The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1886-01-01
His Sixth Medal.

He bad been thrown out rs a yidcttc.
and tor hours he had pccrcd into the
darkness around him to watch for the
slightest sign OF dan. cr-lislcncd like
one who realized that tn" willy Arab
OF the desert steals upon his prev with
all the silent canning of the American
Indian. AS the stars Of night bean
topalc before the advance OF dawn he
felt Ike one rcpricvcd. VIII lie he
watched, the enemy hail, for once,
seemed to sleep. Daylight would
brin" continuation of the march, aud
every hour would witness Il skirmsl,
but even u battle does not unncrve :.
man Ike standing vidrtlo on /, lone
and dangerous post.
What. Has lie become blind! Day.
Eight now covers the desert, and the
vidct,e IS looking towards the camp OF
the night. There is no camp. At
mi,lni@ Int he lc 500 OF his comrades
This morn ng there is no SIGN of life.
He looks to the right. bui there is no
Nidctrc. He looks to The left no liv.
ing thing meets his eyes
lie stands and peers and siarcs and
blinks. Is he awake? Ii so. is he
I'll nj? Has the night played some
strange trek on him in tits land of
strange things aud strange fanc:cso
He moves toward the spot where
the night halt was made, but he adj
vanccs slowly and ca,it ously, and he
hcsitates now and then as il to reason
with himself. All. lie is neither blind
or daft. Here is Il cap-thcrc is u
bclt-lhcrc q ropr-tlcrc "a sack, to
prove that the camp had been here.
Here are the tracks of men and cam.
els, there II broad trail leading away
TO the south.
In tie stiffness OF night II messenger
had come to the little band, orlcrin.
;tn instant change OF march. Quietly
and without alarm the men had been
turned out, The Iclsts made ready,
and the vdettrs called in. All but
one! In the hurry and the darkness
he had been overlooked.
Leaning on il $ c:,rbinc and looking
over the tr;til left I" show the change
of march, The soldier reasoned it all
ont. His command had been monc for
hours. lie was alone AMI on foot.
Ovcrtakc them! He smiled grlm!v at
the Thought The sun and sand and
thirst OF Egypt were rs deadly enc
mics as the spears and bullets of the
Arabs. He had neither food nor wat
er. A hundred miles OF burning sands
and hot wind lay between him and II
blade of gr;lss--a siaglc drop of watt
CT.
The soldier turncl to survey the
desert plain. To the east moth nr but
sand; to the north, nothing but sand:
To the west, nothin. but sand; to the
south ah! He Strengthened up, silad.
cd Ii eyes with his hand. and for Il
long minute continued his g:tzc, then
he let his arm fall a score of Arabs
were riding down upon lin.
Without undue has;c-with the
the dignily be!ttin" an old veteran
the soldier took from Ii $ breast and
pinned To h IS coat il medal. Upon its
bright side were the words: The Burr
War" lie pinned on another VIII 81,
SAID: ''Ior Services in Zululand."
There was Il third ii fourlli--a fifth.
In his twenty years Of soldier life the
old man l.:td Il thousand times been Il
target for bullets. This was his last
'ampa' gu. Death was riding dow
upon II III, Dnl he WO'lltl dc rs Il sol
.licr as II Brit sll sold en-
When the savage ho:scmcn were
half 81 mile away they halted The
old soldier was ready and waiting.
There was no thought of takn. h m
prisoner thought of ur.cndcr
There was Il moment for consultation,
and then the bunch of horsrncn
drploycd in line aud advanced ut Il
guIlop.
Steady, now! Crack! Crack, Crack!
Two horscnlen trmblcd from Their
saddles I'll TN ri rcc.cd about in his
seat like man murtalIy hit. Before
another shot could he fired the muir
drru,s lanres drank blood and The old
sold or lav dead.
On the hot sands his face upturnch
to his foes, and lis medals slinn. as
never before in Il morning sun, lay the
old man, dead. And then. not bv the
hands of friends not by the hands of
comrades Il sixth media! was placed
upon his brlwny breast. 1t WAS not
OF gold or silver, but somctlI'n of
more priceless value. II WAS the
words oi an Arab clliefta;n:
"Comra,'es. IL brave man lies here"
--Dctr0H free Press.