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BRACING UP ,
A Story of Damp Life in War Times ,
John tJattlertnn , Author of "lleltn't Ha-
MM , " "Ml lie Knew. " Kte. , Copy-
tiuht teat blithe Author ,
HOW IT 1IEOAV.
very body knows how
a soldier looks In n mil
itary picture. Ooner-
1 ally ho Is tall , straight ,
I picturesque , nnd neat ;
jlf the fortunes of war
happen to have made
him ragged thcro Is yet
that In his attitude nnd
countenance which maybe
bo warranted to terrify
the too and delight the
gentler sex. But when
the weather has Itopt
him In winter quarters
a long time , ho Is likely to ho ns un-
xrnrllku In appcuranco us any tramp that
roams the streets. The ground Is too soft for
military movements or drill , so except for oc
casional turns nt guard and picket duty the
men have absolutely nothing to do. Loft to
his own devices , the soldier roads a llttlo.
talks more , plays cards a great deal , nnd
sometimes , In sheer desperation , organlzos a
camp prayer meeting , but the favorite occu
pations are lying on the lloor of tout and hut
nnd smoking. After a few days of this agreeable -
able pasllmo the soldier begins to feel that
something Is the matter with himnnd there
Is , for if helms a physical weakness of any
kind , cfiinp lounging in winter will bring it
out. Sooner or later , ho begins to go dally
with n lot of men similarly affected , to the
regimental phvslcian , nnd is dosed
generally with quinine , which makes
him bettor for a few days and
\vorso afterward. Finally ho becomes
permanently cross or listless ; whichever
may bo his fatn , his comrades wish It wore
A largo assortment of such soldiers might
hnvo been found In the winter camp of the
llghtlntr yOOth In Virginia , In the winter of
1W13. Ono of them , Tom Mottniy , had before
the wnr been a model of dross nnU deport
ment , but no ono would have Imagined It ,
could Tom and his nctlons have been studied
ono raw January morning. Ho emerged from
his nut nt roll-cull with n slouching putt , his
hair was uncombed , his fnco covered with
hirsute sluhhlo nnd his clothes with spots
and natchoi of dried clay. The Instant roll-
call ended ho slouched bai-k to his hut nnd
lit a pipe which ho smoked until breakfast
call. Ho growled at the coffin ) thn rook gave
him , ho throw Ills portion of meat Into the
cook's Hro , nnd ho eyed his hard biscuits as
If ho wnro munching them merely for re
venue. Then ho began again to smoke an
y czerclso In which the two other occupants of
the hut Joined him , all three sprawling on
the lloor. As the building was only sovou
foot snunre , nnd the roof was barelv high
enough to clear the heads of the occupants ,
the atmosphere soon bccumo "closo" to ex
press it mildly. The tiny chimney did its
Lost to rollovo the hut , but thu ilrnpliico at
Its base was very low , while ttio Mnoko
nvoldrd the lloor as much as possible. The
trio llko castaway mariners , or dejected
horse thieves , or the remains of an artlo ex
pedition anything buv. representatives of a
powerful army.
Suddenly Tom Mottray started his com
panions by exclaiming , "Orent Ciusarl I'll
dlo or desert , or do something dreadful If
this thing doesn't end.1'
"What thing ! " drawled ono of the tobacco
burners.
"This thing of lounging and smoking as a
Steady occupation. 1'vo sprawled on the
lloor on my side of this hut until I'vo
rubbed two rough boards smooth , nnd I'vo
rubbed the color of the boards Into my un
iform my front view Is almost ns gray us a
Johnny Hcb. Every angle of my bones has
boon rounded bv changing position on this
floor. As for smoking , I wonder I havon't
turned the color of an ancient meerschaum
I'vo ccrtnlnlv absorbed enough oil of
smoke. The hut and everything about it is
saturated with tobacco. The blankots.smoll
ns If old pipes had boon wrapped In them
for ages , the bark of the logs of iho walls
( .metis of tobacco , you can taste the stuff on
the edges of every tin cup why , If jou want
n toothpick and pull a sliver from the clap
boards of the roof , it tastes ulmoit as strong
ns a pipe stem. I'm disgusted with the whole
business. "
'A soldier must have some comfort smolto
Is the only ono that can bo got at present , "
Bald Jim Fait , proving the honesty of his sen-
tlir.ont by drawing , in ciulck succession , sev
eral immense clouds from a pipe whichto , use
a venerable military pun , outranked every
thing else In tbo regiment.
"I don't bellevo It ! " exclaimed Tom. "It
n't seem possible that a man is doomed.
