T E 181 si^ INCIDENTS ,-.#Si. GENERAL PERSHING 4^ ^o^x v^ -V <^ -^ , X '^o^ :|: i .^^^ xO<=^^ \0o. ® lT -o/^;>^^>-. ^^^%. ,-^^o ^0^ .^^" "o. 0" V ,-^" .r '^c^. [• \ i 'oo^' \N^ V ^ f= -^^ o ': ^^. A^ **\^ n-^'. INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING By CuLLOM Holmes Farrell ILLUSTRATED With scenes from the William Fox Photo-Play entitled "WHY America will win," reproducing historical events in the Life of General John J. Pershing The actors in these scenes were chosen because of their remarkable likeness to the characters whom they portray RAND McNALLY & COMPANY CHICAGO NEW YORK Copyright, IQ18, by William Fox Copyright, 1918, by Rand McNally & Company NOV 23 1918 (S)ci.Ar)ne>(>9« INTRODUCTION The purpose of this biography of General Pershing is to make Americans recognize in this great leader, a human being, a fellow citizen, a man among men. It is the very humanness of great men that makes their life stories a source of inspiration to all of us, and the realization is repeated again and again that success is the inevitable accompaniment of energy, tenacity of purpose, and the will to work and win. Founded on these attributes, success is ready for the laurels of fame when destiny points the way. The stirring incidents of General Pershing's early life, the achievements that mark his later years, the adventures that filled his military life in the service of his country, reveal to us the spirit of the man, his courage, his love of justice and liberty, his innate detestation of all forms of tyranny and oppression, and his kindliness and generosity toward his fellow men. These very characteristics are the recognized attributes of the true American citizen, a national character that has led the nation in its triiunphant progress toward its high destiny in world affairs. These are the attributes of Americanism that made inevitable the participation of the United States in the great war. The American democracy, founded on the highest prin- ciples of justice and liberty, could not stand by unmoved and see the inherent rights of man trampled under oppres- sion's foot in blood and dust. When this story, then, has shown us the qualities of heart and mind of the leader of our armies, it is with greater affection and trust that we look upon him 'march- ing in the vanguard of the nation's sons, holding aloft the nation's mighty sword, in a glorious crusade for the freedom of the world. The Publishers. 3 CONTENTS PAGE How THE Alsatian Family of Pfirsching Became THE American Family of Pershing .... 7 Pershing's Birth in the Far West as the Civil War is Begun 15 The General's First Taste of War was at the Early Age of Four 21 Pershing's First Fight with "Indians"; Days IN THE Little Schoolhouse 27 Washington was Pershing's Model; His Ambi- tion was the Bar 34 In Poverty, the Future General Teaches in a Negro School 40 Pershing, again a School Teacher, Meets and Conquers the Bully ^ . .47 Teacher Pershing Decides to Compete for West Point 53 Pershing Wins Honor at West Point; Graduated High in Class 60 Campaigning Against Indians; Enters the War WITH Spain 66 His Distinguished Service in Cuba and the Philippines 72 His Marriage; His Service in Japan; Appointed A Brigadier 78 5 6 CONTENTS PAGE Suppression of the Moros; Tactics in Jungle Warfare 84 Pershing's Family Tragedy; Mexican Border Raids Begin 91 Pershing's Pursuit of Villa; Becomes a Major General 98 Pershing Named to Command Army; His Arrival in France 105 Making Ready in France; First United States Force in France . . . 113 Pershing's Men Have Their First Contact with the Foe 122 Pershing Places United States Army at the Disposal of General Foch 130 Pershing's Surprise Party for the Kaiser; He's There to Win 139 Americans Wipe Out St. Mihiel Salient; Per- shing Brings War into Germany .... 147 Copyright by Clinedinst Studio, Washington, D. C General John J. Pershing CHAPTER I How THE Alsatian Family of Pfirsching Became the American Family of Pershing A BOY on a galloping plough horse dashed from the market square and down the narrow street. A shot rang out above the cries of women and the angry shouts of men in the square. The horse lurched, but recovered and kept his pace. Just ahead a squad of Landwehr wheeled into the street. They were too close for the boy to turn; he there- fore used his heels vigorously on the sides of his horse and plunged at them. Before the bewildered Landwehr could collect their wits the heavy horse was upon them, and sent them sprawling in the dust. One, quicker than his fellows, ran at the fleeing boy, reaching out to drag him from his seat. Just in time the boy, a husky lad, turned, and with all his strength struck the soldier a staggering blow in the face. Now free, he bent over the horse's neck, expecting a volley from the enraged Landwehr. An old bewhiskered sergeant, less hasty than his men, restrained their fire. 8 GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING "A fine young cockerel, that! He'll make good cannon fodder for Maria Theresa's guns. Wait until to-morrow, when we gather him in, and then, I promise, you will see some sport." With threats that boded ill for the boy the men returned to their work, and the boy, now at the end of the street, turned into the open road that led down the valley of the Rhine. Between the sweet-smelling fields and the river, across an old bridge that spanned the stream, and over rolling hills, the good horse, near exhaustion, galloped on. The road turned abruptly into the square of a small hamlet, flanked by low, stone houses. Just opposite a sign that bore a weather-stained legend, "The Golden Crown," the old horse stag- gered, dropped to its knees and rolled over, dead. The boy managed to fall clear of the animal, and in a moment was surrounded by the venerable innkeeper and the village loungers. Such excitement had not stirred the hamlet since Charles had been chosen emperor of the Germans. The news spread fast, and already the priest and the mayor were hurrying to the scene. The fugitive boy, well-nigh breathless, had told his brief story in hysterical haste : "The Landwehr are coming! "Maria Theresa has defeated the emperor and he is calling a new draft ! THE ALSATIAN FAMILY OF PFIRSCHING Q "In Kehl they are taking everyone from sixteen to fifty ! "They will be here to-morrow!" At these dread tidings a silence fell upon his hearers. Too well they knew the meaning of the draft. For centuries each new king and emperor had drawn the inhabitants of the valley to fill the ranks of his armies. Only a year ago there had been a draft. Then they had taken only the cream of the country's manhood. This time they were to take the children and the fathers of families. It struck terror to the hearts of all who heard the news. With a sinking heart the mayor urged a respect for the supreme law of the land which he was far from feeling himself. He knew well that this supreme law was vested in a man who believed that those who inhabited his dominions were created for the special purpose of gratifying his inglorious desires. The smiling valley in which these people lived was a part of beautiful Alsace — Alsace, the battle- ground of the centuries. The Teuton hand still lay heavy on that part of the fair province which lay nearest the Rhine, although France, to which every inhabitant felt an inbred loyalty, had retaken most of the domain nearly a century before. The soldiers of the German rulers stalked about the countryside and on the streets of the towns, pushing lO GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING the natives from the walks with the insolence of their kind. There was invasion of the very homes. There would be no respite from this persecution until beloved France again could assert her mastery. Charles, elector of Bavaria, had been elected emperor two years before, in 1742. Immediately upon assuming the throne he became jealous of the growing power of Maria Theresa, empress of Austria, and had forced a war upon her. The empress, whose influence