Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1884-04-03

grieved. Your colonel will not order
you to do him an extra service, but the
surgeon has told us that our wounded
will die of thirst before morning unless
they have water. Boys, there is little
stream at the foot of this hill. Will any
of you volunteer to bring some for your
comrades ~
There was moments silence, for all
the men knew that the service he asked
was desperate one The stream lay
within the Indian line-if anything 50 If
regular could be called line-and they
were physically 50 tired that exertion,
much less daring, seemed impossible
Only a moment, and then tall young
man jumped up in his place, couple Of
yards from the colonel's side, and waved
his cap over his head
81 will go, colonell" cried Tom O'Hal-
loran's CHEEKY voice. Friends, who viii
help to bring some water for those who
have not been 50 lucky as We have2"
Soldiers only need leader to do gal
liant thing, and in two moments more
eight men-the colonel would not permit
more to go-erept out over the rampant,
every second man carrying tin bucket,
and the other acting as guards. Very
breathlessly their comrades waited the
result, and the colonel clinched his hands
in helpless grief when he heard the
firing that told they had been attacked
But they came back presently-seyen Of
them, wonderful to sav-with water
enough to give everybody a drink, and
to keep the wounded supplied for several
hours, and the only missing man was
Tom O'Halloranl
His mother said that he would make
the regiment proud of him, muttered
the colonel to the officer beside him, and
neither was ashamed of the tears on his
cheek.
1t was not a night on which it was
possible for commanding officer, how
ever tired, to sleep; and two hours later,
when all had been quiet for over an hour,
and in the dusky skies the stars were
shining brilliantly, the colonel moved
noiselessly across the sleeping men to a
sentry who for some five minutes had
been fixedly watching something on the
other side of the defenses.
''What is itg" he asked, in sharp
whisper.
Il think it is one Of our men, colonel
but am not sure, answered the soldier,
pointing to dark form crawling on
hands and knees, with many pauses, near
the top Of the hill.
"Who goes there's" cried the colonel.
''Tom, F." came faint reply; and in an
instant, forgetting that it was his duty
as commander not needlessly to expose
his life, the colonel was over the de-
fenses, and kneeling beside bleeding,
ghastly, but living Tom O'Hallorann
''Good Godl my boy, how did you
get here We thought you were dead Y
SO did |, Colonel, twice, . murmured
Tom, with CLEAN that was half fun,
half tenderness, in his dim eyes. ''But
promised my mother to 60 back to her,
and was not going to break her heart
just when 1 had done something at last
to make her little proud of her worth
less fellowr'
You all know that they were rescued
next day, ''all that was left of them; y
but think you will be glad to hear that
Tom O'Halloran kept his promise to his
mother, and lived, though he lost leg,
and was otherwise SO injured that he will
never be strong man again. But he is
the hero Of his regiment, and whether d
desire to live up to his new place in
mems esteem helped him, or whether the
good in his nature would have tri-
umphed sooner or later without The assis
tance of his heroism, is a question the
colonel is fond of arguing, always end
ing by inviting his auditor, if stranger,
to go with him to the regimental hospi
tai, where Tom has become a mode
bookkeeper and steward, and the best Of
sons to his happy and proud old mother
-Harper's Weekly.