Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-22
By MAC LYMAN
copyrisht. 1864, By Mac LYMAN
CHAPTER X

copyright. 1854, BY Mac LYMAN
CHAPTER
And when got back. he was laying up
in the bunk staring at the ceiling again. So
/ set down and didn't bother him none about
it; but after while 1t begun to grind at me,
and when everybody had gone down to the
orderly room to sign some papers. ! lit Gig
arctic and pulled on it bit, and then asked
him straight out what 1t was that was both
ering him.
He kind Of twisted around and said, 'It
amt nothing. just didn't get much Sleep"
did any OF them hurt you last night?"
mo. No, it amt that :. It's :" But
then he Just said. "Awww :" and turned
his head the other way. So waited. bit.
and then he set up real quick and looked at
me and said. win. you shouldn't have done
and said. "Awww :" and laid back down
again.
"What? I shouldn't have done what?
But he kept shaking his head back and forth.
What is 1t ] shouldn't have done. Ben? You
just tell me. I'll :"
ut amt no use. It warnt your fault"
II bet it was, too. bet 1t was all my
fault What Is it, Benz"
"You wouldn't understand It warnt your
fault because you just didn't know any better
and didn't help none. didn't :. Awwww
"You tell me. Ben" I said. "Ill Ak it.
You tell me-"
"Awww - he said. "You :" and then
he bounced up again and slapped his hand
on the bed and said, DOG it, Will Dog it,
which sounded pretty powerful coming from
Ben and made me jump. He said, Dog it,
VIII, it might have messed up everything
Here Iadone come up here and kept my
mouth shut and amt done thing to nobody,
avaAA In,,
well. didn't have no right to think it. but
I thought you might be willing and got bad
eyes and thought had it all fixed up and
now Will. they are bound to hear about
it. They are just bound to-"
They what? Who?"
Somebody's bound to tell them about
last night and then what? Then what?
You think they want folks in the Infantry
that acts like that, Will No sir, they don't
want to have anything to do with them They
want folks what can take 1t and keep their
mouths shut, the way a man ought to do.
Oh it warnt your fault. I done just like you
did, once it got started. But it warnt right,
Will, it warnt A soldier don't do things
like that, Will A soldier you see, a
soldier. well. he don't have to go around get
ting in little fuses in latrines with anybody
that comes along cause he just got of the
battlefield where there's real fighting and
what does he care about some little ole fight
IN latrine when See, that kind of
things peanuts to him. Will cause he's Just
been on the battlefield and he don't have to
go around strutting and fussing :. Don't
you see, WHIP"
We'll. not quite" I said. I'VE amt been
StonewalPs Soldier
"Awww. knowed you wouldn't under
stand" Ben said. But just listen now. Win.
and try. You see, they don't want little folks
like that in the Infantry. and Listen.
my great-grandpa was under Stonewall
jackson in the Battle Of Characteristic and
he even knowed him and Stonewall give him
medal one time that still got at home and
his brother was with Forrest, and my Dad
VIII, my Dad was in the Rainbow Division,
and had two brothers In the last war and
all OF them was in the Infantry, and now sup
pose don't make 1t because Of last night.
They don't want soldiers what blow UP like
that, you see? Now sailor can come min
his little ole white pants and fight in latrines
and act real little, but he hadn't Just come of
no battlefield. VIII; and man In the Air
Force, he amt been right down in it and it
don't make no difference with him, but SOL
dier. real honest Infantry soldier that's
been In real fighting on the battlefield !. i.
Look, win, you see what mean9 You see?"
Kind Of" said Except this about the
battlefield Ben -. That don't make right
good sense to me because . !"
II knowed you wouldn't understand. Dog
1t, listen. VIII. Listen" and he leaned way
and looked at me and said They might
put us in the navy and we'd have to wear
over and looked at me and said, They might
even put us in the Coast Guard or the Air
Force VIII. do you know what they call
men in the Air Force?"
mo. don't think heerd say"
They call 'em =" and he waited a
minute and kind of twisted his face and said,
They called 'em airmen. BY dog viii, don't
you see? How'd you like to be called an
airman?"
by God. just don't think I'd stand
for 1t -"
You'd have to-" Ben said. That's
what you would bel" He was leaning so far
over the side of the bed by that time that he
might near fell off and caught himself Just
In time. but that kind Of quoted him down
little bit. He set back and said, That's what
I mean, VIII. They're bound to hear about
what happened last night, and we won't get
in the Infantry at all One OF them will let
mo. they won't, Ben II one of them
says anything. III take him back and whomp
him good and ="
Nov there you go again, viii! Didn't I
Just tell you? Besides that, 1t might be some