Just hecauso no happens to bo a soldier to
hnvo nil his strength and spirit and sense
ooro out of him at the very season when men
if 1 were nt homo now I could lift any man of
my own weight nnd raise him above my
head hero , my arms are about as strong and
nhnpoly as a couple of spoonhandlcs. My
chest was full ; now 'tis lint , nnd my shoul
ders want to moot In front. I sleep only by
llts nnd starts ; I wnlco with n dull hoadaeho
nnd n most disloyal detestation of the ser
vice , nnd the Union , nnd everybody who
wants either to help or harm It. "
There w.n a croak nnd rustle In n low ,
narrow bunk across ono end of the hut ,
nnil Harry Homer displayed u small colorless
fnco nnd n pair of weak blue. . oyos. Then , ap
parently with great reluctance , ho took nplpo
from his mouth and said :
"My symptoms exactly. If you know how-
to proscribe for them you'll save mo n walk
over to the doctor's tent this morning. "
"Tho Ilrst thing necessary , I believe , " said
Tom , "Is to throw away those confounded
pines. "
In an Instant thrco moti Tom was ono of
them grasped their plpss llrmlv , as If to
hold them more closely to thtlr lips. Then
Jim Fait exclaimed , in awestruck tones :
"Tho thought of 111"
And Harry Home' ' , first pulling vigorously
for a moment , murmured ,
"Dreadful ! "
"Of rourM' , " said Tom , bitterly. "What
ought to bo done , can't bo done you fellows
wouldn't try it for worlds neither would I ,
If I lot myself think about it. Hut tobacco
certainly isn't the soldier's only friend. "
"No , " assented Jim Fait , "there's whisky
but wo can't got It. "
"Aud gambling , " suggested Hurry Homer ,
AITBII IIOU.
"but wo haven't enough money loft for that ,
and there's no knowing when we'll sco thu
paymaster. "
"They won't do cither of them , " said
Tom. "Hoys , as thoro's nothing cUe possible
no other available vice upon which wo can
'change off , ' I'm going to take pattern after
Uyiiig shiner * , and reform. "
"Ku " ' Jim
gruntt'd Fnlt.
"I - that I'm brnco
nu-an going to tip-go into
tralnluir , and , ns a first flop , hero goes. "
Saying which ho tosses his pipe into the llttlo
tl replace.
Jim Fait sprang from the lloor as If ho had
been a crouching lion , and Mintchca the piK | >
from the lire , where It had already begun to
blaze , for It consisted about as much of oil as
of wood. Ho blow out tint ( lame It took a
great deal of breath to do itand eyed thu
vile bit ot brlnrwood us carefully as If it wwu
n nugget of gold or u roll of greenbacks.
Then no blow his lingers , which had been
burned during the 0 | > eration , aud said :
"No don't. I'vo
you seen fellows do that
before , lloforn the duy was over they'd want
to borrow some other fellow's nlw. | I1 do al
most anything in the world to oblige so good
n fellow us you , Tom , but business Is busl-
new I'll need uiy plpo ull day louj ? myself. "
So saying , Jim drew down a particularly
stout splinter of ono of the roughly split clan-
boards of the roof , pushed Tom's pipe behind
H , and satil :
"Thorol It'll cool In n faw minutes about
as soon ns your virtuous resolution. "
"Nonscr.so ; I'm In earnest , " sild Tom. Do
bear with mo , hoys ; you know I dou't often
nllllet you with reform movements. Nowfor
bracing up. How's it to bo done I"
"You'd hotter hnvo thought about that before -
fore you burned your bridges behind you or
trlod to. ( Jrnclous ! Thinking of what noaHy
happened to you makes tno feel llku smoking
twlco ni hard , to keep the atmosphere of the
hut from feeling lonosomo. " And , suiting
the notion to tbo word , Homer began to puff
nnd smoke Itko a woitorn steamboat.
"First , " said Tom , slowly , ni If talking to
himself , "I'll get out of this smoke house
this LI luck IIolo of Calcutta-this poison-
laden atmosphero. "
' 'Listen to the man I" Interrupted Jim.