was great in Hungary, had thrown the hordes of Magyars upon Charles. Greatly outnumbered by the forces of the empress, routed in fierce encounters, Charles had ordered every field and every village to be stripped of its men to meet new advances of the savage Magyars. This was the situation when to the little Alsatian village, in the year 1744, the boy Daniel Pfirsching raced from Kehl with the first news of the new draft. Daniel lived with his old grandfather, Frederick Pfirsching. His father had been taken earlier by the soldiers of the emperor, and had given his life in battle. Hence it was with fear and hatred that Daniel had witnessed the taking of the boys and men of Kehl by the Landwehr. Barely sixteen years of age himself, he knew that he could not hope to escape the grasp of the usurper and that he was destined for the same fate as had befallen his father. THE ALSATIAN FAMILY OF PFIRSCHING II There was no love for Charles in Alsace. All the love of the people for their native land belonged to France. If the call had come from France, every man would have gone forth cheerfully to fight the foe. Frederick Pfirsching, the grandfather, had lived on the west bank of the Rhine for sixty years and more. His ancestors had lived there for centuries. They had seen the time when the lilies of France had flown in the market square. They had seen the invader come and go. Who knew but he might go again? So the grandfather was content to give his life to the humble craft which was his and had been that of the Pfirsching family for generations. He knew that Daniel was in danger; that the family would end if Daniel were taken ; hence the old man, in tears, advised the boy to flee from the devastat- ing power of the Germans. The old artisan was determined that his grandson, reared in the love of liberty and all its traditions, should not spend his life in the shadow of the tyrant's throne. From beneath a stone in the hearth he brought forth a few gold pieces which the watchful tax collector had overlooked. *Tt is little, my boy," said he, "but enough to take you far from the Landwehr. Perhaps you will go to that new land, America, which I hear is free from the oppression under which one lives here. 12 GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING It is possible that you or your sons will hear some day the call of our dear Alsace and that you may aid in her deliverance. Good-by, and God be with you. " With his slender fortune Daniel set forth in the night. By morning he was far away from the village and under the sunny skies of France. Remembering the advice of his grandfather, he set out for Calais. He did chores for farmers, earning a meal here and there as he traveled; for he felt sure he would need all of his little store of money to take him to that wonderful land, America. At Calais he found that it would be impossible for him to obtain passage there for America. Only English ships plied to the English colonies. A friendly fisherman finally offered the boy passage to Dover. He worked hard for that passage, but each mile brought him nearer to the land of promise. In England Daniel waited for weeks before he could find a ship sailing for America. When he found one, a great disappointment awaited him — the passage would cost several times the sum he possessed. Seeing his dismay, the captain agreed to take what money he had and let him work his way. For weeks the ship labored on her way, and finally reached Baltimore. Here Daniel nearly lost heart, for the captain promptly asserted that the work he had performed on the voyage was not sufficient THE ALSATIAN FAMILY OF PFIRSCHING 13 to pay for his passage. In this dilemma, and to avoid return to England, Daniel agreed to be bound to a ship chandler near the docks in Balti- more for a period of three months — a system of buying the services of a person for a stated period which prevailed in the Colonies at that time. The individual thus bound became practically the slave of the purchaser for the term of service. After three months of service Daniel Pfirsching was free to begin his own life in America — with no money, but with an iron purpose to make his way. The broken English that he had been able to acquire in these few months made it difficult for him to obtain employment ; he therefore returned to the ship chandler whom he had served. Here he found a welcome and wages that permitted him to live while he was becoming more familiar with the language. His ability and determination finally brought success and a small interest in the business for which he worked. Finding that, among his English- speaking neighbors, the name Pfirsching was a . handicap, he Anglicized it into the more euphonious Pershing, and bestowed it upon a blue-eyed maid of the old colony. Thus was founded the American family of Persh- ing, one of whose descendants. General John Joseph Pershing, to-day is leading the hosts of this mighty nation of the free against the oppressing Hun. 2 14 GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING The Spirit of the pioneer possessed Daniel — the finger of opportunity beckoned him westward. SelHng out his business, he emigrated to what was then the Far West — Indiana County, Pennsylvania — with his wife and little family. It was a wild country, full of hostile Indians. Hardly had he created a little farm below the primitive mountain side that resembled so his beloved Alsace when the voice of that Liberty which had done so much for him called — and he was glad to answer. CHAPTER II His Birth in the Far West as the Civil War Is Begun THE news that flew on the wings of the wind was the call of freedom. From mouth to mouth it spread across the sparsely settled mountains and through the valleys of the frontier. To the fertile valley where Daniel Pershing, his wife, and sturdy boys had made their home together with a few hardy pioneers of kindred spirit came the call to independence in 1776. The people of Massachusetts had resisted the injustice of taxation without representation. The other colonies had acclaimed the deed. Delegates had been sent to form a continental congress, which should speak for the free people of a free country. The idea that kings ruled by divine right obsessed the Teutonic king, who at that time sat upon the throne of England, the mother country, and pre- vented a reasonable adjustment of the dispute, which would have been possible had the saner minds of England been permitted to speak. Thus, on July 4, 1776, with the proclamation of independence, America repudi.ited the yoke of 15 l6 GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING Teutonic oppression. Daniel Pershing had suffered in the old world under Teutonic oppression, so when the call came he and his sons answered. Near by was an outpost of the enemy. Savage Indians, heretofore the common enemy, were let loose upon the settlers who championed the cause of freedom. Massacres were frequent. Pershing, a natural leader, organized the men of his region. A block-house was built, and they successfully resisted several onslaughts by the savages. Finally there came their way the vanguard of the Continental army — the expedition against the frontier outposts of the enemy. Pershing, with his little band, joined the expedition and participated in its success; but the unprotected farm in Indiana County caused him to hasten back to its defense and prevented his taking an active part in the final vic- tory in the East. The war over and liberty firmly established, the Pershing family resumed their peaceful existence in the little valley. The sons married, and soon grandchildren added to the group. The years passed swiftly. At length John F. Pershing, a grandson of Daniel, found the farm in Pennsylvania too small. The valley was becoming crowded from the encroachment of civilization during twenty-five years. Possessed of the same pioneer spirit that had caused his grandfather to seek opportunity in the West, he looked to the farther West. BIRTH IN THE FAR WEST 