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〃I'll　give　you　an　estimate　of　his　physiological　and　pictorial　make…up；　　and　then　I'll　stick　spurs　into　the　sides　of　my　narrative。

〃Willie　inclined　to　the　Caucasian　in　his　coloring　and　manner　of　style。　　　His　hair　was　opalescent　and　his　conversation　fragmentary。　　His　eyes　　were　the　same　blue　shade　as　the　china　dog's　on　the　right…hand　corner　　of　your　Aunt　Ellen's　mantelpiece。　　He　took　things　as　they　come；　and　I　　never　felt　any　hostility　against　him。　　I　let　him　live；　and　so　did　　others。

〃But　what　does　this　Willie　do　but　coax　his　heart　out　of　his　boots　and　　lose　it　to　Myra　Allison；　the　liveliest；　brightest；　keenest；　smartest；　　and　prettiest　girl　in　San　Augustine。　　I　tell　you；　she　had　the　blackest　　eyes；　the　shiniest　curls；　and　the　most　tantalizing　Oh；　no；　you're　　offI　wasn't　a　victim。　　I　might　have　been；　but　I　knew　better。　　I　kept　　out。　　Joe　Granberry　was　It　from　the　start。　　He　had　everybody　else　beat　　a　couple　of　leagues　and　thence　east　to　a　stake　and　mound。　　But；　　anyhow；　Myra　was　a　nine…pound；　full…merino；　fall…clip　fleece；　sacked　　and　loaded　on　a　four…horse　team　for　San　Antone。

〃One　night　there　was　an　ice…cream　sociable　at　Mrs。　　Colonel　　Spraggins'；　in　San　Augustine。　　We　fellows　had　a　big　room　up…stairs　　opened　up　for　us　to　put　our　hats　and　things　in；　and　to　comb　our　hair　　and　put　on　the　clean　collars　we　brought　along　inside　the　sweat…bands　　of　our　hats…in　short；　a　room　to　fix　up　in　just　like　they　have　　everywhere　at　high…toned　doings。　　A　little　farther　down　the　hall　was　　the　girls'　room；　which　they　used　to　powder　up　in；　and　so　forth。　　　Downstairs　wethat　is；　the　San　Augustine　Social　Cotillion　and　　Merrymakers'　Clubhad　a　stretcher　put　down　in　the　parlor　where　our　　dance　was　going　on。

〃Willie　Robbins　and　me　happened　to　be　up　in　ourcloak…room；　I　believe　　we　called　it　when　Myra　Allison　skipped　through　the　hall　on　her　way　　down…stairs　from　the　girls'　room。　　Willie　was　standing　before　the　　mirror；　deeply　interested　in　smoothing　down　the　blond　grass…plot　on　　his　head；　which　seemed　to　give　him　lots　of　trouble。　　Myra　was　always　　full　of　life　and　devilment。　　She　stopped　and　stuck　her　head　in　our　　door。　　She　certainly　was　good…looking。　　But　I　knew　how　Joe　Granberry　　stood　with　her。　　So　did　Willie；　but　he　kept　on　ba…a…a…ing　after　her　　and　following　her　around。　　He　had　a　system　of　persistence　that　didn't　　coincide　with　pale　hair　and　light　eyes。

〃'Hello；　Willie！'　says　Myra。　　'What　are　you　doing　to　yourself　in　the　　glass？'

〃I'm　trying　to　look　fly；'　says　Willie。

〃'Well；　you　never　could　be　fly；'　says　Myra；　with　her　special　laugh；　　which　was　the　provokingest　sound　I　ever　heard　except　the　rattle　of　an　　empty　canteen　against　my　saddle…horn。

〃I　looked　around　at　Willie　after　Myra　had　gone。　　He　had　a　kind　of　a　　lily…white　look　on　him　which　seemed　to　show　that　her　remark　had；　as　　you　might　say；　disrupted　his　soul。　　I　never　noticed　anything　in　what　　she　said　that　sounded　particularly　destructive　to　a　man's　ideas　of　　self…consciousness；　but　he　was　set　back　to　an　extent　you　could　　scarcely　imagine。

