The Washington herald., 1915-10-10
0. HENRYS MASTERPIECES [73@ The Moment Of Victory


my hip-pocket. and showed him an item. 1t
was half column about the marriage of Myra
Allison and Joe Cranberry.
Willie laughed. and saw hadn't touched
him.
''''Oh.' says he. Everybody knew that was
going to happen. heard about that week
ago. And then he gave me the laugh again.
All right says l. Then why do you so
recklessl sly chase the bright rainbow of fame? !?
Do you expect to be elected President. or do
you belong to suicide club?'
And then Captain Sam interferes.
You gentlemen quit jawing and go back
to your quarters. says he, or I'll have you es-
corted to the guardhouse. Now, scat, both of
you! Before you go. which one of you has got
any chewing tobacco?
We're off. Sam says-I It's supper time,
anyhow. But what do you think of what we
was talking about? I've noticed you throwing
out good many graphing hooks for this here
balloon called fame What's ambition. any
how? What does a man risk his life day after
day for9 Do you know of anything he gets
in the end that can pay him for the trouble?
] want to go back home says l. | don't care
whether Cuba sinks or swims. and don't give
a pipeful of rabbit tobacco whether Queen
Sophia Christina or Charlie Cu!berson rules
these fairy isles; and don't want my name on
any list except the list Of survivors, But I've
noticed you Sam says |, seeking the bubble
notorlely in The cannon's larynx number of
times. Now, what do you do it for? Is it am
bltion. business, or some freckle-faced Phoebe
at home that you are hercing for?'
We'll. Ben,' says Sam, kind of hefting his
sword out from between his knees, as your SUI
perior officer could court-martal you for at
tempted cowardce and desertion But won't
And I'll tell you why I'm trying for promotion
and the usual honors of war and conquest A
major gets more pay than captain. and need
the money.
Correct for you!' says | I can under
stand that. Your system of fsme-seeking is
rooted in the deepest soil of PATRIOTISM But
can't comprehend says |, why Willie Robbins.
whose folks at home are well off, and who used
to be as meek and undesirous of notice as a cat
with cream on his whlskers. should all at once
develop into a warrior bold with the most fire.
case seems to have been eliminated by mar
rage to another fellow reckon. says |, its
plain case of Just common ambition. He wants
his name, maybe, to go laundering down the
coroners of time. 1t must be that.
We'll, without itemizing his deeds Willie
sure made good as hero. He simply spent
most of his time on his knees begging our cap
tain 10 send him on fororn hopes and dangerous
scouting expeditions In every fight he was the
first man to mix it at close quarters with the Don
Alfonsos. He got three or four bullets planted
IN various parts of his autonomy Once he
went off with detail of eight men and cap
tured a whole company of Spanish. He kept
Captain Floyd busy writing out recommended
lions of his bravery to send in to headquarters
and he began to accumu ate medals for all
kinds of things-h heroism and target-shooting
and valor and tactics and unnsubordination.
and all the little accomplishments that look good
to the third assistant secretaries of the War
Department.
Finally, Cap Floyd got promoted to be
major general. or knight commander of the
main herd. or something like that He pounded
around OF a white horse. all desecra,ed up with
gold-leaf and hen-feathers and Good Temp
lars hat, and wasn't allowed by the regulations
to speak to us. And Willie Robbins was made
captain of our company.
And maybe he didn't go after the wreath of
fame then! As far as could see it was him
that ended the war. He got eighteen of us
boys-friends of his. too-kiIled in battles that
he stirred up himself. and that didn't seem to me
necessary at ALL One night he took twelve of
us and waded through little rill about hun
dred and ninety yards wide, and climbed cou-
pie of mountains. and sneaked through mile
of neglected shrubbery and couple of rock
quarries and into rye-straw village. and Cap
tured Spanish general named, as they said
Benny Veedus. Benny seemed to me hardly
worth the trouble, being blackish man with
ont shoes or cuffs and anxio,s tn surrender AND