"Now , coavcilfl nro always the worst
bigots. "
"I'll got Into pure air and fill my lungs
with It , just to sco how It fools , " continued
Tom. "Then I'll begin on my anus and chest
nnd got tnom In condition. "
' Whnt'll you do it withl" askoil Fnlt ,
"dumb-bells or Indian clubs ? Of course
you'll llml plenty of both military camps are
always so full of gymnastic appliances. Ton
pins aren't bad for tbo wind and muscle
suppose you roll two orthreo matchosi with
somebody I Hut don't nugloct to load off with
a Turkish bath. There's a capital nlaco about
live hundred miles from hero , and you'll Hud
n coiiplo of tickets for It In the drawer of my
shaving glass , In New York "
Tom hastily loft the lint to avoid the banter -
tor , but really , ns ho looked nromul.lt seemed
to him that the suggestions of his tcntmatcs
were fully as practical us hu could offer him
self. He looked up and down the company
street it was us bare of anvthlng movable as
the top of a granite peak. Hu walked to the
upper end of the street , aud looked to the
right and loft , In front of the long row of
olllcers' huts ; nothing was visible but ailing
soldiers , slouching to and from the doctor's
quarters. Ho retraced his steps , went to
the foot of his company street , and
gn/ed along the line of cook houses , but not
uvun a log of wood could ho scofor the codes
were wise In their duy and generation , ana
know enough to keep indoors whatever wood
they did not want stolen for thu hut tires of
1 Innlly the mother of Invention took pity
on him and gave him a point. Ho went into
the hut , got the hntcliut with which ho and
his mutes prepared wood for the little tiro-
place when they were not too lazy to prefer
the warmth to oo found lu overcoats and
blankets.
"Why , I do bollovo Mio follow is going to
tnko his turn at gutting firewood without
having to bo scolded Into it , " said Homer.
Not ho ! " replied Fnlt. "He's coing to try
tomahawk throwing , Us grand uxurciso ,
the Indians say , when H fellow can have
plenty of llro water first and Is sure of a
lively captlvo to practice on. "
"Not a bad suggestion , " said Tom to him
self , making his way toward the woodb from
which the roslincnts obtained its fuel. Ho
took aim nt a young pine tree , put nil his
force into the throw , missed the mark , and
sent the hatchet so fur Into space and dead
loaves that bo was ten minutes in finding It.
This was enough of tomahawk practice , s > o ho
reverted to his Ilrst purpose , which was to
make a pair of Indian club * . Ho chopped
ibout ns long as if his cutting tool had b'eon
made In the stone agofora soldier's hatchet ,
llko a woman's penknife is
, always doplor-
ibly dull , but ho finally secured two bulbous
looking ' bits of wood about two fci-t long.
1'hoy attracted much attention , as ho carried
them buck to his hut , and as time is of no
value In winter quarters , all soldiers who
were curious followed him and were about to
enter his hut when ho explained that wbilo
they wcru welcome their pipes were
not. They all wont
away , sorrowful and
[ > rofano , and Tom only Homer nnd Fait to
tease him 03 with his pockctknifo ho tried to
smooth the "grip" of the hoino-madu clubs.
Hut "ovory dog has his day.1' U'hou the
wood was shaped to suit him , Tom suddenly
rose from the soao box1 upon which ho had
aeon sitting nnd prepared to try bis clubs ,
ilo swung them to aud fro gently two or
greater number were of the the class that re
gards thoprlzo-llghtorastbo bright consum
mate llower of humanity. So. whllu thu Im
promptu gymnnsU slowly retired to their ro-
siHietlvo huts , two neu , ov-fnrniors , followed
Tom to ask for the loan of the clubs a few
moments , the remaining twenty-seven
crowded after Murtha , filled the hut which
was Inhabited by him and six other warriors ,
stood In thu doorway , or crowded as close to
It as possible , nnd insisted upon hearing , to
the minutest detail , the story of the seHo
between the company's newly discovered
hero mill thu Philadelphia bantam.
"Hoys , " said Tom Motir.iy to his tent-
mates , "tho company blood Is up. The clubs
and their maker deserve part of the credit ,
but that little Hibernian runt Is entitled to
about ton times as much. Now , lot's take
advantage of It and coax the entire crowd to
'brnco up. "
"Do It yourself , Tom , " suggested Fait ,
clutching his plpo as if ho were dying and
the brown briar-wood contained the elixir of
lifo.Wro not the men to steal nny of the
glory another man has earned , uro wo ,
"
Homer !
"Not we , " said the Wind bard's namesake ,
who was already smoking again nnd sprawl
ing In the remains of his bunk. "Wo never
could descend so low. Wo don't mind helping ,
though , In u modest way : while you're doing
physical reform and coaxing the other follows
along , Jim and 1 will smoke up vour tobacco
to " keep it from spoiling oh , Jpuf" ,
"Confound you , " oxclaimca Tom , "tobacco
smoke has replaced everything else in your
lives. You'd rather smoke than oat , or chat ,
or read , or think or do nnytlng else but
"
sleep.
