t iipnir iTP IT Trip ii i nip
AMERICANS AT THE HAGUE
It I
If / Inflnsnce of Representatives of the United
f States at the Peace Conference.
EFFECT OF THE RECENT WAR WITH SPAIN
l nrtnlleil Stntrrnrnt of ( tic Innlilc
WorUlnwi iif Hit * CotiRrrxx In
S < -ft l < in In Ilir "I'nlnuc
of the Wood * . "
This article Is the result ot a special Jour
ney made to The "Hague by Edward Mar
shall , the well known war correspondent.
Mr. Marshall's Introductions and close per
sonal acquaintance with the American dele
gates afforded , him many facilities not ot
tered to other men who went to the pence
conference to write. It will bo remem
bered that during the Spanish war In Cuba
ho was so terribly "wounded that he has
practically lost the use ot his limbs , and this
journey to The Hague ( heroic In the clr-
cumstancea ) was the first Important enter
prise which ho bas been able to undertake
slnco his drcadtul experience on the battle
field. Ho was admitted to the Palace In the
Woods through special arrangements made
by the Dutch government and was accom
panied wLllo there by a representative of
Holland's llttlo queen , while a detail of
Butch soldiers "was told off to glvo him euch
physical assistance as was necessary In get
ting about the building. During his stay In
The 'Hague ' ho was photographed at the spe
cial request of the czar. Mr. Marshal's wldo
experience In European correspodencc , his
broad Information and his personal acqualnt-
them that we were a people likely to either
help or hinder their plans. If the peace con
ference had been called a year ago acd our
delegates had attended they -would have been
treated courteously , but their opinions would
have had little weight In the deliberations
of the body. As It was Andrew D. White ,
Seth I < ow , Captain .Mnhan , Frederick D.
Hells and Captain Crozler formed a group
which was really the center of Interest
around which the peace conference revolved.
Not even the Russian delegates , representing
the monarch who called the conference , were
regarded by the others with the Interest
shown in the American * .
The first question asked by a European
delegate , who bad something to propose , was
not what will Russia think of It ? or what
will Rusala think of It ? or what will France
think of It ? but what will the United States
think of It ?
Another Interesting result of the war
was the absolute unimportance of the Span
ish delegation. Poor , broken Spalnl Her
haughty hldalgoa received no more con
sideration than did the delegates from Ser-
vla or Slam. As they left the door ot their
apartment In the Hotel Vleux Doelen they
saw In the llttlo flag nailed on another door
almost adjoining , the symbol ot the nation
which rose through their fall , and they
went quietly to the sessions entirely bereft
of the pompous selMmnortanM which In
all tlmcH gene by has marked the conduct
of the Spaniard on such occasions.
Spnln In the IlnckKrontiil.
Spain alone ot all the nations represented ,
made not one single propostlon to the con
ference during the first three weeks of Its
existence. Even llttlo Servla had a rnofnage
to the congress , but poor Spain , disheartened
and bowed down , did naught but listen.
The dining room of the Hotel Vleux
Doelen Is a superb apartment with a celling
about forty feet from Its highly polished
hardwood floor. At any time from 8 to 10
In committee. It was In these committee
meetings and not In the sessions ot the con
ference that the real work was accomplished.
It was In one of the first committee meetIngs -
Ings that the delegates for these European
countries which had endeavored to conspire
against us at the time of the Spanish-Ameri
can war showed their hostire hands for the
first and last time. At this meeting It be
en mo evident that certain governments in
tended to take advantage of the peace con *
ference to clip the wings of the American
eagle. Within the year they had been taught
that these wings were mighty , and were
capable of carrying the Interesting bird not
only from ocean to ocean In his own domin
ion , but wherever else he pleased to soar.
This effort on the part of. the Europeans to
prevent future American flights came In the
shape ot a blow at America's Nlcaraguan
canal plan. There Is no American enterprise
at which Europe looks with more suspicion
and dread than she does at the probability
of complete American control of this pro
posed water highway between the two great
oceans. It fell to the lot ot Frederick W.
