The Washington herald., 1915-08-29

cherish his memory and be ready to die
for liberty whenever occasion requires
story of Gen. Putnam and the wolf. He,
with others. tracked a savage wolf to
her den. Our picture shows the general
coming up just as the wolf is entering
her den. There were dozen other men
in the pursuit and they said it would
be death to follow the wolf any further.
Who talks of DEATH demanded Put
nam in a voice of thunder Stand aside
and will go and enter the den
Beware; she will devour you
have made up my. mind and moth
ing will change it. "
And while the timorous men drew
back with pale faces. Israel Putnam
cody descended the path and was soon
at the mouth of the den. The growls of
the wolf caused most of the men to
draw away, but Putnam looked up with
a smile and then calmly and deliberately
crawled into the lair of the ferocious
beast The struggle was short As she
dashed forward to attack him he fired
and killed her dead, and amidst the
greatest enthusiasm he reappeared drag
ging her dead body after him. When the
people gathered around him and called
him hero the young man raised his
hand for silence and said:
1t was nothing. but if you would be
free you must shoulder your musket and
march in search of tyrants.'
We will! We will" they cried and
a few brief years later America was
free
You have read the story of Valley
Forge and its dark days. When Wash
ington went into winter quarters at VAL
lev Forge. the patriot army was in rags,
unpaid. discouraged and almost ready to
disband. AS the cold became more in
tense the suffering was awful, and as the
barefooted men walked about in the
snow they left tracks of blood. There
were days and days when the only ra-
tions served out were frozen turnips and
cornmeal and night of SOL
diers were frost-bitten under their
blankets. Washington witnessed the
daily suffering. but was powerless to pre-
vent it. At length when human nature
could endure no more. a private soldier
appeared before the great general and
said:
You live on roast turkey while We
starve on frozen turnips. If you do not
divide with US We will not stay in camp
a day longer
My friend replied Washington. as
tears came to his eyes, I will gladly di-
vide my turkey with you. Here is your
portion
And he handed him piece of slippery
elm which he had been chewing for
week past to ward off the pangs of hun
ger. When the soldier saw that the
great commander had suffered most of
all he humbly craved his pardon for the
mutinous talk. and going back to his
comrades. he said; ~
will follow me?'
And a thousand men followed him.
and he led them against the British and
won such a great victory that no one
longer doubted that freedom would be
ours.
While Gen. Washington was out for
walk one winters day during the gloom
lest period of the American Revolution
he came upon a wagon stuck fast in the
mud The driver was beating his poor
oxen and indulging in such profanity
that the great and good Washington was
for the moment astonished to helpless
ness Then he spranS forward. his eyes
blazing with anger, and his lips COM
pressed and catching the descending whir
before it could strike again he cried out:
Stop; sir-stop. You are unworth,
And who are you that you dare to
interfere with me?' demanded the driver
in menacing tones.
u am George Washington. com
order you out of our lines at once
Il don't believe you are Washing
ON and 1 won't go,'
1nhuman scoundrel" hissed the
great general as he caught the driver !
oy the throat and threw him to the |
Earth. And then paying no attention to |
he dazed and PROSTATE man, he pick !
Wiling beasts. and moment later
hey had the wagon and its load on
irm ground A number of soldiers had !
,ome up by this time and they ran
o arrest the cruel-hearted driver but |
stopped them with a ges-
ure and said:
Let him go. hut let this be les
n profanity. and no man who desires
he freedom of these colonies can aid
is TO secure it by pounding a dumb
tnimal.
Then the soldiers cheered and
heered aRd went at it and licked
he British and we were free.