"I really bollovo wo would , " Jim confessed ,
after some puffs so voluminous ns to make
him cough , "and isn't it strange up to two
hours airo any one could have safely "said the
same thing about you. "
Tom looked for a moment as if ho was try
ing to change the topic of conversation , but
" KEKP CLOSHR TO TUB "
LINT. SIIOUTKD THE JUPGR.
tbrco times , then as the "balance" of each
scorned to suit htm ho let thorn swing to their
full extent. Ono knocked Jim Pail's pipe
from his mouth nnd drove It with a loud rap
acainst the logs , while both , in their back
ward swine , struck the front of Homer's
bunk nnd mixed up that bit of board
and its owner In a manner quite unsatisfac
tory to the latter. Homer extricated himself
Just In time to catch ono of the clubs , on its
next backward swing , full on the left shoul
der. Then Jim nnd Homer attempted to es
cape , but the clubs in their forward move
ment commanded the door and the window
was Immovable and the chimney was for sev
eral reasons impracticable as a means of
egress , both of Tom's tontinntos retired to
roar corners , where they took positions sug
gestive of seconds at n pn/o tight.
"Hurrah I" shouted Tom , swinging the
clubs about his bond. There was n sharp
sound , not unlike a rllio crack , and a clan-
board was loosened from the roof , while tiio
clubs fell to the Hoar. Tom caught It , and
continued his exercise , taking euro to keep
the clubs lower , but soon n section of the
front chimney which was made of sticks ,
plastered with clay How out and across ttio
hut Into the comer occupied bv Fait , upon
whom tno mass caromed on Its "way to the
lloor.
"Merciful heavens' ' " groaned Fnlt , rubbing
several portions of his anatomy in rapid suc
cession , "I came to the war 10 bo killed In
soldierly fashion , not to ba slowly battered to
death by a maniac. "
"What will you take to stop , Torn ! " shout
ed Homer.
"Or to go out of doors ! " said Fait.
"I'll go out , If you'll Loth como and help
mo , " said Tom , without relaxing the vigor of
his exercise. Again ono of the clubs went a
tritlo toohiuh and again a portion of thu roof
parted Its fastening with a loud crack ,
"We'll have to go , " said Homer , "to save
our property. Five minutes more of this lu-
nncy will llud us without [ a roof over our
heads. "
The clubs stopped swinging , nnd two pale ,
excited looking mcu mudo haste to escape.
Tom followed , shouted "now , " nnd tossed a
club before Fait had fairly turned to catch it ,
so it struck the unfortunate man on ttio tips
of his lingers , and the tips of his lingers
stmlghtwnv went Into his mouth , while the
other club being tossed to Homer , who had
never practiced with clubs In his llfe.scomed
to hit the unfortunate man on face , hands ,
bolt , knees nnd toes all at onceHut Tom
dlil not feel any of this. Ho cheerily
shouted :
"Now the IceIs broken , keep It up ! Lot It
come' Cilvoitto usbgaln ! "
Homer and Fait woroquito willing to "give
It to him , " as soon as they recovered their
self-control. They tossed thoclubs clumsily ,
though with ndnni-ablo vigor , but Tom was
iiulto equal to anything in the exorcise at
which ho had oncu been an adept.
Of course the sport attracted a crowd of
spectators. What a solemn looking assem
blage It was ! All were in overcoats for the
weather was quite , cold ; theio top coverings
wcro unbuttoned , however , for every man
had to put his hands in Ids pockets , and the
nrinv overcoat U pockctless on the outside.
Many of the men wore- pallid , though all had
been ruddy or brown a month or two before
their eyes wcro liulrcless and their manner
utterlv Unless. Kadi , however , manifested
enough vitality to suck at a pl | > o , and most of
them were smoking very bad tobacco. Sud
denly Tom Mottrnygasped :
"Somebody eUo try them. I'm clean out
of breath. "
As bo spoke ho tossed nno of the clubs
to-vard the crowd ; everybody hastily made
way for It , but after It hud rolled about thu .
ground some one picked It up , dolu It so
cautiously that Tom said ;
"Don't bo afraid , it Un't loaded. "
This assurance neumed to cncouraco the
crowd woo were out to bo blamed , for most. .
of them were from the country ami had
noversocn an Indian club and ttio curiosity
was passed from baud to hand , held at arm's
length , "hofted , " to ascertain its weight , nnd
In other ways treated as If it wcro a string of
llsh , or a prize turkey , or n pig at a weight-
guessing match , Finally , however , It reached
Pal Murtha , the shortest member of the com
pany , and shorter , apparently , than ho really
was , for tno smallest size of overcoat was
vastly too largo for him. Everybody began
at once to banter , but everybody also began
to bo astonished , for the llttlo follow getting
out of his overcoat about as a snake escapes
from a worn-out skin , began to toss the clubs
about with ease and positive grace , Kscltc-
mcnt slowly replaced astonishment In the
crowd ; at each now manifestation of skill ,
sonio spectators would smoke more vigor
ously , or thrust tholr hands deeper Into their
pockets ; In short , they acted Just llko any
one of the listless cluster of dudes that al
ways Is found at athletic exhibitions nowa
days. Finally , when the llttlo fellow con
cluded by keeping both clubs spinning In the
air , barely touching them nt times , thcro was
n loud outburst of hand-clapping nnd cheer
ing."Where
"Where did you learn nil that , Murtl"
asked Tom Mottray.