Hells , the secretary of the American dele
gation , to discover a little Joker In one ot
the propositions submitted which might have
resulted seriously. This Joker was a passage
adroitly and diplomatically worded which
provided for nothing less than control by a
committee ot the powers ot all Interoceanlc
canals In tlmo of war. Mr. Hells so vigor
ously and completely shattered this bright
European dream that Europe could no longer
doubt the ability of our delegates to look
after the affairs or doubt the positive cer
tainty of a firm stand on the part of the
United States against anything which might
In the slightest degree prove contrary to the
Interests of America.
Dliicoril Avoldcil.
The greatest secrecy was maintained
throughout concerning < ho plans of the con-
THE PALACE IN THE WOODS WHERE THE PEACE CONFERENCES ARE HELD.
nee with the delegates , make this article
of more than ordinary value.
THE HAGUE , July 6. Every Important
nation represented at the peace conference
excepting only Germany had a war on Its
hands when Its delegates talked peace. The
United States was fighting In the Philippines ,
Franco was fighting In Algeria and had by
no means secured peace In Madagascar.
England is never without its little -wars In
India and In other of its colonial posses-
Dions. Russia inside of three weeks had
three small Insurrections to put down , and
was fighting the natives In China. Holland
I for twenty-five years has been conducting a
war In Sumatra. While the French dele
gates eat and calmly discussed means of
.Taping out International warfare , some of
the moat prominent and Influential ot their
countrymen in Paris were trying to over
throw the republic at home and President
Loubet found it necessary to call out 15.000
soldiers to guard him while he drove less
than flvo miles to a race track.
Besides these actual warlike disturbances
there rose on the horizon a black cloud In
dicative of an armed struggle between the
English government and the Doers In South
Africa a cloud which has by no means been
dispelled as yet.
Certainly there was reason for the meetIng -
Ing of the hundred men who went to The
Hague to talk at peace. Ten times their
number , while they sat In conclave there ,
were busy In their respective nations plan
ning war.
The Center of Intercut.
To an American layman among tbo dele
gates It was Intensely Impressive to reflect
on the change In the position of the United
Stateis In the family ot nations which the
Spanish-American war has brought about. I
have been much In Europe and much with
European diplomats. I know that while
their feeling toward America has , In the
past , been friendly enough , they still failed
to take us seriously. It did not occur to
When a mother thinks she is going to die
and rather wishes she could , what happens
to the child ? Where else shall the child
get tbe love , kindness and care that is to
ripen it into useful , happy maturity ?
Where is the husband to turn for tbe com
fort of home
the sympathy J
of wifely affec-
tion the '
sun-
port that only
a strong , cheer
ful , healthy
help-mate can
give ?
Who is to be
pitied most ?
Mother fath
er child ?
Whose fault
Is it ?
Nobody's
maybe cer
tainly not the
child's. Hither
the mother or
father can write to Ir , Pierce and receive
medical advice free. Thousands have done
it. Thousands of homes have been made
bappjr liy it. Thousands of weak women
Buffering- with the pains and debilitating
drains of a diseased condition of the dis
tinctly feminine organism have followed
Dr Pierce's advice and become again bloom-
intr , vigorous , loving , cheerful and loved.
Dr R , V Pierce is chief consultingphy. .
eician at the world-famous Invalids' Hotel
and Surgical Institute , at Buffalo , N. Y , ,
and during his thirty years' practice here
developed his ereat family medicines Dr ,
Pierce's Favorite Prescription , Dr. Pierce's
Pleasant Pellets , Dr. Pierce's Golden Medi
cal Discovery.
Mrs. Claus Nelson , of Pico Heights , Los An-
felcs , Cal , Box ji , write * . " 1 send you my pic-
are taken with my little boy , I tlo not look so
tad now at I do in the picture ; I was sictc then
nil I thought my days would not be long , but
your kindness and medicine would not let me
die. You have my heart-felt thauls for your
Lindly advice to me in my sickness ; also tor
your book which I received two yean ago , and
which I could not do without. It U alt the Doc
tor I have had since I not it. I had female
trouble , and Dr Tierce's Favorite Prescription ,
together with the advice given in his book ,
cured me of five years' sickness "
The book Mrs. Nelson mention * is Dr.
Pierce's j.coo page " Medical Adviser , " the
most useful "doctor book" published. A
copy iu stiff paper-covers sent on receipt
of 21 one-cent stamps to pay expense of
mailing only , in cloth-binding ten stamps
extra. Dr. R. V. Pierce , Buffalo , N. Y.
o'clock , in the morning one of Its small
tablcn was likely to bo occupied by one
or more of the men who came here from
the land of the stars and stripes. Mr.