1 7 Railroad development was booming. Already the rails were pushing their way into the wilderness. Construction crews were a familiar sight, even to the Indians. It was natural, perhaps that John F. Pershing should be interested in this great work of empire building. It was essentially the work of the pioneer — work that required dogged perseverance to win. He joined one of these construction crews operating in Kentucky and Tennessee. His native force, determination, and ability to control men soon made him foreman of the crew. In the Tennessee foothills he met the beautiful Ann Thompson. A new work was calling him to far Missouri, and, after a very brief courtship, he persuaded her to marry him and spend their honey- moon in a construction camp, with all the hardships that this entailed. The work upon which John F. Pershing was engaged was that of building a line of the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad. The rails had been extended to within about three miles of the small town of Laclede, Missouri, when preparations had to be made for the birth of a child in the Pershing family. There were no conveniences in the construction camp and no doctor nearer than Laclede. It was decided to remove Mrs. Pershing at once to that town. This was accomplished with one of the rough wagons used to haul supplies for the railroad, drawn by two Missouri mules. 2 1 8 GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING Fortunately there was a house ready to receive Mrs. Pershing. There the doctor was summoned; and in this humble and primitive abode the present commander of the American forces now fighting in France to crush the Hun and his brutal creed first saw the light. His proud father and mother decided that he should be known as John Joseph Pershing. He was born September 13, i860. His rugged constitution and dogged determination are a heritage from his parents. His love of freedom and hatred of oppression were inbred for generations. His mother sprang from a stock as sturdy as was that of her husband. There was strength in her frame and in her character, but withal a certain gentleness that created a strong bond of sympathy between her and her quiet though determined son. Throughout all the years that the boy struggled to gain an education and a start on the highroad of life, the understanding between the mother and son never flagged. There were times when she sought to restrain the ambition that led to excess of study, but in the end she always gave way, assured that, after all, he was right. Never for a moment was their relation of entire sympathy and affection strained or altered. The lives of many really great men of history — especially American history — have had their begin- ning in much the same fashion. Born amidst hard- ships and privations, a never-ceasing struggle to BIRTH IN THE FAR WEST IQ obtain an education — obstacles to overcome and final victory due to dogged perseverance. So were the lives of Napoleon, of Lincoln, of Grant — of many another famous in history. The future general's father, after establishing the mother and her son in a house in Laclede, went back to his work on the railroad. Finally the last spike was driven at Hannibal, the terminus. The Hannibal & St. Joseph since has become a small link in the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, one of the mighty railway systems of the country; but at that time it was a very important road. Its ter- minal at St. Joseph was the gateway to the Far West. Here outfits were made up for the great pilgrimage. California was the goal of many of the pioneers, and it is probable that John F. Pershing had that golden country in mind as his final desti- nation when the birth of his son prevented further migration. Upon the completion of his task the railroad con- structor returned to Laclede, and, investing his savings in a general store, decided to make Missouri his home. The store was a profitable venture. It was the only one in town, and every need of the inhabitants was supplied by it. The business grew and prospered, and Pershing was compelled to employ help in running it and in operating the small farm that he had taken on the outskirts of the town. In Missouri, during the early 6o's, was reflected 20 GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING and magnified the political strife that was beginning to shake the nation. South Carolina had fired upon the Stars and Stripes, and the great war of the North and South was flaming across the country. In Laclede a majority of the inhabitants were southern sympathizers ; but, while the elder Pershing openly asserted his allegiance to the cause of the Union, he still held the personal friendship and the respect of the more influential citizens. Indeed, he had their trust to such an extent that, by common consent, he was the banker of the community, and all the money in town was frequently in his hands. Notwithstanding that his neighbors respected the political views of Pershing, numerous bands of bush- whackers, those lawless raiders of the state who professed allegiance to the Confederacy but actually exercised it toward neither side, sent him warning that they were coming after him to stop ' 'his damned Yankee talk." Pershing laughed at the warning and waited to see what they would do. CHAPTER III The General's First Taste of War Was AT THE Early Age of Four EVER present about the little Missouri town of Laclede was the flag of the Confederacy. Mrs. Pershing, mother of the future general, could not bear to see this flag and be unable to fly the Stars and Stripes. Nowhere for miles around was there such a flag — nothing but the Stars and Bars could be had. Mrs. Pershing obtained surrep- titiously one of these Confederate emblems, and from it, with her own hands, she fashioned the Stars and Stripes. Her husband erected a tall pole in front of the house and flung the new flag to the breeze as an answer to the warning of the bush whackers. That afternoon the young storekeeper saw one of the disreputable characters of the region, known as ''Uncle Billy," approaching. Uncle Billy cocked an eye at the home-made Union emblem. ''I see you-all got a flag up." "Yes," was the reply; ''that is my flag." "Well, the boys hereabouts don't hke that flag. They don't mean no trouble, but they say that flag has got to come down; so if you-all don't take it 21 22 GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING down they're coming around to-night and take it down themselves." "Well," was the answer, ''it's mighty kind of you to let me know; but you tell those boys that if they come they had better bring their coffins with 'em." The old man hurried away and Pershing went into the store and called his two assistants. He thought they were loyal to both himself and the Union, but he had to be sure. He put the question plainly to them — told them that very likely there would be a raid that very night. "Of course we'll stand by you," they answered; so, after leaving instructions with them, he hastened up to the house, where his wife and the younger children, who had witnessed his talk with Uncle Billy, were anxiously waiting. Mrs. Pershing refused to leave her husband's side, and together they prepared the house for a siege. Little John, now nearly four years old, was out in the village square drilHng the children of the town in imitation of the great armies that were fighting in the nearby states. Even at this time the future general was showing the qualities of leadership that afterward made him famous. The thunder of hoofs on the road called a halt in the drill. There was a loud cry, "The raiders!" and away the children scampered to the shelter of their homes. THE GENERAL S FIRST TASTE OF WAR 23 Little Jack Pershing was left alone; but, having heard his parents speak of the raiders, he hurried away to carry the news. His father's men were already at the house when he ran in. The shutters were being put up; Jack may have been in his father's way when he insisted