The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-03-09
opyrioht ,bv Doubleday. Paqe SCompony.

They didn't know how to fight alsy at
oil. did they, Grandpa?'
"Oh, yes, they did,"
"WhatY The boy was ast0unded.
Weren't they all just regular ole cow
ards, Grandpa?"
mo-" said the grandfather. "They
were pretty fine soldiers"
"They were? Well, they ran away
whenever you began shootin' at 'em.
didn't theyY
Sometimes they did, but most times
they didn't. Sometimes they fought
like wildcats-and sometimes we were
the ones, that ran away"
"But the Johnnies were bad men,
weren't they, GrandpaY'
mo"
The BOYS forehead, customarily va
cant, showed some little vertical
shadows, produced by struggle to
think. swell, but" he began slowly.
Listen, Grandpa, listen here! You
said-you said you never got scared
the ole Johnnies were goin' to win" sd
"They did win pretty often,"' said
the grandfather. "They won good
many battles" ''
Il mean, you said you never got
scared they'd win the war;"
mo, we were never afraid Of that"
"Well, but If they were good men
and fought like wildcats, Grandpa,
and KEEP winning battles and every
thing, how could that be? How could
you help bein' scared they'd win the
WARP"
The grandfather's feeble eyes twin
killed. brightly. "Why, we knew they
couldn't, Ramsey"
| At this, the little vertical shadows
on Ramsey's forehead became more
pronounced, for he had succeeded In
thinking. swell, they didn't know they
couldn't, did they" he argued. '"They
thought they were goin' to win, didn't
theyT .~
"Yes; l guess they did. But you
see they were wrong"
well, but" Ramsey struggled.
Listen! Listen here, Grandpa Well,
anyway, IL they never got scared we'd
win, and nobody got scared they'd win
well, I don't see"
"You don't see what?"
But Ramsey found himself unable
to continue his concentration. "Oh,
nothin' much" he murmured.
Il see." And his grandfather laughed
again. "You mean: II the Johnnies
felt just as sure Of winning the war
as we did and kept winning battles.
why shouldn't we ever have had any
doubts we were going to VIM That's
It, isn't IT."
II guess SO, Grandpa"
"Well, ! think 1t was mostly because
we were certain that we were right
II see" said Ramsey. "The Johnnies
knew they were on the side Of the
devil" But at this, the grandfather
laugh was louder than 1t had been be.
fore. and Ramsey looked hurt. "Well,
you can laugh If you want to!" he
objected in an aggrieved voice. ANY.
way, the Sunday school Superintendent
told us when people knew they were
on the DEVILS side they always"
II dare say, I dare say" the old 'nan
interrupted, little impatiently. But
In this world mighty few people think
they're on the DEVILS side, Ramsey
The South thought the devil was on
our side, you see."
"Well, that kind O. mixes it all up
more'n ever"
Suppose you look at it this way
The South was fighting for what II
believed to be Its right to be coun.
try by itself; but we were fighting fol
Liberty and Union, now and forever
one and inseparable.' There's the rea.
son we had the certain knowledge that
we were going to win the war. How
plain and simple 1t is!' 5sl
Ramsey didn't think so. He had be.
gun to feel bored by the conversation
and to undergo the oppression he US
ually suffered in school. The earnes,
/ old voice of the veteran was only a
sound in the boys ears.
! Boom" The veterans, had begun
/ to fire their cannon on the crest Of the
low hill, out at the cemetery !; and from
! a little way down the street came the
rat;atat Of a toy drum and sounds Of
q fife. played execrably. A file Of chill
dren in cooked hats made Of newspa.
pers, came marching Importantly up
the sidewalk under the maple shade
trees; and In advance, upon veloci
pede, rode a tin-sworded, parsonage
shrieking incessant commands but moi
concerning himself with whether OF
not any military obedience was there
by obtained. Here was a revivifyina
effect upon young Ramsey; his slug
gard eyelids opened electrically; he
leaped to his feet and, abandoning bis
grandfather without preface or apollo
! gy, sped across the lawn and out Of
the gate, charging headlong upon the
commander Of the company.
."You get of that 'locipede, Wesley
Benderr he beloved. "You gimme
that sword! What rights you got to 6
bein' captain o. my army. I'd like to
4 know! Who got up this army. in the
first place, I'd like to know! ! did
myself, yesterd'y afternoon. and you
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