White , delicate and fragile In appearance ,
with the deep-set eyes of the penetrating
thinker , with the whitened hair which Is as
much the result of so much unremitting
mental toll as it is of age , made the final
plans of the delegation's work while he ate
his simple breakfast. Mr. Hells , tall , fat ,
bald-headed , good-natured , read the amazing
mall which poured In to him as the Amer
ican secretary , while he drank coffee and
munched his Dutch rolls. Captain Mahan
and Captain Crozler freuenqtly ate to
gether while the secretaries and employes
i of the delegation occupied another table.
The elaborate respect which delegates from
other countries showed to the Americans
was much greater than the careful courtesy
which men of their stamp would naturally
exhibit toward each other.
The Russians would bow pleasantly to
the German delegates , but nothing more ,
and voce verea. When , however , either
passed the American delegates or met them
in the smoking room , the salute was sure
to bo not only pleasant but profound.
The Americans went to The Hague In
structed to try to bring about a permanent
board of arbitration made up of members ot
the state departments of all nations ; to
bring about the abolition of privateering on
the high seas during war , the neutralization
ot all floating property owned by private
owners and not by belligerent governments ,
and the measurement of Indemnity , not by
the nations at warfare , but by a Jury of the
other nations. How many of these things
} were accomplished will 'bo definitely known
I by the time this article Is printed , for this
| congress will probably have adjourned by
then and the ocean telegraph -will have told
the story of Us closing work. But the Inside
tale of how that work was done Is never
j likely to be told In full , although some In-
I terestlng details can be given here.
an of the Prena.
The secrecy which was decided upon and
widely criticized was an absolute necessity.
The admission of working newspaper repre
sentatives to the cessions of the conference
would undoubtedly have prevented the ac
complishment of anything whatever.
There were many misunderstandings and
mistaken reports concerning the matter of
press representatives. There were no ob
jections whatever to the presence of Journal
ists at tbo opening session of the confer
ence , but the ball In which the meeting wa
held was absolutely crowded merely by the
delegates themselves. Their secretaries and
other employes literally could not find standIng -
Ing room. Sixty feet above the floor of the
hall , under the very top of a dome , Is a little
circular gallery. This furnishes crowded
sitting room for about eight people , and Is
the only place from -which the Interior of
the hall can bo seen , It wa decided to offer
this gallery to as many Journalists as could
get into it , and the Dutch government , which
had cliargo of the arrangements , out of
courtesy to the delegates , settled upon the
plan of admitting one newspaper representa
tive for each of the Important countries. It
was , owing to this plan , which the crowded
condition ot the ball made absolutely neces
sary , that the amusing tale was published ,
saying that certain newspapers bad been
solemnly selected by the ccnference as the
representative Journals In their respective
countries. After the first day I < waa the
only nowepiper man admitted to .tbo Palace
In the Wood * , and I was not admitted as a
working Journalist.
The general belief nas , when the con-
fercncn began , that Engrand and the United
States would work absolutely In harmony.
They did to some extent support each other's
propositions , but it was against the will of
England that the American plan of arbitra
tion and mediation was selected by the con
ference as the one to be most carefully con
sidered. Three plans were submitted one
by America , one by Russia and one by Eng- j
land.
|
Slain Idea Alinniloncil. I
The idea of disarmament was promptly I
abandoned as Impracticable. It Instantly became - !
came evident that not one delegate had
taken this proposition seriously , and the con
ference did not even take time to discuss It
ference in relation to a revision of the rules
of actual warfare. Early , In the private
gossip of the delegates , came talk about a
sensational possibility. It was very gener
ally believed by some that the actions ot
Spain during the war in Cuba would be
carefully investigated by the conference
and that some of her violations of the ac
cepted rules of warfare would form the
basis for new regulations. The fact that
. Spanish officers , high In command , ordered
j their troops to fire on our Red Cross flags ,
that attacks had been made on our wounded
as they were taken from the battlefields an < i
that the Red Cross flag had been used bj
the Spaniards as a. mask for their batteries
was freely commented on. The possibility
that I myself might be called as a witness
before one of the subcommittees was early
suggested by two members of one of the
European delegations. The American dele
gation , however , immediately saw the Inad-
vlEablllty of Introducing any such note of
discord Into the conference and It was de
cided , in consequence , to avoid action of
any kind along these lines , although the
delegates all realized the necessity of some
comparatively Immediate congress at which
these matters could be discussed. This It
was that gave rise to the , announcement that
a second Geneva conference would be one
of the prompt results of the cougress at
The Hague.
