Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-16


n Montauk Point after the Span
ish-American war. which is
not generally known.
IN order to tell it SO that those
not in the Army will understand T
VIII nave to give brief description
OF the way the camp was laid ont
headquarters with the colonel's tent
next TO 1t was situated near the CEN
ter with the officers tents on either
side. The hospital and medical off,
GERS tents were opposite, but some
distance away. At the end of each
company street was a sink where all
refuse and rubbish was thrown and
which was filled up and a new one
dug every few days.
one morning broken bits of dia
logue came to us at the hospital some
what as follows:
Il tell you he was captured in Ari-
IONA. I was there and 1 know what
am talking about. The boys got
him at night when he was roasting
just on the edge of the desert and
decided to present him to the colonel
from Arizona"
Nothing doing. 1t was in New Mex
leo he was took. Don't I know? Me
brother was one Of the fellows that
got him. He is only young bird,
If he is SO big land he amt done much
flying vet"
Il tell you he was flying. and flying
high,>too. in Arizona, and the only
way he was captured was because a
guy roped him when he was asleep.
Threw a rope and caught him by
the feet"
What you givin' us? Who ever
herd Of lassoing a eagle bird? That
cuckoo amt no steer"
Maybe not but that's the way he
was caught, all right"
Perhaps they put salt on his tail.
Humph. you're off your base. A guy
in New Mexico got him out of the nest
when he was young and brought him
up by hand"
mo such thing; he is the good luck
bird from Arizona"
II tell you 'twere New Mexico he
halls FROM"
"Arizona!"
New Mexico"
You're -"
you're another"
Biff! Bang!
The fight was on. Queensbury rules
were not followed. 1t was not case
of lie box" as the French say. but just
a good old-fashioned scrap" First
one, then the other seemed to be win
ming. The boys came rushing out
from all sides. The officers were evil
IDENTIFY very much occupied elsewhere.
though head could be seen every
once in a while peeping out Of
tent, but they did not interrupt; In
fact, 1t was accepted in that regiment
that q good fight often cleared the
atmosphere and unless they were too
rough usually they were not inter-
rupted.
The men continued to rain blows
upon one another. gradually moving
nearer the cook tent and the sink.
A final blow sent one of them over
into the hole, and the blow that sent
him there was so hard that his an
tagonist could not recover his bal
ance, SO they both rolled into tho
sink.
A howl went up from the assembled
The scrappers crawled
out on their hands and knees and
of all repentant, sorrowful Hooking
objects they were the worst.
Bits of refuse Of all kinds were hang
inf from their clothing; a wishbone
was coyly perched on Bits collar
and the head Of a fish protruded from
Joe's watch pocket.
Joe had gone down In the mess.
and Bill, trying to extricate himself.
had rolled over and also sunk. There
was little to choose between them;
both were In bad state.
Joe's hair had apparently turned
green. as a lot OF carrot tops had
found Judgment among his thick
locks. Long streamers Of potato par
ings followed them both, ana every
sort and kind OF food was splashed
and draped about them.
The battle, however, was over; there
was no more fight left In tho mon
for many long day. being the only
woman In the camp, I was requested
to retire into the hospital ana not 10
come out until told all was safe.
Later I was informed that Il took