Evening star., 1918-02-10

he said. You're quite q man Of arms
yourself. for a half portion"
not quite sure that he understood.
for little fellow"
49,. Hell; ss. ye'r agreed the youth Il
Better look out that some big Span
lard doesn't carry you OF in his pocket
and eat you." O'Reilly warned; at
which the boy grinned and shook his
toned to the American habit Of banter.
and was beginning to like it.
Jacket would make bitter mouth
full" Judson ventured.
The lad smiled gently and drew on
his huge cigar. You betcher life.
That -- spaniard would spit me
out quick enough"
This Camagueyan boy was character.
He was perhaps sixteen. and small for
his age-a mere child. in fact. Never
theleSs. he was a seasoned veteran, and
his American camp mates had grown
exceedingly fond of him. He was a
pretty, graceful youngster; his eyes
were large and soft and dark; his face
was as sensitive and mobile as that
Of a girl; and yet. despite his youth, he
had won a reputation for daring and
ferocity quite as notable in It's way as
was the renown Of Leslie Branch.
There were many of these immature
soldier among the insurrectos. and
most Of them were In some way dis
tinguished for valor War. it seems.
fattens upon the tenderest Of foods. and
every army has its boys-its wondrous.
well beloved infants, whom their older
comrades tease, torment and idolize.
Impetuous. drunk with youth and keep
ing no company with care. they form
the very aristocracy Of fighting forces.
They gayly undertake the maddest Of
adventures: and by their examples they
FIRE the courage of their maturer COM
rades- All history is spiced with their
exploits
Jacket was one of these, and he was
perhaps the truest patriot of any soldier
him. was not mere abstraction or q
principle. but something real. tangible,
alive-something worthy of the highest
sacrifice. In his person all the wrongs
Of Cuba burned perpetually; It mat
tered not that he himself had never
suffered-his spirit was the spirit Of his
country, pure, exalted, undeflled. He
stood for what the others fought for.
In order to expand his knowledge of
Engliah-of which. by the way. he was
inordinately proud-Jacket had volun-
teered to serve as O'Reilly's striker, and
the result had been a fast friendship.
1t was O'Reilly who had given the boy
his nickname name prompted by
marked eccentricity. for although Jacket
possessed the two garments which con-
stituted the ordinary insurrecto uni
form, he made a practice Of wearing
occasions he wore both waistcoat and
trousers. but at other times he dis
pensed entirely with the latter. and his
legs went naked. They were naked
now. as. with the modesty of complete
Inconsistencies, he squatted in the
shade. putting thoughtfully at his giant
cheroot.
Once Jackets mind was fastened upon
any subject 1t remained there, and after
time he continued:
Yes. I bet I don't taste good to no
Spanfard. Did told you about that
battle OF Pine Bravo? Eh?' He turned
his big brown eyes upward to o'Reilly.
"Cristo! I skill more'n a dozen men
that day."
''Oh. Jacket" the Americans cried.
You monstrous little 1iar!' commented
O'Reilly.
Isl. senors" the boy went on. COM
placently. That day I skill more'n six
them from behind and they don't see
us. Phui! We skill plenty. all right"
TT was q hot scrimmage," Judson
attested. Some of Luque's nisgers.
Santiago. managed to hack their way
through a wire fence and get behind a
detachment of the enemy who had
made a stand under a hill. They
close enough to use their machetes. 1t
was bloody work-the kind you read
about-no quarter. Somehow Jacket
managed to be right in the middle Of
right. Muy ma1oI"
There was a moments silence, then
Judson continued: Funny thing hap
pened afterward. though. Jacket had
and he got scared 81 the dark We
heard him squa1ling and screaming"
Jacket started to his feet. That's a
dam dam ne" he, he e. exclaimed; med; resentfuily'
Didn't you holler till you woke the
whole campT
II amt scared Of no dark" the boy
repeated; but his pride. his complacency.
toes into the dirt: in his eyes were
tears of modification. His cigar had
evidently become tasteless, for he re-
moved it from his lips and gazed at it
indinerently.
Did you cry?" oReil1y smiled; and
the lad nodded reluctantly.
Did }haIsse he cry" Judson o,.s echoed. se why;
the bss Thele camp PIN in an srouP,s uProa a.kt
Tt was@' The boys smooth
brown cheeks paled, and his moist eyes
dilated at the memory. II amt scared
al alive any but1rs disrent anlaro whee Teen hes hes
dead. could see dead ones everywherew
He shuddered involuntarily. They
fetched me to Gen: Gomez and
him what seen in the dark he say I
don't have to go back there no more.
He let me go to sleep 'longside of his
hammock. and bimeby I quit cryin'. I
amt never stood no picket duty since
that night. / won't do it,
1t was plain that discussion Of this
unhappy subject was deeply distasteful
to the youthful hero Of Pine Bravo, for
he edged away, and moment later
disappeared.
Queer little youngster." Capt Jud-
you.'
oReilly nodded. YES, poor little kid.
wonder what will become of him after
the war? After the war; he unused.
Il wonder II 1t will ever end"
'.Humph!- II we had more generals
like Gomez and Garcia and Maceo-"
We've got three better generals than
they"
Generals June, July and August"
"Oh. yes!" The artilleryman nodded
his understanding. There's no end of
yellow-Jack among the Spaniards.
Speaking Of that, what do you think
OF Miss Evans work in the field hos
pitals?"
Judson shifted his weight so that his
eyes could rest upon a white tent which
showed through the greenery at a dis
tance; II was the one tent in all the
encampment, and 1t had been erected
that very morning to shelter Norine
Evans, but just arrived from headauar-
ters in the Cubitas hills. The captain,
lids were half closed; his heavy. homely
race was SOftaned bv a macmillan 70 n+