upon having his little gun that he, too, might shoot. His mother nearly broke his heart when she took him and his brother and sister and deposited them in one of the dark closets for safe keeping. The raiders rode up with a scattering volley. Captain Holtzclaw, the leader called upon the store- keeper to take down his flag. Pershing replied with a shot that killed the captain. Discretion being the better part of valor, the raiders retired to the shadow of some great cotton- wood trees and began a steady fire upon the doors and shuttered windows of the house. All night long the siege was maintained. The other inhab- itants of Laclede believed their own safety was the first consideration, and kept fearfully to their homes. Toward morning the raiders, thinking to take the defenders off their guard, prepared to storm the house. It was the intense darkness just before dawn. Not a shot had been fired for nearly an hour, and each raider, lying in the deepest shadow he could find, awaited the signal. Just at this moment the long, piercing whistle 24 GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING of a train on the Hannibal & St. Joseph road awoke the echoes. If the reader knows how every dweller in a remote village looks forward to the arrival of a train, how they set their watches by it, and are greatly con- cerned by its non-arrival; how an unexpected train causes great wonderment and speculation — he can realize the bewilderment that this unexpected train whistle caused in the little town of Laclede nearly sixty years ago. Trains ran seldom at best, and a train at this time of the morning was a thing unheard of. Even the raiders stopped in their tracks and listened. The Pershings, their eyes intent on the move- ment of a shadow, wondered whether this had anything to do with their present predicament. Whether it had or not, it aroused the raiders, who, with a wild rebel yell, rushed the house. A stout fence rail in the hands of several men was fast battering in the door. Pershing knew it would only be a matter of minutes when they would be hand to hand with the foe. Suddenly the terrific clamor at the door ceased. The little household heard new cries on the road and the noise of their late antagonists hurrying away to the accompaniment of a heavy volley. Knowing that relief had come, they took down the bars to the doors and hastened out. It was a glad sight that awaited them, for the first thing that THE GENERAL S FIRST TASTE OF WAR 25 met their eyes was the Stars and Stripes in the hands of an officer in the long-unfamiHar uniform of the Union forces. Before Pershing could express his thanks to the commander, a Httle form pushed past him and was saluting the captain in the way he had been taught. It was little John Pershing, who had escaped from the dark closet. The little voice piped: "Are you a 'merican officer?" The officer with a smile returned his salute and assured him that his assumption was right. "Well, I'm going to be one, too, when I grow up, " asserted the youngster. His mother attempted to take him, but Jack clung to the captain until the latter departed with his men. This troop was the vanguard of that Union army which was to wipe out the bushwhackers and restore order in the state of Missouri. They had arrived in Laclede that morning upon a train of fiat cars. Hearing the shots of the raiders, they had investigated and rescued the Pershings. This incident of the raiders was the only one of its kind that the town of Laclede was to experience during the Civil War. The memory of those days, when the strife of the North and South threatened to disrupt the country, can be but vague with the General Pershing 26 GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING of to-day. Perhaps, however, on some battlefield when the fate of the world is in the balance, the impression of that first cheer for the flag for whose glory Pershing has spent his life may become a sub-conscious inspiration. As a matter of fact, there have been only brief intervals in his life when fighting did not figure. The Civil War was hardly over when the disorder of the country invited outbreaks by those Indians who had been pressed back by the swift approaches of civiHzation. In 1868 the Cherokees not only came to the very door of Laclede, but at times were so bold as to raid the town. The boys of the place, under the leadership of John Pershing, had organized a company, which now would be known as Boy Scouts. Their purpose was to keep guard over the village and sound an alarm should an Indian raid be threatened. As with all boys, however, it seemed to be their luck that every time one of the raids occurred they were either asleep in bed or at school. One day, however, luck appeared to be with them, for over the hills came running their sentinel crying: "The Indians are coming — the Indians are coming! " CHAPTER IV His First Fight with "Indians"; Days IN THE Little Schoolhouse THE day for which John Pershing and his little band of boy scouts in Laclede had long waited was at hand. Their opportunity had come — but it found them wanting. For, with the exception of their dauntless young commander, every one of them immediately took to his heels. "Halt!" shouted the future general, waving his wooden sword. The bravery of their captain shamed the others, and the panic was stopped, though each boy was shaking in his boots. From strategic positions behind the trees they waited. The enemy came, but not the enemy they were expecting. It seems that Tom Higginbotham, who was acting as sentinel, had found that waiting for Indians who never came was a tedious job. For sport he had organized a rival company from among the colored children of the town and persuaded them to attack the others. When all was ready, he had run down and given the false alarm. The dark-skinned warriors, armed with broom- sticks, advanced. When Jack's company realized the hoax that had been played on them, stones 27 28 GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING began to fly in earnest, and the fight ended in a free-for-all. Hard-hitting Jack himself decided the victory for his company. The casualties of this historic battle of Laclede were heavy. Not one combatant escaped un- scratched. The mothers of the town sat up late that night to mend torn trousers and jackets. Gory noses were proudly displayed. The hero pose never had appealed to Jack, however, and he went home by a roundabout route to escape undue curiosity. As was natural, many a home whipping resulted from this bloody fray. Many a hickory switch dusted the back of the howling progeny of Laclede. Jack's father, however, was built on different lines. When he saw the torn clothes and the cut face of his son, he merely smiled. "Fighting, eh? Well, it will make a man of you. But never let anyone say that he has licked you." Upon Jack, who had braced himself for the expected whipping, these words made a deep impression, and the thought of them has carried him to victory through many a fight in the face of serious odds. Little John Pershing was now about eight years of age, and, with his younger brother, Jim, was a pupil of the "old red schoolhouse. " John was a real boy. Mark Twain has painted a vivid picture of the real boy as he lived in a Missouri town at DAYS IN THE LITTLE SCHOOLHOUSE 29 about this period. Jack lived about the same sort of Hfe in general as did Tom Sawyer. He played ** hookey" from school. He had all the small boy's troubles and he met them in the same way. He had all the necessary fights, but they were never the fights of a bully. He even raided the orchards and the melon fields of the neighborhood. A story is still told in Laclede of one of these raids : Charles Bigger, a schoolmate, approached Jack early one evening. ' * Old man Temple has a field of watermelons that are so long," said he, indicating with his arms a melon of stupendous size. "There is n't a melon on earth that big," returned Jack, unconvinced. "You come with me to-night and I'll show you," said Charley. Jack, being from Missouri, was willing to be shown. That night after mother had tucked the children in and father had put out the lights and gone to bed. Jack got up very quietly, pulled on his trousers over his nightshirt — no boy in a Missouri town would have dreamed of wearing shoes while the weather was warm enough to go without them — slipped out of the window, and jumped off the low kitchen roof. Charley Bigger was waiting for him in the shadow of the Cottonwood trees. Silently they made their way down the moonlit road to the open country. 