Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1884-08-12

he knew the mans liking ior the nurse,
Who. a. a special favor, bad been allowed
him. instead Of the usual hospital steward.
and that he might reasonably expect ts
Be heard with patience =, least by his oil
master.
"Yoa know VIA, would say. Colo
mel " Mr.. O'HAlloran began, rising and
elAspins her wrinkled hands my heart
has been breaking TO say this long day.
bat I could no, leave Butler
"Does Butler know anything Of this
affair ?"
"No sir. sure could no, trouble a
dying man. who has been 20 good a friend
TO Tom. and hi, father before him, this
many a day"
Il wish Tom had your sense of duty,
Mrs O'HallorAn." cred the Colonel. with
a sudden dimncss in his keen eyes, as he
though, ofthe mothers Agony of suspense
,ha, ,he hal concealed for the good Of her
paiisnI
IL kne~ TIA, could see yoa when you
came to see Butler, As yoa always do
/ Colonel" ,he sail simply Ani then.
while the .low tear, of age crep, down
/ herr face Colonel. :, Is good aud kind you
/ have been 90 my poor boy many and many
a time. and sorely he has tined your kind
ne.. Bat his hear, i sei on goiog to ihis
I fighting. and II you ,urn him oui Of The
regiment nov. the regiment ,hA, has been
/ IA. home since he Was little lad, sure
sr. yoa will ruin his liie ea,irsly. and he
/ /. 80 young. lie !. a brave boy too Is
my Tom. Coloasl. and l have telling
/ hsre pressing trembling hand against
/ her heart, that Il you take him With yoa'
/ be will Do something TO make yoa and
. his regiment proud Of him.
Il wn weak logic, bat the brave pa
the,ic old eyes. the PAssioaa'e pleading
/ Of the f.l,eriag yoive. made il very elo'
qasa,. ani though the Colone' told him
,slfth be wa fool. be knew ,ha, he
was yielding.
Take him with you this once Give
/ him ,hi. one more chance p" she imPlored.
"Sure. Coloael. the God Of the widow
will not lei any harm come 20 you be-
cause you heard the widows prayers.
.yery well Mr. O'HAllOrAn. for your
,ake Tom shall have another trial but !
.hall Keep my eye on bin, and The does
any harm. !, shall oaly be to himself
cried The Colonel. With a sense q apollo
siling % hi. conscience. "Ihe soa OF
.seh a mother oush, TO be better stuff
than hople,, drankArds afe made Of.
"God bles, you. ,ir, for ever aai ever
catching hi. hand and kissing It. Ills
mother knows Tom O'HallorAn better
than himself doe, and yoa will be glad
Of ,hi, day, mercy as long - yoa h'e'
Colonel."
TIE .aa had ri,en on such hopes AID
such confidence. such hsh, hearts aud
such say laughter. on a well-ordered we'll
appointed regimen, that scorned IT, ioe'
and believed in IT, own in,incibleness.
The sun was sinking, a, the June days
elo.e. on couple Of hundred Of exhausted
men huddled together with q rampant Of
saddles and dead horses oa the crown Of
a steep bin. whose base WAS 'urrounded
by ho~has sAvages. who stretched IN da'-
/ ky hordes. /, seemed 10 the tired eye' that
watched them. sndle,sly through the val
lev bsyond the hi,le riyer. They had
been .urroasded and slaughtered by over
whelning numbers. and the remnant
I'LL alive Nere worn ou, with fatigue
heat. hunger, diseouragemen,, but, most
Of al, tsir., The steep sides Of the hill
were .,rewn With bodies for the Indians
with the recklessness Of triumph, had
charged almost up 10 the rides, several
times. and none Of ,hA, weary band could
say ba, wha, the next charge might be
successful. though each man vowed 'i-
/ lea,ly to himself that bis own weapon
should preyen, hi. being prisoner II he
survived bis comrades.
They were no, quite helpless however,
for they knew ,hA, within ,weniy-iour
bour. march Ofihem were reinforeemen,s
Of such extent ihA, a, their approach the
Indian. would vanish. and that II they
could nAi.,Ain their position. by sunset
tomorrow they would be safe. But in
the meantime. though hunger and fatigue
could Be endured. ,hin, was mAddening'
and the woanded. who Jay in the centre
Of the little circles, would not live until
morning wi,hou. water. the surgeon said.
The Colonel and two OF three OF the sur
v;ving officers. who had been holding a
eoancilif such could be called. anything
90 unanimous as the opinion that they
mus, defend themselves while there life
was left) looked hOPslessly a, each other
when the surgeon made his report, and'
with the energy Of desperation the Colo
mel sprang to his feet. They were all
living IA, behind their rampant TO protect
themselves Agains, occasional volley' hred
BY the Indians from an opposite but less
high hill.
"Boys p" said the Colonel. and between
fatigue and sorrow lfOr had be no, seen
nj. bes, friends die iha, day ')'he strong
Kindly voice was sOrely shaken, "you
-. A.. H. III that brave men