The work of the American delegates -was
, never finished. It began with the rising of
j the sun and ceased not with Its going down.
It was the Impression of many delegates ,
as well as laymen , before the conference
began , that the gathering would be a jun
ket , but the preponderance of serious design
among the American , English and Russian
delegates became Instantly apparent when
the conference met. The English and Amer
ican delegates had evidently gene to The
Hague with the dignified and earnest Inten
tion of accomplishing something along the
lines which the czar had laid down. The
German delegation had as evidently gone
therewith the firm Intention of preventing
any useful work In these directions. The
I Russian delegation was , of course , desirous
of glorifying their ruler.
Atlvocntm of AVnr.
The appointment by Emperor William of
Stengel , an avowed and recorded advocate
of war , was much more seriously regarded
by the delegates ot other countries than
they permitted the Journalists to know.
This appointment , with certain actions on
the port of the German delegates , quickly
outlined the emperor's policy of obstruction.
It by tbo tlmo this article appears In print
some of the larger plans of the other par
ticipating powers , notably the establishment
ot a permanent board of arbitration and
mediation , nave not been finally adopted , It
will have been purely because of , Germany's
hindrance. The plans of no delegation were
more frw.niently Interfered with by Germany
than those of the afcle gentlemen who rep
resented the United States.
Russia's attitude was of course Intensely
tnteres.ing. It Is not likely that any of the
delegates believed entirely In the absolute
sincerity of the great white czar , who , sit
ting In his palace In St. Petersburg , had
Gpokon through the mouth of Count Mora-
vleff , his prime minister. It was impossible
that the czar should believe that all his
lovely dreams ot boundary lines marked by
olive branches and -loving white doves as in-
tercapltallan messengers could be realized In
truth.
With all due respect for , and much admira
tion of the emperor of all the Russlas , It
may be readily believed that bis letter to the |
nations , Inviting the peace conference , was
induced much more by a desire to bide Rus
sian grabs in China and outrageous Russian
oppression In Finland ; to counteract the ef
fect of Tolstoi's campaign In behalf of the
Rurslan Quakers and against * jmpuUory
military service , and to generally hoodwink
the world's diplomatists and politicians , than (
to bring about th > dlsbandment of armies
and the cessation of war. But Russian
sleeves are large and commodious and afford
much -room for side Issuer. Up the sleeve of
tUe czar wan the realization that whether or
not his peace conference manifesto resulted
-bringing about the political ends which
have been mentioned , It could still scarcely i
fall to Vedound to his own credit. What
spectacle could U lovelier than that of this
' reformed ntlcr In his new role of the uni
versal peacemaker' *
The sessions of the conference In the Pal *
| ace of the Woods were Interesting to watch
because of their absolute lack ot formality.
It might have been expected that thin fath
ering of diplomatists -would bo the most
format ot all bodies in Its procedure , but
the choice of M. de Stacl , the head of the
Russian delegation , as president made this
Impossible. De Stael Is a weazened little
old man with a tendency toward doddering
on his legs. But , despite his age , he has no
tendency toward senility in his mind. He ex
hibited , however , some unique and eccen
tric Ideas of the duties ot a presidingofficer. .
I Ho opened the sessions by striking his desk
'a ' gentle tap with the gavel. There was no
I prayer , there were no opening exercises
I whatever , except this wooden mallet's blow.
Then he sat down and loft the delegates to
their own devices. There was no "getting
the floor , " there were no parliamentary prac.
tlces at all. The delegates simply talked
In French , with an occasional lapse Into
their native tongues. ( At tlmea , under thU
system , the conference became at times a
perfect babel.
