Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-24
By MAC LYMAN
copyrirhs. 1854. BY Mac LYMAN
CHAPTER XII

my head I'D and down like understood him.
and didn't let on that knowed what he was
or anything, figgering when got down to
the barracks could find somebody who could
talk q little better. Only it warnt long after
! got there that found out the place was
full of Yankees. The one called Ringo showed
me q cot I was supposed to use, and they
were just coming in from drill at the time
with their brogans and fatigues and dust all
over them, chattering the way they do. So
set down on the edge Of the bunk and rolled
q cigarette and waited to ask somebody about
the Captain. And they kept coming in, knock
ing the dust Oh and trying to talk, but not
making much Roadway at it, SO kept looking
for somebody could make some sense out
Of. But all Of them Just seemed to squeak and
jabber at one another, waving their arms
around and kind of talking through their
noses so it hurt your ears somehow, and
there was couple Of them trying to cuss
which was the most comical sounding thing
ever listened to-it was Holy this. or Holy
that, or Jemminy something r-other. and
don't guess heered more than one good
solid cuss word out of the whole thing They
was even worse than Bart. but they did try
mighty hard, and kind OF admired the way
they stuck at 1t. even though you couldn't
make no sense out Of most of it.
Anyhow, I still wanted to find the Captain
and listened in, thinking it might help II
! got closer. only it didn't; 1t only hurt your
ears more: so I set around until seen one
that warnt jabbering so much and ! went
over to him and said, 'Howdy" and he looked
around and said, "Howrrr" which was about
as close as he could get to ''Howdy" but which
sounded lot better than the others anyhow.
so asked him. said. you by any chance
know where can find the Captain"
And he said something like. "Urr besee
surgeon King furrz" which found out meant:
you best see Sergeant King first"
SO then had to sit around until about
three that afternoon to wait for Sergeant
King laid around and blew on my harp
and smoked and slept while. but finally
got pretty tired of 1t and started getting
anxious to get things Strengthened out. I
started pacing around. feeling right ornery
about things, and was going TO tell them right
out how ! felt about things and get ii over
with and not have no more foolishness about
1t.
But time seen Sergeant King, knowed
! couldn't do it that way because he was
about the saddest-looking man ever looked
at. He had one Of these long, thin faces
something like hound dogs and eyes some
thing like hound dogs too, and felt kind
of sorry for him time / looked at him He
the front Of the barracks that he had by
himself anc when come in, he was setting
on hiss bunk with his face all droopy and
everything. so that instead of telling him
right OF. went at it real gentle and acted
rs polite as could. ! told him who ! was
and that I had Just come In and so on and
he looked up and asked me what / wanted,
and told him wanted to see the Captain
a. didn't plan to stay in this squadron but
60 up to the one that Ben and them was in.
and felt like ought to let them know about
It,
Affected Pretty Bad
But 1t affected him pretty bad Just the
same. He started mumbling to himself, rub
bling his hands over his face. looking sadder
than ever. He looked up at me and said
Il figured it was you. Yessr should have
knowed it time you walked in. They said
they was sending you down here. And !
should have knowed 1t would be somebody
who thinks he can decide not to stay around
no more, and will just tell the Captain about
1t. The fact is they send every bum and
idiot they can round up to my barracks and
expect to make human beings out Of them
never get anything but eight balls in this
barracks and now they send me down one
who says he's going to another squadron,
and Just feels like he ought to come by and
tell US about it."
We'll, I'm mighty sorry to hear about
all that" said. II wish there was something
I could do about It,"
II know that helps lot"
"Sho" said "Hit must be a mess hav-
ing nothing but buns around and I would
sholy like to help you out, only figgered to
be with Ben and them. you see. 1t amt
nothing against you, you see. It's Just
that =. :"
And that's where made my mistake too
because his face beamed and he began shak-
ing his head sideways like he just couldn't
believe 1t. and then he busted in on me saying
how decent 1t was Of me and all like that, and
how nice he thought had acted. and took on
that way for quite while. And before it
was over. was hung for good He seemed to
appreciate 1t SO much and everything; he
patted me on the back and said how fine he
thought 1t was decided to stay around and
all that, so there warnt thing I could say
then without making him feel pretty bad
about everything.
So we chatted a good while that way
saying good things TO each other and I told
him how nice 1t was to meet somebody with
good manners, who knowed how to be polite
and he said he felt the same and appreciated
all ! was doing; and after a little bit of that.
he finally said. well. guess you better 20
make Up your uuHk pelng rs you oeclQed 10
stay around a while"
And said, "Sho, and II was you, I
Just wouldn't worry about the barracks no
more I'll pitch right in and well get the
place Strengthened out in no time" and then
reached out and popped him on the back
and made out I was right glad had decided
to stay too. because / might as well have,
being as was stuck anyhow, even though
really didn't care too much about 1t at all,
when you came right down to it.
Because Of King
Anyhow, stayed around the place few
days because Of Sergeant King. went out
and drilled some and begun to get along all
right with the others. and they begun to
talk some better so could understand them,
but all that time hadn't seen Ben or them
anywhere And 1t was kind Of a strain be-
ing around Yankees and not letting on I
suspected 1t. so one day I took of and started
hunting went all over the field two or