〃After　we　went　down…stairs　with　our　clean　collars　on；　Willie　never　　went　near　Myra　again　that　night。　　After　all；　he　seemed　to　be　a　diluted　　kind　of　a　skim…milk　sort　of　a　chap；　and　I　never　wondered　that　Joe　　Granberry　beat　him　out。

〃The　next　day　the　battleship　Maine　was　blown　up；　and　then　pretty　soon　　somebody…I　reckon　it　was　Joe　Bailey；　or　Ben　Tillman；　or　maybe　the　　Government…declared　war　against　Spain。

〃Well；　everybody　south　of　Mason　&　Hamlin's　line　knew　that　the　North　by　　itself　couldn't　whip　a　whole　country　the　size　of　Spain。　　So　the　　Yankees　commenced　to　holler　for　help；　and　the　Johnny　Rebs　answered　the　　call。　　'We're　coming；　Father　William；　a　hundred　thousand　strongand　　then　some；'　was　the　way　they　sang　it。　　And　the　old　party　lines　drawn　　by　Sherman's　march　and　the　Kuklux　and　nine…cent　cotton　and　the　Jim　　Crow　street…car　ordinances　faded　away。　　We　became　one　undivided。　　　country；　with　no　North；　very　little　East；　a　good…sized　chunk　of　West；　　and　a　South　that　loomed　up　as　big　as　the　first　foreign　label　on　a　new　　eight…dollar　suit…case。

〃Of　course　the　dogs　of　war　weren't　a　complete　pack　without　a　yelp　from　　the　San　Augustine　Rifles；　Company　D；　of　the　Fourteenth　Texas　Regiment。　　　Our　company　was　among　the　first　to　land　in　Cuba　and　strike　terror　into　　the　hearts　of　the　foe。　　I'm　not　going　to　give　you　a　history　of　the　　war；　I'm　just　dragging　it　in　to　fill　out　my　story　about　Willie　　Robbins；　just　as　the　Republican　party　dragged　it　in　to　help　out　the　

election　in　1898。

〃If　anybody　ever　had　heroitis；　it　was　that　Willie　Robbins。　　From　the　　minute　he　set　foot　on　the　soil　of　the　tyrants　of　Castile　he　seemed　to　　engulf　danger　as　a　cat　laps　up　cream。　　He　certainly　astonished　every　　man　in　our　company；　from　the　captain　up。　　You'd　have　expected　him　to　　gravitate　naturally　to　the　job　of　an　orderly　to　the　colonel；　or　　typewriter　in　the　commissarybut　not　any。　　He　created　the　part　of　the　　flaxen…haired　boy　hero　who　lives　and　gets　back　home　with　the　goods；　　instead　of　dying　with　an　important　despatch　in　his　hands　at　his　　colonel's　feet。

〃Our　company　got　into　a　section　of　Cuban　scenery　where　one　of　the　　messiest　and　most　unsung　portions　of　the　campaign　occurred。　　We　were　　out　every　day　capering　around　in　the　bushes；　and　having　little　　skirmishes　with　the　Spanish　troops　that　looked　more　like　kind　of　　tired…out　feuds　than　anything　else。　　The　war　was　a　joke　to　us；　and　of　　no　interest　to　them。　　We　never　could　see　it　any　other　way　than　as　a　　howling　farce…comedy　that　the　San　Augustine　Rifles　were　actually　　fighting　to　uphold　the　Stars　and　Stripes。　　And　the　blamed　little　　senors　didn't　get　enough　pay　to　make　them　care　whether　they　were　　patriots　or　traitors。　　Now　and　then　somebody　would　get　killed。　　It　　seemed　like　a　waste　of　life　to　me。　　I　was　at　Coney　Island　when　I　went　　to　New　York　once；　and　one　of　them　down…hill　skidding　apparatuses　they　　call　'roller…coasters'　flew　the　track　and　killed　a　man　in　a　brown　　sack…suit。　　Whenever　the　Spaniards　shot　one　of　our　men；　it　struck　me　　as　just　about　as　unnecessary　and　regrettable　as　that　was。

