Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1885-11-11
Too Bad.

'OT with the saddle and shoot
him -
, 1t WAS 4 cavalry scout of a score of
neu returning to camp after rough
ri,le of hundred miles. Ten miles
away troopers horse had fallen lame.
Voice and spur had urged him on, but
at last he could go no further. Hemust
bs abandoned. Aye, TO prevent profit
TO the enemy he must be shot.
Poor Jim ~ whispered the rider as
lie dismOunted.
That horse had carried him thous-
anJ miles. They had gone hungry to-
getler, they had shared the dangers Of
naIf a dozen battles, they had stood
picket in company, they were 'pards. :"
Jim, old boy, I'd rather lose an
arm - exclaimed the trooper, as he
lO1Sened the saddle.
The suffering horse, relieved of his
burdens, turned his head to his master
and uttered his gratitude in a low
whinny.
''I've got to do it. Old boy" contin-
Ued the trooper, as he drew his revOl-
yer and held 1t IN his right hand, while
lie latted the neck of his old ''pard"
with the left. ''If they had asked me
to take bullet in the leg-if a good,
square sabre cut from Johnny would
save your life, I'd bend my bare head
and take it. -
The last of the troop had passed on.
Night was shutting down and guer-
rllas lurked in every bend of the
road.
Jim, old pard, its orders, you KNOW
said the trooper as he stripped off the
birdie. Look down the road, now,
while l send a bullet into your head.
It's aSsassInation-it's foul murder
but it's orders. Goodbye, jim, and
may the Lord forgive mel''
The horse fell like a log ut the report
of the pistol, and without daring to
LOOK back at his victim the trooper
Snatched up the accoutrementS and
hurried on after his companions. He
was hardly out of sight when the horse
struggled up. What had happened2
He shook his head, wheeled about in a
circle, and blew note of alarm from
his bleeding nostrIls.
He was abandoned ! He was in the
enemy's country Who had done this
by faithful servant BY and by
memory deyinely returned. He had
fallen lame-his rider had dismounted
he remembered of hearing kind words
and feeling a hand cares5 his neck.
What thenp He had been shot down !!
Some hidden guerrilla must have fred
the shot. His Tider-his Old ''pard"-
would not have sought his death.
With eyes allame with fear and pain
with a limb almost uselesS-wlth
such tOrtures TackIng his head that he
could not repress his groans-the faith
ful hOrsG searched the roadside for his
master; if dead, he would die with
him The search was vain.
And he had been abandoned He
had been over this road several times.
He remembered every bridge and hill
and turn. 1t was miles to the Union
lines, but he would drag himself to the
pickets before death came. With slow
and painful steps-with the darkness
rendering his road more gloOmy-with
a foreboding that the hand which had
fed him so long had given him his death
wound at last, the poor beast dragged
himself along, and the nigh: wore on.
Halt! Who comes there?"
1t was the challenge of a picket. His
quick ear had detected the sound of feet
on the highway.
Here at lastl This was the goal
the beast had striven for. He stood
stock still as the challenge reached hi
ear, but only for moment. Then sum-
mOning his last remaining life, he rush.
ed down the hill and full at the picket.
'HaIl Haiti Turn out the guard!"
1t was too late to stop the IiderlesS,
limping horse outside the lines, but as
be passed within them half a dozen car
bines blazed forth in the darkness, and
he fell forward and died without a
groan. The men of the picket gather
ed around. They understood that it
was an abandoned horse, which had
dragged himself into the lines.
Too bad, isn't it," whispered the
grim old sergeant. And every man
felt he was almest guilty of murder.