The diamond drill., 1922-02-10

weren't they all just reg'lar ole cow
ards. Grsndpai"
NO" said the grandfather. 'They
were pretty fine soldiers"
"They werei Well, they ran away
didn't theyY'
Sometimes they did. but most times
| they didn't. Sometimes they fought
! like wlldcats--and sometimes we were
the ones thar ran away"
"But the Johnnies were bad men,
| weren't they. Grandpa?"
"No."
The BOYS forehead, customarlly va
cant, showed some little vertical
shadows. produced by a struggle TO
think. "Well, but" he began slowly.
Listen, Grandpa. listen here You
said--you said you never got scared
the ole JchnnIes were goin' to win"
"They did win pretty often" said
the grandfather. "They won a good
many battles"
II mean, you said you never got
scared they'd win the war;
"No, we were never afraid OF that
"Well. but II 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. "Well, they didn't know they
couldn't, did they?' ne argued "They
thought they were goin to win, didn't
they7"
Yes; guess they did But you
see they were wrong"
'Well, but" Ramsey struggled.
"Listenl Listen here, Grandpa Well,
anyway, II they never got scared we'd
win, and nobody got scared they'd win
well, / don't see"
"You don't see what2'
But Ramsey found himself unable
10 continue his concentration. "Oh,
nothin' much" he murmured
II see" And his grandfather laughed
again. "You mean: If the Johnnles
| 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 10 win? That's
II, isn't it?"
81 guess so. Grandpa"
swell. | think II was mostly because
we were certain that we were right"
81 see," said Ramsey. "The Johnnies
knew they were on the side OF the
devil" But az this. the grandfather's
laugh was louder than II had been be-
fore. and Ramsey looked hurt. "Well.
you can laugh II you want to-" he
objected in an aggrieved voice. "Any-
way, the Sunday school sup'lntendent
told us when people knew they were
on the devils side they always"
81 dare say. dare say" the old man
interrupted. a 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"
"welI. that kind o. mixes II all up
more'n ever"
Suppose you look at II this way
The South was fighting for what II
believed 10 he It's right 10 be n coun-
try by itself; but we were fighting for
Liberty and Union, now and forever,
one and lnseparable There's the rea.
son we had the certain knowledge that
we were going to win the war. How
plain and simple II is!"
Ramsey didn't think so. He had be-
gun 20 feel bored by the conversation,
and 10 undergo the oppression he us.
ualIy suffered in school. The earnest
old voice OF the veteran was only a
sound In the boys ears.
Boon" The veterans had begun
TO Are their cannon on the crest OF the
low hill, out at the cemetery and from
little way down the street came the
rat-a-tat of toy drum and sounds Of
a ffe 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 a veloci'
pede. rode tln-sworded parsonage
shriekIng incessant commands but not
concerning himself with whether or
not any military obedience was there
by obtained Here was a revivifyins
effect upon young Ramsey; his slug
gard eyellds opened electrically; he
ieaped to hts feet and. abandoning his
grandfather without preface or apollo
gy. sped across the lawn ana on; OF
the gate. charging headong upon Tho
commander Of the company.
eYou get on that 'iccIpede. Wesley
Benderr he beloved. "You gimme
that sword What rights you got 70 -
bein' captain o. my army. I'd like u
know Who got up this army, In th'
frst place. I'd like 10 knowi ! did
myself. yesterd'y afternoon. and yor