"It isn't a 'him' at all, Sarge," rejoined Green. "Kantab is the name of a poison that the Moros extract from one of their plants up in the hills."
"Well, cheer up," urged Sergeant Overton, seating himself and opening a book. "There are no poisons issued in the rations."
"But Slosson was telling me about two soldiers who got kantab in their rations a few years ago," insisted Green.
"Was the quartermaster court-martialed?" asked Sergeant Overton. "Or was it the fault of the company cook?"
"Nothing like it," replied Green. "Two soldiers were on outpost one morning, and they had just prepared their breakfast. Just then they thought they heard a sound in the bushes, so they caught up their rifles and went out to investigate. They found nothing, so they came back to their breakfasts. They thought their coffee tasted rather bitter, but they drank it just the same. Ten minutes later both men were dying in agony. That noise had been a ruse to draw them off, while some native slipped in and put the kantab in their coffee. Ugh! That's a cowardly way to fight. If I find anything bitter about my food, even here in barracks, I'm going to toss the grub out. No kantab for mine," wound up "Long" Green earnestly.
"Did that really happen, Slosson?" asked Sergeant Hal, glancing up from his book.
"Sure," responded Private Slosson nonchalantly.
"I've heard about the stuff, too," nodded Private Kelly. "Only yesterday I heard one native talking about it to another."
"I'm going to watch my chow (food) after this," insisted Green.
For twenty minutes Hal read on, paying no attention to the chatter of soldiers about him. Then a bugle blew, and Hal closed his book with a snap.