3 30 GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING They ''shinned" over the snake-fence and tiptoed and crept past the house of the farmer and into the melon patch. The melons, sure enough, were the largest that either of the boys ever had seen, and each selected one of the best. Now, any water melon is a good-sized load for a small boy, and these were all they could carry; hence, as they made their way back, they could not step as carefully as they had on their way down. A twig snapped with a loud noise just as they passed the chicken house. Immediately a loud cackling arose among the hens. "That'll wake old man Temple," whispered Charley; "we'd better run." And run he did; but Jack, after taking all that trouble, did n't wish to lose his precious melon. Lights appeared in the house and the figure of Farmer Temple in the doorway with a gun. At that moment poor Charley, not seeing the fence in his haste, crashed full against it. The melon smashed all over him, but the boy managed to scramble over the fence and out of danger. "Stop!" yelled the angry farmer, menacing with his gun. Jack, still hugging his melon, stopped. The farmer approached and looked down at the boy. "Well, if it ain't John Pershing's boy," he ex- claimed, "and after my melons, too. I thought it was one of those darned chicken thieves." DAYS IN THE LITTLE SCHOOLHOUSE 3 1 He looked over toward the fence where Charley- had smashed his melon. "And the little cuss didn't run, either, when I came with the gun. Well, sonny, you just take that melon and toddle along, and any time you want another, you come right to Joe Temple and he will pick a good one for you." So Jack lugged his melon out on the road where the scared Charley had been watching the proceed- ings from the shadows. In silence they proceeded to eat the melon. When they had finished Charley, who seemed to have something on his mind, blurted out: *'Gee! I wish I was brave like you." Next morning the story of Jack's exploit spread through the school. From the school it spread over town and finally reached the ears of Jack's father. That night Jack did receive a whipping, for his father never countenanced night raids on his neigh- bors' property. Mrs. Ann Thompson Pershing instilled into the minds of her children at an early age deep reverence for the Almighty. The Pershing family were regular attendants at the Methodist Episcopal church in Laclede, and every Sunday it was the custom for John and the other children to attend Sunday school and remain for the regular church service. These teachings were to remain always a part of the life of the future general. It is probable that his 32 GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING boyish mind idealized some of the more heroic characters of the Old Testament and that he pat- terned his life after these — together with George Washington, his favorite historical hero. Jack never was what is termed a brilHant scholar. That is, he absorbed his knowledge slowly. But what he did learn after hours of study was retained. His mother was the faithful companion of his study. Often she would protest against the persistence with which he kept at a difficult problem. Young Jack, however, never would give up until he conquered. The same qualities were then displayed that made him the supreme commander of the American army in its most critical hour. The chairman of the school board, on, a periodical visit to examine the school, as a special reward for proficiency, announced that a handsomely bound copy of the life of George Washington would be offered for the best solution of a certain problem. As the offer of a prize was unusual, there was great excitement while the teacher wrote the following on the blackboard* *'If sound moves at the rate of 1,142 feet per second, and the pulsations of the human body are seventy per minute, what is the distance of a cloud if twenty pulsations occur between the time of seeing the lightning and hearing of the thunder?" A gasp of consternation came from the pupils. This was entirely beyond the comprehension of DAYS IN THE LITTLE SCHOOLHOUSE 33 most of them. Only a few even took the trouble to copy the problem and attempt its solution. Jack Pershing was one of these. He only smiled when}, some of his friends suggested that the problem was a hoax and that there could be no solution. "There must be a solution," he said, ''to every problem. Immediately after supper Jack went to his room and began his work. Bedtime came and Jack was still at it. His mother, now accustomed to her son's determination, did not disturb him. At mid- night there was still a light in his room. ''Just an hour more, mother," was his plea when his mother urged him to stop and go to bed. I CHAPTER V Washington Was His Model; His Ambition Was the Bar IN the morning Jack Pershing came down to breakfast tired, but happy. He had solved the problem in that last hour. It was a proud mother who sent him off to school that day. It was the big day of the school year. The chairman and the examining board would be there. Friends and relatives would be present to hear the accomplish- ments of the pupils. The customary exercises passed without a hitch. The event of the day, however, was still to come. Everyone was eagerly waiting to see who would win the coveted problem prize. At last the chairman rose. "As you all know," said he, "there is to be a prize awarded to-day. This prize is particularly significant — a copy of the life of our first President, George Washington. His life was an example of diligence and perseverance. These traits are sure to be possessed by the scholar who wins this prize. I now call upon you for answers to the problem on the blackboard." In the silence that followed the boys and girls 34 HIS MODEL AND HIS AMBITION 35 all looked around to see who would have the courage to respond. Jack waited until it was evident that he was the only one who could even attempt an answer. He arose, He had felt so confident before, but now his knees were beginning to tremble as he stood in the presence of the board. "Please, sir," his voice wavered as he spoke, *'I know the answer." The chairman, pleased that here was one at least who could make an answer, encouraged him. Jack continued : "If sound travels at the rate of 1,142 feet per second and the pulsations of the human body are seventy per minute, the distance of a cloud if twenty pulsations occur between the time of seeing a light- ning flash and hearing the thunder is — five miles two hundred and forty-six feet and eight inches." The answer Jack blurted out and hurriedly sank back into his seat amid the applause of the school. The chairman, in another speech, congratulated the boy and ended by presenting him with the book — the life of George Washington. Then, like a bolt from the blue, the youthful winner heard these words : "John, can't you make us a little speech?" There is nothing that the average small boy dreads more than to speak in public. John was no exception; but there seemed no way open to a refusal. Slowly he rose. He turned toward where 36 GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING his mother was sitting, and her smile and her moving lips gave him the support he needed. He could see her lips shaping the words that he could use, and, with this to help, he began : ''I'm sorry you all did n't win a prize, too. I — I — I'm much obliged. I'm going to grow up like George Washington." These