The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-10-05

country! He was being called, with the |
rest of his regiment, to oppose themi
There's been big doings In Washing |
ton tonight. Have you heard p
Nothing much
Well, we may get it; we probably |
are going TO; but they aren't to stick |
1t TO US for nothing like they did with |
the navy-poor devils"
Jim choked and swallowed. All the
evening he had been thinking OF Bob |
and Nellie. Was Bob killed, and did
Nellie know it yet? whats hap
pened In Washington Jim asked
They say Stones In absolute
charge"
the president calls out a million more
men tomorrow
HE don't call He orders. They're
going to draft by ages right away No
slackers here, if Stones bossingp'
The bugle blew again. Bugles an
swered all about.
'Say, what was that call?"
'sThat was assembly"
Twas not. You fool, they don't
blow assembly when they want
well, that's boots and saddles
they're blowing over there I'm the First
cavalry. I know that"
Hey, sergeant
Were TO get In line, boys-over
there; column foursv' the sergeant
suggested optimistically.
The confusion In the camp became
greater and greater. In the weeks
tireless, intensive drill Company f
all raw recruits except the officers and
sergeants and corporals who had been
promoted from the Third militia regi
ment-had only passably mastered
squad drill Form foursr' still
brought recruits tripping and tum-
bling, passable platoon evolutions by
daylight We're still in the future, and
now, In the dark of midnight, whole
battalion-four companies together
was expected to form and march to
the railroad station and keep from
getting mixed up with the other battaI-
ions OF the Twentieth and with I'M
counted battalions of other regiments,
not to speak Of the troops Of mounted
men who were ON the march at the
same time. There was great deal
OF swearing, and there was little light
to let any one witness just how bad
the formation was-and somehow the
battalion got started.
Some troupe travelling with usr'
the man marching at Jim's right com
mented. He was Paddy Kilbane, erst-
while shipping clerk and star In
fielder "A scout for the Cubs had recon-
mended him just before the Salem
located the regents fleet. If Kilbane
was In place, Jim was not, but neither
knew who was out of position. But the
fact that "Swedy'' Swenson marched
just behind caused Jim to suspect that
both himself and the Irishman be-
| longed elsewhere. Swenson was a
large, laconic man-until eight days
earlier janitor of an apartment build
ing-who possessed, as his reference
which he brought with him stated, a
| passion for orderliness and precision.
Kilbane continued "And they must
be requiring us bad to start us up so
| this time of the night Swedy, me
| bucko, it's rife we're marching with.
not mop, and we're pokin' me shins.
Put it over we're shoulder like a ball
bat; twill not drip on yer
Excuse, Mr. Kilbanew Swenson
obliged .sThat ben fire bell, hey?"
The battalion was leaving the park
and turning into Michigan avenue; an
order was shouted down the column;
the changing of a fire bell warned
every one in time how to interpret
the order The battalion sprang to
the side of the road and let the fire
engine and truck race by. The sky
| ahead and also to the west was glar-
| ing red In districts where no factory
chimneys should crimson the clouds,
| and distantly a shot and now a series
of rifle shots echoed out of one Of the
side streets. A number of handbills
were blowing down. the boulevard; as
they swirled under the street lamps
they showed great, red letters. Jim
Ashby and others of the soldiers
stopped and picked up some Of the
papers. Jim read as he passed the
next light:
Fellow Citizens-Further resistance
is useless. We are helpless! Let us
make terms before the men of our
army follow the men OF the navy to
death I'm useless Slaughter
Kilbane read 1t at the same time
and laughed $50 those are what
| they're plasterin' up everywhere
He jerked toward the windows Of
| shop which they were passing. A
large placard was pasted there with
the same red letters as the handbills.
Other placards appeared on other win
dows, upon mail boxes, pasted to the
| fronts of buildings and upon the
doors. 1t was plain that the agents
Of the prince had had them printed
| before the great naval battle, ready
to put up after the disaster.
Kilbane crumpled his bin and tossed
it away " IT'S too dispiritingi Cor
poral, dear, viii We be keepin' close
watch on Swenson there2 The enemy's
advertiser is maxim him melaneholic.
He's like to desert"
Arriving at the station. Company T
| followed Company z out on the plat
form beside the cars which had just
been cleared of the refugees. the
soldiers boarded the train. found seats
deposited rifles and packs, and-as the
train would not be ready to start for
some minutes many of tie men went
out to the PLATFORM asain watching
other trains arriving from the east and