Evening star., 1913-03-02
BY SEWELL FORD

l.
Wify at the hotel mornin while he goes out for
little stroll; drifts down Newspaper Row. where the
red ink extras thick the street looks like
raspberry patch; follows the drum music up far as
City Hail. where the recruits are ben reviewed by the
King listens to the Greek substitute for "Ruhruhruh
Soak em! and the next thing he knows he's wavin his
lid and yelln' with the best of 'em.
1t must have stirred up of that old football
ghtin blood of his; for he organized reg lar cheern
section right there opposite to the royal stand and
whoopn things up like it was fourth down and two to
go the iveyard line when all of sudden pixies
Colonel something from the Kings staff and begins
poundn' Skid on the back geeful.
It's young Greek that used to be in his engineerin
class, back in the dear old college days He says Skds
just the he wants to come help him patch up the
railroad that the Turks have been putin the blink
as they dropped back towards headquarters. Would
he? Why him ben railroad construction expert of the
Corrugated this right in his line! Sure he would
And when Mrs. Mallory sees him again at unchtime
he's all costumed Major in the Greek army, and is
all He wan breathin out any idle gusts, either
He not only rebuilds their boomn old line bettern
new they rush soldiers and supplies to the 'front.'
but after the is all he springs his order book
the cover ment and lands such a whackn' big
tract for steel rails and grders that Old Hickory decides
to work day and night shifts in two more roln mills
Course since it was Mr.. Robert who helped me root
for Skid in the first place. he's tcked to DEATH and he
tells me confidential how they re gon' to get the d
rectors together at big banquet that evenn and have
reg lar ovefeast with Skid the head of the table,
TUST now finds Mr. Robert pumpin him for some of
> the details of his experience there, and after
lugs in atlas they sent out for, Skid point
something the map just naturally hangs around
with my stretched.
"Ah that's the place." says Skid, putin his finger
on a dot, "Mustapha! Well it was about six miles east
from there that had worst job. Talk about
messes! Those Turks may not know how to build
decent railroad, but believe they stars at wrecing
line thoroughly! At Mustapha they ripped up the
rails burned the tes and blown great holes in the road
bed with dynamite. But soon had dozen grading
gangs work that stretch and new bridges started
and then pushed on alone to what next.
"That was when | got nearest to the big noise Off
the hills the Turks pounding away with their
heavy guns, and anxious for look. kept going
and going; but couldn't find of people. Night
was Shutting in too and the first thing knew wasn't
anywhere in particular with nothing in sight but old
sheep pen. tried bun1ng there but it wasn't restfu
and before daylight / went wandering again. l
wanted to locate advance and get cup of coffee
"I must have gone couple of miles farther and it
was getting light, when most internal racket broke
loose not hundred yards ahead Really you know
thought I'd bundered into the midst of battle Then
in minute the noise let up, and the smoke blew away
and there, squatting behind machine gun up the
side of hill, lone Greek soldier Not another
soul in sight mind you: just this absurd, dirty smoke
stained person. calmly feeding another belt of cartridges
into his gun
"Hello!' saws 1. What the deuce are you doing
hereo - Holding the HILL Sir says he in good United
States. Not all alone? says l. He shrugs his shou-
ders at that. The others killed hurt says he
The Red Cross people took them all away last night
keep the hill. Where's the rest of the advance,
thought says 1. Il don't know, says he. And you
to say says l. you've been here all night with
the Turkish artillery hammering away at you?'-'They
they send infantry to drive me away many times See!
There come some Down there! Ah-r-r-r! You
will will you? And with that he turns loose his big
pepperbox a squad that