None of the sessions were lengthy , and
the way In which they were terminated was
quite as unique as the manner In tvhlch they
were opened. M. de Stael would quietly slip
out of his chair and go away. Sometimes
this merely meant that ho wished to apeak
to a delegate on the floor or visit a com
mittee room. But If It chanced that ho
thought that the delegates had talked
enough he did not return. Of course , It was
Impossible for the delegates to know if his
absence was to be brief or permanent with
out waiting for him to come back. If , after
waiting for him a reasonable time , DC Stael
did not reappear the delegates went home.
Votes were taken In the simplest manner
possible. A motion having been read , Do
Stael asked the delegates It they liked It.
Some of them said yes , some ot them said
no. Do Stael gave a fairly close guess as to
the number on each side and the fate of
the motion was decided. Such was the pro
cedure of the peace conference from the be
ginning.
There was ns llttlo of ceremony about the
way In which the delegates were treated by
the Dutch government as there was about
the way in which they conducted their de
liberations. One or two official receptions
and dinners at which Holland's charming
little queen played her part pleasantly , as
she ever does , constituted all the official
entertaining. There were few exchangee of
social visits between the delegates.
Quarters of the American * .
The quarters of the American delegation
at the Hotel Vleux-Doolen were elegant and
commodious. It Is one of the most extraor
dinary structures in Europe and dates back
to about 14TO. It Is at the same time , how
ever , much better managed and equipped
than most European hotels. In view of the
coming of the American delegation Its owner
bought a largo adjoining residence which
ho turned over entirely to our representa
tives , giving them their own entrance and
at the same time connecting them by means
of now doors and new corridors with the
body of the hotel proper. The rooms were
furnished in the florid gold and * red which
is likely to prevail wherever a Dutchman
thinks elegance is necessary. For some rea
son Seth Low did not take advantage of
these fine quarters , but iwent alone to the
Hotel Belle Vue , where Mrs. Low Joined
him shortly after the sessions of the con
ference began.
The complete apathy of the Dutch public
concerning the doings and personality of
the peace delegates was quite as surprising
as their own lack of ceremony In conducting
the conference. Only one delegate went
habitually to the sessions of the conference
In uniform , and he , strangely enough , was
Captain Crozler , the American attache. I
believe , although I am not. certain , that
some regulation of the service made it neces
sary for him towear the sober and im
pressive uniform of the-Unlted States army
at the sessions of the conference. The czar
sent a special photographer to The Hague
for the purpose of making pictures of the
delegates for a great album to be kept in
the winter palace at St. Petersburg. When
this photographer was at work tbo foreign
delegates made bright spots of color In the
court yard of the Vleux-Doelen. Character
istic uniforms covered with decorations and
bedecked with gold lace appeared by the
dozen , but the moment tne photographer
went away the Informal dress which was
worn at the sessions of the conference was
Immediately resumed. The only decorations
Indicating that a great International gath
ering was In sessslon at The Hague were
the dozen or so of flags whose gorgeous
folds draped Impressively against the old
red of the bricks in the Hotel Vleux-
Doelen's front. They were the flags of the
delegations quartered there.
The coming of the delegates from all parts
of the earth on their tremendous mission at
tracted no attention whatever from the lay
citizens of this picturesque military-ridden ,
gln-besotten , beautiful old town. During all
my stay here I have seen practically no
manifestation of any interest in the pres
ence of the delegates. A company of stupid-
faced Dutch soldiers , tight-trousered and
Scotch-capped , with a discordant band at
Its head , never failed to draw the people of
Gravenhagen from their homes and their
business places In curious mobs. But dur
ing my stay at The Hague I have not at one
time seen more than a dozen people gath
ered to watch the delegates or do honor
to the conference.
American Interest * Gnartleil.
Whatever happens before the conference
adjourns ; whatever results are achieved by
It ; whatever failures mark its sessions ;
whatever successes are Its record , the
United States of America may feel perfectly
certain that Its Interests have been guarded
carefully , that its dignity has been pre
served and that its influence on this most
Important International movement has been
felt as etrcngly. If not more strongly , than
that of any other nation represented.
