The Red Cloud chief., 1922-04-06
CHAPTER I.

When Johnnie comes marching home
v.,' -sa'1 s'11 1hS.r.nl Hu,.aA. A!.,..,. 49,,
Hurrasl HurraSi
The men with cheers. the boys with
The ladies' they will all turn out,
And wc'n all feel gay, when Johnnie
comes marching home againi
The old man and the little boy, his
grandson, sat together in the shade Of
the big walnut tree in the front yard,
watching the Decoration Day Pa
rade," as II passed up the long street;
and when the last Of the veterans was
out Of sight the grandfather MUIR
INJURED the words Of the tune that came
drifting back from the now distant
band at the head Of the procession.
did you, Grandpa7" the boy asked.
"Did what"
"Dld you oil feel gay when the army
got homer"
1T didn't get home all at once. pre-
clsely," the grandfather explained.
"When the war was over suppose we
felt relieved. more than anything else"
"You didn't feel SO gay when the
war was, though, I guessl' the boy
ventured.
IL guess we didn't"
"Were you scared, Grandpaf Were
you ever scared the Johnnies would
winT
mo. We weren't ever afraid of
that"
y..Il arA.l
self, Grandpa1 mean when you were
in battle"
"Oh. yes; was." The old man
laughed. Scared aplentyw
II don't see why" the boy said
promptly. II wouldn't be scared In
battle"
wouldn't your
"'Course not Grandpa, why don't
you march In the Decoration Day pa
rade? Wouldn't they let your"
"I'm not able to march any more.
Too short of breath and too shaky In
the legs and too blind"
II wouldn't care" said the boy. "Td
be In the parade anyway. II I was you.
If I'd been In your place, Grandpa. and
they'd let me be in that parade. I'd
been right up by the band. Look,
Grandpnl Watch me, Grandpal This
is the way I'd be. Grandpa"
He rose from the garden bench
where they sat, and gave q complex
imitation Of what had most appealed
10 him as the grandeurs Of the pro-
cession. his prancing legs Stimulating
those OF the horse Of the grand mar
shal, while his upper parts rendered
the drums and bugles Of the band, as
well as the officers and prlvates Of the
militia company which had been fea-
ture Of the parade. The only thing
he left out was the detachment of
veterans
"Putty-boom! Putty-boom! Putty
bOom-boom- -bOoml" he vociferated, as
the drums-and then as the bugles:
eta. tn. ra, taraw He addressed his
restive legs: "Whoa, there. you
Whiteyl Geel Haw! Git up" Then,
waving an imaginary sword:. "Col-
lumn right! Farwud marchl Halt |
Garry harms" He carried arms"
"Show-dler harms! I" He "shouldered
arms" and returned to his seat.
"That'd be me. Grandpa. That's the
way I'd do" And as the grandfather
nodded, seeming to agree. a thought
recently dismissed returned to the
mind Of the composite procession and
he asked:
"Well, why weren't you ever afraid
the Johnnies would whip the Unions
Grandpa7"
"Oh, we knew they couldn't"
II guess so." The little boy laughed
disdainfully. thinking his question sat
isfactorily answered. II guess those
ole Johnnies couldn't whipped a flea
They didn't know how to fght any at
all, did they. Grandpa7"
'Oh. yes. they dbl"
'Whatf" The boy was astounded.
: "weren't they all just reg'lar ole cow
ards. Grandpar
"No," said the grandfather. "They
were pretty nne soldiers"
sThey weref Well, they ran away
whenever you began shootin' at 'em,
didn't theyr'
.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. GrandpaT
"No."
The boys forehead. customarily va
cant. showed some little vertical
shadows. produced by Q struggle to
think. "Well. but" he began slowly.
pListen, Grandpa. listen hersf You
paid--you said you never got scared
Inc ole Johnnies were goin' to win."