Soldiers Pay Read Free Page A

Ain’t that right?” he appealed to Lowe.
    â€œI don’t know,” said Lowe with courteous belligerence, “I never had time to work any.”
    â€œCome on, come on,” Yaphank reprimanded him, “all of us wasn’t young enough to be lucky as you.”
    â€œHow was I lucky?” Lowe rejoined fiercely.
    â€œWell, shut up about it, if you wasn’t lucky. We got something else to worry about.”
    â€œSure,” Schluss added quickly, “we all got something to worry about.” He tasted the bottle briefly and the other said:
    â€œCome on, now, drink it.”
    â€œNo, no, thanks, I got a plenty.”
    Yaphank’s eye was like a snake’s. “Take a drink, now. Do you want me to call the conductor and tell him you are worrying us to give you whisky?”
    The man gave him the bottle quickly. He turned to the other civilian. “What makes him act so funny?”
    â€œNo, no,” said Schluss. “Listen, you soldiers drink if you want: we’ll look after you.”
    The silent one added like a brother and Yaphank said:
    â€œThey think we are trying to poison them. They think we are German spies, I guess.”
    â€œNo, no! When I see a uniform, I respect it like it was my mother.”
    â€œThen come on and drink.”
    Schluss gulped and passed the bottle. His companion drank also and sweat beaded them.
    â€œWon’t he take nothing?” repeated the silent one, and Yaphank regarded the other soldier with compassion.
    â€œAlas, poor Hank!” he said, “poor boy’s done for, I fear. The end of a long friendship, men.” Cadet Lowe said sure, seeing two distinct Hanks, and the other continued. “Look at that kind, manly face. Children together we was, picking flowers in the flowery meadows; him and me made the middle-weight mule-wiper’s battalion what she was; him and me devastated France together. And now look at him.
    â€œHank! Don’t you recognize this weeping voice, this soft hand on your brow? General,” he turned to Lowe, “will you be kind enough to take charge of the remains? I will deputize these kind strangers to stop at the first harness factory we pass and have a collar suitable for mules made of dogwood with the initials H. W. in forget-me-nots.”
    Schluss in ready tears tried to put his arm about Yaphank’s shoulders. “There, there, death ain’t only a parting. Brace up: take a little drink, then you’ll feel better.”
    â€œWhy, I believe I will,” he replied; “you got a kind heart, buddy. Fall in when fire call blows, boys.”
    Schluss mopped his face with a soiled, scented handkerchief and they drank again. New York in a rosy glow of alcohol and sunset streamed past breaking into Buffalo, and with fervent new fire in them they remarked the station. Poor Hank now slept peacefully in a spittoon.
    Cadet Lowe and his friend being cold of stomach, rose and supported their companions. Schluss evinced a disinclination to get off. He said it couldn’t possibly be Buffalo, that he had been to Buffalo too many times. Sure, they told him, holding him erect, and the conductor glared at them briefly and vanished. Lowe and Yaphank got their hats and helped the civilians into the aisle.
    â€œI’m certainly glad my boy wasn’t old enough to be a soldier,” remarked a woman passing them with difficulty, and Lowe said to Yaphank:
    â€œSay, what about him?”
    â€œHim?” repeated the other, having attached Schluss to himself.
    â€œThat one back there,” Lowe indicated the casual.
    â€œOh, him? You are welcome to him, if you want him.”
    â€œWhy, aren’t you together?”
    Outside was the noise and smoke of the station. They saw through the windows hurrying people and porters, and Yaphank moving down the aisle answered:
    â€œHell, no. I never seen him before. Let the porter sweep him out or keep him, whichever he