Whllo I am writing this It looks as If prac
tical provision for mediation and arbitration
will really be Incorporated Into International
law. Honorable Seth Low , whose Influence
toward good international government has
been exerted at The Hague with as much
earnestness as he ever exerted toward the
promulgation of his ideas of good govern
ment In municipal , state or national mat
ters at home , expressed me this opinion :
"It must be by the route of mediation
and arbitration that will recognize the Inter
dependence of nations that the world will
progress toward the poet's dream of the par
liament of man. In the meanwhile , I think
the steps likely to be taken will depend so
entirely upon the voluntary actions of the
nations that no reaction Is to be dreaded.
In other words , I think we shall give pop
ular opinion a chaoce easily to substitute
arbitration for war and this being done , pub
lic opinion must do the rest. "
With , as a member of Its delegation next
most Important to Andrew D. White , Its
chairman , a man with ideas as simple and
sensible as these , America would need to
have no fear of tbo record she would makn
at the peace conference , even without the
all-seeing and all-managing Secretary Hells ,
without the greatest naval expert in the
world , Captain Alfred T. 'Mahan , and with
out the tntlmato knowledge of military af
fairs possessed by Captain Wlllard F.
Crozler. It Is Impossible to doubt that the
business-like attitude taken from the first
by the American and British delegations
had dene more than any other one thing to
save the conference from practical failure.
EDWARD MARSHALL.
A diseased stomach surely undermines
health. It dulli the brain , kills energy , de
stroys the nervous system and predisposes
to Insanity and fatal diseases. All dyspeptic
troubles are quickly cured by KoJor Dyspep
sia Cure. It has cured thousands of cases *
and is curing them every day. , ,
Novelties in
Summer
Goods
Suits , Skirts and Waists
in silk , duck , pique and all the
fabrics of seasonable apparel. „ . *
Man Tailored Suits
in homespun , coverts , Venetians , broad
cloth and cheviots , in grey , tan , brown , ,
plum , and black , at reduced prices. „
*
Golf and Walking Skirts
in cloth grey , brown , blue and black.
The latest thing out.
out.Sosnowski
321 South Fifteenth Street.
Between Farnam and Harney , Telephone 2288 ,
AN UNLUCKY FARE TELEGRAM
Experience of Captain Jasper E. Brady on
the Western Frontier.
EPISODE OF THE PINE RIDGE WAR
It Happened Nine Years ABO "When
the Indian * Were on the War
path Stlrrcil Up Some
Excitement.
In December , IS DO. the Sioux Indians again
broke loose from their reservation at Pine
Ridco and all of the available men of the
pitifully small ibut rail ant United States
army were hurriedly rushed northward to
sire them a smash that would bo con
vincing and lasting. There was the Seventh
cavalry. Ouster's old command , the Sixth
and Ninth cavalry , the First , Second and
Seventeenth Infantry , the late lamented and
gallant Capron's flying battery of artillery ,
'besides ' others. The campaign was short ,
sharp , brilliant and decisive. The Indians
were lambasted Into a semblance ot order
and that personification of deviltry , Sitting
on almost any old subject from the result
of a coming prize fight to the deepest ques
tion of 'the bible and theology.
A Serloua Joke.
_ _ _
One morning shortly after Wounded Knee ,
with its direful results , had been fought I
thought it would be a great Joke to post a
startling bulletin. Just to start the men's
tongues a.wagging. .
So I Trrote the following :
"BULLETIN :
"San Antonio , Texas , 1226 , 1890. '
"Reported that Sixth and Ninth cavalry
were ambuscaded yesterday by Sioux In
dians , under Crazy Horse , and completely
wiped out of existence. Ouster's Little Dig
Horn massacre outdone. Not a man es
caped. "
I chuckled with fiendish glee as I posted
this on the bulletin board and then started
for breakfast. I thought some soldier would
read It , tell It to his company , and In this
way the fun 'would commence. My scheme
worked to perfection , because some men of
G company ( mine was D ) bad seen mo post
it and had to come post haste to read. I
started the fun In my own company , and
In about a minute there were fifty men all
Jabbering like magpies as to the result of
this awful massacre. Of course tbe regi
ment would be hurried north. No other
regiment could do the work of annihilation
GEE ! DUT THAT ROOM WAS BECOMING WARM.
Bull , given his transportation to tbe bappy
hunting grounds.
lily regiment , the Eighteenth Infantry , was
too far away to go and besides the Rio
Grande frontier , with Senor Garza and his
band prowling around loose , could not be
left unprotected.
