The Toughest Man in Gamp.

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume XIII, Issue 635, 24 July 1917, Page 1

The Toughest Man in Gamp.

" My dear boy," I said, •» I would rather swim through mud to love Jim for five minutes, than speak to a thousand men for an hour, and as far as a ' star speaker ' is concerned, a Y.M.G. A star who can't shine m mud can't shine anywhere !"

(By Dr. Alexander Irvice)

At a but m Wales we had a good crowd of Welshmen — bard to reach, so thoy sa d. I delivered tbe message and closed w.thout fisking &_ auy demonstration or show of decision. As the men arose &_d moved back toward the counter, I saw a boy stand f icing me for a moment. Tben he suddenly laughed through the chair, and, approaching me, said ; " 1 want to decide right now 1" We went aside to a table, and, standii g there together, he made the great decision. The first thought m bis tniud was of another lad who had distinguished himself m defying law aud i;i-*cJpline. " tie's the toughest nis n m camp," tbis boy. suiti : " and 1 thit/k jou might be ab-e to bm hi m!" 44 Where is he ?'* 1 asked. M Ob, it's quite a di6tat cc from here." •• Well, I have to go to another camp, but to-morrow at five I will be here, and if you will take me to him we will have a talk with him. Ntxt afternoon at five I was. there. It was raining heavily, and very dark. Ihe lad was tht re, and we started. Ihe camp had become a mud hole. We sid and waded and splashed through tbe lines. Now on a board walk for a minute, now stuck m soft mud, and again on a fair y hard road, dodging fences,) wire entanglements, and mud ponds, the boy tightly clutching my arm all tbe wbi'e. We finally arrived at a hut and looked inside. Three men were scrubbing the floor, and a sergeant was supervising the operation. •' bergeant," began my guide, " this is a V.M O.A. worker, he wants to j see Jim." " What do you want with him ? * asked the non-com. 11 Just to love him for five minutes,'' I replitd. « "ihe sergeant looked dubiously at me for a minute, than turned and called the object of our visit. " The toughest man m camp " stood up m his shirt and trousers and locked around. He had the face of a mere .child. Ijwould have guessed his age to be about fourteen ; of course, be I was over eighteen, but his face was the face of a child. His hands and arms were wet with the slime of the floor ; perspiration bad wtt his black hair, and it lay m lumps. He had been m jail several tinits, but there waa nothing of the criminal m bis childish features. He had stood before military power, and, with the temerity of burdened age, had openly and absolutely defied its authority; He was* confined to camu, and was likely to be for ihe rtmainder of the war. I called him by name and advanced to meet him. He was reluctant and slow to respond, t took his slimy hand and led him out— my guide following closely behind. I entered the first open door. It wpb quite a cosy sort of room, with a few ea3y chairs, a table m the centre, several sergeants sitting around reading. In silence they scrutinised the peculiarlooking trio. I lost no time inquiring where I was, or making apologies. We sat down at a corner of the table, and with Jim's slimy hand still m mine 1 lookedjinto his face and began : " They teli me yon have stepped off with the wrong foot, Jim ! Is that so ?'* « i'-e-s," he murmured, " I suppose BO." II There is quite a bunch of men around here who think that you have no other foot. I know you have, and as a big brother I have some to help you, to be your ' chum, and to stick olose to you until you go home to yonr mother after the war." Then came a soft look iuto the big round eyes, and they were dim with moisture. "I'm a Catholic, sir," he said, " but I certainly want your friendship." My reply brought the firet faint smile to his face : " I don't care, Jim, if you are a stoker m the Jewish navy. I'm your chum." 1 didn't disparage his denominational sentiment, however, I emphasised it. In a five minute talk 1 spoke to him of the foundation of all religious sects and creeds. I told him where and how he could get help ie ' his fight for strength. There was nc bravado. He was quiet and attentive, ' and when I gripped tighter his hand ' m farewell, he said, with set teeth : • I'm going to try." | j Then we left. I learned later thai ' I had led him into the sanctum sano torum of the sergeants' me 39. Jin ; went back to his knees on the flooi with his scrubber, and my guide anc I slid back through the rain. I charged him with the care of Jim He promised to see him often, and ai I said good-bye he murmured ai apology for dragging a 'star speaker through the rain and mud.