happy years at school were fast slipping by. The Pershing children at this time were John, Jim, May, and Bess. The elder Pershing in his general store had found a gold mine. H. C. Lomax, who was Mr. Pershing's clerk in the store, and is still living as president of the bank in Laclede, is the authority for the statement that John F. Per- shing was one of the wealthiest men in the state of Missouri. It was estimated that he was worth at least $100,000 — a fair fortune even now, but then an unusual one. Mr. Pershing was an acknowledged leader in all business enterprises and had the respect of everyone in the state. As an investment he considered the fields of Missouri the best that could be found, and he began to extend his holdings in farm lands. He thought it best that during summer vacations his boys be given a training for their future lives. He had no thought but that they would follow in his footsteps and become small-town merchants and farmers. Accordingly he sent Jack and Jim to his farms to work during the summer months. It was I HIS MODEL AND HIS AMBITION 37 the kind of work that builds up the body and makes men. Pershing, with all his money, did not believe in coddling his children. There was a marked difference between the boys — John was sober, slow, and industrious; Jim was always ready for a frolic, always ready at the first opportunity to drop all work and go fishing. John, even then, was beginning to make plans for his future which differed from those of his father. These ambitions he had kept carefully hidden in his own breast. They were clear, well-developed hopes that he had in mind. He had big ideas of life, and the means of accomplishing them by using properly the mental and physical strength that God had given him. The boy who had the potential power to stir the world when the time came — that boy was going to be ready to grasp his opportunity when it presented itself. The field of opportunity was not large in the small town of Laclede. The boy had had no chance to see the world, the larger method of development. The greatest chance, in his eyes, seemed to lie in the law. With the hope, therefore, that some day, by diligence, he could make a great lawyer of him- self, he utilized every opportunity to study. Work- ing hard all day in the fields and studying at night was John Pershing's record during those summers in the early 70's. With the coming of fall the brothers came back 38 GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING to town. As in every country village, there were hay rides and parties; and the Pershing boys were getting old enough to be invited to these. Jim did manage to inveigle John into attending several ; but John was not a "ladies' man." He was always rather shy in the presence of girls. Another sidelight on the character of the future general — he had the reputation of being fastidious about his clothes. Not that he was a dandy or that his clothes were unusual in cut or color; but his clothes were always neat and well pressed. Miss May Pershing, the general's sister, relates the story of how her brother John was accustomed to put his Sunday clothes between the mattresses in order to keep them in their proper creases. Jim never was able to keep a suit in shape for any length of time; and, as a result, he was always trying to borrow something of John. But John insisted that he must learn to take care of his own. About this time a pretty eastern girl was visiting relatives in Laclede. She was the belle of the town during her stay, and Jim was one of the most eager seekers for her smiles. At last there seemed an opportunity for Jim to call on the young lady when the usual crowd of admirers would be absent. There was to be a revival meeting in the Methodist church, conducted by the Rev. Mr. Sidebotham. The Pershing family, being devout Methodists, expected to attend, as did nearly everyone else in town. HIS MODEL AND HIS AMBITION 39 It was during the progress of this meeting that Jim was to have the pleasure of calHng on the girl. When he went to lay out his best clothes in preparation for the happy event, he found that, as usual, they were in a sad state. He was in despair until he remembered that John would not be at home until late that evening and would not miss his clothes if he should use them. Carefully he took the suit from between the mattresses, put it on, and cheerfully proceeded up the street to the house where the girl was a guest. Unfortunately, John did come home. He had finished his work early and had hurried to attend the revival meeting with his m.other. Of course it would not do for him to go in his working clothes, so he rushed upstairs to dress. He lifted the mattress — his clothes v/ere gone. It did not take long for him to guess the culprit and the purpose for which the clothes were being used. With a grim smile he stalked out of the house. Jim, very self-conscious but happy, was seated on a stiff horse-hair chair, awkwardly holding a big family album, while on another chair sat an ex- tremely pretty maid demurely turning the pages of the album in the accustomed manner of entertaining a ''gentleman caller" of these days in rural Missouri. Suddenly, with a loud thumping on the porch, the angry John entered and confronted the startled pair. CHAPTER VI In Poverty, the Future General Teaches IN A Negro School JOHN PERSHING stood before his brother, who had borrowed his best suit to call upon the pretty girl sitting there with bewilderment in her eyes. Jim did not know exactly what to expect ; but he knew John, and knew he deserved all he would receive at his hands. At the same time, he did n't wish to be shamed before the girl. So he managed to ask, in as casual a tone as he could assume : "Do you want anything, John?" The answer came with a snap: "Yes, I want you, and I want my suit — and I want it right away." And, grasping his brother by the ear, he marched him out of the room. Jim could hear the giggles of the girl as he left, and knew that all chances for her favor were gone. "Off with those clothes!" said John when they reached home. "Put them away just as you found them, and come down stairs." Down stairs John was waiting for the culprit. It was too late for the revival meeting — that was 40 TEACHES IN A NEGRO SCHOOL 41 nearly over — but John intended to teach Jim a lesson. A severe thrashing impended — but this the arrival of his parents with the revivalist, the Rev. Mr. Sidebotham, prevented. The summer of 1875 brought a drought. No rain fell — the black loam of Missouri crumbled to powder. Few seeds that had been put in the earth that spring sprouted, and those that came up quickly withered. No crops were raised in Missouri or Kansas that year. Farmers nearly starved, and those in the towns who depended upon the money the farmers spent had nearly as hard a time. The elder Pershing had many acres of Missouri farm land. Ordinarly they were the best invest- ment he could have made, even with the mort- gages which were on them. The interest on the mortgages was only a small part of what the farms produced, and it was considered better business for a man to have a large acreage with a mortgage than a small farm free. Consequently, when the drought came Pershing was caught. One after another his mortgages were foreclosed. His general store, which had made his fortune, was sold under the hammer — everything he owned except the home was lost. John F. Pershing, undaunted by his misfortune, resolved to start anew and make as big a success as he had before. There was nothing in Laclede 42 GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING left for him to do — very little for anyone. Pershing took stock of the family resources. There was only fifteen dollars and his watch. He decided to go to Kansas City and look for work. Young John, big and husky for his age, felt sure that he could find enough work around the town to support the family while his father was away. With his assurance the elder Pershing, leaving five dollars of