During all these trying times my tele
graph office at Fort Clark was naturally
the center of interest and I bad made an
arrangement with the chief operator In San
Antonio to send me 'bulletins of any Im
portant news. I always made two copies ,
posting one on the bulletin board In front
of my ofllce and delivering tbe otter to the
cclonel in person.
Soldiers are very loquacious as a rule.
Go into a squad room at any time the men
are off duty and you can hear a discussion
so well as the 'Eighteenth. Oh , no ; of
course not !
By this time tbe news bad spread and
tbe entire barracks were talking. Just as I
was about to tell them It was a fake , I hap
pened to glance towards my ofllce , and holy
smoke ! there was my captain standing on
bis tiptoes ( he vraa only five feet four ) readIng -
Ing that confounded bulletin. I hadn't
counted en any of the officers reading It.
Generally they didn't get up until 8 o'clock
and by that time I would have destroyed the
fake report.
Trouble Ahead.
The officers' club was In the name building
as my office , and the captain bad come down
early , evidently to get a to read tbe morn
ing paper ( ? ) ( which came at i p. m. ) and
hie eye lighted on my bulletin. I caw Ulm
read It carefully , and then reaching up ha
tore It from the board , and aa quick as hla
little legs would carry him ho made n
beellno for the commanding officer's quar-
ters. I know full iwell how the colonel
would regard that bulletin If ho found out !
It was a fako. I was able to discern at
summary court-martial In my mind's eya
Jand that would knock my chances of a com
mission sky hlghwards , because a man's
military record must be spotless when ha
appears for examination. What was I to do.
Just then I saw the captain go up the
colonel's steps and In a moment ho was
admitted. iMy corpse was laid out right ;
there and the wake about to begin.
A few moments later the commanding
officer's orderly came In , and , looking around
a minute , caught sight of mo and said :
"Corporal , the commanding officer wants
to see you at his quarters at once , " and out
ho went. "Start up the band , " thought I ,
"because hero's the beginning of a parada
In which I am to play the leading part. " I
walked as slowly as I could and not appear
lagging , but I arrived at my crematory all
too soon. I rapped on the door and was bade
to como In by tbo old man In tones that
made mo shiver. The colonel was standing
In the middle of his parlor , wrapped In a
gaudy dressing gown , and In his hand ho
held my mangled bulletin. Right at that
minute. I wished I had never heard a tele
graph Instrument tick.
On the Oarppt.
"Corporal , " said the colonel , "what tlmo
did you receive this bulletin ? "
"About 6:15 : , sir , Immediately after ,
reveille , " I replied , with aaco as expres
sionless as a mummy's.
"Why did you not bring the bulletin dlrectf
to me as you have heretofore done ? "
"Well , Blr , I didn't think you were awake
yet and I did not -want to disturb you. "
"Have you had any later news , corporal ? "
"No , sir , none , but I haven't been back to
the office , since , Blr. " Gee ! but that room
was becoming -warm.
"Aro you certain as to the truth of this
awful report ? "
"It Is probably as authentic as a greati
many stories that are started during tlrae
like these that U all I know of it , ulr. "
( Lord forgive me. )
"Seems almost too horrible to be true ,
and yet ono cannot tell about those Sioux.
They're a bad lot a dovllish bad lot" this
to my captain and then to mo : "You go ,
back to your office , corporal , and remain
very close until you have a denial or a.
confirmation of this story and bring any )
news you may receive to mo Instanter
that's all , corporal. "
Ttio "corporal" needed no second dismissal
and saluting I quickly got out of an at-
mcephere that was far from chilly to me.
Now , by my cussed propensity for Joking
I bad Involved myself In this mess , and
there was but ono way out of it , and that
was to brazen It out for a while longer andi
then peat a denial of the rumor , but the
denial must como over the wire. So when
I reached my otllco I called up Spafford and !
told old man Livingston what I bad done ,
and In about an hour and a. halt he none
mo a "bulletin" paying that the previous re.
port had happily proven unfounded and tha
Sixth and Ninth cavalry were all right.
This message I took tbo colonel , and as hej
read It lie heaved a bl High of relief , but h9
dlsmlftied ma with a very peculiar look la'
his eye.
There were no more "fake reports" from
that office. /
JASPKR B. imADY. U , S. A. I
* /
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