The little fellow who had hurried back Into
bis ovcivoat nnd buttoned himself closely in ,
drew himself up to a dignified pose and re
plied :
"Didn't yo never hoar tell of Wurrckin In
the Tenth ward I"
"It uppo irs to me , " sold Tom , after some
reflection , "that I've soon the nnmoln news
paper reports of police court coses. Lo mo
see -ho had a 'kid , ' or 'chicken , ' or 'mouse , '
or soma such Juvenllo bruiser , hadn't hu ( "
" 'Twos 'Mouse , ' " replied the little follow ,
" 'Wurrekln'3 Mouse , ' that knocked out the
'Philadelphia bantam' in the fifth round.
Well , Wurrokin.'s Mouse was me. " Murtha
couldn't stretch any higher , but a.s ho niado
this utinomiccmont bo throw back his head a
tittle and 'ookeil ' almost sublime in his con
sciousness that hu was being adored or
ought to bo.
At least half of the bystanders were pro
foundly impressed. Kegimcnts nnd com
panies of volunteers during the civil war
were of human material decidedly mixed ,
and although some members of the company
to which Tom Mottray belonged wcroof goo'd
breeding and tastes , and afterwards became
as ho did not succeed ho noruptly quitted the
hut and wont to that of Murtha. The crowd
was still there , and the recital of the Mouso-
Hantnm set-to was still In progress , but ns
soon as it ended Tom elbowed tils way in nnd
shouted :
"Hoys , I move that wo start an athletic
club in the company and make Murtha presi
dent. "
Xobody seconded the motion ; to admire n
bilsor was very different from bolng willing
to go into to training , which was the only
idea most of the men had of athletics. Mur
tha looked quite uncomfortable
; bore was a
posit ! va honor proposed yet no ono.seemed ea
ger to extend it to him. At last ono brawny ,
slouching Irishman remarked :
"I'd go in fur it , if there wuz nny light
weight " to match Murt agin , but tnoro 'isn't. "
"Matches bo hanged ! " said Tom. There
was a distinct murmur of dissent at this pro
position , but Tom continued :
"If fighting is your only fun , you'll got
plenty of it when the weather settles , bee
here. ' I'll toll you what I'll do , to start things
I'll oltcr n pound of 'Natural Leaf,1 that cost
mo (2 , to the winner of n foot race around the
camp , Just inside the guntd line , nnd I'll bar
myself out. In case I como in wlunor. Murt
shall bo Judge , and "
"Nobody could hear the remainder of tbo
conditions for there was a general uprising
and shouting of "I'm In , " "Hero goes,1' "Tho
tobacco's mine , " etc. There was n tumultuous
shedding of overcoats and tying of shoes nnd
tightening of celts bv these who were thorn
,
nnd two or throe fellows made a false start ,
from which they were recalled in a badly
winded condition.
"Everybody in the company shall have a
chance , " said Tom , hurrying from hut to hut
to announce the coming event. The huU *
emptied promptly ; oven the sick , the lame
and the In/y turned out , for n pound of line
tobacco , in the then Impecunious condition of
the company , was n prize indeed. Evan Jim
Fnlt and Hnrrv Homer aroio with alacrity
and exclnimoJ ,
"Now you're talking ! "
Tom led the crowd to the guard-house nnd
explained to the ofilcor of the guard and then
to the onlcor of ttio day , for there were some
desertions in these days and ho feared the
crowd might bo llred upon , on suspicion that
an attempt was being made to ' 'break
guard. " Then there was some delay , for
Murthn declined nbiolutely to act as Judge
he proposed to win that pound of tobacco
himself. The oftlcor of the guard finally vol
unteered to act as Judge , and walk on an
inner line to sou that no ono played foul by
trying to take short cuts. Corporals were
sun . out nt the double quick , in both
directions , to notify the guards of
what was to happen , mid the con
testants , numbering about fifty , were
placed In line , elbow to elbow. The otlicor
waited until ho saw the corporals meet nt
the opposite sldfl of tbo camp then ho
shouted ,
"Ono-two three Go ! "
The yell that arose as the crowd started
might have been hoard a mlle away , it cor-
tnlnly turned out the whole reh'luicnt , oflicors
and all , It also caused ono of ttio enemy' *
sentries , on a picket line half a milo tiwuy , to
stop snort in Ins listless tramp , bring hU gun
to the > mlUuii of " "
\ "ready" nnd look long nnd
intently toward the breastworks that hid all
of tha camp except roof * nnd chimney tops.