his little capital, departed for Kansas City and a fresh start in life. With the determination that he put into his search for work it was not long before he found it ; but during that period his funds ran so low that he was compelled to put up his watch as security for his board. The position he obtained was that of a traveling salesman. This paid a very small salary at first, so son John still had his opportunity to aid in the support of the family. In that part of Laclede known as "Nigger-town" there had been a school ever since Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The maintenance of this school was required by law, but the post of teacher never was eagerly sought. Hearing of the school board's difficulty in obtain- ing a teacher, John resolved to try for the position. He called upon the chairman and made such a strong application that he was appointed. Never before had a boy as young been considered capable of teaching a school, but the board was familiar TEACHES IN A NEGRO SCHOOL 43 with the scholarly qualities of John Pershing. They knew that he had the determination to win — that he would overcbme all the hardships of the difficult post and would make good. John took charge of his school for the term of 1876-77. It is to be remembered that young John Pershing Was braving public opinion when he undertook to teach in a negro school. The town of Laclede still had the same southern atmosphere that it had during the war. It was not considered fitting that a white man should perform such a personal service as teaching negroes. Hence the task called for great fortitude. He soon began to realize what a difficult problem he had undertaken. His late schoolmates would congregate at the windows and distrub the sessions of the school. They would hang around until school was dismissed and call ''Nigger! Nigger!" This petty persecution only made John persevere the harder to achieve the result for which he was striving. The climax came one day when a certain "rough" boy of the town entered the school while John was conducting a class. Trouble seemed imminent. John felt that he would lose the respect of his scholars were he to enter into a fight in the schoolroom. The only thing he could do was to try to make the young man feel ashamed of him- self, so he said: "Abraham Lincoln conferred upon the colored 44 GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING race the privilege of education. When everyone else refused, I undertook to teach them. Please leave and permit me to continue with the instruction that will make these people worthy of citizenship that has been conferred upon them. " The logic of this was unanswerable, and the bully left the school abashed. John did not have much trouble with the boys after this, but he could tell by the attitude of the public that they still did not approve his position. However, John remained throughout the term, as the pay, although not large, was sufficient to provide for his mother and the rest of the family. His father was making good as a traveling sales- man, and soon began to send home a sum sufficient for their support. Then the mother insisted that John relinquish his position at the end of the term and continue his studies. During the summer John did study hard, but the love of his work was in his blood. He had had one experience with it and was resolved to work again as soon as he could fittingly prepare himself for it. There was a normal school at Kirksville, about seventy-five miles from Laclede. A normal school in those days had the same standing as a state college or university. It was the goal of every boy's ambition to go to the Normal. John hardly dared breathe this ambition to his mother. He TEACHES IN A NEGRO SCHOOL 45 did not believe the family finances could stand the additional expense. When Charley Spurgeon, a boy of about the same age who lived directly across the street from the Pershings, came in one evening full of the news that he was going to the Normal that term, Mrs. Pershing saw reflected in John's face his own great wish to go. Without saying anything to her son, Mrs. Persh- ing wrote to her husband, and the encouraging letter she received in reply made her resolve to send John to Kirksville at all costs. It was a happy boy who packed his few belong- ings and set out for the Normal School on September 15, 1878, with his friend Charley Spurgeon. He felt that at last he had set his foot on the ladder that leads to success. Young John Pershing knew the value of application, and he made the best use of his time while at Kirksville. It took him longer to work out a problem to his own satisfaction than it did many of his fellows, but he never quit when he had the apparent solution; it had to be proven from all angles so at the Normal John had the reputation of being a hard student, and his marks there show that he was. Kirksville was and still is a co-educational institu- tion, and it was difficult for even so hard a student, and one so shy in the presence of the fair sex, to keep entirely out of the social life. On Hallowe'en Charley Spurgeon, provoked at 46 GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING John's refusals to accompany him to previous parties, taunted him with actually being afraid of the girls. John, to prove that this was not the case, decided to go to this one. It was a Hallowe'en party of the old-fashioned kind — with taffy-pulHng, corn-popping, and bobbing for apples in a tub of water. At first John's diffidence kept him aloof from the merrymakers, but Charley dragged him to the tub — where stood the pretty Lottie Spencer. Down on his knees went the future general. CHAPTER VII Pershing, Again a School Teacher, Meets AND Conquers the Bully WHEN John Pershing went down on his knees with pretty Lottie Spencer before the tub of water bobbing for apples at the Hallowe'en party he was entirely ignorant of the finer points of the game through lack of practice. Perhaps it was the unaccustomed proximity of the fair face so close to him that embarrassed him; perhaps he went after the elusive apple too stren- uously. At any rate, the two heads bumped together, the owners lost their balance, and into the water went the heads. The pair arose amid the laughter of the others. The incident had broken the ice for John, and he entered into the spirit of the festivities. The same incident seemed also to have conquered his shyness with girls — at least for one particular girl, for it was some time later in the evening that the company missed John and Lottie and started a search for them. Out on the porch in the moon- light they were found, All things sentimental were subject to jest in that merry throng, who immediately threw cold water on this budding 47 48 GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING romance of John's. It was to be many years before he permitted his fancy to fix itself again on any particular girl. For the remainder of his term at the Normal John applied himself industriously to his studies. He was so successful that he was graduated from Kirksville on June 15, 1880, with the degree of B.A. He returned home resolved to study law at the first opportunity. The fortunes of the Pershing family were again in the ascendant. The father, with the same grit that he had shown in carving out one fortune for himself, was rapidly accumulating another. He was considered one of the best salesmen in the west, and it is estimated that he was making then the unusual sum of $7,000 a year. It is worthy of note that one of the presents his father sent to John upon his graduation was a pair of kid gloves — the first he had owned. These gloves were a prized possession. It will be recalled that he was extremely careful about his dress, and the kid gloves fitted in with his idea of what was prqper for a young man to wear when attired in his ''best." Wishing to be independent while studying law, John looked around for a position. He heard that the town of Prairie Mound, about nine miles from Laclede, would