Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 19??-1918, 1918-08-16

put me TO work right away. We went
over 10 one Of the barracks. where q
case Of sickness had been reported.
and found that the invalid was big
Barbadoes negro named Jim. q fire.
man from the Yoltnirc. At one time
Jim must have weighed 250 pounds.
but by this time he was about two
pounds lighter thnn a straw hat. but
still black aud full OF pep. Light M
he was. I was no "whlic hope" and II
wns all I could do 10 cnrry him 10 the
hospital. swntts kept right along be-
hind me, aud every time would stop
to rest, he would poke lie with
broom--the only broom saw In Ger.
mnny---nnd laugh and point to his eur.
Then thought II was frameup
and that he was getting even with me,
but wns In for II then, and the best
I could do was 20 go through with II.
but l was all In when we reached the
hospital. The first thing / spw when
we got In the door was another negro.
also from Barbndocs, and as tall and
thin as Jim had once been short and
fat. This black boy and made a
great team. but I never knew what
his name was. always called him
Kate. because night and day he was
whIstlng the old song. kate. Kate.
Meet Me nt the Garden gate" or words
TO that effect. have walked up many
n night and heard that whistle just
about at the same place ms when had
fallen asleep. II would not have been
so bad II he hnd known all Of II.
1 ! took Swatts' broom and cleaned
up. and then nsked where the coal or
wood was. This got n great laugh. II
wns quite humorous TO the men who
had shivcred there for weeks. maybe.
but 10 me II was about as funny as n
cry for help. ] got wood though. be-
fore l had been there long.
There was great big cupboard
That looked more like n small house,
built against the wall OF the hospital
barracks IN one corner Of the room
and not fur from the stove. Kate was
the only patient able to be on his feet,
no | thought he would have 10 be my
chief cook aud bottle washer for q
while; and, besides. there was some.
thing about him that made him look
pretty valuable. had not recognized
his whlstling yet. so slim looked to be
the right name for him.
"SlIm. what's that big cupboard
fori"
How'd I known Nuthin' In It."
"Sllm. TINT would make fine boz
for coal or wood. wouldn't III"
"Um. whar de conl an woodY"
II I'm going out and take observa
tions, slim. Take the wheel while I'm
gone. and keep your eye peeled fol
U.boats." SO / sncaked out the door
and began looking around.
II you look ut the sketch I have
mnde, II will not take you long to see
that next to us was vacated Russian
barracks. And It did not take me
much longer TO see II, too. Back to
the hospital and Slim.
"Sllm. what barracks are next to
us2"
Russian burrucks. only dey amt
dere now. Been Sick"
"And you mean to tell me you don't
know where to get woodf"
"Sick men been In dem burrucks."
"Sick men here. aren't there2 Let's
CO."
That did the trick. The black boy
would watch from the hospital win,
dows until he saw the const was clear
then we would slip into the barracks
next door, and he would watch again
When there was no sentry near
enough to hear US, crash! and out
would come dividing board from the
hunks. When we. had an armful
apiece. and had broken them up to the
right lengths, all we needed was a lit,
tie more watching, and then back Ia
the hospital and the big cupboard
4 | .