Trooper Tales — page 195: what you’re looking at

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

The Aberration of Private Brown. 181 throaty quaver, “By Jove! if you'll desert, I’m with you, body and soul!’ “Don’t boil over so loud, Brown,” I said quietly. “You've got your own little game to play—besides, when I quit this man’s service, I’m not going to have a French leave to look back on.” | Brown was looking more mystified every minute. — “Moreover,” I went on, slowly, “you don’t think they’re going to let a wild man run around loose on a transport, do you? Why, it would be a criminal imposition. You’re liable to hurt somebody. You'll be under a strong guard all the way home. Corp. Kennedy and I are appointed your keepers.” As I have said some half dozen times before, there was no humor in Brown. The excruciating refinement of my pleasantries were lost on him. In fact, Brown was dazed and limp. His pipe dropped to the floor. “T never thought of that!” he gasped. “The captain has written to your parents concerning your deplorable absence of mind, but we can——” “Wha-at?” roared Brown. He sat up erect, wild-eyed. And I had been warned to spare him from all excite- ment. “But you can write them that your mind is only tem- porarily webby, and—and I’ll sign the statement.” Brown looked at me with pitying scorn. “Yes, and the folks will say the saddest thing about it all is, the poor boy believes he is perfectly sane. And Eomichbooks-:com