Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1922-01-27


ards, Grnndpu2"
NO." said the grandfather, "Thcy
were pretty fine soldiers"
"rhey were2 Well, they run away
whenever you began shootln' at 'em,
didn't they2"
Sometimes they did. but most times
they didn't. Sometimes they fought
like wlldcats-and sometimes we were
the ones that ran away"
"But the Johnnies were bad men.
weren't they, Grandpa2"
NO"
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
sald-you said you never got scared
the ole .Iohraies were goin to win"
"They did win pretty often" said
the grandfather. "They won IL good
many battles"
" mean, you said you never got
scared they'd win the war"
mo, we were never afraid of that"
"Well, but IL they We're good men
and fought Ike 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 grnndtather'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. well, they didn't know they
couldn't, did they2" he argued. "They
thought they were goin' to win, didn't
they?"
"Yes; | guess they did. But you
see they We're wrong"
We'll, but" Ramsey struggled.
Listen! Listen here, Grandpa! Well,
anyway, If they never got scared we'd
win, and nobody got scared they'd win
well, don't see"
"You don't see what?"
But Ramsey found himself unable
to continue his concentration. "Oh.
nothin' much" he mrmured
81 see" And his grandfather laughed
again. you mean: If the Johnnics
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 win? That's
1t, isn't it,"
81 guess so, Grandpa"
"Well, ! think it was mostly because
we We're certain that we were right"
81 see," said Ramsey "The Johnnies
knew they were on the side of the
devil" But at this, the grandfather's
laugh was louder than 1t had been be-
fore, and Ramsey looked hurt. "Well,
you can laugh II you want tot" he
objected In an aggrieved voice ANY
way, the Sunday school sup'intendent
told us when people knew they were
on the devils side they always"
81 dare say, dare say" the old man
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 1t all up
more'n ever"
Suppose you look at 1t this way
The South was fighting for what 1t
believed to be its right to be coun-
try by itself; but we were fighting for
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 II Isl"
Ramsey didn't think so. He had be-
gun to feel bored by the conversation,
and to undergo the oppression he u.s.
ually suffered In school. The earnest
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 ut the cemetery; and from
& little way down the street came the
rat.a-tat Of toy drum and sounds of
a 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 II veloci.
pede, rode tin-sworded parsonage,
shrleklng incesSant commands but not
concerning himself with whether or
not any military obedience was there.
by obtained. Here was revlvlfyng
effect upon young Ramsey; his slug.
gard eyelids opened electrically; he
leaped TO his feet and, abandoning his
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 off that 'locIpede, Wesley
Benderr he beloved. "You gimme
that sword What rights you got to go
beln' captain o my army I'd Ike to
know! Who got up this army, In the
frst place, I'd like to know! did.
myself, yesterd'y afternoon, and you