The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1888-04-12
TIE lJoR's STORY.
From Lond on socisty.

bringing down his hand upon it with
such force that the glasses rangagain;
.'by the living jineo! don't believe
there's q man in the regiment. or in
tho whole British army either. that's
had g many, aye. or half as many
marrow squeaks for his life as. / have
General attention was Immediately
concentrated on the major, for the
above speech was familiar to all pres
ent. When it burst from the majors
lips We all knew that his wonderful
memory had recalled to him some
hairbreadth escape, some daring ex-
plot Of which he was the hero; or,
which was just as good, that his equal.
" wonderful imagination had coniured
up some such picture, still having
himself for the centre figure.
And when the majors memory or
imagination supplied him an anecdote
he was always generously eager to i'm.
part it to his friends and brother Of
ticera. Indeed we had heard most of
his stories three times at the very low.
est rate OF computation, but then
they were retold with such numerous
variations and additions that they
never fell fat on our ears.
But let the major tell the story that
is evidently trembling on the tip of
his tongue in his own way and with
out further interruption or explana-
tion.
"And what's more, besides having
got safely out of some very pretty
ecrapes myself, as you all. know
hero there was q loud chorus of assent.
ing voices. and q frequently uttered
''True for you, major, and the saints
be praised for that same!" from a
young Irish subaltern, lately Joined,
to whom the majors stories still wore
the gloss Of novelty, though his irrev.
erent and meagrely yelled skepticism
caused that raconteur 20 view him
with some suepicion-t'I dare say
you also know" he continued, "that
I've helped to get other men out of
them. too. But I don't know that I
ever saw any man-except myself, of
course-nearer being swallowed -by
the jaws of death than our colonel
was one day ont in India. For some
time past we had no regular fighting
and were in hopes that we might be
able to negotiate q peace without fur
Their bloodshed. But meanwhile there
was a kind of petty guerilla warfare
going on. The cowardly ours of ma.
tives never showed themselves openly,
but would hide in the wood by which
our camp was pretty we'll surround.
3D."
"A right spot for picnic party, but
a quare situation for a CAMP" MUIR
INJURED the subaltern, who was prompt
ly adjured to DRY up, and let the
major speak,"
Concealed in this covert, they would
pick off one man here and another
there, from immense distances; for,
you know, they had got possession OF
q. lot Of old rifles, and wher once they
had found out how to use them, they
were beggars to shoot. And the most
aggravating part of it was, that
though they ran fast enough when dis
covered, yet if you did get hold of
them, and it came to the point. they
didn't seem to mind being killed in the
least. AS sure as I'm a living man,
they seemed, like the cells, rather to
enjoy it. Isurpose they knew there
were plenty more to follow; but 'pon
my honor,it is astonishing how cheap
those fellows seem to hold human
life.
"Well, as I was going to say, our
colonel was as brave a man as ever
breathed the breath of life, but he was
rash, terribly rash; and one day he
was strolling about between the camp
and the wood when I happened to
catch sight OF him. The very place
where poor Willis was bowled over
last week. SAID to myself. I'll just
keep an eye on the colonel and see
that he comes to no HARM
$50 l strolled out after him, and
then I remembered that after Willis
was shot by some scamp lurking
among the trees, we had posted SEN
tries at short distances along the out.
er edge of the wood. We called it q
wood, but it was really only O. long,
narrow belt Of trees skirting the camp.
However, I thought might as we'll
walk round to where the sentries were
on duty and make sure that all was
right. But when l got to the place
where I could have sworn the first OF
them ought to have been standing
there was no sentry there. So went
on to the second post, but it was de-
serted too, and SO was the third, and
the fourth! In fact, there was not a
man out Of the half dozen to be found.
"Of course, I knew at once there
was some treachery on foot, and re.
solved to hurry back to give the
alarm. So off l started in hot haste.
! took q short cut through the woods
in the direction of the camp, but
hadn't got more than half way across
when a thick clump of brushwood
aroused my suspicious as a very like.
ly place for all enemy to be skulkine
IN. So, keeping my revolver in readi.
ness, I went up to it,. resolved to un.
earth any ofthe tricky scoundrels who
mig hit have chosen it as a snug little
spot in which to lie perdu. I plunged
in boldly. but keeping a sharp look.
out.
"When got into the middle, there
was a small open space, and in it lay
you may judge OF my horror when l
came suddenly upon them-the bodies
Of six murdered men huddled one upon
the top of the other. Soldier though
I was, and I don't think an over cow
ardly one. / felt inclined to turn and
fly from the horrible sight. You may
hardly credit it, but the bare recollec-
ton Of it makes my tongue feel as if it
vvoro 0l,,ad IN tho roof If my month
feel myself alone, shut in by the dense
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. with those blk
lifeless corpses. With an effort
overcame my feelings of horror, and
stepped forward to examine the
bodies. There was no blood upon
them, and at first I could find no
trace OF any kind of violence. At last
my eyes fell upon what sent a cold
bhudder through my veins. Ihad off,