Analy High School - Azalea Yearbook (Sebastopol, CA)

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eyes back again, said with the same careless smile: “No. Carp- tain, I don’ hev much time fer talkin’, sir; it’ll soon be gittin’ dark, and — . Well, as I wuz sayin 4 we wint across th’ way, an’ Sammy th’ bomber, sir, an’ Mickey came with guns, and I led on ahead, sir, a breakin’ trail, ye know. An’ all th’ time before me, sir, I saw me brother’s face, and ivery time I rammed one, sir, I stopped and larfed with glee. I was avengin’ sir, an’ evenin’ up th’ debts. I had lined up behind me this train o’ spike-topped knobs a’ beatin’ fer th’ ’ome’ard ways, whin bing! they got me straight. An’ — I don’ — remember, sir, wot ’appened arfter tliet. ’ ’ He paused and again looked out of the nearby window. His voice was tired and thick and his breath came in shorter gasps. Far in the western sky, beyond the peaceful farms, an afterglow of sunset burned the blue. A few clouds in tints of faint vermillion driftly idly about, and far, far up in the heav¬ ens a group of planes came sailing homeward like so many evening doves returning to their nests. “ ’Tis the wimin from ’ell wot they called us, sir,” he said huskily, “on account of our kilties, ye see. ’Twas worse than a ’ell thet we gave ’em, till they got us mixed up in be¬ tween. An’now - ” He stopped and viewed again the peace¬ ful evening scene, and there, for a moment, beyond the lands of peasantry, he saw another picture, a little Scottish hamlet in a vale of western hills. “An’ now, ef thet be all, I guess I’ll be goin’, sir.” And Tam O’Bain of the Four-hundred-and-eightv-third Royal High¬ landers went to the ’ome’ard way.

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wards who wishes to see me. I would like to be directed to him, sir.” They passed from the office into a large hall, where on every inch of floor space available stood army cots, beds, shake- downs and any kind of a contraption which might serve as a resting place for a wounded man. Some of the occupants of these cots were merrily talking and laughing, others were silently smoking or writing letters, and still others were groan¬ ing and screaming from the awful agony of their shell-rent and mutilated bodies. Finally they came to a cot at the end of the room where both men came to a silent stand. Beside the bed was a stack of Boche helmets and around each spike-top crown wound a hempen cord. This is the man, sir,” the doctor said, pointing toward the cot. Sergeant Tam O’Bain, of the Eighty-eighth Machine Gunners,” and then departed. Tam’s eyes were closed and he seemed peacefully sleeping, but as soon as the doctor had left lie opened them and smiled heartily at the Captain. Well, damme, boy—I mean Carptain, sir—I’m awfully glad tae see ye, sir,” he burst out in a cheerry voice, making a feeble attempt to salute with a bandaged stub where once had been his hand. I was a wee bit lonesome in this bloomin’ morgue, an’ I had a langin’ fer tae see ye, sir,” Captain Wallingsford looked down upon his friend with a pitying gaze, and then feigning seriousness, he said: Tam O’Bain, I would like to know how you came to be found in the German lines by our infantry, sir. I issued no such orders to ou or your company, and you stand in line for a court-martial as soon as your are well.” Tam looked up and smiled again. Well, sir, I don’ know quite how it came aboot, but ye re¬ member a tellin’ me aboot me brother bein’ killed? Well, when I went back tae me company th’ laddies cared tae know wot wuz wrong, an’ when I told ’em, sir, aboot the laddie brother o’ mine, they—well, we wint out on our own ‘across th’ way.’ ” Wallingsford noted that the Scot was very weak and that with each word his voice was becoming huskier. With a touch of tenderness in his tone he cautioned: Take your time, Tam, my lad; no hurry now at all. You’ve got all the time in the world.” The Scottie looked out a window a minute, and turning his

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®1 ]e (Blit uf Bralptra By MADALYN POST (Third Award.) N THE days when the Supreme Brahma reigned in India instead of his fellow-gods Vishnu and Siva, and beef was consumed as readily as any other constituent of human life, there was perhaps more real virtue among the lower castes. They pre¬ ferred to be clean instead of washing away their sins by inflicting horrible physical punishments upon them¬ selves. The castes were not such strict bonds. The priests sometimes even refused pay for their rituals! But the new age had developed a religious fanaticism. The Brahmas grew long, fat purses, while the agriculturists and slaves had none. Despite this fact, the lower castes were laying away for a day in the future—a day when their earthly cares would be over and their human sufferings at an end. Of the lowest caste, Sudra, was Rudraya. Her daily toil with the other slaves had not broken her spirits nor marred her beauty. Her physical perfection won the heart of Pushtra, of the next higher caste, Ksettri, resulting in a very sad mar¬ riage. The villagers were very indignant at Pushtra, for he had no other wife than this, and she was poorer to them than the dust on which they trod. To Rudraya and Pushtra was born a child, Rajanava. Doomed to be an outcast all his life, he was given poor oppor¬ tunity to live. Rudraya preferred that he should die rather than live a life of humility, as she was doing. Therefore, while yet a small boy, Rajanava was carried to a forest in the valley of Brahmaputra, to live or die as the gods chose. The weeping mother knelt and sent up a prayer, and she knelt she heard the distinct shouting of the multitudes that dragged the Car of Juggernaut to its destination. A vulture which preceded the car came screaming into the forest. It circled above the head of the unfortunate Rudraya and soared up into the heavens. At the thought of its devouring her child she was overcome and fell to the earth insensible. When she was at last aroused by her husband she stooped and kissed Rajanava and turned her back upon the sleeping child. The years passed by, but Rudraya never recovered from