I came here from the
blood-stained fields of war. Now, out in the Philippines there's
always something doing. They give you half a troop, and so long as
you bring back enough Mausers and don't get your men cut up, you can
fight all over the shop and no questions asked. But all I do here is
take care of sick horses. Any vet. in the States has seen as much
fighting as I have in the last half-year. I might as well have had
charge of horse-car stables."
"There is some truth in that," said Curtis cautiously. "If you do
resign, certainly no one can accuse you of resigning in the face of
the enemy."
"Enemy, ye gods!" roared Ranson. "Why, if I were to see a Moro
entering that door with a bolo in each fist I'd fall on his neck and
kiss him. I'm not trained to this garrison business. You fellows are.
They took all the sporting blood out of you at West Point; one bad
mark for smoking a cigarette, two bad marks for failing to salute the
instructor in botany, and all the excitement you ever knew were
charades and a cadet-hop a t Cullum Hall. But, you see, before I went
to the Philippines with Merritt, I'd been there twice on a fellow's
yacht, and we'd tucked the Spanish governor in his bed with his spurs
on.
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