Awav went the crowd , no two men running
iutbosamu stileHuforo the tint sentry ,
lifty yards from tbo guunlhou.se , was reached ,
there was no semblance of a line ; there was
n struggling column , reaching half way hack
to the fttartln. place. Llttlo Murt led thu
.crowd several stops , mat camu n solemn
looking young man who lived in n hut by
bltnsolf and was called "Preacher" bocausu
of Ills uppearancu. Trying to overtake him
came Tom Mottray , then fallowed thice fol
lows aluioat ubreast , aud behind them wan a
cluster of men abojj whom towered Jim
Fall , the tallest man miho company.
A loud howl as the leader un s < . * d tno second
gentry , announced to thojo who looked bo-
.blml thorn that Jim Fait had turned his
auklo and retired from the race ; the ob
servers also saw that iiiycrnl of the sick and
latno had dropped out and thrown themselves
upon the frozen ground. Still there was a
largo crowd of contestants and as the Judge
kept shouting , "Kccji close to the guanl
Hue , " they ran nlinostMn single file , except
when some ono tried lo pass thg man in front
of him.
"Keep closer to the Und , " shouted the Judco.
"No shortcuts when you reach thu sontrv nt
the angle ! ( Jot within three paces of aim
and then turn sharp' ' "
This order niado a great deal of fun for
lookers on , for the effect to turn sharp caused
half a dozen men to stop short ; It was only
for an instant , but this was long enough tn
bring n lot of others upon their heels , nnd
down went about twenty men in a heap tbnt
was not reconstructed Into erect humanity
until the load was fully two hundred yards
away. The disintegration of the heap caused
a division of interest ninong the spectators ,
for so many men wcro injured In person and
temper that there were throe distinct set-tos
on the spot aud four man had tn bo sent to
the guard house for disorderly conduct ,
Still there remained nearly twenty contest
ants In the race , and as some of them had by
this time got their second wind there was a
gallant struggle for ilrst place , which llttlo
Murt was evidently losing. The run was far
too long tor the puce nt which ho had started ,
for as the camp covered more than n square
quarter of n mlto , the course was more tlum n
mile long. "Uurrokla's Mouso" strove
bravely to hold his lead ; ho
threw off his coat , which made
him three pu niM lighter , then ho tossed his
cap , which decreased his Impediment two or
throe ounce- ! . Hut thu men behind him fol
lowed his example until thu air was alive
with coats and copi. Ono determined fellow
big Denny ( Jelluty. resolved to lighten him
self still more ; ho hud once seen a clown in
a circus reduce himself from trousers to
drawers while running around the ring. IJut
the clown had ovldontlv practiced the trick
in private , evidently the soldier had not , for
ho suddenly camu to thu ground In a state nt
shocking helplessness nnd profanltynnd was
promptly dragged from the course by a
for a plausible excuse to retire from the
struggle. Two others retired at thu same
time to tell Danny what n fool ho
had boon , so the runners were reduced to uu
oven dozen.
Within two minutes the survivors wcro
seriously reduced in number , for they
reached a part of the line where the waste
water of the regiment's spring niado a bog
n few feet wide Just too wide , apparently ,
to bo Jumped , and dotted with littlu .hum
mocks that were icy and appeared to bo
fro/en , litllo pools of water which were not
frozen ut all , and low , smooth expanses which
might be hard ground or might bo mud.
At the cdgo of this eeg llttlo Murt scaled
hlf doom by almost stoppiug to pick his way
across ; there was no hope for him after that ,
for Preacher cleared the bo.j with an im
mense Jump , which gave him the load. Tom
Mottray followed his example , mid almost
reached dry laud almost , but the ground
upon which ho really landed seemed pasty all
the way down to China. Ills foot were
caught , and ho was about to give up when ho
saw that Preacher was going n little lame
it was learned afterward that the leap , or the
end of it , started inward a mill in tlmhool of
his shoo. Stooping quickly , nud opening his
pockctknifo nt the sumo time , Tom groped in
the water , cut the strings of his shoos nnd
with n violent effort extricated ono foot after
the other and How away with only the thick
ness of a woolen stocking butwecn his wet
feat and the frozen ground.
