust enc end Of 1t into the
FIRE He left ii there aud began cut
ting slices from a chunk of bacon
which he pulled from his haversack.
The men watched him duly and some
OF them commenced to clumslly imi-
tate him When the bacon was ready,
Burke drew the cleaning rod from the
flames and hammered the red-hot end
TO a point between two stones.
where's the water?' he demanded.
; Another private brought the slop-
ping pot, and Burke hung II above the
nre on a support OF poles He put In
the coffee, then impaed several slices
! Of bacon on the rod tilted II toward
the blaze and aai down to walt
AT the end OF wenty minutes OF un-
comfortable silence. during which
Burke pottered busily about the fire.
! he looked around ~ the six damp fig
Z ures with grin
Supper" he announced blithely.
Under the stimulus Of the food and
warmth the attitudes Of the men re-
8 laxed. Their faces cleared OF the
] frowns which the steady rain seemed
4 TO have furrowed ia their cheeks, But
3 when the meal was finished, and their
Q poorly lighted pipes sputtered unpleas-
9 antly IN the rain they hunehed up
< again In uncomfortable huddles about
4 the sizzling fire Burke looked at them
4 critically,
s what an unholy lot Of muts' he
! muttered, And they may have to
q fight tomorrow
\ He plucked six blades of grass. broke
4 them carefully into uneven lengths
Q and turned 10 the group
n w nat tHlS lDt hcnAAANA tho enAA
y soldier.
y washing dishes" explained Burke.
S The tall man waved him away in dis
gust.
"oh. shucksl" he snorted seornfully;
q throw 'em away! We're goin to fin
< lsh this war at one lick tomorrow.
2 an they'll be sendin' us silver plates
: from home"
p nuplo looked raineb
3 "In about six months" he said
3 drily. you'll be wishin you had some
j thing as good as that plate to eat OF.
Z Better draw"
The tail nan drew and the other
q four followed suit The short blade
o fell to BurSe He sighed, rolled up
Z his sleeves and went to work, while
!. the other men watched him in silence
: Through the trees he could see the
i glimmer of other fires. with the shad
/ owy figures of pacing sentries. the
2 glittering bayonets angling up from
their rifles The patter OF raindrops
grew less; Burke glanced up through
+ the branches and saw a single star.
j ITS quit rainin'." he announced
! "Now the guns won't stick in the
Z mud"
, is there goin' to he fightin' to-mor
I row2 the youngest soldier in the
. group asked anxiously. The other
= men looked az Burke and waited foI
him 10 answer He wiped a plate
4 carefully on a bunch of grass. set II
ona side and took the pipe from be