Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 68, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 March 1913 — Privato Rafferty Explained. [ARTICLE]

Privato Rafferty Explained.

It was a snowy, windy night and Private Rafferty, on guard, quickly got chilled. x i-x. The snow drifted into his sentrybox until, in sheer desperation, he moved that rude shelter to a sloping position in the lee of the buttress of the wall. 1 From a locker at the foot of the flag, staff he abstracted a large Union Jack, and wrapping this round hlin he crept into the box and tried to make himself comfortable. The time seemed dreadfully long and presently Rafferty dosed off to sleep, to be awakened later by the flash of a lantern in his eyes, and, looking up, he found an officer and the sergeant eyeing him with astonishment. “What’s the meaning of this?" demanded the officer, sternly. But Rafferty did not disturb himself. “Shure," he replied, “I thought ye’d left me to freeze to death so fer convenience I jest laid myself out in ould coffin. An* bebad, ye can plase yerselt about callin' out the flring-party an* going on wld the funeral.”—Tit-Bits.