Im going to borrow the money to buy my railroad ticket so you see the
trip aint going to cost me a cent. I bet youll be glad to have someone
round who aint skared to change a quarter once in a while.
Its kind of hard to get a suitcase. Theres only one in the battery. The
fello what owns it says its made the trip north 25 times. From the looks
of it hes modest. Else the last fello tied it to the end of the train
and let it drag all the way. I guess I can fix it with rope though.
Then Joe Loomis has a uniform that he paid fifteen dollars ($15) for. It
looks like an officers unless you wear it in the rain. Joes in the guard
house so Im going to take it an not say nothin. I guess Joe'd do the
same for a pal. Besides he aint got no kick comin cause theres a rule
that we cant speak to prisoners.
Joe got put in the guard house for burnin down the stable tent where
they keep the horses serial. He was sittin in the stable tent while he
was on stable guard catchin a smoke. Stable guard is a kind of night
bell hop and chamber maid to the horses. He heard the Officer of the Day
comin and stuck his cigaret but in an oat bag. Then the whole thing
burnt down. Angus MacKenzie says thats what he gets for hidin his light
under a bushel. Thats a skotch joke though. I guess you wouldnt get it.
Angus is lendin me a pair of spiral puttys. A spiral putty is a flannel
bandage what you wind round your leg sos nobody cant see that the
buttons is offen your trouser legs. The fello what made em must have had
queer legs cause when you get to the top there aint no place to fasten
them. I guess they were built for fellos that was goin to stand still.
As soon as you move they unwind and drag in the dust till a horse steps
on one of them. Then you do em up again.
I started savin thrift stamps. I got pretty near two books full. Angus
says its got it all over United Segar cupons. When you get enough you
get some dandy things. I wrote the premium department at Wash. D. C.
for one of their catalogs. I want to get a mandolin as soon as I get
enough. Joe Loomis is savin for a Ukaylaly. I hope it takes more stamps
than he can ever save.
Were getting some new draft men now. Between you an me there an awful
dum bunch. They dont know the difference between squads right and fall
in. I dont see how fellos can live as long as they have an not know
these simple things.
A few of them is Jewish fellos from New York. All they think about is
how they can get some post cards of the camp and sell em to the fellos.
A couple of them sold there equipment the minit they was issued it.
Angus says one of them was on guard the other night and a fello came a
long. He stopped him and says "Halt, whose there?" an the fellow says
"Friend." An he says "Advance, friend, an give the discount." Youd
hardly believe that, Mable. But bein a girl I suppose you would, not
knowin nothin about the military.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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