Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1918-11-21

ever seen. Our people cali him TEL
Dsmonio'r'
O'Reilly jerked his head toward the
Cuban. you sees He's made the hit
of his life. and yet he resents it. My
nerves are frayed out. I've argued my
self hoarse, but he misconstrues every
thing / say. / wish you'd convince him
that he has a chance to get well; 1t
might alter his disposition. If some
thing doesn't alter it I'll be court-mar-
tailed for shooting man in his sleep
and III hit him right in the middle, no
matter how slim he is" 0'Reilly COM
pressed his lips firmly.
The assistant, who had finished roll
ing his cigar, now lighted 1t and re-
peated: Eyes. sir, Meester Branch Is
the bravest man ever seen. You re-
member that first battle, Ell? Those
Spaniards seen him comm and threw
down their guns and beat 1t. laugh
to skill myself that day."
Jacket was at once the youngest
and the most profane member of Colo
mel Lopez's entire command. The most
shocking oaths fell from his beard
less lips whenever he opened them TO
speak English, and O'Reilly's efforts to
break the boy of the habit proved quite
unavailing.
This Camagueyan boy was char
acter. He was perhaps sixteen. and
small for his age-a mere child, IN
fact. Nevertheless, he was a seasoned
veteran, and his American camp-mates
had grown exceedingly fond of him. He
was pretty. graceful youngster; his
eyes were large and soft and dark; his
face was as sensitive and mobile as
that of girl: and yet, despite his
youth, he had won reputation for
daring and ferocity quite as notable in
Its way as was the renown OF Leslie
Branch.
In order to expand his knowledge OF
English-of which. by the way, he was
Unfortunately proud-Jacket had volun-
teered to serve as O'Reilly's striker,
and the result had been fast friend
ship. 1t was O'Reilly who had given
4 the boy his nickname-a name
prompted by marked eccentricity, for
although Jacket possessed the two gar.
ments which constituted the ordinary
insurrecto uniform, he made prac'
tice Of wearing only one. On chilly
nights, or on formal occasions, he
wore both waistcoat and trousers, but
at other times he dispensed entirely
with the latter, and his legs weni
naked. They were naked now, as, witt
the modesty of complete unconscious
ness. he squatted in the shade, putting
d thoughtfully at his giant cheroot.
r Once jackets mind was fastened
e upon any subject, it remained there
b and after a time he continued:
It sDid told you about that battle O
e Pine Bravo? EhY' He turned his biz
l. brown eyes upward to O'Reilly. "Cris
toll I skill more'n dozen men tina
q day p
q 'Tt was hot scrimmage," Judson at
5 tested. "Some Of Luque's niggers, thos
r tall lean. hungry fellows from SAINT
g ago, managed to hack their wa,
Is through a wire fence and get behind
detachment of the enemy who ha'
1t made a stand under hill. The
It charged, and for a wonder they go
r close enough to use their machetes.
l. was bloody work-the kind you rea
al about-no quarter. Somehow JACKIE
d managed to be right in the middle Q
y the butchery. He's a bravo kid, al
le right. Muy malop'
"a At that moment Branch approached
10 his long face set In lines of disconten
II even deeper than usual. He had bee
In ana n
u his restless fits, and now he began:
r, "Say, what do you think I've bee
d doing? I'VE been looking up some CRU
"a for Miss Evans, and can't find any
le "Can't find anyf'
u Nothing at for her to eat. 70
e. don't expect her to live on this infel
le nal, eternal beef stew"
y Didn't Major Ramos bring anythin
Is along?' O'Reilly asked.
ID ''He says there's a famine at Cub
y, tas'
WED better look into this" Judso
IN exclaimed, and, finding that his clothe
Is were dry, he hurriedly began to dres
Il himself
Id Together, the three men made an II
It. yestigation of the camps resources
he only to discover that Branch was RICH
ne There was, indeed. but little food c
any kind, and that little was OF tn
2; coarsest Ordinarily, such conditio
Is of affairs would have occasioned thel
lg no surprise. for the men were becomin
v accustomed to more or less chroni
r. scarcity of provisions but the pre-
at ence Of Norine Evans put quite di
ID ferent complexion upon the matte
ne They were still discussing the situatio
n when Miss Evans. having finished he
Id afternoon nap, threw open the flaps {
IS her tent and stepped out.
ty When she had listened to the a.
s. count alphabetically submitted by he
n, three friends, she drew her brows t.
g, gether, saying, plaintively: "Oh dear
TT We've been going short for a weel
Id and Major Ramos told ME we'd fal