need a teacher for its school the next term. He was already familiar with that MEETS AND CONQUERS THE BULLY 49 work. He therefore, asked "Doc" Spurgeon, the father of his old roommate, Charley, for a letter of introduction to old ''Cap" Henley, superintendent of the school there. ''Of course, I'll give you a letter," said the doctor, though he smiled as he looked at the gloves which John was wearing. "But I'll tell you one thing. Don't wear those gloves when you see the old man. He don't like gloves a darn bit." John promised to take off his gloves before he interviewed the superintendent. The Pershings did not own a horse, but they had a coal-black jackass which they used when they made short trips. Prairie Mound, being nine miles distant, was too far for John to walk, so he saddled the jackass and, with Charley Spurgeon mounted on a similar steed of different color, he made the journey. On his way he had to ford what w^as known as Turkey Creek. This little stream at the time was higher than usual and there was no bridge. Half-way across John's steed balked. Nothing the rider could do would move the animal. It began to slip off into a hole; still it stubbornly refused to move. The water had reached John's feet and was coming still higher. There was every prospect that he would be drenched before he could apply for his position — and this was an occasion when he wished to appear especially neat. He climbed 4 50 GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING on top of the saddle and stood there while the water was rising higher and higher. Charley, though highly amused at the predicament of his friend, came to his rescue, tied the bridle of his mule to that of John's animal, and dragged them both from the stream. With the exception of a few splashes John was as neat as ever. When the steeple of the Prairie Mound church came into view John, who was still wearing his gloves, remembered *'Doc" Spurgeon's advice, removed them, and placed them in his pocket. His interview with "Cap" Henley was entirely satisfactory, and John, when he left the superin- tendent's office, knew that he was to teach the school there for the next term. Just as he was leaving, however, the old man said: "I'm glad you don't wear any of those new- fangled kid gloves. The last young feller we had here had a sort of partiality for them, and that was one of the reasons we had to let him out. " That winter John Pershing made his home with an uncle, William Griffith, who had a farm near Prairie Mound. The life of a teacher, even in this school where the atmosphere was so different from that of the colored school in which John had taught in Laclede, was no sinecure, as he soon discovered. The children were very unruly — owing perhaps to a lack of discipline by previous teachers. He saw MEETS AND CONQUERS THE BULLY 5 1 that he would have to take strenuous measures or he soon would be in the position of submitting to his own pupils. Among the older boys was one who, by reason of his size and fractious disposition, had assumed the position of ringleader in all the deviltry. It took some time, naturally, for the new teacher to become acquainted with this fact; but, when he did, it was easy to put a stop to the lawlessness that kept the school in a turmoil. It was during a history lesson one afternoon. John, with his inborn love of country, always took great delight in expounding to his pupils the glorious story of how our forefathers fought for and obtained their rights and their independence. In the midst of an impassioned speech the bully of the school saw a particularly good opportunity to create a diversion. A stray dog had crept unnoticed into the schoolroom. It sniffed inquiringly at several of the children and made its way to the bully. Grinning like the young savage he was, he kicked the mongrel, howling, up the aisle. Now, if there was anything that John Pershing detested it was cruelty to animals. Dogs especially were his favorites and he could not bear to have them mistreated. This was the time for action. John called the offender before him. The bully, confident that his size prevented any punishment, replied: 52 GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING "Come an' get me." John went and got him. Jerking him to his feet with a grip the young ruffian could not break, the young teacher severely chastised him and put him out of school. The surprised youth yelled back vindictively: ''Wait till my father gets you and you'll see who's boss. " John proceeded in peace in the now subdued school and thought he had settled the question of discipline. The bully, however, had a father who was built along the same lines as his son, and the distorted story told by the latter was such as to make him seek revenge on the man who had punished the boy. As John neared the schoolhouse the following morning he noticed that all of the pupils were waiting outside. This was unusual, and he hurried to find out the cause. As he came closer he saw the figure of a big, burly man, whose stiff red whiskers and hair gave him a fierce aspect, seated on a horse with a gun in his hand. John immediately recalled the threat of the young bully, and rightly con- cluded that this was the father who was going to "show him who was boss." But he never was one to shirk when there was trouble in sight. The man was several times his size and he had a gun, but odds made no difference to John. When the red-haired man caught sight of the teacher he raised his gun. CHAPTER VIII Teacher Pershing Decides to Compete FOR West Point THIS was the first time in the Hfe of John Pershing that he, who was afterward to face hostile milHons, had a gun pointed at him with murderous intent. He met fearlessly the gaze of the father of the school bully whom he expelled the day before. ''You're the skunk that licked my boy?" shouted the man, beside himself with rage. "I don't want any trouble with you, sir," said young Pershing calmly. **I ejected your boy because he was unruly, and he can stay away until he learns to conduct himself as a student should." "Well, I came to show you that you can't boss me and mine around like that," repHed the man, still covering the teacher with his weapon. "Then put down that gun and fight like a man, " said John, making a sudden spring and twisting the gun from the hands of the astonished man. He knew the effect of a surprise, and the man, bewildered by the unexpected attack, was quickly pulled from his horse. "Punch him. Dad!" called the young bully from 53 54 GENERAL JOHN J. PERSHING the outskirts of the crowd, where he was hiding to witness the outcome of the affair. "Dad," with the bellow of a bull, rushed his assailant and sought to get him in those big arms of his. John, realizing that he would stand little chance at close quarters, avoided the rush and, as the big man lunged by, planted a fist in his face. Blinded by the blow, the man turned and rushed again — with the same result. Finding he could accomplish nothing by these tactics, he stood up to Pershing, his arms flying like flails as he tried to reach the elusive youth. It was a battle of blind rage against a cool, collected determination to make every blow count; and as usual, the latter won. Watching his opportunity, Pershing landed a heavy blow on the chin of his antagonist, who sank heavily to the ground, dead to the world. Pershing was not particularly elated over this victory, save that it proved to him that with deter- mination he could win out in the physical side of life, even against heavy odds. He turned to his pupils, who were eyeing their teacher with the respectful admiration of the small boy for a hero, and ordered them into the schoolhouse. Nothing could have impressed them more strongly than did this encounter that he was determined to have discipline. When the last of the children had disappeared into the building Pershing turned to the man, who ^^S^IH^" 'lip.- "^i''x' 1 ■^f^' '■ '^ %^{ its < ?^ •3 ^ ^ g g-^ o -2 -« " <^ S a ..s .5 >^ C ?= 2^ G 6 "o