〃But　I'm　dropping　Willie　Robbins　out　of　the　conversation。

〃He　was　out　for　bloodshed；　laurels；　ambition；　medals；　recommendations；　　and　all　other　forms　of　military　glory。　　And　he　didn't　seem　to　be　　afraid　of　any　of　the　recognized　forms　of　military　danger；　such　as　　Spaniards；　cannon…balls；　canned　beef；　gunpowder；　or　nepotism。　　He　went　　forth　with　his　pallid　hair　and　china…blue　eyes　and　ate　up　Spaniards　　like　you　would　sardines　a　la　canopy。　　Wars　and　rumbles　of　wars　never　　flustered　him。　　He　would　stand　guard…duty；　mosquitoes；　hardtack；　　treat；　and　fire　with　equally　perfect　unanimity。　　No　blondes　in　history　　ever　come　in　comparison　distance　of　him　except　the　Jack　of　Diamonds　　and　Queen　Catherine　of　Russia。

〃I　remember；　one　time；　a　little　caballard　of　Spanish　men　sauntered　out　　from　behind　a　patch　of　sugar…cane　and　shot　Bob　Turner；　the　first　　sergeant　of　our　company；　while　we　were　eating　dinner。　　As　required　by　　the　army　regulations；　we　fellows　went　through　the　usual　tactics　of　　falling　into　line；　saluting　the　enemy；　and　loading　and　firing；　　kneeling。

〃That　wasn't　the　Texas　way　of　scrapping；　but；　being　a　very　important　　addendum　and　annex　to　the　regular　army；　the　San　Augustine　Rifles　had　　to　conform　to　the　red…tape　system　of　getting　even。

〃By　the　time　we　had　got　out　our　'Upton's　Tactics；'　turned　to　page　　fifty…seven；　said　'onetwothreeonetwothree'　a　couple　of　　times；　and　got　blank　cartridges　into　our　Springfields；　the　Spanish　　outfit　had　smiled　repeatedly；　rolled　and　lit　cigarettes　by　squads；　and　　walked　away　contemptuously。

〃I　went　straight　to　Captain　Floyd；　and　says　to　him：　'Sam；　I　don't　　think　this　war　is　a　straight　game。　　You　know　as　well　as　I　do　that　Bob　　Turner　was　one　of　the　whitest　fellows　that　ever　threw　a　leg　over　a　　saddle；　and　now　these　wirepullers　in　Washington　have　fixed　his　clock。　　　He's　politically　and　ostensibly　dead。　　It　ain't　fair。　　Why　should　they　　keep　this　thing　up？　　If　they　want　Spain　licked；　why　don't　they　turn　　the　San　Augustine　Rifles　and　Joe　Seely's　ranger　company　and　a　car…load　　of　West　Texas　deputy…sheriffs　onto　these　Spaniards；　and　let　us　　exonerate　them　from　the　face　of　the　earth？　　I　never　did；'　says　I；　　'care　much　about　fighting　by　the　Lord　Chesterfield　ring　rules。　　I'm　　going　to　hand　in　my　resignation　and　go　home　if　anybody　else　I　am　　personally　acquainted　with　gets　hurt　in　this　war。　　If　you　can　get　　somebody　in　my　place；　Sam；'　says　I；　'I'll　quit　the　first　of　next　week。　　　I　don't　want　to　work　in　an　army　that　don't　give　its　help　a　chance。　　　Never　mind　my　wages；'　says　I；　'let　the　Secretary　of　the　Treasury　keep　　'em。'

〃'Well；　Ben；'　says　the　captain　to　me；　'your　allegations　and　　estimations　of　the　tactics　of　war；　government；　patriotism；　guard…　mounting；　and　democracy　are　all　right。　　But　I've　looked　into　the　　system　of　international　arbitration　and　the　ethics　of　justifiable　　slaughter　a　little　closer；　maybe；　than　you　have。　　Now；　you　can　hand　in　　your　resignation　the　first　of　next　week　if　you　are　so　minded。　　But　if　　you　do；'　says　Sam；　'I'll　order　a　corporal's　guard　to　take　you　over　by　　that　limestone　bluff　on　the　creek　and　shoot　enough　lead　into　you　to　　ballast　a　submarine　air