Evening star., 1918-07-07


syivania avenue and asked the writer
conversation.
Then we took seats In the shadow
Of old Ben Franklin's statue and talk
ed of war and U-boats, and how the
marines were chewing 'em up when
ever they got fair show at the
enemy. The soldier confided that his
outfit had been trained to razor
edge, and was ripe and ready. and
"the fellers were all crazy to go over
there and help pack hell so full OF
Heinies the lid won't go on tight"
+
II don't look on 'em as human
bein's." he continued. helping him
self to my cigarettes. They amt
they're jest crazy beasts; like mad
dogs. and got to be dealt with that
way. There amt good one in the
whole kit an bilin' of 'em-except the
here priz-ner business, neither. I
know they amt never going to make
no prix-ner outer me. as long as I
can feed lead pills into 'em. or use
that persuader on the end of my gun,
and don't want to be bothered with
none Of them, neither.
'.The only way to bring that coun-
try to its senses is to kill 'em Off
thin s'em down to a powerful thin
stand. The more of 'em we kill the
quicker this here business will be
over with. And believe me, I am
shore goin' to do my level bestw
He wore an expert rifieman's medal.
They may get your"
Maybe. but hope It won't be until
I get to draw q bead on a few of
tAem baby-killera. Them that lines
my sights on is sure my meat. They
won't never shoot up no more hospi-
tails. nor fve or six Of EN- hold one
Of our captured boys an cut his
throat like a pig. nor mistreat no
more women and children. Just lemme
get my share of 'em an then. II it's
my time to go. I'll go without q
-oh. II I knowed I'd put the lights
out for fifty or more, I'd count 1t
toller'ble fair work. Nothin' less than
nfty,. though" he added. judicially.
That would be mighty good work."
/ encouraged.
mind 50 much II I got mine.' But the
thing I hate to think of. Is coming
back here all crippled up an being q
burden on my folks, or else standin'
around on street corners and whinin'
at people to buy galluses. or shoe
squakkin' balloons and such trashy
nick-nacks. I'd ruther be dead.
whole lot ruther!"
~
( The government won't allow any
thing like that" assured him. "You'n
get your pension. and what Is more.
you will be re-educated so you can
actually do real work at q real mans
pay. Very likely you will make more
than you ever did before in your
life"
''Say. now. is that on the levei?" he
inquired eagerly.
"Surest thing you know"
well, that's the way most of us
fellers feels-jes like 1 do. We amt
a-skeered Of dyin'-not a bit, but
we jest nacheraily breads being made
sure enough so? And what could l
do?" he added with a note of sus-
picion. ''S'posin' I come back here
with one of my legs gomez"
what have you been doing for
living before you went in the Army?"
gettin' out cord wood and crossties
in winter time, down in- east Ten
Messy"
"Why, you would probably be in
duced to study tractor operating. Some
way could perhaps be worked out SO
you could own your own machine.
You could do your own plowing and
cultivating the crops with it, and con-
tract for plowing and crop working
for your neighbors. You could con-
tract for a section of public road to
take over and keep in order with
scraper and drag and roller, all
worked by your machine.
You could get small portable
grist mill and use the fly wheel for
power and make good income grind
ing corn and wheat In the locahty.
You could rig up a little portable
stovewood and double its value. You
could trim up your crossties with 1t.
You could supply power for thresh-
er, or for operating well boring ma
chinery, or running peanut threshlng
outfits, or running shredder to NIL
silos with.
X =
His eyes were wide and he was
plain. incredulous.
-Inat SOUNDS powerful fine. but 1
Cont believe it can he did" he re-
Aected.
up in Canada, where they have
had this kind of work for about three
years, farm chaps like you, who never
made over $40 a month at the out
side, are operating tractors and
making 500 a month
well, now. is that fact?' he
exclaimed, wonderinglS. Then he did
some heavy and rapid thinking. 1t