Some of the otner runners tried the
Jump and failed ovenjto got out of their
shoos. Some tried to tip-too from hummock
to hummock ; they found the little elevations
so treacherous that between slipping nnd
sinking fully half of thctn found themselves
Hat in the bog , while these who got safely
across saw that they had a lead of fully fifty
yards to overcome. The leador's lameness
encouraged two men to continue a llttlo while
on the homo stretch , but the others retired
from the track nnd took" " n short cut to the
guardhouse to sou the finish.
And it is worth seeing. Preacher , unless
bo should break down nnd bo passed by someone
ono still in the roar was sure of the priVo , for
Tom had barred himself from claiming it.
Tom , however , was running to boat , and ovl-
dontly meant to do it if ho could. The two
were not unevenly matched ; they were about
of a sl/o , and although Preacher was running
a llttlo lame , nnd was heavier , to the extent
of a pair o f shoes , the men In the roar said
that whonnvor Tom's left foot struck the
ground it loft a blood-stain.
( TO in :
A New Move.
Losllo & Leslie. 10:3 : N. 10th.
C. J. Frico , Millard Hotel.
W. J. Hughes , 1SU4 Farnnm , 031 N. 10th.
J.V. . Clark , S. Uflth & Woolworth avo.
A. Sbroter , 15'jy Farnam.
All tbo above named leading druggists
h audio the famous Excelsior Springs , Mis
souri. waters and Storenn Ciinccr Ale.
A Military View of It.
In reft'ronco to tbo trial of Plenty Horses
nt Sioux Falls , S. D. , for the killing of Lieutenant -
tenant Casey during the recent Sioux upris
ing. General Miles is reported to have said to
n Washington Star correspondent : "It must
bo evident to these who know the circum
stances that poor Casey was trying to see for
himself the sl/o of the hostile camp and for
that trespass ho was shot. Had any lirulo
approached Casey's camp or any of our
carnps as closely as Casey did to that of the
Itrules ho would Have been shot. That is
war. "
DoWitt's Little Early Ulsons ; best llttlo
pills for dyspepsia , sour stomach , bad breath.
I'cr
TOUKISTS , known as
"THE IIAHIUTX"
and
"THE SACK. "
o
o
: GAUNTLET IWIVINQ { JI.OVJ3. iWo i
iO
Wo nave tin-so In II ct
| OO
ALLCOI.OHS. II and upwards
r Thcsoaro a
NE.W AltltlVAL.
THE LOUVRE
GLOVE CO. ,
ij >
IflOU rAHNAMJHTUEET.
THE NfiW MANAGEMENT WISH TO AN-
NOL'Nl E MANY NKW SPECIALTIES.
MI Gloves Pitted.
MA IIj OHUKKS SOLICITED.
I li vo a jKultlva roroujy ( or the l > ovoilU .w ;
use llimiir.aJa ol casot ol the worst IdiiJan'lof ' Ion *
fttADdi&ff havobf-Mi curod. luili il stiBtronji it my faith
lullsefficic/ . tint IwlUwn'lTwiiiiorrLtiKUtr.wilU '
A VAI.UAlILKTHE.VmiJ un tlil ili ea to u/iut-
lent u lie wilt nvnil me thuir Kipron * nJ I'.O , a.Mrf %
T. A. bli'ouiii , .11. < ! . , 181 I'eurl Hi. . N. Y.
Dr. ltd DIIU'H I'orloihcul IMIU.
Tlil4 tmifli runieilr nets directly iii | < n the tumors-
II vu amain and curt-i upurt il n ut Ilia UKMIBVI ,
fiot thrco for o. and cnn hu mulled bhoulil nut li.
u ej tiiirlnir lirt-KriAiivy Jut > t > ar , druvulm * anil tuo
( > ubllaia ( > iilttU | bjr UuuUuiau Urux Co. , O.ushi.
BROWNING , KING & CO. , I
Manufacturers and Retailers of Reliable Clothing.
TT-TT WPiPTf WE will offer Special Values in 4O different styles
1111O
YV JDJQlY of Men's Sack and Cutaway Business Suits.
At $15.00 ! $15.00 !
These Suits nt-o cqnnl to any $18.OO Suits shown In the city. Tlioy nro In
Cheviots , Cnssimeres nnd Serges nnd in light , grny ntid dark colors in
fnct , nil seasonable shades. In our Immense stock wo luwo all sizes and
cnn fit any size or build of man perfectly.
If you want a Dress Suit , remember our Clay Worsteds at $18 , $2O
and $25. We guarantee a saving of2O per cent to every purchaser.
CHILDREN'S ' SUITS ,
Knee Pant Suits in many different styles and all
colors. AL.L WOOL.
$2.00 , $2.50 and $3.00.
PUll -Line of Men's ' Summer Furnishings Now In. .
