Trooper Tales — page 191: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Aberration of Private Brown. 177 who was his bunkie, saw that face in the reflection and wondered at the strange expression upon it. The wild- ness of an idea in his brain caused it. And long after taps had gone the red glow and the strange expression was still upon his face; and from a formless throng of thoughts in his brain there slowly developed a plan, de- fined, delicate and difficult. To no man in the troop did Brown speak a word for seven days. When one cavalryman made a remark to this effect at the end of the time, every one thought of it. I alone knew how poor a soldier and how royal a fellow was Brown. Moreover, I was the only one who knew about the maid back in the States. At reveille roll-call one morning Brown was in ranks but did not say “Here” when his name was called by the top sergeant. There was a vacuum depicted upon his face which showed rare art in its cultivation. “Brown, when you come to,” observed the top, “report to the orderly room.” I never saw a man who could stare so picturesquely at nothing and reflect it on his face like my bunkie could. There were no active comments made in regard to Brown’s mental condition until the morning when he re- fused to get up for reveille. The first call had gone some moments. The troopers were hurriedly dressing. There was no movement in Brown’s bunk. The sergeant of his squad saw a pair of dull, expressionless eyes, which drearily followed the movements of the flies on the wall. The face of the man in the bunk was empty and smile- 3 ~ * COMICIOOKS (EC)