lars? When they gets an order to shoot,
they're just damned fools enough to shoot right into the crowd. Milish'
fire in the air, because as a rule they have friends in the crowd and
don't care to hurt 'em."

Pokeville was one hundred and two miles from Bridgeton and the run was
carefully made and without incident. When the volunteer engineer and
Captain Stillings, who was playing conductor, went to the office for
orders, they found the place deserted. A sullen-looking crowd was
looking on and appeared to enjoy the discomfiture of the soldiers. They
had put the operator _away_ for a while. Pressing up near the sides of
the train they became somewhat ugly and Captain Stillings brought out
his company, and lining them up alongside of the track he turned to his
1st lieutenant and said:

"Mr. Mitchell, I'm going into this telegraph office. If this crowd gets
ugly I want you to shoot the first damned man that moves a finger to
harm anybody."

But without an operator orders could not be procured, and without orders
the train could not go. Captain Stillings was in a quandary, but all at
once he stepped out in front of his company and said in a loud tone, "I
want an operator."

"I'm one, sir," said Private O'Brien, quickly stepping forward and
saluting.

"Go in that office and get orders for this train."

"Yes, sir," replied O'Brien, and in a minute another bluecoat was
helping the train on its way. If Captain Stillings had wanted a Chinese
interpreter he could have gotten one--any old thing. The train had no
further mishaps, because everything necessary to run a railroad was
right here in one company of sixty-two men belonging to the regular
army.

July slipped away and it was well into August before we returned to our
posts and the old grind of "Fours right," and "Fours left."

CHAPTER XXIV

EXPERIENCES AS A GOVERNMENT CENSOR OF TELEGRAPH

The few years succeeding the great strike were ones of calm, peaceful
tranquility. Each recurring November 1st, brought the initiation of Post
Lyceums at all garrisons, in which the officers were gathered together
twice a week, and war in all its phases was studied. We didn't exactly
know where the war was coming from, but, still we boned it out. Old
campaigns were fought over; the mistakes made by the world's greatest
commanders, from Alexander the Great to Grant and Lee were pointed out;
Kriegspiel was played; essays written and discussed, recommendations
made as to a