Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-17

fort looking through his binoculars at
floating target two or three miles out at
On the BERN him a Captain
and another Second Lieutenant
talking. One of the post surgeons idly
watched two who working I
the open brecch block of ten-nch gun /.
in empacemcnt hard by defective
primer had refused either to explode f.
10 leave the vent of this gun wherein it II
seated. Then, as the two men fooled +
with IT. it suddenly did both.
One part OF this primer, about the size
Of half smoked cigar flew shrleklng <kasl
between the Captain and the Lieutenant -
with whom he talking. struck young 80
Jones thigh with a sckenng little spat, iN
and burrowed inward for eight inches, Il
turning round three times while doing 50, I
and tearing the muscles horribly The N
other Lieutenant, who stood nearest, u
caught his wounded friend eased him to
the ground, and Of course asked the usual 49,
foolish question.
"Are you hurt, old man. ~~g
Now, if Jones had stubbed his toe 0
bumped his head and then had been
asked such question by his chun, his -.
answer would have been frankly, not to
say brutaly, personal But now Jones
was badly hurt, MORALLY so, for aught he
knew, and that changed everything.
"Wel. Smithy, | can't deny that
know I'm hit" he replied pleasantly.
"Maybe you'd better send for doctor
ambulance somethlng-what
d'vou Think"
What Smith thought was that Jones
was behaving very well indeed, and that
he hoped that he, Smith, might behave
well IN like circumstances. his as
stined careessness quite the proper
thing, and what might have ex
pected from Jones. As for Jones sug
gestion of ambulance doctor,
Smith didn't have to think of them at all those things
were already attended to.
Even before poor Jones finished speaking, the Cap
tain found telephone can be found almost any
where, in little cupboards set into the concrete walls OF
those emplacements was franticay calling up the
post hospital The doctor who had been watching the
two men working on the gun ready with first-ad
nae q he nj
had thrust into his hand Other men running to
the wireless stations Of which there three within
few hundred feet, while still another sprinted away
bicycle that somebody else had left standing Of
fcers and men came hurryng from everywhere; among
them fat old Major, the acting Post Commandant.
The Major putting from his unaccustomed run.
His face usually of that ruddy hue which good living
will bring mems faces had turned pale. He cursed
softly and fuently and horribly-and quite
scously weat tennCh guns and all connected with
them he looked down at the young Lieutenant,
whom he liked who now had tainted. At that moment
Smith, who had been doing all he could to help the doc
tor, give place to stray hospital steward who
had been attracted by the crowd rs he rose the MAJOR
him.
smith" he called softly
Eyes Sir" replied Smith, saluting and also speaking
softly.
"fheres another target going out" said the Major.
"Jones was going with it. but you'll have to 60 now
fear.
Smith saluted again the Major, resonanty blowing
his handkerchief that he fished from the left
sleeve Of his blouse turned back to the spot where Jones
was lying With backward look at his unconscious
friend Smith started toward the quartcrastcrs wharf
where the tug to be found
well poor old Jonesy escaped that detail, anyway,
he remarked in passing 10 the Captain
And the Captain nodded sympathetically as Smith
sighed and went
THIS story, which IS founded fact, has Of ri-
part moral. The first part is this:
When that ambulance came 1t came on the jump.
The two mules that drew it running though for
their lives. Their negro driver standing IN order
efcctuay to swing his blacksnakc whip, and the
rens slack. Yet it did not arrive from its stable,
near end Of the line Of empacements for nearly