Money Cheerfully Refunded \vlicn \ BROWNING KING & CO
goods do not satisfy. , ,
S W CORNER FIFTEENTH AND DOUGLAS STREETS.
SKND FOR ILxlAUSTUA/TlAD OA.TALxOC.lUl3.
"I boliovu thu 'Ferro-Maiiffnncso , water of Hofjoiit Sprint , ' to l > a
THE BESi1 TONIO WATER IN THE WORLD. " From tha
EXCELSIOR report of 1JU. W. I' . MASON , Prof , of Amilyt. Chemistry , KMISSO.
laor I'olytcchnio lust. , Troy , N. V.
This opinion was given after the discovery that the water ol
SPRINGS Ilogont Spring' contained : Iron Bicarb. 1.11KU grains and Miinganosa
Bicarb. 0.8113 grains.
Dr. Mason says : It ( Regent ) will bo found very olHeiont IN
ALL DBPRES ? BD CONDITIONS OP THE GENERAL SYS
MO. TEM REQUIRING TONIO TREATMENT , mid for DISORD
. ERED MENSTRUATION , ANAEMIA , STERILITY and SEX
UAL DEBILITY , It may bo termed A SPECIFIC. - >
ASIDE PROM ITS TONIO PROPERTIES , IT IS ACTIVELY DIURETIC AND CURES :
Bright's Disease , Diabetes , Inflammation and Catarrh of the Bladder ,
Rheumatism ( chronic and acute ) , Gout , Dropsy , Liver
Disorders and Dyspepsia.
© ULPHO-SA.LINEX
is a mild , sure laxative , and a delightful , sparkling morning drink. THE ELMS
direct from the sprinfr with
Tlicsc MR Are Bottled out coming in contact with the Is One of the Most Clmrinlng All-Ycnr-Kouml
dlr before being scaled , thus Uc.surt Hotels in America.
retailing perfectly their original qualities.
,
It MO
accommodate" guests dlrootly adjoins thn
REMEMBER : The w.itors are sold only in bottles , never in Springs ; situated In the midst of a nlelm-usque vuxidnd
bulk. For sale at all loading drug stores. estate of 1.000 ncr.'s : locution healthy , absolutely MJ
. .
JIALAUIA. NO MUSQITITOKS. Superb Until * , mill nil
Thcro arc thousands of testimonials on fllo in the oliico of the ImiiiLMivo swimming pool of salt-sulphur wntiir con-
EXCELSIOR SPRINGS COMPANY relating to the wonderful ni'Cli'd with the hotel. Splendid Urolifstra , 'U'riiils ,
curative properties of the waters. Howling , Illlllariln. . lloantlful Drives. Uood faaddle-
For llorafs , etc. Address
descriptive pamphlet , address
EXCELSIOR SPRINGS CO. ,
RICHARDSON DRUG COMPANY ,
ExcoUior Spriufjs , Mo.
WHOLESALE AGENTS. OMAHA , NEB.
THIS ELEGANT 8-DAY CLOCK ,
lIulMio.ir htrlkc , cathedral gong , onlj i)7.50j ) worlli * 2t ) .
16 h nncl Farnam Sts. , Omoha.
Astonishing Bargains
FOR THIS WEEK.
Space will permit us to mont'on only n few , but
EVERYT nNQ GOES in proportion.
his Beaufifu ! 8Day"GSoefe ,
Half-hour strike , rntholral , .
:
pint only $5.00 ;
worth $ lii.)0.
llaiidioino nroii7. ooruamont. flinches hlsh worth $1 , frco with rai'li clock
BIG OUT ON"
Sterling Silver and Quadruple Plated Ware
For Wedding Presents , Housekeepers , Etc.
Special Prlco3 given to Hotole , Boataurants and Boirdiner Houses
Solid Cold Spectacles and Eye Classes $3.OQ ; worth $6.00
li YES fESTED
A real bniiuooriiiunon Roes with It frcn this wee !
holding Pocket Opera Glass. FIT GUARANTEED.
Fine Steel Spectacles or Eye Glasses $ i.OO ; worth $2.00
GOLD FILLED A GENT6' AMERICAN WATCH ARTIFICIAL EYES
S1O-OO.
Folding Pocket Opera Glasses ,
A"LATJIBB "
GOLD FILLED AMERICAN WATCH
S10.00
INSE.UTRD.
linc ; Watch and
Jewelry Repair
ing at Lowest 1'rices.
SSTALL WORK WARRANTED , TPB
Max Meyer & Bro , Co ,
Leading Jewelers ,
16th and Farnam Streets ,
OMAHA.
THI3 WEBK ONLY. ESTABLISHED 1866. CFTHIS WEBK ONLY ,
