New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1916-07-21
WANTS TO FIGHT,
BUT IN AMERICA
James Bracy, Black, Of Ports.
mouth, Doesn't Care for
Foreign Legion.
SCRAPS AROUND H0LELO1
lent Afraid of the Germans, but
Wants to Battle With Them At
Home Where He Knows the
Country.
By FRED B. PITNEY.


yeT"
1t was a very ~plaintive query, in
deed, and l turned from the autOmO-
bile in which l had ridden into La
VallbOnne, the headquarters Of the for
eign legion, TO see a small and very
black negro in the uniform of the
French army watching me anxiously.
YES" l replied, 1--WE are Ameri'
ans. Are your"
"Yassuh," said the negro. j suis
American. Parlez-vous Anglais? All
comes f'om Po'tsmO'th, Virginia. Nah
name is James Bracy, sub. James
Bracy, B-r-a-c-y. Is yo' got dat name
right? Perhaps, yo' wants to write 1t
DOWN.
james was not martial. He was
feline. y" was like ii small kitten,
playing around, begging to be
scratched behind the ears.
How do you come to be hcreT'
asked.
deaux, wrastlin' hOsses," he replied,
AN when All got there, there wasn't
no way to git back, 20 All listed"
"IIow long ago was thatT"
Eight months. sub"
He Knows Norfolk.
Il suppose you know Norfolk,
James,"
"Norfolk? {" exclaimed James. "Why,
of c0'se All knows Norfolk. All comes
from Portsmouth,"
'And Old Point Comfort?"
"Suhf"
"Old Point Comfort, Chamerblain's
hotel, Fortress Monroe"
mo, sub. All don't know non Of
dem"
but if you come from Portsmouth
and know Norfolk. you must know Old
Point. It's only eight miles away"
"Aw-h," said James, "yOu means
Hampton Roads. Why, yassuh, All
knows Hampton Roads. All sailed out
tab Hampton Roads when All come
heah."
James crept a little closer, and be
came confidential. "DOes yO' all reck-
on America is gOin' to git into de
wahT" he asked.
"DO you want America to come in?'
I querled.
"Yassuh." he said eagerly. "Yassuh,
All suO' does want America to come
into dis heah wah."
"WhyY
Wants to Fight Germans.
"Cause," he replied, "ev'ybody rOun'
heah says if America comes in we all
Americans d be 'matically released
an could go home. An" he added,
pleadingly, "Ah sho' would like to
weah some clo'es again-some regular
clo'cs. Desc heah amt clo'es, rightly
speakin'. an All sho' would like to
wcah some clo'eS again. sub"
But don't you want to fight the
Germans, JamcsY" asked.
"Yassuh. yassuh," he said. "Yas-
sub, All wants TO fight de Germans.
But All wants to fight 'em at home.
All shO' wants TO lick de Germans to
a finish. But All want to do il in
de United States of America. AhSc
eager to fight de Germans. Dey amt
nobody mob eAger'n All am to fight
'em in Po'tsrno'th, Virginia, wheah All
knows de country an de people an
All can fight 'cm right"
"You must have had some expert
nee already. James" | said. "YoU
have been in the legion eight months !;
you must have done some S%crapping.'
ooh, yasSuh," he replied. "Ah done
right cnnSidahbul scrappin'."
"What part of the front have you
been toy ] asked.
Scraps Around a Whole Lot.
"Ah amt been to de front" he said.
"TIlcah's u couple of other fcllahs an
me scraps aroun' hcah "A whole lot.
Sometimes we wrastlcS an sometimes
we scraps, hut mostly we scraps"
We had gone TO La Vallbonne to see
the American members of the for
eign legion who were still at the depot,
and / asked James if we would see
him in the squad.
NJ, Suif- Dt SliN, al III L gum
to be in it."
"Why not?" asked.
"Ah hcahd yo' all was comm" he
explained, "and All went to Sergeant
BOuligny an All says to him, All says,
salutin' of co'se, sergeant All says.
when de gemmuns comes to see de
legion, Ahse ready, when yo' is. YO'
can call on me- All says.
But Sergeant Bouligny from
New Orleans, an he looked at me an
he says, we don't need YOU he says,
an he turned 'roun' an walked away.
All reckon it's cause Aim cullud, so
An come ovah heah to ask yo If 20
all thinks Mistuh Wilson is goin' to do
anything bout de wah SO we all can