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Show I Belgium Sketches ! i i ; In Government Service j By Katharine Eggleston Roberts I (Cupyrit-ht, ly.O, V'e..-rn .Newspaper Union) The striped oat sat on a broken stone in an old Flanders battlefield. She (luffed her tail and glared across her whiskers at Rihl.'the pup. "Everybody's "Every-body's always talking about a 'dog's life,' as though it were the hardest In the world. Huh I I wonder how they'd like to be a government cat out here in this devastated country. The rest of you animals don't have anything any-thing to do except sit around." The gloomy dog didn't attempt to answer. His drooping eyes stared down the street of newly built huts. "Oh, stop It, Mina; you're always fussing." Siska, the goat, wrinkled her nose In disgust. "Why do you suppose the government gives nil of us animals to these people who've come back to rebuild Dixmude and other places if we aren't good for something?" "It's nil very well for you to talk, Siska. There's no effort in merely giving milk ; and as for Bib!, all he does is bark if he hears a stranger coming at night." Rlbi got up and turned around a few times and dropped down on another spot. He was tired of being responsible respon-sible for everyone's safety, but he didn't feel like arguing about It. "When I was drafted," continued Mina after a pause, "my mother said: 'Mina, it's a fine tiling to serve your country, but I hate to see you going to live In those awful places.' Even-then Even-then she thought I'd get a little milk on co In a while. But no ! No!" Mina pigs that came yesterday T Bibl began be-gan a new conversation. "No ; how many?" "Five." "I wish they'd send more -gents," moaned Siska miserably. "I'm lonely. lone-ly. There's no society at all. It's hard on a well-born goat." "Well, I like that !" Mina's stripes-stood stripes-stood out. "I'll tell you, I'm not used to associating with goats. I hope the next ol.us you nibble is loaded. Certainly" Cer-tainly" "Now, Mina. you know I didn't mean that. I'm really fond of yon and Bibl ; but a goat's different, that's all. There are certain things peculiar to a goat " "Thank heaven, yes," interrupted Mina. "Oh, let Siska finish what she's saying." say-ing." "Well, as I was saying, I have Ideas and desires with which you have no sympathy, because those things hold no interest for you. Now another goat would understand my attitude toward those red flags that mark the ammunition piles. There's an irresistible irresisti-ble fascination In them " "I heard the captain of the camp over there say that the next time you nte one, and left the explosives unmarked, un-marked, he was going to feed you a grenade," Bibl warned. "That's just It no one understands a goat. I'm homesick." Siska bowed her head. 'Toor old Siska ; so am I," Bibl confessed, con-fessed, the tears running down his long brown nose. "Oh, well, I guess that's why I'm grouchy. I simply can't forget my home, and be content." Mina blinked. "I heard Jan Str'uyf say Hint's why he came bnck here. It's where he used to live. Mis home was down there where the old tank stands." "Uh-huh, I know. He's clearing up the plnce to build agnin. Imagine being be-ing homesick for this scrambled land!" Siska wagged her beard from side to side. "Still they're all alike," Bibl went-on. went-on. "They work from dawn till night, and we reconstruction animals were sent here to help. I suppose we ill i nWn J r J r rf flnm v gj iMr4 if it Ik i Goats Reconstruction Animals Read y for Great Task. shouldn't fuss. Wasn't It some old Greek who said, 'The world is only my idea.' If that's the case " "He's getting philosophical ; I'm going go-ing to leave." Mina stretched her long, slim body. "Oh, look!" The joy of living returned re-turned to Siska's eyes. She flirted her short tail and ran. "It's a nice new red flag!" "Do you know," observed Mina to the pup, "sometimes I think that Siska Sis-ka must be Russian." grew oratorical. "Siska gives all her milk to the people. There's none for a poor, hard-working cat. Hard-working that's it ! I'm overworked. Do they expect me to catch ajl the rats and mice in Belgium? These shell holes are full of them. Talk about their underground tunnels. I don't know which has made the most of them, the rats or the Germans. And the homes they've made in those dead trees ! I mean the rats. I tell you I'm just worn out, working night and day." "Well, at least you can eat them. You don't have to live on what little food people can give you, as we do," Bibl finally spoke. "You're not always hungry." "Eat them!" Mina snarled. "They are all I get to eat. I'm sick and tired of mice and such poor quality, too. Ugh ! You've no Idea." "Yes, yes, I know. It's the same with what little grass I find. It's rank and weedy. The best kind grows on the edge of the she'l pits, but even a L - st vw. I I Where He Used to Live. goat has trouble to keep from slipping slip-ping over the brink Into the water. The ground Is so loose around here. I wisli they would raise some vegetables, vegeta-bles, but with all this iron cluttering the earth, I guess It's impossible. How I would love a good cabbage! As for work you talk about working! Don't you know I'm supposed to help clean up the place, as well as give milk? Pack home I used to be awfully fond of shirts and shoes, but I simply can't make myself swallow those I find out here." "Now don't go getting morbid.. You always get morbid. As if things aren't I ad enough without talking about them r.ll the time. Have you seen the new |